Direct Writing of Light Guiding Structures

The application of optical structures in data transfer and measurement increases steadily. Optical fibres in WAN (Wide Area Networks) and LAN (Local Area Network) are state of the art. Polymer optical fibres (POFs) are superior to electrical conductors due to their lightness, their resistance to damage and electromagnetic interference. Just like their glass equivalents they provide a high data transfer rate. The integration of light guiding structures on and in surfaces with the help of dispensing technology is considered in this paper. In the first part the properties of optical fibers are described. The available structures and the integration in components lead to the direct creation of light guiding structures in and on surfaces. For achieving this, one polymer is applied on the surface in order to build the cladding. In the next step another polymer is filled in or on the cladding and sets up the core of the light guiding structure. An additional layer of the first polymer encloses the core.