Ion beam processing of SiC for optical application

By means of MeV oxygen ion implantation at elevated temperatures into 6H-Si C and subsequent thermal annealing, buried SiC-SiO2 layers with refractive indices reduced towards the value of SiO2 were formed. These layers act as optical barriers for the overlying weakly damaged SiC layers which, accordi ng to m-line spectroscopy measurements, show multimode waveguiding at the w avelength 633 nm. Focused Ga ion beams were used for maskless patterning of SIC either by amorphization followed by wet chemical etching or by physica l sputtering. A combination of large area oxygen ion implantation with focu sed ion beam patterning offers a promising way to produce strip waveguides in SIG. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved.