Fabrication techniques for grating-based optical devices

We describe a novel, versatile process for fabricating integrated Bragg-gra ting devices. Our process addresses many of the critical challenges present ed by such devices, including period selection, alignment, spatial coherenc e, and nanolithography. Using a combination of a-beam, x-ray, optical, and interference lithographies, we have successfully employed this process to c onstruct 244 nm period, quarter-wave-shifted Bragg gratings on top of 1-mu m-tall waveguide structures in InP. (C) 1999 American Vacuum Society. [S073 4-211X(99)07206-6].