Texture developing in TiO2/ORMOSIL composite sol-gel films by ECR etching

Composite waveguide film based on TiO2/organically modified silane (ORMOSIL ) has been synthesized through a sol-gel technique. Tetrapropylorthotitanat e (Ti(OC3H7)(4)) and (y) double over dot-Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (G LYMO, [(CH2OCH)CH2O(CH2)(3)]Si(OCH3)(3)) were used as precursors for TiO2/O RMOSIL composite films. Chain-like texture structure in the electron cyclot ron resonance (ECR)-etched composite waveguide film was observed during the fabrication of optical channel waveguides. The morphology and structure we re characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier tr ansforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It is proposed that the formation of the texture structure be due to the induced polymerization of the GLYMO mo nomer in the presence of plasma or gas catalyst. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.