Investigation for the Thermal Conduction of Silicon Oxide Waveguide Optical Switch

Silica-waveguide based planar lightwave circuit (PLC) technology is driving the applications of functional components for the increasing demands from industry due to its advanced properties in the wafer mass products. In this work, the thermal and mechanical fields are introduced to define the thermal conduction properties of thick SiO2 films and waveguide optical switch. Then, the influences of these two physical fields on the stress and thermal conduction of SiO2 waveguide optical switch are numerically calculated with theoretical model and then testified with the finite element method (FEM) function of COMSOL. Consequently, the agreeable results of about 300mW thermo-optic switching power and about 1.0ms switching time are reached among the numerical calculations, COMSOL simulations and experimental measurements. In coating processes, a reasonable control of heat is beneficial to thermal conduction and stress, so the simulations with the model and COMSOL software, and the measured results can all be employed to improve the design and fabrication performances of waveguide devices cross the wafer.