NEW MATERIALS FOR OPTICAL WAVE GUIDES

LIGHT SIGNALS PASS THROUGH OPTICAL PROCESSORS VIA AN INTERCONNECTING SYSTEM OF WAVE GUIDE STRUCTURES. FLUORINATED POLYMERS, BECAUSE OF THEIR OUTSTANDING PROPERTIES, ARE LOGICAL MATERIALS FOR USE IN FABRICATING THESE STRUCTURES. FLUOROPOLYMERS CAN BE PAIRED WITH OTHER PLASTICS OR CERAMICS OF HIGHER REFRACTIVE INDEX AND "POTENTIALLY" FABRICATED INTO WAVE GUIDE STRUCTURES USING AN INNOVATIVE MICROMACHINING TECHNIQUE KNOWN AS LIGA MICROFORMING. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM (PHASES I AND II) IS THE DIRECT FABRICATION OF WAVE GUIDE STRUCTURES BY X-RAY OR DEEP-UV LITHOGRAPHY. NEW RESIST MATERIALS WITH OUTSTANDING SENSITIVITY, CONTRAST,RESOLUTION, AND ADHESION ARE REQUIRED FOR THE "THICK FILM" COATINGS NECESSARY FOR MICROMACHINING. THESE RESISTS WILL BE DESIGNED IN THIS PHASE I PROGRAM. FOR THE PHASE I EFFORT, WE WILL SYNTHESIZE TWO PROMISING CANDIDATES POLY(TRIFLUOROETHYL METHACRYLATE) AND POLY(HEXAFLUOROISOPROPYL METHACRYLATE) AND EVALUATE RESIST PERFORMANCE FOR BOTH X-RAY AND DEEP-UV EXPOSURE. EACH FLUORINATED MONOMER WILL BE COPOLYMERIZED WITH 3-OXIMINO-2-BUTANONE METHACRYLATE TO GIVE IMPROVED SENSITIVITY FOR DEEP-UV EXPOSURE. THE TWO COPOLYMERS WILL BE EVALUATED FOR DEEP-UV PROPERTIES NEAT AND ALSO SENSITIZEDWITH P-T-BUTYLBENZOIC ACID. THE FOUR POLYMERS WILL BE CHEMICALLY CHARACTERIZED AND TESTED FOR APPLICATION PROPERTIES, SENSITIVITY TO DEEP-UV AND X-RAY (HOMOPOLYMERS ONLY), CONTRAST, RESOLUTION, AND REFRACTIVE INDEX VERSUS WAVELENGTH. THE DEVELOPER AND RINSE CYCLE WILL BE OPTIMIZED FOR EACH POLYMER. RESIST MATERIALS AND DEVELOPERS FROM PHASE I WILL BE FURTHEROPTIMIZED IN PHASE II AND USED FOR MICROMACHINING A WAVE GUIDE.