Fabrication of multimode polymeric waveguides by hot embossing process: Effect of sidewall roughness on insertion loss

We have fabricated a polymeric waveguide by using a hot embossing technique and have investigated its propagation loss. The replication of waveguide channels through the use of a hot embossing technique is of interest as a single-step process that could deliver surface roughnesses far smaller than the wavelength. We have evaluated experimentally that the sidewall roughness has a dominant effect on insertion losses of the multimode polymeric waveguide. The propagation loss of the waveguide decreased dramatically upon decreasing the sidewall roughness of the channel. We have confirmed that the preparation of waveguides having nanometer-scale sidewall roughness and 0.1 dB/cm propagation loss is possible when using the hot embossing technique.