FABRICATION OF OPTICAL CHANNEL WAVEGUIDES IN THE GaAdAlGaAs SYSTEM BY MeV ION BEAM BOMBARDMENT

We have fabricated optical channel waveguides in planar GaAdAlGaAs waveguides using 10 MeV oxygen ions at a fluence of 3 ~ 1 0 ' ~ and 3 ~ 1 0 ' ~ ions/cm2. Although disordering of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well structures has previously been reported, to the best of the authors' knowledge the fabrication of channel waveguides using high energy oxygen bombardment has not been demonstrated in this material system. This technique may provide a totally new concept of localized material modifications in W A 1 G a A s waveguides by creating compositional disordered regions that act as optical confinement channels. The masking technique used to provide selective disordering of the planar waveguide structures will be presented. Optical measurements were performed on the channel waveguides at a wavelength