Polyaniline thin film optical waveguides for integrated optics and VLSI prepared by vacuum evaporation technique

Polyaniline is emerging as an important polymer material which offers challenging opportunities for both fundamental research and new technological applications in waveguides. Metal doped polyaniline has been prepared initially in the form of powder by a solution growth technique. The emeraldine salt with doped metal was also prepared by solution growth technique. This powder was used for vacuum evaporation on optically flat glass substrate. The dark green doped (Fe, Al) polyaniline thin films were prepared by vacuum evaporation technique (10−4 torr). Deposited waveguide thin films have been characterized structurally, using X-ray diffraction (XRD), optically etc. Effective refractive index of the thin film waveguide was also calculated theoretically and experimentally. Waveguide parameters, namely refractive index, propagation loss and depth of vacuum deposited polyaniline thin films optical waveguide have been determined. The optical spectra and structure and waveguide parameters of vacuum deposited polyaniline thin films are strongly affected by the type of doping. It is possible to reduce the losses by addition of Fe to the vacuum deposited polyanine thin film and modify the effective refractive index (Oeff) according to particular requirements. Results are compared with the results in the literature. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.