Integration of Micro-cantilevers with Photonic Structures for Mechano-optical Wavelength Selective Devices

This thesis deals with the fabrication technology and mechano-optical characterisation of compact integrated wavelength selective optical devices for use in telecommunication applications. Upon electrostatic actuation, a mechanical element perturbs the optical evanescent field of a guided wave providing electro mechano-optical modulation of light. The silicon-on-insulator (SOI) based optical devices are fabricated in a silicon photonics fabrication platform called ePIXfab using deep-UV lithography. Further, using surface micromaching techniques, the mechanical elements are monolithically integrated with the optical devices in the MESA+ Cleanroom. Mechanooptical modulation is investigated in three different types of optical devices, viz. a microring resonator, a photonic crystal slab waveguide and a photonic crystal microcavity based device. Owing to their ease of fabrication and low power consumption, electrostatically actuated curled micro-bimorph cantilevers are chosen as the mechanical perturbing element. The thesis concentrates on the characterisation of the mechanical elements, the development of integration technologies and mechano-optical characterisation of the integrated devices.