Voltage-controlled micromechanical SOI optical waveguides

We demonstrate the fabrication and the operation of voltage-controlled movable SOI optical waveguides. The fabrication process is based on surface micromachining the SOI substrates. The dynamic response is studied. Our results indicate that a switching voltage of only a few volts is enough to produce a useful deflection amplitude of the guided light for typical fiber optic switching applications. A deflection amplitude of 290 /spl mu/m for the guided light is demonstrated with voltage-controlled electrostatic actuation.