An integrated optical technology based on sol-gel glasses on silicon: the NODES project

The European collaboration project, NODES, aims to establish the basis of a new material and fabrication technology for low-cost mass production of multi-functional integrated optic components, based on spin-on sol-gel glass on silicon. We are developing materials using sol-gel silica as a host matrix, and semiconductor and rare-earth dopants for nonlinear and optical gain functions respectively, for demonstrator switching and amplifying devices. The paper describes the methods used, and the results obtained, in the project as a whole.