Fabrication of photonic crystals in silicon-on-insulator using 248-nm deep UV lithography

We demonstrate wavelength-scale photonic nanostructures, including photonic crystals, fabricated in silicon-on-insulator using deep ultraviolet (UV) lithography. We discuss the mass-manufacturing capabilities of deep UV lithography compared to e-beam lithography. This is illustrated with experimental results. Finally, we present some of the issues that arise when trying to use established complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor processes for the fabrication of photonic integrated circuits.