Silicon On Insulator - Use in Photonics

Use in Photonics

SOI wafers are widely used in silicon photonics. The crystalline silicon layer on insulator can be used to fabricate optical waveguides and other passive optical devices for integrated optics. The crystalline silicon layer is sandwiched between the buried insulator (Silicon oxide, Sapphire etc.) and top cladding of air (or Silicon oxide or any other low refractive index material). This enables propagation of electromagnetic waves in the waveguides on the basis of total internal reflection.