PHOTOCURING INORGANIC/ORGANIC HYBRID MATERIAL AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL CPTICAL WAVEGUIDE MADE THEREFROM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a material used to make three-dimensional optical waveguides of high accuracy by a simple process and to provide a three- dimensional optical waveguide of high precision. SOLUTION: A three-dimensional optical waveguide is made from a photocuring inorganic/organic hybrid material comprising a metal alkoxide chemically modified with aβ-diketone and a polydimethylsiloxane and/or an alkylalkoxysilane. The waveguide can be made in virtue of the fact that the chelate ring formed between theβ-diketone and the metal alkoxide is cleaved by ultraviolet radiation, and that the polymerization and crosslinking reaction are effected to form a product insoluble in an organic solvent, whereas the non-irradiated area remains soluble.