Contents I. Introduction
The research on silicon photonics has significantly increased during the last few years. Low material losses in silicon, within the optical communication -band range, make it interesting for communication purposes. Due to the high contrast in refractive index between silicon and silicon dioxide, of , waveguide structures with small bending radii and low losses can be realized [1]. This enables highly integrated circuits with a high packing density. The full compatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices allows the integration of electronics and optics on a single chip. Wavelength selective devices, as well as tunable filters and couplers, have been presented for switching and multiplexing. But the fabrication of photonic systems for on-chip communication systems is highly challenging. The typical free spectral range for channel multiplexing within the -band is 0.4–1.6 nm. Even small fabrication inaccuracies of a few nanometers can lead to miscoupling and loss of data. In order to adjust fabrication tolerances and to adjust the coupling wavelength subsequently, freely tunable systems are required. Within the scope of this work a freely tunable low power deflectable -membrane system is presented, for the elasto-optic and thermo-optic tuning of low loss silicon photonic wires. The single systems are thermal and stress insulated from neighboring systems and the substrate. This makes them also well suited to sensing and detecting applications.
