In this paper, single mode buried optical waveguides based on hybrid sol-gel glasses and PECVD oxide were fabricated. Two different buried waveguide devices are investigated, and their optical characteristics are characterized. The first buried waveguide was obtained by etching a shallow trench on SiON layer. Then sol-gel material used as the guiding layer was deposited onto the layer and cured in proper conditions. Finally, the waveguides were completed by coating a sol-gel top cladding layer onto the guiding layer. The propagation loss of the waveguide is 0.59dB/cm at £f=1310nm. The second buried waveguide was fabricated by etching a trench of 5£gm on SiON layer and then burying sol-gel material into the trench.Proximity printing was used to define the waveguide core on sol-gel films.The waveguide was packaged for measurement after coating a UV glue on top of the core layer. The propagation losses of this waveguide device are 0.6dB/cm and 0.57dB/cm for TE and TM polarized lights. The coupling losses are 2.21dB and 2.41dB for TE and TM lights.

1 x N optical power splitters using hybrid sol-gel glasses based on buried waveguide structure on silicon substrate were fabricated. The advantage over conventional ridge structures is the fact that Y branch of the splitters can be easily obtained with the buried structure using standard photo lithography processes. Now we can successfully make the width of Y branch of less of 1um. Proximity printing was used to define the waveguide trench on sol-gel films. Then burying the sol-gel glass into the trench to define waveguide core. Finally the waveguide was packaged for measurement after coating a sol-gel top cladding layer onto the guiding layer. The propagation losses of this waveguide device are 0.69 dB/cm and 0.70 dB/cm for TE and TM polarized lights. The coupling losses are 1.57 dB and 1.89 dB for TE and TM lights with a index contrast of 0.66 %. The insertion loss and the branching loss of the 1¡Ñ2 splitter are 5.7 dB and 0.3 dB¡Arespectively.