Abstract: The process for fabricating a ridge waveguide on a substrate uses a photosensitive sol-gel glass material prepared, according to a first embodiment, by mixing methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (H.sub.2 C.dbd.C(CH.sub.3)CO.sub.2 (CH.sub.2).sub.3 Si(OCH.sub.3).sub.3) and methacrylic acid (H.sub.2 C.dbd.C(CH.sub.3)COOH) or, according to a second embodiment, by mixing methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (H.sub.2 C.dbd.C(CH.sub.3)CO.sub.2 (CH.sub.2).sub.3 Si(OCH.sub.3).sub.3) with bis(s-butoxy)aluminoxytriethoxysilane. A thick film of photosensitive sol-gel glass material is first dip coated on at least a portion of the substrate. A photomask is applied to the film of photosensitive sol-gel glass material, and this sol-gel material is exposed to ultraviolet radiation through the opening(s) of the photomask to render a portion of the film insoluble to a given solvent and thereby imprint the ridge waveguide in that film.