Abstract: There is disclosed a method of constructing photosensitive waveguides on silicon wafers through the utilization of a Plasma Enhanced Vapor Deposition (PECVD) system. The deposition is utilized to vary the refractive index of resulting structures when they have been subject to Ultra Violet (UV) post processing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of fabricating optical devices and in particular to a method of fabricating integrated opto-electronic devices, and to an opto-electronic device. A plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process (PECVD) is used to deposit an optical device integrated in silicon onto an electronic device fabricated in silicon. Relatively low temperatures are utilized and, in order to reduce losses of a waveguide in the optical device in the wavelength range 1.50 to 1.53 .mu.m, the deposition process is carried out in the absence of nitrogen. An optical device is disclosed which comprises an integrated construction incorporating an optical waveguide in silica and a photonic transducer in silicon.