Investigation of SiO2 Cladding Application on Ta2O5 Films for Reduction of Delamination During Dicing

ABSTRACT Tantalum pentoxide () is of interest in photonics due to its optical properties, including high non‐linear refractive index and low optical propagation losses. Here we investigate mechanical dicing parameters, including depth of cut and material feed rate, to produce optical quality facets in a multilayered platform. films were deposited through sputtering onto a silicon substrate with a 6 thermal oxide. cladding layers were applied using different techniques: HELIOS sputtering, PECVD, and PECVD with TEOS. These were then diced using the same parameters and observed via optical microscope and SEM to determine the most effective cladding. The applied using HELIOS showed the best adhesion during dicing, with no chipping or delamination.