As already done in electronics, passive and active photonic devices demand integration on flexible substrates for a broad spectrum of application ranging from optical interconnection to sensors for civil infrastructure and environments, to coherent and uncoherent light sources and functionalized coatings for integration on biological tissue. In this communication we will present some recent results concerning the fabrication of novel flexible optical layers by sol-gel and radio frequency sputtering deposition techniques. The perspective is to give a technological way to transform intrinsically rigid or brittle materials into a highly mechanically flexible and optically functional systems
Flexible photonics is an emerging technology in photonics applications. The availability of ultra thin glasses with thicknesses raging from tens to hundreds of microns is an appealing opportunity to be considered for flexible photonics applications substrates. The increase in mechanical characteristics, specifically strength, for such glasses is achieved by specific chemical compositions and ion exchange processes. The main physical effects to be considered are the introduction of residual stress profiles and refractive index modifications. Both aspects may interfere with flexible photonics applications of these glass substrates. There will be discussed the underpinning physics of stress build up and relaxation and how these effects may affect refractive index. The discussion will be mainly focused to the most promising glass chemical compositions already widely used in consumer electronics applications that is sodium aluminosilicates.
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