Manufacturing of optical waveguides for EOPCBs using a combination of flexo-printing and slot-die coating

To manufacture electro-optical printed circuit boards (EOPCBs) cost-effectively, the conventional PCB manufacturing process must not be affected by the integration of optical waveguides. In this work, flexo-printing, is combined with slot-die coating for this application. This improves waveguide integration in cladding, with advantages for PCB integration. It reduces interface roughness between core and cladding, and consequently results in lower attenuation.