An optoelectronic circuit fabrication method and integrated circuit
apparatus fabricated therewith. Integrated circuits are fabricated with
an integral optical coupling transition to efficiently couple optical
energy from an optical fiber to an integrated optical waveguide on the
integrated circuit. Layers of specific materials are deposited onto a
semiconductor circuit to support etching of a trench to receive an
optical coupler that performs proper impedance matching between an
optical fiber and an on-circuit optical waveguide that extends part way
into the transition channel. A silicon based dielectric that includes at
least a portion with a refractive index substantially equal to a section
of the optical fiber is deposited into the etched trench to create the
optical coupler. Silicon based dielectrics with graded indices are also
able to be used. Chemical mechanical polishing is used finalize
preparation of the optical transition and integrated circuit.