 WDM chip (8 channels) for around $450, a x16 WDM chip for around $700, and a 1X32 WDM chip for $1,200. Component vendors may benefit from a sol-gen-based method that reduces manufacturing costs better than one order of magnitude when compared to other methods. Sol-gen is a mature glass technology already used in several fields. Photonic hybrid active silica integrated circuit (PHASIC) is a Canadian- developed method that combines features of organic polymers and glass to produce a sophisticated hybrid material for integrated optics in a cost- effective manner. Companies can use advanced photomicrolithography to Chapter 5 print optical circuits and devices directly into the hybrid glass. Literature is available9 that documents the connection between molecular (chemical) hybridization, supramolecular hybridization, and functional hybridization (device- and system-level constructs). This literature describes how low- temperature hybrid sol-gel glasses (HSGGs) combine attractive features of organic polymers and inorganic glasses, giving rise to a new process for the fabrication of WDMs, couplers, power splitters, waveguides, and gratings. The process combines chemical synthesis and sol-gel processing with straightforward photomask techniques. HSGGs are material systems whose properties can be predictably tuned from properties that are closely related to organic polymers all the way to properties that are pretty much like conventional inorganic glasses. This creates a development opportunity for the chemist and material scientist, through appropriate design, to real- ize compositions that can be adapted to a range of optical devices. In acad- emic lingo, some might say, "In combining broad spectrum molecular chemistry with physical processing, HSGG recommends itself as the mate- rial locus for resolving antagonisms that arise out of conflicting technical objectives in photonics." Unlike conventional/monolithic approaches, which make use of semicon- ductor materials, hybrid architectures for glass optoelectronics enab