A method, apparatus, and system for monitoring optical signals in a planar lightwave circuit by tapping light out of an optical transmission medium, into which a grating has been written, within a plane of the optical transmission medium and onto a photosensitive device are disclosed herein. This front plane laminate can be prepared as a continuous web, cut to size, the release sheet removed and the laminate laminated to a backplane to form a display. During a second deposition during a second period of time, at least one Group IB element and the at least one group VIA element are deposited on the substrate or the optional layer.