The optical waveguide is the basic unit to make up optical circuit and devices.The performances of different optical waveguide materials are reviewed.Silicon is the most common and familiar semiconductor material at the present research which has attracted many attentions in optoelectronic domain.There are many kinds of silicon-based optical waveguide materials,including polymer,epitaxial/adulterate silicon,SiO₂,SOI and SiGe/Si etc.They can realize silicon-based optical waveguide devices.In this paper,properties and prospects of applications of different optical waveguide materials are reviewed.Among the materials polymer SiO₂ and SOI are research hotspot at present.