Publication

Feature size effects in chemically assisted ion beam etching of InP-based photonic crystals

Romuald Houdré, Rolando Ferrini
2006
Conference Papers

Abstract

This work addresses feature size effects (the lag-effect and roughness development) in chemically assisted ion beam etching (CAIBE) etching of InP-based photonic crystals. Photonic crystal fields with varying hole size and periods were etched with different etching times. The slope of the etch depth versus diameter curves (lag-curves) reveals a hole size dependence, with a critical aspect ratio higher than 25. A model for the etch rate specific to Ar/Cl2 CAIBE is proposed. We calculate the etch rate using a physico-chemical model which takes in to account the effect of Ar-ion sputtering and surface chemical reactions. In addition, it combines the aspect ratio dependence of the gas conductance of the etched holes. The origin and evolution of the bottom roughness of the etched holes is examined. The impact of the feature size dependence of the etching on the photonic crystal optical properties is then assessed by measuring the quality-factor of one-dimensional Fabry-Perot cavities using the Internal Light Source method, and discussed in terms of hole shape and depth. A systematic trend between the determined quality factor (Q) and the lag-effect is evidenced: Q decreases from about 250 to 60 when the hole depth drops from 5 μm to 2 μm.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/c6c6a7bc-6780-4391-bc41-984388110521

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Romuald Houdré, Rolando Ferrini
2006
Conference Papers

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/c6c6a7bc-6780-4391-bc41-984388110521

About this result

Related concepts (29)

Photonic integrated circuit

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) or integrated optical circuit is a microchip containing two or more photonic components which form a functioning circuit. This technology detects, generates, transports, and processes light. Photonic integrated circuits utilize photons (or particles of light) as opposed to electrons that are utilized by electronic integrated circuits. The major difference between the two is that a photonic integrated circuit provides functions for information signals imposed on optical wavelengths typically in the visible spectrum or near infrared (850–1650 nm).

Photonic crystal

A photonic crystal is an optical nanostructure in which the refractive index changes periodically. This affects the propagation of light in the same way that the structure of natural crystals gives rise to X-ray diffraction and that the atomic lattices (crystal structure) of semiconductors affect their conductivity of electrons. Photonic crystals occur in nature in the form of structural coloration and animal reflectors, and, as artificially produced, promise to be useful in a range of applications.

Etching (microfabrication)

Etching is used in microfabrication to chemically remove layers from the surface of a wafer during manufacturing. Etching is a critically important process module, and every wafer undergoes many etching steps before it is complete. For many etch steps, part of the wafer is protected from the etchant by a "masking" material which resists etching. In some cases, the masking material is a photoresist which has been patterned using photolithography. Other situations require a more durable mask, such as silicon nitride.

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