Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T16:44:25.787Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reactive Deposition of Dielectrics by Ion Beam Assisted E-beam Evaporation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

Joshua Nightingale ,
T. Cornell ,
P. Samudrala ,
P. Poloju ,
L. A. Hornak  and
D. Korakakis
Joshua Nightingale
Affiliation:
[email protected], West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, 817 Engineering Science Building, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
T. Cornell
Affiliation:
[email protected], West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, PO Box 6109, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
P. Samudrala
Affiliation:
[email protected], West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, PO Box 6109, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
P. Poloju
Affiliation:
[email protected], West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, PO Box 6109, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
L. A. Hornak
Affiliation:
[email protected], West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, PO Box 6109, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
D. Korakakis
Affiliation:
[email protected], West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, PO Box 6109, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
Get access

Abstract

Fabrication of high index contrast waveguide stacks for biosensing and other applications require nanometer scale thickness control. Nanoscale dielectric films from electron-beam evaporation can be difficult to obtain due to the resulting porosity and poor stoichiometry of the films. An alternative approach is the reactive deposition of the film from a metal source in the presence of oxygen ions. Using spectroscopic ellipsometry, we have shown that greater control over thickness and index of refraction of silicon dioxide depositions can be obtained through reactive depositions as compared to depositions from SiO2 dielectric source material itself. Through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), the Si-O in-phase stretching peak at 1078 cm-1 can be traced, allowing us to determine the stoichiometry of the film.

The effects of performing depositions of aluminum oxide dielectric source material in the presence of oxygen ions has also been investigated. Through the use of the oxygen ion source, greater control over index of refraction and optical losses has been observed. By controlling ion source parameters, the aluminum oxide films’ index of refraction can be engineered within a range of 1.58 to 1.64, and waveguide losses can be reduced to as low as 2.0 dB/cm.

Keywords

dielectricion-beam processingoptical properties
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 983: Symposium LL – Focused Ion Beams for Analysis and Processing , 2006 , 0983-LL05-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Lloyd, D., Hornak, L. A., Pathak, S., Morton, D, and Stevenson, I.; “Application of Ion Beam Assisted Thin Film Deposition Techniques to the Fabrication of a Biosensor Chip With Fieldability Potential for Important Biohazard Detection Applications” 47th Annual Technical Conference Proceedings, Soc. of Vac. Coaters, ISSN 0737–5921 (2004).Google Scholar
2 Mahan, J. E., Physical Vapor Deposition of Thin Films (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 2000)Google Scholar
3 Guenther, K. H., “Microstructure of vapor-deposited optical coatings,” Applied Optics, 23 (21), 3806 (1984).Google Scholar
4 Martin, P., Netterfield, R. P., and Sainty, W. G., “Modification of the Optical and Structural Properties of Dielectric ZrO2 Films by Ion-Assisted Deposition,” J. Appl. Phys., 55, 235 (1983).Google Scholar
5 Martin, P. J., “Ion-beam-assisted deposition of thin films,” Applied Optics, 22 (1), 178 (1983).Google Scholar
6 Xue, J. and Zhao, W., “Properties of IBAD Alumina Coatings of Different Thicknesses,” Surf. Coat. Technol., 103 [104] 74–77 (1998).Google Scholar
7 Kennedy, C. E., Silgys, R. V., Kirkpatrick, D. A., and Ross, J. S., “Optical performance and durability of solar reflectors protected by an alumina coating,” National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO. (1996).Google Scholar
8 Kennedy, C. E., Silgys, R. V., and Swisher, R. L., “Durability and cost analysis of solar reflective hardcoat materials deposited by IBAD,” 48th Annual Technical Conference Proceedings, Soc. of Vac. Coaters, ISSN 0737–5921 (2005).Google Scholar
9Prasad and Chandorkar, A. N., J. Appl. Phys. 94, 2308 (2003).Google Scholar
10 Ulrich, R. and Torge, R., “Measurement of Thin Film Parameters with a Prism Coupler,” Applied Optics, 12(12), 2901 (1973).Google Scholar
11 Poloju, P., Samudrala, P., Nightingale, J. R., Korakakis, D., and Hornak, L. A., “Characterization of Alumina Optical Waveguides Grown by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition for SPARROW Biosensors,” MRS Fall 2006 Conference Proceedings.Google Scholar
12 Samudrala, P. “Optical Characterization of Alumina Waveguides and SPARROW Biosensor Modeling,” Master's Thesis, West Virginia University (2006).Google Scholar
13 Cornell, T., Nightingale, J. R., Pathak, S., Hornak, L. A., and Korakakis, D., “Thickness and Fourier transform infrared peak instability in silicon dioxide thin films deposited using electron-gun deposition,” Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B,” 24 (5), 2250 (2006).Google Scholar
14 Zabeida, Q., Klemberg-Saphieha, J. E., Martinu, L., and Morton, D., “Ion Bombardment Characteristics During the Growth of Optical Films Using a Cold Cathode Ion Source,” www.dentonvacuum.comGoogle Scholar
15 Pliskin, W. A., “Comparison of Properties of Dielectric Films Deposited By Various Methods,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol., 14(5), 1064 (1977)Google Scholar
16 Guenther, K. H., Gruber, H. L., and Pulker, H. K., “Morphology and light scattering of dielectric multilayer systems,” Thin Solid Films, 34, 363 (1976)Google Scholar