Hollow Waveguides With Low Intrinsic Photoluminescence Fabricated With PECVD Silicon Nitride and Silicon Dioxide Films

Author

Holmes, M.R. ; Shuo Liu ; Keeley, James ; Jenkins, Michael ; Leake, K. ; Schmidt, Heidemarie ; Hawkins, A.R.

Author_Institution

Electr. Eng. Dept., Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT, USA

Volume

23

Issue

20

fYear

2011

Firstpage

1466

Lastpage

1468

Abstract

A new type of integrated hollow core anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) with low intrinsic photoluminescence (PL) fabricated with plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silicon nitride (SiN) and silicon dioxide (SiO₂) films is demonstrated. The waveguide is fabricated by surrounding the hollow core with alternating layers of SiN and SiO₂. The thicknesses and indices of the layers are designed to meet an anti-resonance condition. Compared to earlier ARROW structures made by depositing high-temperature (HT) SiN (250 ^°C), the PL background decreases by a factor of ~ 10 when low-temperature (LT) SiN (100 ^°C ) films are used. Therefore, LT SiN ARROWs are attractive platforms for sensitive fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy measurements of biomolecules.

Keywords

integrated optics; optical design techniques; optical fabrication; optical multilayers; optical waveguides; photoluminescence; plasma CVD; silicon compounds; PECVD; Raman spectroscopy; SiN-SiO₂; alternating layers; biomolecules; fluorescence spectroscopy; integrated hollow core antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide; low intrinsic photoluminescence; optical design; plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition; silicon dioxide films; silicon nitride; temperature 100 degC; temperature 250 degC; Fluorescence; Hollow waveguides; Optical device fabrication; Optical films; Optical waveguides; Silicon compounds; Anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROWs); low intrinsic photoluminescence (PL); low-temperature silicon nitride (LT SiN); plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2011.2162625

Filename

5982084