Fabrication of thermal microphotonic sensors and sensor arrays
| DWPI Title: Fabricating method for thermal microphotonic sensor that detects infrared radiation involves etching silicon substrate beneath each optical resonator and beneath each optical waveguide to predetermined etch depth |
| Abstract: A thermal microphotonic sensor is fabricated on a silicon substrate by etching an opening and a trench into the substrate, and then filling in the opening and trench with silicon oxide which can be deposited or formed by thermally oxidizing a portion of the silicon substrate surrounding the opening and trench. The silicon oxide forms a support post for an optical resonator which is subsequently formed from a layer of silicon nitride, and also forms a base for an optical waveguide formed from the silicon nitride layer. Part of the silicon substrate can be selectively etched away to elevate the waveguide and resonator. The thermal microphotonic sensor, which is useful to detect infrared radiation via a change in the evanescent coupling of light between the waveguide and resonator, can be formed as a single device or as an array. |
| Use: Fabricating method for thermal microphotonic sensor that detects infrared radiation. |
| Advantage: Obtains thermal microphotonic sensor which is useful to detect infrared radiation through change in evanescent coupling of light between waveguide and resonator as single device or as array. |
| Novelty: The fabricating method involves etching a silicon substrate (16) beneath each optical resonator (12) and beneath each optical waveguide (20) to a second etch depth which is less than or equal to the first etch depth to elevate each optical resonator and each optical waveguide above the silicon substrate, while each optical resonator is elevated upon a support post (14) and each optical waveguide elevated upon a base. Each opening and each trench are filled with silicon oxide. A layer of silicon nitride is deposited over the silicon substrate. |
| Filed: 6/25/2009 |
| Application Number: US2009491596A |
| Tech ID: SD 11224.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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