Method for making a photonic structure

• US 20060008582A1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Neil, James, Mardilovich, Peter, Champion, David, Herman, Gregory S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,507,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/248.100
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/22 characterised by the process of coating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/225 Oblique incidence of vaporised material on substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/505 for rotation of the substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/68 Crystals with laminate structure, e.g. "superlattices"

Abstract

A method for making a photonic structure, including creating a first vapor stream of a first vapor material, the first vapor stream having a first non-uniform flux in at least one direction; and moving a substrate in at least a portion of the vapor stream. In addition, the method includes depositing the first vapor material on a first major surface of said substrate, and forming a first layer and a density gradient in the first layer during deposition. The first layer is disposed on and the density gradient is in a direction perpendicular to the first major surface.

Claims

1. A method for making a photonic structure, comprising:

creating a first vapor stream of a first vapor material, said first vapor stream having a first non-uniform flux in at least one direction;

moving a substrate in at least a portion of said first vapor stream;

depositing said first vapor material on a first major surface of said substrate; and

forming a first layer and a density gradient in said first layer during deposition, said first layer disposed on said first major surface, wherein said density gradient is in a direction perpendicular to said first major surface.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein creating said first layer further comprises forming a multilayer structure of said first vapor material on said substrate, said multilayer structure having a periodic variation in density perpendicular to said first major surface.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein moving said substrate in at least said portion of said first vapor stream further comprises rotating at least said portion of said substrate in at least said portion of said first vapor stream.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein moving said substrate in at least said portion of said first vapor stream further comprises translating at least said portion of said substrate in at least said portion of said first vapor stream.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein creating said first vapor stream further comprises creating said first vapor stream having a first central axis, and wherein moving said substrate further comprises rotating about said first central axis at least said portion of said substrate in at least said portion of said first vapor stream.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein creating said first vapor stream further comprises creating said first vapor stream having a first central axis, and wherein depositing said first vapor material further comprises depositing said first vapor material on said first major surface of said substrate, said first major surface having a substrate surface normal, wherein said substrate surface normal and said first central axis are not coplanar.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein moving said substrate further comprises rotating said substrate about a substrate holder central axis.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein moving said substrate in at least said portion of said first vapor stream further comprises translating at least said portion of said substrate through at least said portion of said first vapor stream.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein moving said substrate in at least said portion of said first vapor stream further comprises reciprocally translating at least said portion of said substrate in at least said portion of said first vapor stream.

10. A multilayer film formed in accordance with the method of claim 1.

11. A photonic structure formed in accordance with the method of claim 1.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

creating a second vapor stream of said first vapor material, said second vapor stream having a second non-uniform flux in at least one direction; and

moving at least said portion of said substrate in at least a portion of said second vapor stream.

13. A multilayer film formed in accordance with the method of claim 12.

14. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein creating said first vapor stream further comprises creating said first vapor stream having a first central axis, wherein said first non-uniform flux of said first vapor stream decreases radially from said first central axis, and wherein creating said second vapor stream further comprises creating said second vapor stream having a second central axis, wherein said second non-uniform flux decreases radially from said second vapor central axis.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein moving at least said portion of said substrate further comprises reciprocally translating at least said portion of said substrate between said first central axis and said second central axis.

16. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein moving at least said portion of said substrate further comprises moving at least said portion of said substrate in a curvilinear manner between said first central axis and said second central axis.

17. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein said first central axis and said second central axis are separated a distance L.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein moving at least said portion of said substrate further comprises reciprocally translating at least said portion of said substrate a specified distance k beyond said first central axis and said second central axis.

19. The method in accordance with claim 18, wherein reciprocally translating at least said portion of said substrate said specified distance k further comprises reciprocally translating at least said portion of said substrate said specified distance k, wherein said specified distance k equals said distance L.

20. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein moving at least said portion of said substrate further comprises moving at least said portion of said substrate in a curvilinear manner a specified distance k beyond said first central and said second central axes.

21. The method in accordance with claim 20, wherein moving at least said portion of said substrate in said curvilinear manner said specified distance k, wherein said specified distance k equals said distance L.

22. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein moving at least said portion of said substrate further comprises reciprocally translating at least said portion of said substrate a specified distance k between said first central axis and said second central axis, wherein said specified distance k is less than said distance L.

23. The method in accordance with claim 22, wherein said specified distance k is said distance L divided by two.

24. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein creating said first vapor stream further comprises creating said first vapor stream from a source, said first vapor stream having a first vapor stream central axis and a vapor stream lateral dimension X, wherein said first non-uniform flux decreases from a maximum value at said first vapor stream central axis to essentially zero at said vapor stream lateral dimension X;

and wherein said substrate has a substrate dimension R and a substrate central axis perpendicular to said first major surface.

25. The method in accordance with claim 24, wherein moving at least said portion of said substrate further comprises translating said substrate first major surface laterally in a direction perpendicular to said substrate central axis.

26. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

creating a second vapor stream of a second vapor material, said second vapor stream having a second non-uniform flux in at least one direction;

moving at least said portion of said substrate in at least a portion of said second vapor stream; and

forming a multilayer structure having alternating layers of said first and said second vapor materials, wherein each layer of said first vapor material has a first density gradient perpendicular to said first major surface, and wherein each layer of said second vapor material has a second density gradient perpendicular to said first major surface.

27. A method of making a photonic structure, comprising:

creating a first vapor stream of a first vapor material, said first vapor stream having a non-uniform density in at least one direction;

moving at least a portion of a substrate in at least a portion of said first vapor stream, said substrate having a first major surface;

creating a first layer of said first vapor material on at least a portion of said substrate, said first layer having a first density; and

creating a second layer of said first vapor material on said first layer, said second layer having a second density different from said first density.