Use of deuterated gases for the vapor deposition of thin films for low-loss optical devices and waveguides

• US 6,614,977 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Infinera Corp.
• Original Assignee: Little Optics, Inc. (Infinera Corp.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Frederick G., Chu, Sai T., Hryniewicz, John V., Gill, David M., Joneckis, Lance G., King, Oliver S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanghavi, Hemang
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAK, SUNG H
• Application Number:
  US09/944,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20030012538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 385/129, 385/130, 385/131, 385/132, 385/141, 385/142, 385/144, 385/14
• US Class Current: 385/129
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3435 comprising a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3482 comprising silicon, hydrogenated silicon or a silicide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/152 by cvd
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/33 by etching
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 4/0042 for glass comprising or including particular isotopes
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/308 Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/401 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12097 Ridge, rib or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/121 Channel; buried or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/132 by deposition of thin films

Abstract

Devices and methods for the vapor deposition of amorphous, silicon-containing thin films using vapors comprised of deuterated species. Thin films grown on a substrate wafer by this method contain deuterium but little to no hydrogen. Optical devices comprised of optical waveguides formed using this method have significantly reduced optical absorption or loss in the near-infrared optical spectrum commonly used for optical communications, compared to the loss in waveguides formed in thin films grown using conventional vapor deposition techniques with hydrogen containing precursors. In one variation, the optical devices are formed on a silicon-oxide layer that is formed on a substrate, such as a silicon substrate. The optical devices of some variations are of the chemical species SiO_xN_y:D. Since the method of formation requires no annealing, the thin films can be grown on electronic and optical devices or portions thereof without damaging those devices.

Claims

1. A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding;

wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon;

wherein the vapor deposition technique includes using a precursor comprising deuterium; and

wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming a non-polymeric thin film on a cladding further comprises:

forming the cladding on a substrate; and

forming the non-polymeric thin film on the cladding.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate comprises a substance selected from a group consisting of silicon, germanium, SiO₂, fused silica, quartz, glass, sapphire, SiC, GaAs, and InP.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the cladding has a thickness of between about 2 and 20 micrometers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the cladding comprises silicon oxide.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises one selected from a group consisting of silicon-oxynitride, silicon nitride, and silicon-oxide.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-polymeric thin film has a width of about 3 micrometers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-polymeric thin film has a thickness of between about 0.5 and 5 micrometers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the vapor deposition technique is selected from a group consisting of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDPCVD), low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) chemical vapor deposition, atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD), jet vapor deposition (JVD), and flame hydrolysis.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding further includes:

obtaining a vapor from a deuterated liquid.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding further includes:

providing a gas containing deuterium.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the precursor comprising deuterium is selected from a group consisting of SiD₄, Si₂D₆, SiDCl₃, SiCl₂D₂, ND₃, GeD₄, PD₃, AsD₃, CD₄, and D₂S.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-polymeric thin film is of chemical species SiO_xN_y:

D.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

etching the non-polymeric thin film.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein etching the non-polymeric thin film comprises:

reactive ion etching the non-polymeric thin film.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the non-polymeric thin film is etched to form an optical waveguide.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a cladding cover on the surface of the non-polymeric thin film.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the cladding cover comprises a polymer.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the cladding comprises a preformed device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the preformed device is selected from a group consisting of an electronic circuit, an optical circuit, an optoelectronic circuit, an electronic integrated circuit, or an electronic device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the preformed device comprises at least one compound semiconductor material.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one compound semiconductor material is selected from a group consisting of indium-phosphide, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, silicon-germanium, and silicon-carbide.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the preformed device comprises one selected from a group consisting of a field effect transistor (FET), a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), an electronic amplifier, a preamplifier, a pn junction, a transformer, a capacitor, a diode, a laser driver, a laser, an optical amplifier, an optical detector, an optical waveguide, a modulator, and an optical switch.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-polymeric thin film exhibits a low optical absorptive loss over a wavelength region of interest.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the wavelength region of interest is suitable for optical communications.

26. An optical device formed using the method of claim 1.

27. A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

forming a silicon oxide layer on a substrate; and

forming a silicon-oxynitride thin film on the silicon oxide layer using a vapor precursor comprising deuterium

wherein the thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

28. An optical device, comprising:

a cladding; and

at least one low absorptive-loss optical waveguide formed on the cladding, the waveguide being formed from a wafer using vapor deposition, wherein the wafer comprises a non-polymeric thin film containing deuterium, and wherein the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the wafer comprises silicon.

30. The device of claim 28 wherein the wafer is grown using a deuterated vapor.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the waveguide has a waveguide refractive index, the device further comprising:

an optical clad, the optical clad having a clad refractive index, the clad refractive index being less than the waveguide refractive index.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the optical clad comprises air.

33. The device of claim 31, wherein the optical clad comprises a polymer.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein the waveguide exhibits a low optical absorptive loss over a wavelength region of interest.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the wavelength region of interest is suitable for optical communications.

36. The device of claim 34, wherein the wavelength region of interest between about 1.45 and 1.65 microns.

37. The device of claim 34, wherein the optical device is an integrated optical device.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the integrated optical device is selected from a group consisting of an optical waveguide, a mode expander, a ring resonator, a variable attenuator, a dispersion compensator, an arrayed waveguide multiplexer;

an arrayed waveguide demultiplexer, a wavelength division multiplexer, a splitter, a coupler, an optical add/drop multiplexer, a chromatic dispersion compensator, a polarization dispersion compensator, and an optical switch.

39. A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding;

wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon;

wherein the vapor deposition technique includes using a precursor comprising deuterium; and

wherein forming the non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique includes;

obtaining a vapor from a deuterated liquid, the deuterated liquid being selected from a group consisting of deuterated tetraethoxysilane, deuterated tetraethylorthosilicate, deuterated hexamethyldisiloxane, deuterated hexamethyldisilazane, deuterated tetramethoxysilane, and deuterated tetramethyldisiloxane, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

40. A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding;

wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon; and

wherein the vapor deposition technique includes using a primary reactant comprising deuterium, the primary reactant being selected from a group consisting of SiD₄, Si₂D₆, SiDCl₃, SiD₂Cl₂, ND₃, GeD₄, PD₃, AsD₃, CD₄, and D₂S, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

41. A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding;

wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon, oxygen, and deuterium; and

wherein the vapor deposition technique includes using a primary reactant selected from a group consisting of SiD₄, Si₂D₆, SiDCl₃, ND₃, GeD₄, SiD₂Cl₂PD₃, AsD₃, CD₄, and D₂S, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

42. A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding;

wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon;

wherein the vapor deposition technique includes using a precursor comprising deuterium; and

wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon, deuterium, and at least one selected from a group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, germanium, phosphorus, arsenic, carbon, and sulfur, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the deuterium is bonded to at least one selected from a group consisting of silicon, nitrogen, germanium, phosphorus, arsenic, carbon, oxygen, and sulfur.

44. A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding;

wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon;

wherein the vapor deposition technique includes using a precursor comprising deuterium;

wherein the non-polymeric thin film exhibits a low absorptive loss over a wavelength region of interest between about 1.45 and 1.65 microns, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

45. A method of making an article of manufacture, comprising:

forming a vapor for vapor deposition from an optical component precursor, the precursor containing deuterium; and

depositing a film from the vapor on a substrate so as to form an optical component, wherein the film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the film.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the optical component precursor is substantially hydrogen free.

47. An optical device, comprising:

a cladding; and

at least one low absorptive-loss optical waveguide formed on the cladding, the waveguide being formed from a wafer using vapor deposition, wherein the waveguide exhibits a low optical absorptive loss over a wavelength region of interest between about 1.45 and 1.65 microns; and

wherein the wafer comprises a non-polymeric thin film containing deuterium, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.