Periodic dielectric structure for production of photonic band gap and method for fabricating the same

• US 5,406,573 A
• Filed: 11/12/1993
• Issued: 04/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation Incorporated (Iowa State University)
• Original Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation Incorporated (Iowa State University)
• Inventors: Tuttle, Gary, Soukoulis, Costas, Ozbay, Ekmel, Michel, Erick, Chan, Che-Ting, Ho, Kai-Ming, Biswas, Rana
• Primary Examiner(s): Bovernick, Rodney B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wise, Robert E.
• Application Number:
  US08/151,274
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 372/44, 372/45, 372/46, 372/50, 372/43
• US Class Current: 372/43.01
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/136 by etching

Abstract

A method for fabricating a periodic dielectric structure which exhibits a photonic band gap. Alignment holes are formed in a wafer of dielectric material having a given crystal orientation. A planar layer of elongate rods is then formed in a section of the wafer. The formation of the rods includes the step of selectively removing the dielectric material of the wafer between the rods. The formation of alignment holes and layers of elongate rods and wafers is then repeated to form a plurality of patterned wafers. A stack of patterned wafers is then formed by rotating each successive wafer with respect to the next-previous wafer, and then placing the successive wafer on the stack. This stacking results in a stack of patterned wafers having a four-layer periodicity exhibiting a photonic band gap.

Claims

1. A periodic dielectric structure which exhibits a photonic band gap comprising, in combination:

a plurality of dielectric rods arranged in a matrix of a material having a different and contrasting refractive index, a number of said rods being arranged to form a planar layer, and a plurality of layers being stacked one on the other to form a three-dimensional structure,

each layer having a plurality of rods arranged with parallel axes at a given spacing, each layer having its axes oriented at an angle with respect to its adjacent layers, alternate layers having their axes parallel to each other with the rods of one layer in offset between the rods of the other, thereby to form a three-dimensional structure of stacked layers having a four-layer periodicity,

the dimensions of the rods, and the spacing between the rods, being selected to produce a photonic band gap at a given wavelength.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the alternate layers are arranged with the rods of one layer offset at about the midpoint between the rods of the other layer.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the material of the matrix is air.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the angle is other than 90°

.

5. A method of fabricating a periodic dielectric structure exhibiting a photonic band gap, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming alignment holes in a wafer of dielectric material having a given crystal orientation;

(b) forming at least one planar layer of elongate rods in a section of the wafer, including the step of selectively removing the dielectric material between the rods;

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) on a plurality of wafers to form a plurality of patterned wafers; and

(d) forming a stack of patterned wafers having a four-layer periodicity by rotating each successive wafer with respect to the next-previous wafer, and then placing the successive wafer on the stack.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of selectively removing dielectric material between the rods is performed by laser machining the wafer.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of selectively removing dielectric material between the rods is performed by chemically etching the wafer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a single planar layer of elongate rods is formed in a wafer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein forming the alignment holes and the elongate rods includes the steps of:

(a) growing an oxide layer on the dielectric wafer;

(b) selectively removing the oxide from an upper surface of the wafer and exposing the areas of the wafer for the alignment holes and between the elongate rods;

(c) preferentially etching the wafer with a solution that etches only in the areas of the wafer not covered by the oxide;

(d) stopping the etch when the alignment holes and areas between the rods are etched through; and

(e) removing the oxide from the wafer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of selectively removing the oxide comprises the steps of:

(a) depositing photoresist on the upper surface of the wafer;

(b) aligning a photomask, including mask rods corresponding to the elongate rods, such that the mask rods are parallel to a first symmetry plane;

(c) exposing, developing a bake-hardening the resist;

(d) depositing and baking a layer of photoresist on the back surface of the wafer; and

(e) etching the oxide in a buffered oxide etch solution to remove the oxide in the areas between the rods and in the alignment holes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of preferentially etching is achieved by using an etch solution with a significantly faster etch rate along the given crystal orientation of the wafer than along the first symmetry plane.

12. The method of claim 8, and including orienting the alignment holes with respect to the elongate rods such that the distance between a first set of alignment holes and a first rod differs from the distance between a second set of alignment holes and a last rod by half the separation distance between successive rods.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of forming a stack of patterned wafers includes rotating each wafer 90°

with respect to the next-previous wafer, and then placing the successive wafer on the stack.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of forming the alignment holes and forming the planar layer are performed simultaneously by chemically etching the wafer.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein forming the elongate rods includes the steps of:

(a) growing an oxide on the wafer;

(b) selectively removing the oxide from a first surface of the wafer and exposing the area of the wafer between the first elongate rods;

(c) selectively removing the oxide from a second surface of the wafer and exposing the area of the wafer between the second elongate rods;

(d) preferentially etching the wafer with a solution that etches only in the area of the wafer not covered by the oxide; and

(e) stopping the etch when the areas between the rods are etched through.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the steps of selectively removing the oxide from the first surface and the second surface are performed together, and further comprise the steps of:

(a) depositing photoresist on the first surface of the wafer;

(b) aligning a first photomask, including mask rods corresponding to the first elongate rods, such that the mask rods are parallel to a first symmetry plane;

(c) exposing, developing, and bake hardening the photoresist on the first surface;

(d) depositing photoresist on the second surface of the wafer;

(e) aligning a second photomask, including mask rods corresponding to the second elongate rods, such that the mask rods are parallel to a second symmetry plane;

(f) exposing, developing and bake-hardening the photoresist on the second surface; and

(g) etching the oxide in a buffered oxide etch solution to remove the oxide in the areas between the first and second elongate rods.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of preferentially etching is achieved by using an etch solution with a significantly faster etch rate along the given crystal orientation of the wafer than along the first and second symmetry planes.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second photomasks are aligned to the first and second symmetry planes by aligning the photomasks to the alignment holes.

19. The method of claim 15, and including orienting the alignment holes such that the distance between a first alignment hole and a top rod of the first elongate rods differs from the distance between a second alignment hole and a bottom rod of the first elongate rods by half the separation distance between successive first elongate rods.

20. The method of claim 19, and including further orienting the alignment holes such that the distance between a third alignment hole and a top rod of the second elongate rods differs from the distance between a fourth alignment hole and a bottom rod of the second elongate rods by half the separation distance between successive second elongate rods.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of forming a stack of patterned wafers includes rotating each wafer 180°

with respect to the next-previous wafer, and then placing the successive wafer on the stack.

22. A method of claim 5, wherein the stacking step includes placing each patterned wafer on an alignment jig including alignment posts adapted to be received in the alignment holes.

23. A method for fabricating a periodic dielectric structure exhibiting a photonic band gap, comprising the steps of:

(a) patterning a portion of a substrate of given dielectric material to form a layer of parallel rods;

(b) bonding an epitaxial layer structure to the substrate, the epitaxial layer including a transfer layer of the given dielectric material, an etch-stop layer and a substrate layer;

(c) etching the substrate layer;

(d) etching the etch-stop layer;

(e) patterning the transfer layer to expose an area of the transfer layer corresponding to a pattern of parallel rods having an axis perpendicular to an axis of the rods of the previous layer; and

(f) repeating steps (b)-(e) and successively adding layers of parallel rods until the desired number of layers is reached.

24. The method of claim 23, including offsetting the rods of alternate layers, such that the rods of one layer are at about the midpoint between the rods of the other layer.