Electrospray Deposition of Uniform Thickness Ge23Sb7S70 and As40S60 Chalcogenide Glass Films

Solution-based electrospray film deposition, which is compatible with continuous, roll-to-roll processing, is applied to chalcogenide glasses. Two ...

Texas A&M University

Toward mid-infrared (mid-IR) silicon microphotonic circuits, we demonstrate broadband on-chip silicon structures, such as: (i) straight and bent waveguides and (ii) beam splitters, utilizing an air-clad pedestal configuration which eliminates the need for typical mid-IR-lossy oxide cladding. We illustrate a sophisticated fabrication process that can create high-quality pedestal structures in crystalline silicon, while preserving its mid-IR transparency. A fundamental waveguide mode is observed between λ=2.5 μm and λ=3.7 μm, and an optical loss of 2.7 dB/cm is obtained at λ=3.7 μm. Our pedestal silicon structures show 50:50 mid-IR power splitting enabling the further development of mid-IR silicon microphotonics.

Air-clad silicon pedestal structures for broadband mid-infrared microphotonics.

Towards a future lab-on-a-chip spectrometer, we demonstrate a compact chip-scale air-clad silicon pedestal waveguide as a Mid-Infrared (Mid-IR) sensor capable of in situ monitoring of organic solvents. The sensor is a planar crystalline silicon waveguide, which is highly transparent, between λ = 1.3 and 6.5 μm, so that its operational spectral range covers most characteristic chemical absorption bands due to bonds such as C-H, N-H, O-H, C-C, N-O, C=O, and C≡N, as opposed to conventional UV, Vis, Near-IR sensors, which use weaker overtones of these fundamental bands. To extend light transmission beyond λ = 3.7 μm, a spectral region where a typical silicon dioxide under-clad is absorbing, we fabricate a unique air-clad silicon pedestal waveguide. The sensing mechanism of our Mid-IR waveguide sensor is based on evanescent wave absorption by functional groups of the surrounding chemical molecules, which selectively absorb specific wavelengths in the mid-IR, depending on the nature of their chemical bonds. From a measurement of the waveguide mode intensities, we demonstrate in situ identification of chemical compositions and concentrations of organic solvents. For instance, we show that when testing at λ = 3.55 μm, the Mid-IR sensor can distinguish hexane from the rest of the tested analytes (methanol, toluene, carbon tetrachloride, ethanol and acetone), since hexane has a strong absorption from the aliphatic C-H stretch at λ = 3.55 μm. Analogously, applying the same technique at λ = 3.3 μm, the Mid-IR sensor is able to determine the concentration of toluene dissolved in carbon tetrachloride, because toluene has a strong absorption at λ = 3.3 μm from the aromatic C-H stretch. With our demonstration of an air-clad silicon pedestal waveguide sensor, we move closer towards the ultimate goal of an ultra-compact portable spectrometer-on-a-chip.

Chip-scale Mid-Infrared chemical sensors using air-clad pedestal silicon waveguides.

A positive-tone 2D direct-write technique that can achieve sub-wavelength patterning by non-linear overlap effects in a conventional polymer system is described. The technique involves relatively inexpensive free-space optics, skips the usual development step, and promises the possibility of a lithographic method that is solvent-free.

Direct-write thermocapillary dewetting of polymer thin films by a laser-induced thermal gradient.

A mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectrometer for label-free on-chip chemical sensing was developed using an engineered nanofluidic channel consisting of a Si-liquid-Si slot-structure. Utilizing the large refractive index contrast (Δn ∼ 2) between the liquid core of the waveguide and the Si cladding, a broadband mid-IR lightwave can be efficiently guided and confined within a nanofluidic capillary (≤100 nm wide). The optical-field enhancement, together with the direct interaction between the probe light and the analyte, increased the sensitivity for chemical detection by 50 times when compared to evanescent-wave sensing. This spectrometer distinguished several common organic liquids (e.g., n-bromohexane, toluene, isopropanol) accurately and could determine the ratio of chemical species (e.g., acetonitrile and ethanol) at low concentration (<5 μL/mL) in a mixture through spectral scanning over their characteristic absorption peaks in the mid-IR regime. The combination of CMOS-compatible planar mid-IR microphotonics, and a high-throughput nanofluidic sensor system, provides a unique platform for chemical detection.

Mid-infrared spectrometer using opto-nanofluidic slot-waveguide for label-free on-chip chemical sensing.

A chip-scale mid-IR water sensor was developed using silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides coated with poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA). The label-free detection was conducted at λ=2.6-2.7 μm because this spectral region overlaps with the characteristic O-H stretch absorption while being transparent to PGMA and SiN. Through the design of a hybrid waveguide structure, we were able to tailor the mid-IR evanescent wave into the PGMA layer and the surrounding water and, consequently, to enhance the light-analyte interaction. A 7.6 times enhancement of sensitivity is experimentally demonstrated and explained by material integration engineering as well as waveguide mode analysis. Our sensor platform made by polymer-dielectric hybrids can be applied to other regions of the mid-IR spectrum to probe other analytes and can ultimately achieve a multispectral sensor on-a-chip.

Pao-Tai Lin

Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Texas A&M University

Electrospray Deposition of Uniform Thickness Ge₂₃Sb₇S₇₀ and As₄₀S₆₀ Chalcogenide Glass Films

Pao-Tai Lin

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Materials Science and Engineering,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Texas A&M University

Electrospray Deposition of Uniform Thickness Ge23Sb7S70 and As40S60 Chalcogenide Glass Films

Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Electrospray Deposition of Uniform Thickness Ge₂₃Sb₇S₇₀ and As₄₀S₆₀ Chalcogenide Glass Films