ITP4: Nanostructuring Platform

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ITP4 Nanostructuring Platform

• Coordinator William Whelan-Curtin (Liam
  OFaolain), jww1_at_st-and.ac.uk(Thomas F Krauss,
  tfk_at_st-and.ac.uk)
• Platform Partners

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Targets

• Functionality Give access to world class
  nanostructuring capability (e-beam lithography
  and dry etching) to other researchers
• Range of Nanophotonic Devices
• Fully developed processes
• Provide guaranteed levels of performance
• Capabilities expanded through JRAs (process
  development)
• Evolve into a self-supporting (semi)-commercial
  operation

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Platform Functionality
SOI
InP
GaAs
BOx remaining
Substrate
Substrate
membrane
membrane
membrane
Oxide backfill
Doping/ Contacting
Contacts
Contacts
Multiply by Nanoimprint fine-tune by FIB

• Users specify on website what they want.
• Users submit materials (except SOI) and design
  files.
• Users contribute to cost - either cash or via
  projects.
• Well defined specifications - verified by
  test-structures.

In Development
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High quality Nanophotonics

• Silicon Membrane Photonic crystals
• Carefully optimised process
• Best 4.1db/cm W1

• Worlds 2nd best Silicon photonic crystal (to our
  knowledge)

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Performance Guarantees

• Try to specify minimum performance levels in
  standard designs
• Silicon Membrane W1s- 20db/cm
• Silicon Substrate W1s (to be determined)
• SOI wires (to be determined)
• GaAs W3s (to be determined)
• InP W3s (to be determined)
• Alternatives may be suggested

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Partners

• St Andrews
• EBL-RAITH/LEO, Etching- InP, GaAs, Silicon
• ETH-Zurich
• EBL-RAITH150, Etching- InP
• COM
• EBL-JEOL, Etching- Silicon
• Glasgow
• EBL- LEICA EBPG5 and VB6, Etching- GaAs, Silicon,
  InP
• Valencia
• EBL-RAITH150, Etching- Silicon
• RAITH
• EBL Support
• Range of complementary facilities, Degree of
  redundancy

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Structure

• Processes and capabilities documented on Website
  (www.nanophotonics.eu)
• Design files submitted
• Tests run, if desired
• Exposed as appropriate (JEOL/LEICA/RAITH)
• Etched
• Secondary processing (Membraning, thinning,
  contacting, cleaving)
• Sent to user for characterisation

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Lithography

• Many of the critical areas known from JRA1
• Patterns written on appropriate machine
• LEICA/JEOL highest standard, expensive
• Best suited to large patterns
• RAITH high standard, more economic
• Smaller patterns
• Suited to designs requiring many iterations
• Example develop details on RAITHS, test full
  parameter space on JEOL/LEICA

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Novel lithography

• Build Platform on established capability (e-beam,
  dry etch).
• Evaluate Nanoimprint, FIB, Laser Interference
  with a view to incorporation at a later date
  (Joint JRA1/FAA3 in Y2)
• Insufficient optical performance indicators as
  yet.

MESA Interference lithographyFIB for line
defect definition (Si3N4 membrane)
MESA Laser Interference lithography
MESA FIB on silicon membrane
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Processes In Development

• Focused Ion Beam etching (JRA FIB)
• Nanoimprint (JRA NIL)
• InP- membraning/contacting (JRA InP Membrane)
• SOI- contacting/doping (JRA SOI Modulator)
• SOI- improved coupling (St Andrews, Valencia)
• SOI- Backfill oxide (St Andrews)
• General Nanophotonic Performance (JRA SOI
  passive, JRA PhC Infill)

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Website

• Documented on website - www.nanophotonics.eu

• List of available processes
• Design Rules
• Specifications
• Increase visibility

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Additional Process

• ePIXnet partners invited to provide additional
  Nanophotonic processes
• Fully developed
• Advertised on website
• Any funding received goes to that partner
• E.g. 3-4 new nanophotonic devices in pipeline at
  St Andrews
• Platform needs to stay abreast of new developments

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Financing

• Paid through JRA consumable budgets
• Price dependent on design details (wide possible
  range)
• Foresee semi-commercial operation following on
  from ePIXnet - finance from a mixture of projects
  and pay per job. Cost per job of order Eu
  300-3000.

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Other Platforms

• Build links with other platforms
• Ensure complementarity
• Silicon Platform
• Modelling Platform
• Packaging Platform
• Characterisation Platform
• InP Platform