Inductively coupled plasma etching for large format HgCdTe focal plane array fabrication

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) using hydrogen-based gas chemistry has been developed to meet requirements for deep HgCdTe mesa etching and shallow CdTe passivation etching in large format HgCdTe infrared focal plane array (FPA) fabrication. Large format 2048×2048, 20-μm unit-cell short wavelength infrared (SWIR) and 2560×512, 25-μm unit-cell midwavelength infrared (MWIR) double-layer heterojunction (DLHJ) p-on-n HgCdTe FPAs fabricated using ICP processing exhibit >99% pixel operability. The HgCdTe FPAs are grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on Si substrates with suitable buffer layers. Midwavelength infrared detectors fabricated from 4-in. MBE-grown HgCdTe/Si substrates using ICP for mesa delineation and CdTe passivation etching demonstrate measured spectral characteristics, RoA product, and quantum efficiency comparable to detectors fabricated using wet chemical processes. Mechanical samples prepared to examine physical characteristics of ICP reveal plasma with high energy and low ion angle distribution, which is necessary for fine definition, high-aspect ratio mesa etching with accurate replication of photolithographic mask dimensions.     

Monolithic two-dimensional GaAs/AIGaAs laser arrays fabricated by chlorine lon-beam-assisted micromachining

Chlorine ion-beam-assisted etching (IBAE) has been used to micromachine laser facets and deflecting mirrors for monolithic two-dimensional GaAs/AIGaAs laser arrays. Three laser cavity/deflector designs have been successfully implemented. The first utilizes a parabolic deflecting mirror to directly focus the laser radiation; the second consists of a folded cavity with a vertical facet, a top surface facet, and an internal 45° reflector; and the third has a folded cavity with an internal Al_0.2Ga_0.8As/Al_0.8Ga_0.2As dielectric mirror stack and a top surface facet formed in a single etch step with two internal 45° reflectors. The parabolic deflecting mirrors are currently modeled forf- 0.8 collection efficiency, making the first design attractive in incoherent arrays for high-power applications such as pumping Nd:YAG lasers. The other two structures are of interest for incoherent or coherent arrays used in high- and medium-power applications, since the top surface facets can easily be antireflection coated. The design with a dielectric mirror stack is particularly simple to fabricate.     

铜布线面临生产实际挑战

铜布线工艺 在集成电路布线中,铝被广泛使用,其布线工艺较为简单。1997年9月,IBM公司率先推出一种称为CMOS7S的新技术,该技术在集成电路设计中采用铜代替铝作为外部导电材料,使电路布线的尺寸更加微小,芯片处理逻辑运算的能力更强。     

Developments in the fabrication and performance of high-quality HgCdTe detectors grown on 4-in. Si substrates

We are continuing to develop our growth and processing capabilities for HgCdTe grown on 4-in. Si substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Both short-wave and mid-wave infrared (SWIR and MWIR) double-layer hetero-junctions (DLHJs) have been fabricated. In order to improve the producibility of the material, we have implemented an in-situ growth composition-control system. We have explored dry etching the HgCdTe/Si wafers and seen promising results. No induced damage was observed in these samples. Detector results show that the HgCdTe/Si devices are state-of-the-art, following the diffusion-limited trend line established by other HgCdTe technologies. Focal-plane array (FPA) testing has been performed in order to assess the material over large areas. The FPA configurations range from 128×128 to 1,024×1,024, with unit cells as small as 20 μm. The MWIR responsivity and NEDT values are comparable to those of existing InSb FPAs. Pixel operabilities well in excess of 99% have been measured. We have also explored the role of growth macrodefects on diode performance and related their impact to FPA operability. The SWIR HgCdTe/Si shows similar results to the MWIR material. Short-wave IR FPA, median dark-current values of less than 0.1 e⁻/sec have been achieved.     

Infrared spectroscopy of chromium-doped cadmium selenide

The maximum optical-absorption cross section of Cr²⁺ ions was evaluated from near-infrared (NIR) absorption spectroscopy and direct measurements of the chromium concentration in Cr²⁺:CdSe crystals. The emission lifetime of the excited state, ⁵E, of Cr²⁺ was measured as a function of Cr²⁺ concentration in the 2×10¹⁷ −2×10¹⁸ ions/cm³ range and as a function of temperature from 77–300 K. Lifetime values were as high as ∼6 μs in the 77–250 K range and decreased to ∼4 μs at 300 K because of nonradiative decays. Assuming that most of the Cr dopant is in the Cr²⁺ state, an optical-absorption cross section σ_a of (1.94±0.56) × 10⁻¹⁸ cm² was calculated. Implications for laser performance are discussed.     

All-optical nonlinear switching in GaAs-AlGaAs microring resonators

In this paper, we demonstrate all-optical nonlinear switching in compact GaAs-AlGaAs microring resonators at the 1.55-μm wavelength. Switching is accomplished in the pump-and-probe configuration in which the pump-and-probe signals are tuned to different resonance wavelengths of the microring. Refractive index change in the microring due to free carriers generated by two photon absorption is used to switch the probe beam in and out of resonance. Measured transient responses of the pump and probe through the microring show good agreement with theoretical predictions based on nonlinear pump-probe interaction due to two photon absorption     

HF chemical etching of SiO2 on 4H and 6H SiC

Thickness and etch rate of SiO₂ films thermally grown on hexagonal SiC substrates were compared to results obtained from SiO₂/Si samples. The data confirm that profilometry and ellipsometry yield the same thickness values for oxides grown on Si and SiC. Within the accuracy of our measurements, oxides grown on different polytypes and faces of SiC etch at the same rate in a HF acid solution. The etch rate using a 50:1 H₂O:HF(50%) solution at room temperature is 0.1 nm/s and is uniform throughout the thickness of the SiO₂ films. The rate is the same as that obtained for SiO₂ grown on Si.     

Low-frequency magnetic shielding studies on high-Tc superconductor Y-Ba-Cu-O

Low frequency (10-Hz to 100-MHz) magnetic-shielding studies were performed on high-T_c superconductors Y-Ba-Cu-O to investigate the material's shielding behavior. The critical field H_c1 in the superconductor was observed to be ⩽17.8 G. The superconductor shielded down to the background noise level independent of the frequency when the applied field strength was⩽ H_c1. In the vortex state, just above H_c1, the superconductor-type transformer behaved nonlinearly. A semiempirical model for the skin depth was used to fit the nonlinear data. In the high applied field limit, this shielding data was shown to have a square-root frequency dependence similar to ordinary shielding materials. At lower fields above H_C1, data tended toward frequency independence. Noise-limited experimental low-frequency results indicated that the superconductor shielded at least as well as common state-of-the-art materials     

Novel frame buffer pixel circuits for liquid-crystal-on-silicon microdisplays

A 32 /spl times/ 16 liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) backplane with novel frame buffer pixels is designed and fabricated using the AMI Semiconductor's 0.5-/spl mu/m double-poly triple-metal CMOS process. The three novel pixel circuits described herein increase the brightness of an XGA LCOS microdisplay by at least 36% without sacrificing image contrast ratio. The increase of brightness is attributed to maximizing overall image view time, allowing an image to be displayed at full contrast while the next image is buffered onto the backplane. The new circuits achieve this by removing charge sharing and charge inducement problems shown in previously proposed frame buffer pixel circuits. Voltages on the pixel electrodes measured through rail-to-rail operational amplifiers with negative feedback vary from 0 to 4.25 V (6-V power source). All data voltage levels remain constant over a frame time with less than 1% drop, thus ensuring maximum contrast ratio. Modeling and experimental measurement on the fabricated chip show that these pixel circuits outperform all others to date based on storage time, data storage level, and potential for highest contrast ratio with maximum brightness.     

Group velocity dependence of propagation losses in single-line-defect photonic crystal waveguides on GaAs membranes

Group velocity, v/sub g/, dependence of propagation loss in single-line-defect photonic crystal waveguides on GaAs membranes, and minimum loss as low as 2.5 dB/mm, are presented. When v/sub g/ is reduced by a factor of 7, an additional loss is found to be only 5 dB/mm, thus proving a feasible usage of low v/sub g/.