Thin-film resonant absorbers for the far-IR spectral range were fabricated, characterized, and modeled. The 3-μm-thick structure comprises a periodic surface array of metal squares, a dielectric spacer and a metallic ground plane. Up to 95% absorption for the fundamental band at ~53.5μm wavelength (5.6 THz) is achieved experimentally. Absorption bands are independent of the structure period and only weakly dependent on polarization and incident angle. The results are well explained in terms of standing-wave resonances within individual metal-dielectric-metal cavities. The structure has application as a wavelength selective coating for far-IR bolometers.

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A compact spectrometer-on-a-chip featuring a plasmonic molecular interaction region has been conceived, designed, modeled, and partially fabricated. The silicon-on-insulator (SOI) system is the chosen platform for the integration. The low loss of both silicon and SiO2 between 3 and 4 μm wavelengths enables silicon waveguides on SiO2 as the basis for molecular sensors at these wavelengths. Important characteristic molecular vibrations occur in this range, namely the bond stretching modes C-H (Alkynes), O-H (monomeric alcohols, phenols) and N-H (Amines), as well as CO double bonds, NH2, and CN. The device consists of a broad-band infrared LED, photonic waveguides, photon-to-plasmon transformers, a molecular interaction region, dispersive structures, and detectors. Photonic waveguide modes are adiabatically converted into SPPs on a neighboring metal surface by a tapered waveguide. The plasmonic interaction region enhances optical intensity, which allows a reduction of the overall device size without a reduction of the interaction length, in comparison to ordinary optical methods. After the SPPs propagate through the interaction region, they are converted back into photonic waveguide modes by a second taper. The dispersing region consists of a series of micro-ring resonators with photodetectors coupled to each resonator. Design parameters were optimized via electro-dynamic simulations. Fabrication was performed using a combination of photo- and electron-beam-lithography together with standard silicon processing techniques.

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Aspects of silicon photonics process technologies intended for high volume production in a traditional silicon electronics-driven foundry environment are discussed. Both technological and economical challenges associated with this juxtaposition of a complex, non-standard process technology, inside of a factory geared for producing thousands of standardized electronics-based wafers per month, are described in detail.