Novel Photonic Applications of Silicon Carbide

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) is emerging rapidly in novel photonic applications thanks to its unique photonic properties facilitated by the advances of nanotechnologies such as nanofabrication and nanofilm transfer. This review paper will start with the introduction of exceptional optical properties of silicon carbide. Then, a key structure, i.e., silicon carbide on insulator stack (SiCOI), is discussed which lays solid fundament for tight light confinement and strong light-SiC interaction in high quality factor and low volume optical cavities. As examples, microring resonator, microdisk and photonic crystal cavities are summarized in terms of quality (Q) factor, volume and polytypes. A main challenge for SiC photonic application is complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility and low-loss material growth. The state-of-the-art SiC with different polytypes and growth methods are reviewed and a roadmap for the loss reduction is predicted for photonic applications. Combining the fact that SiC possesses many different color centers with the SiCOI platform, SiC is also deemed to be a very competitive platform for future quantum photonic integrated circuit applications. Its perspectives and potential impacts are included at the end of this review paper.

Quantum systems in silicon carbide for sensing applications

“…Most of the magnetometry in SiC is based on DC magnetometry. For DC magnetometry based on ODMR, the most common approach used so far, higher sensitivity can be achieved by simply improving the photon collection efficiency using, for example, waveguides [56,171], nanopillars [172,173] and solid immersion lenses [174,175]. Another approach for increasing the spin read-out contrast for magnetometry in SiC defects could be based on achieving strong coupling by using high-Q macroscopic microwave cavities [176,177].…”

Review—Silicon Carbide Thin Film Technologies: Recent Advances in Processing, Properties, and Applications: Part II. PVD and Alternative (Non-PVD and Non-CVD) Deposition Techniques

“…The films exhibited single crystal orientation (1 0 10), maximum average crystallite size (∼17.7 nm), lowest surface roughness (∼1.10 nm), minimum strain (0.19%), and low dislocation density (∼3.19 × 10 15 ). Similarly, the highest optical and dispersion energy parameters were observed for the samples deposited on Si substrates, including refractive index (η = 2.7707 at λ = 540 nm), bandgap (Eg ∼3.1595 eV), oscillator energy (E o = 7.5980 eV), dispersion energy (E d = 46.1800 eV), dielectric constant (ε ∞ = 7.0779), third order ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology, 2024 13 043001 susceptibility (χ (3) ∼ 9.3219 × 10 −12 esu), nonlinear refractive index (η 2 ∼ 2.0793 × 10 −17 m 2 /W), carrier concentration to the effective mass (N/m* = 5.4656 × 10 49 kg −1 cm −3 ), and plasma frequency (ω p = 795.57 cm −1 ). The authors concluded that these findings indicate that films grown on Si are promising candidates for optoelectronics, photonics, and telecommunication applications at elevated temperature and in harsh environments.…”

“…Silicon carbide (SiC x ) thin films, primarily stoichiometric (x ∼ 1) and non-stoichiometric (Si-rich, x < 1 and C-rich, x > 1), continue to be the subject of significant research and development (R&D) and manufacturing initiatives in a continuously growing field of innovative commercial applications. [1][2][3][4][5] The intense R&D and manufacturing interest in SiC x also extends to various forms of the Si-C-N material system.…”

Wet-Oxidation-Assisted Chemical Mechanical Polishing and High-Temperature Thermal Annealing for Low-Loss 4H-SiC Integrated Photonic Devices

“…It is also a choice for temperature sensors [ 3 , 4 ]. Meanwhile, SiC also owns many outstanding optical properties, making this material very promising for making photonic and opto-electronic devices [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. SiC has a wide window of transparency, from near ultraviolet to mid-infrared wavelength range, due to the wide bandgap.…”