We have investigated the evolution of line-edge roughness during fabrication of high-refractive-index-contrast microphotonic devices. First, we present a method for estimating the spectral density of line-edge roughness. Then, the effect of common fabrication steps on line-edge roughness is reported. Spectral-density estimates are obtained from high-resolution micrographs acquired with a scanning electron microscope. Line edges are detected in the micrographs and then analyzed using various statistical methods. The impacts on roughness of liftoff, reactive-ion etching, and two non chemically-amplified electron-beam resists are quantitatively evaluated. We found that smooth sidewalls require adequate coverage of sidewalls via polymerization during reactive-ion etching, and a sharp resist profile when liftoff is used. In general, roughness can be greatly reduced by adjusting fabrication parameters. The method described in this article can be used as an efficient process optimization tool for fabrication of high-refractive-index-contrast microphotonic devices.
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November 2003
This content was originally published in
Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures Processing, Measurement, and Phenomena
Papers from the 47th International Conference on Electron, Ion, and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication
27-30 May 2003
Tampa, Florida (USA)
Research Article|
December 09 2003
Evolution of line-edge roughness during fabrication of high-index-contrast microphotonic devices
Tymon Barwicz;
Tymon Barwicz
Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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Henry I. Smith
Henry I. Smith
Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 21, 2892–2896 (2003)
Article history
Received:
June 24 2003
Accepted:
September 21 2003
Citation
Tymon Barwicz, Henry I. Smith; Evolution of line-edge roughness during fabrication of high-index-contrast microphotonic devices. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 1 November 2003; 21 (6): 2892–2896. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.1625965
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