Abstract
In this paper, the analysis of silicon oxynitride (SiON) films, deposited utilizing the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, for optical waveguides on silicon wafers is presented. The impact of N2O flow rate on various SiON film properties was investigated. The thickness and refractive index were measured by micro-spot spectroscopic reflectometry and confirmed by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The chemical composition of SiON films was analyzed using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). The surface roughness was analyzed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Increasing the N2O flow rate during deposition caused the deposition rate to increase and the refractive index to decrease. By changing the flow rate of gases into the chamber during the PECVD process, it is possible to precisely adjust the oxygen (O2) ratio and nitrogen (N2) ratio in the SiON film and thus control its optical properties. This was possibility utilized to fabricate SiON films suitable to serve as a waveguide core for optical waveguides with a low refractive index contrast.
Highlights
Integrated microwave photonics (IMWP) is a scientific field that uses optical devices and techniques to generate, process, control and distribute high-speed radiofrequency signals
It is known that the deposition rate of the SiOx films fabricated using the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method is several times higher compared to the deposition rate of SiN films
This is explained by the fact that, during the deposition of Silicon oxynitride (SiON) films utilizing the PECVD method, the most probable reaction is the formation of Si–O bonds
Summary
Integrated microwave photonics (IMWP) is a scientific field that uses optical devices and techniques to generate, process, control and distribute high-speed radiofrequency (microwave) signals. Based on simulations done by Chovan et al [22], the goal is to deposit SiON films with a thickness of 2.5 μm and a refractive index of 1.6 for λ = 1.55 μm.
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