Silicon Nanomembranes Research Articles

0.88-THz Optical Clock Distribution on Adhesively Bonded Silicon Nanomembrane

Silicon photonics is a promising solution for on-chip optical clock distribution. We developed an adhesive bonding process to integrate silicon nanomembranes onto silicon chips. The single-mode strip waveguide fabricated on this adhesively bonded silicon membrane has a propagation loss of 4.3 dB/cm. A grating-coupled 1-to-32 H-tree optical distribution is experimentally demonstrated. Each branch includes 1.1-cm long strip waveguides, five Y-splitters, and three 90° bends. This optical distribution has a insertion loss of 13.9 dB, uniformity of 0.72 dB, and 3-dB bandwidth of 880 GHz determined by optical autocorrelation.

Junctionless ferroelectric field effect transistors based on ultrathin silicon nanomembranes.

The paper reported the fabrication and operation of nonvolatile ferroelectric field effect transistors (FeFETs) with a top gate and top contact structure. Ultrathin Si nanomembranes without source and drain doping were used as the semiconducting layers whose electrical performance was modulated by the polarization of the ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] thin layer. FeFET devices exhibit both typical output property and obvious bistable operation. The hysteretic transfer characteristic was attributed to the electrical polarization of the ferroelectric layer which could be switched by a high enough gate voltage. FeFET devices demonstrated good memory performance and were expected to be used in both low power integrated circuit and flexible electronics.

Flexible single-crystal silicon nanomembrane photonic crystal cavity.

Flexible inorganic electronic devices promise numerous applications, especially in fields that could not be covered satisfactorily by conventional rigid devices. Benefits on a similar scale are also foreseeable for silicon photonic components. However, the difficulty in transferring intricate silicon photonic devices has deterred widespread development. In this paper, we demonstrate a flexible single-crystal silicon nanomembrane photonic crystal microcavity through a bonding and substrate removal approach. The transferred cavity shows a quality factor of 2.2×10(4) and could be bent to a curvature of 5 mm radius without deteriorating the performance compared to its counterparts on rigid substrates. A thorough characterization of the device reveals that the resonant wavelength is a linear function of the bending-induced strain. The device also shows a curvature-independent sensitivity to the ambient index variation.

Modification of Akhieser mechanism in Si nanomembranes and thermal conductivity dependence of the Q-factor of high frequency nanoresonators

We present and validate a reformulated Akhieser model that takes into account the reduction of thermal conductivity due to the impact of boundary scattering on the thermal phonons’ lifetime. We consider silicon nanomembranes with mechanical mode frequencies in the GHz range as textbook examples of nanoresonators. The model successfully accounts for the measured shortening of the mechanical mode lifetime. Moreover, the thermal conductivity is extracted from the measured lifetime of the mechanical modes in the high-frequency regime, thereby demonstrating that the Q-factor can be used as an indication of the thermal conductivity and/or diffusivity of a mechanical resonator.

Observation of the inverse giant piezoresistance effect in silicon nanomembranes probed by ultrafast terahertz spectroscopy.

The anomalous piezoresistance (a-PZR) effects, including giant PZR (GPZR) with large magnitude and inverse PZR of opposite, have exciting technological potentials for their integration into novel nanoelectromechanical systems. However, the nature of a-PZR effect and the associated kinetics have not been clearly determined yet. Even further, there are intense research debates whether the a-PZR effect actually exists or not; although numerous investigations have been conducted, the origin of the effect has not been clearly understood. This paper shows the existence of a-PZR and provides direct experimental evidence through the performance of well-established electrical measurements and terahertz spectroscopy on silicon nanomembranes (Si NMs). The clear inverse PZR behavior was observed in the Si NMs when the thickness was less than 40 nm and the magnitude of the PZR response linearly increased with the decreasing thickness. Observations combined with electrical and optical measurements strongly corroborate that the a-PZR effect originates from the carrier concentration changes via charge carrier trapping into strain-induced defect states.

Schottky contact on ultra-thin silicon nanomembranes under light illumination

By repeating oxidation and subsequent wet chemical etching, we produced ultra-thin silicon nanomembranes down to 10 nm based on silicon-on-insulator structures in a controllable way. The electrical property of such silicon nanomembranes is highly influenced by their contacts with metal electrodes, in which Schottky barriers (SBs) can be tuned by light illumination due to the surface doping. Thermionic emission theory of carriers is applied to estimate the SB at the interface between metal electrodes and Si nanomembranes. Our work reveals that the Schottky contacts with Si nanomembranes can be influenced by external stimuli (like light luminescence or surface state) more heavily compared to those in the thicker ones, which implies that such ultra-thin-film devices could be of potential use in optical detectors.

Complex nonlinear dynamics in the limit of weak coupling of a system of microcantilevers connected by a geometrically nonlinear tunable nanomembrane

Intentional utilization of geometric nonlinearity in micro/nanomechanical resonators provides a breakthrough to overcome the narrow bandwidth limitation of linear dynamic systems. In past works, implementation of intentional geometric nonlinearity to an otherwise linear nano/micromechanical resonator has been successfully achieved by local modification of the system through nonlinear attachments of nanoscale size, such as nanotubes and nanowires. However, the conventional fabrication method involving manual integration of nanoscale components produced a low yield rate in these systems. In the present work, we employed a transfer-printing assembly technique to reliably integrate a silicon nanomembrane as a nonlinear coupling component onto a linear dynamic system with two discrete microcantilevers. The dynamics of the developed system was modeled analytically and investigated experimentally as the coupling strength was finely tuned via FIB post-processing. The transition from the linear to the nonlinear dynamic regime with gradual change in the coupling strength was experimentally studied. In addition, we observed for the weakly coupled system that oscillation was asynchronous in the vicinity of the resonance, thus exhibiting a nonlinear complex mode. We conjectured that the emergence of this nonlinear complex mode could be attributed to the nonlinear damping arising from the attached nanomembrane.

Dissolution Chemistry and Biocompatibility of Single-Crystalline Silicon Nanomembranes and Associated Materials for Transient Electronics

Single-crystalline silicon nanomembranes (Si NMs) represent a critically important class of material for high-performance forms of electronics that are capable of complete, controlled dissolution when immersed in water and/or biofluids, sometimes referred to as a type of "transient" electronics. The results reported here include the kinetics of hydrolysis of Si NMs in biofluids and various aqueous solutions through a range of relevant pH values, ionic concentrations and temperatures, and dependence on dopant types and concentrations. In vitro and in vivo investigations of Si NMs and other transient electronic materials demonstrate biocompatibility and bioresorption, thereby suggesting potential for envisioned applications in active, biodegradable electronic implants.

Reduction of the thermal conductivity in free-standing silicon nano-membranes investigated by non-invasive Raman thermometry

We report on the reduction of the thermal conductivity in ultra-thin suspended Si membranes with high crystalline quality. A series of membranes with thicknesses ranging from 9 nm to 1.5 μm was investigated using Raman thermometry, a novel contactless technique for thermal conductivity determination. A systematic decrease in the thermal conductivity was observed as reducing the thickness, which is explained using the Fuchs-Sondheimer model through the influence of phonon boundary scattering at the surfaces. The thermal conductivity of the thinnest membrane with d = 9 nm resulted in (9 ± 2) W/mK, thus approaching the amorphous limit but still maintaining a high crystalline quality.

Three dimensional strain distribution of wrinkled silicon nanomembranes fabricated by rolling-transfer technique

This paper introduces a simple transfer technique named as rolling-transfer technology to transfer Si nanomembranes to pre-stressed elastomers with nearly 100% transfer efficiency. When transferred onto the elastomeric substrate, wave-like wrinkled Si nanomembranes with uniform periodicity and amplitude are formed. The three dimensional (3-D) strain distribution of the wrinkled Si nanomembranes has been investigated in detail through the micro-Raman mapping using two excited laser wavelengths. The sinusoidal bulking geometry of Si nanomembrane results in a periodical strain alternation along x direction, while a homogenous strain distribution in y direction. The inhomogeneous strain distribution along z direction can be interpreted with the physical model considering the shift of the neutral mechanical plane, which is qualitatively determined by the Von Karman elastic nonlinear plate theory, including the bending effect and the shear forces existing at the Si nanomembrane/elastomeric substrate interface.

Coupled double-layer Fano resonance photonic crystal filters with lattice-displacement

We present here ultra-compact high-Q Fano resonance filters with displaced lattices between two coupled photonic crystal slabs, fabricated with crystalline silicon nanomembrane transfer printing and aligned e-beam lithography techniques. Theoretically, with the control of lattice displacement between two coupled photonic crystal slabs layers, optical filter Q factors can approach 211 000 000 for the design considered here. Experimentally, Q factors up to 80 000 have been demonstrated for a filter design with target Q factor of 130 000.

High-performance, low-voltage electroosmotic pumps with molecularly thin silicon nanomembranes

Significance Electroosmotic pumps (EOPs) are a class of pumps in which fluid is driven through a capillary or porous media within an electric field. Current research on EOPs concerns the development of new materials in which high electroosmotic flow rates can be achieved for low voltages. Such pumps could be used for portable microfluidic devices. Porous nanocrystalline silicon (pnc-Si) is a material that is formed into a 15-nm-thick nanomembrane. pnc-Si membranes are shown here to have high electroosmotic flow rates at low applied voltages due to the high electric fields achieved over the ultrathin membrane. A prototype EOP was designed using pnc-Si membranes and shown to pressurize fluid through capillary tubing at voltages as low as 250 mV.

A Silicon Nanomembrane Detector for Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) of Large Proteins

We describe a MALDI-TOF ion detector based on freestanding silicon nanomembrane technology. The detector is tested in a commercial MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer with equimolar mixtures of proteins. The operating principle of the nanomembrane detector is based on phonon-assisted field emission from these silicon nanomembranes, in which impinging ion packets excite electrons in the nanomembrane to higher energy states. Thereby the electrons can overcome the vacuum barrier and escape from the surface of the nanomembrane via field emission. Ion detection is demonstrated of apomyoglobin (16,952 Da), aldolase (39,212 Da), bovine serum albumin (66,430 Da), and their equimolar mixtures. In addition to the three intact ions, a large number of fragment ions are also revealed by the silicon nanomembrane detector, which are not observable with conventional detectors.

Quantum Confinement Effects in Transferrable Silicon Nanomembranes and Their Applications on Unusual Substrates

Two dimensional (2D) semiconductors have attracted attention for a range of electronic applications, such as transparent, flexible field effect transistors and sensors owing to their good optical transparency and mechanical flexibility. Efforts to exploit 2D semiconductors in electronics are hampered, however, by the lack of efficient methods for their synthesis at levels of quality, uniformity, and reliability needed for practical applications. Here, as an alternative 2D semiconductor, we study single crystal Si nanomembranes (NMs), formed in large area sheets with precisely defined thicknesses ranging from 1.4 to 10 nm. These Si NMs exhibit electronic properties of two-dimensional quantum wells and offer exceptionally high optical transparency and low flexural rigidity. Deterministic assembly techniques allow integration of these materials into unusual device architectures, including field effect transistors with total thicknesses of less than 12 nm, for potential use in transparent, flexible, and stretchable forms of electronics.

Large Area Silicon Nanomembrane Photonic Devices on Unconventional Substrates

Silicon photonics on unconventional substrates have demonstrated great promise in tremendous unprecedented applications. One challenge is transferring high quality and large scale crystalline silicon nanomembranes onto various substrates. We developed a low temperature nanomembrane transfer technique based on adhesive bonding and deep reactive ion etching. A large area (2 cm $\times\,$ 2 cm), 250 nm thick silicon nanomembrane is defect-freely transferred onto a glass slide. The average propagation loss of a single mode waveguide (500 nm wide) fabricated on the transferred silicon nanomembrane is ${\sim}{\rm 4.3}~{\rm dB}/{\rm cm}$ , which is comparable with those fabricated on silicon-on-insulator. To demonstrate the capability of accommodating large scale intricate photonic circuit, a 1 $\,\times\,$ 16 power splitter, consisting of photonic components with dimensions ranging from 119.4 $\mu{\rm m}$ to as small as 80 nm, is fabricated. An output uniformity of 0.96 dB at 1545.6 nm across all channels and an insertion loss of 0.56 dB are experimentally demonstrated.

On-chip intra- and inter-layer grating couplers for three-dimensional integration of silicon photonics

We present on-chip intra- and inter-layer grating couplers fabricated on double-layer, single crystalline silicon nanomembranes. The silicon nanomembranes were fabricated using an adhesive bonding process. The grating couplers are based on subwavelength nanostructures operating at the transverse-electric polarization. Such nanostructures can be patterned in a single lithography/etching process. Simultaneous intra-layer coupling to separate silicon photonic layers is demonstrated through grating couplers with peak efficiencies of 18% and 44% per grating coupler for bottom and top layer, respectively, at 1550 nm wavelength. The inter-layer grating coupler has an efficiency of 25% at 1560 nm wavelength with a 3 dB bandwidth of 41 nm.

Investigation of various mechanical bending strains on characteristics of flexible monocrystalline silicon nanomembrane diodes on a plastic substrate

In this paper, comprehensive experimental characterization is conducted for flexible radio frequency (RF) monocrystalline silicon nanomembrane (SiNM) diodes under various bending conditions: convex and concave bendings, paralleled and perpendicular to the diode current flow direction. The flexible diodes indicate significant/slight performance dependence with compressive/tensile bending strains paralleled to or tensile/compressive strains perpendicular to diode current flow direction. Physical and device models are employed to study the underlying mechanism, and demonstrate the dominant changing factor of flexible SiNM diodes under bending conditions. The study provides guidelines for designing and using monocrystalline SiNM diodes for bendable monolithic microwave integrated circuits.

Phonon-Assisted Field Emission in Silicon Nanomembranes for Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry of Proteins

Time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry has been considered as the method of choice for mass analysis of large intact biomolecules, which are ionized in low charge states by matrix-assisted-laser-desorption/ionization (MALDI). However, it remains predominantly restricted to the mass analysis of biomolecules with a mass below about 50,000 Da. This limitation mainly stems from the fact that the sensitivity of the standard detectors decreases with increasing ion mass. We describe here a new principle for ion detection in TOF mass spectrometry, which is based upon suspended silicon nanomembranes. Impinging ion packets on one side of the suspended silicon nanomembrane generate nonequilibrium phonons, which propagate quasi-diffusively and deliver thermal energy to electrons within the silicon nanomembrane. This enhances electron emission from the nanomembrane surface with an electric field applied to it. The nonequilibrium phonon-assisted field emission in the suspended nanomembrane connected to an effective cooling of the nanomembrane via field emission allows mass analysis of megadalton ions with high mass resolution at room temperature. The high resolution of the detector will give better insight into high mass proteins and their functions.

Stress redistribution in individual ultrathin strained silicon nanowires: a high-resolution polarized Raman study

Strain nano-engineering provides valuable opportunities to create high-performance nanodevices by a precise tailoring of semiconductor band structure. Achieving these enhanced capabilities has sparked a surge of interest in controlling strain on the nanoscale. In this work, the stress behavior in ultrathin strained silicon nanowires directly on oxide is elucidated using background-free, high-resolution polarized Raman spectroscopy. We established a theoretical framework to quantify the stress from Raman shifts taking into account the anisotropy associated with the nanowire quasi-one-dimensional morphology. The investigated nanowires have lateral dimensions of 30, 50 and 80 nm and a length of 1 μm top-down fabricated by patterning and etching 15 nm thick biaxially tensile strained silicon nanomembranes generated using heteroepitaxy and ultrathin layer transfer. The concern over the contribution of Raman scattering at the nanowire 〈110〉 oriented sidewalls is circumvented by precisely selecting the incident polarization relative to the sidewalls of the nanowire, thus enabling an accurate and rigorous analysis of stress profiles in individual nanowires. Unlike suspended nanowires, which become uniaxially strained as a result of free surface-induced relaxation, we demonstrated that stress profiles in single nanowires are rather complex and non-uniform along different directions due to the oxide–nanowire interface. As a general trend, higher stresses are observed at the center of the nanowire and found to decrease linearly as a function of the nanowire width. Using multi-wavelength high-resolution Raman spectroscopy, we also extracted the stress profiles at different depths in the nanowire. The residual stress in the top ∼10 nm of the nanowire was found to be nearly uniaxial and increase from the edge toward the center, which remains highly strained. In contrast, the average stress profiles measured over the whole nanowire thickness exhibit different behavior characterized by a plateau in the region ∼200 nm away from the edges. Our observations indicate that the lattice near the newly formed free surface moves inwards and drags the underlying substrate leading to a complex redistribution of stress. This nanoscale patterning-induced relaxation has direct implications for electrical and mechanical properties of strained silicon nanowires and provides myriad opportunities to create entirely new strained-engineered nanoscale devices.

Electron irradiation of immobilized DNA in solution through a silicon nano-membrane

In fields involving irradiated aqueous solutions, such as radiotherapy and nuclear waste remediation, it is often unclear whether the principal reactive species are OH° radicals or secondary (low-energy) electrons. This is mostly because both are rapidly attenuated in water. Presently a large part of the evidence for the involvement of low-energy electrons in biological radiation damage is based on “dry” DNA samples. We demonstrate irradiation of DNA in solution by direct injection of electrons through a 40-nm thin SiO2 membrane, followed by in-situ detection of the DNA damage by a fluorescence-based method. Corresponding Monte Carlo simulations show that the spatial distribution of ionizing events in water with respect to the membrane is controlled by the electron impact energy. By immobilizing DNA to the solution side of the membrane, and because dynamics and reaction ranges of OH° radicals and low-energy electrons are dramatically different, it is possible to tune into the OH° radical or into the electron “reaction modes” by simply changing the electron impact energy. Such experiments have the potential to provide important information on the radio-sensitivity at a level of a single biomolecule and to contribute to the development of new dosage concepts.