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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


VLSI ready plasMOSter. Design, fabication and characterisation.

Translated title

Integrerbar plasMOSter. Design, fabrikation og karakterisering.

Author

Term

4. term

Publication year

2012

Submitted on

Pages

63

Abstract

This thesis presents a VLSI‑focused approach to the design, fabrication, and characterization of a plasMOSter—an electro‑optical transistor that uses an electrical signal to control the transmission of near‑infrared light. The device is a MOS‑based multimode waveguide whose photonic dispersion is engineered so that, at zero bias, modes interfere destructively, while a gate bias increases semiconductor conductivity and selectively damps the photonic mode more than the plasmonic mode, yielding an optical output. The design is guided by photonic dispersion engineering and finite‑element simulations, and the full layer stack is deposited by electron‑beam deposition; the waveguide is low‑density a‑Si characterized by ellipsometry. Fabrication steps include focused ion beam lithography, ultra‑thick resist, and peel‑off. Device response is probed by NSOM and IR microscopy to verify the simulated structural dependence of the output. Although an equipment failure after the first fabrication run prevented production of optimally designed structures, initial measurements show trends consistent with simulations and indicate prerequisites for functionality. The work outlines a path toward VLSI‑ready electro‑optical switching based on plasmonics on silicon‑compatible platforms.

Denne afhandling præsenterer en VLSI-orienteret tilgang til design, fremstilling og karakterisering af en plasMOSter – en elektro‑optisk transistor, der bruger et elektrisk signal til at styre transmissionen af nær‑infrarødt lys. Enheden er udformet som en MOS‑baseret multimode bølgeleder, hvor fotoniske dispersionsegenskaber er ingeniørmæssigt tilpasset, så modene ved nul bias interfererer destruktivt, mens en gate‑bias øger ledningsevnen i halvlederen og selektivt dæmper den fotoniske mode mere end den plasmoniske, hvilket giver et optisk output. Designet er understøttet af fotonisk dispersions‑engineering og finite element‑simuleringer, og hele lagstakken er afsat ved e‑stråle‑deposition; bølgelederen udgøres af lavdensitets a‑Si, karakteriseret ved ellipsometri. Fabrikationen omfatter bl.a. fokuseret ionebestrålingslitografi, anvendelse af ultratyk resist og peel‑off. Enhedens respons er undersøgt med NSOM og IR‑mikroskopi for at verificere den simulerede strukturelle afhængighed af output. Et udstyrsnedbrud efter første fremstillingsserie forhindrede produktion af optimalt designede strukturer, men de indledende målinger viser tendenser forenelige med simulationerne og peger på nødvendige forudsætninger for funktionalitet. Arbejdet skitserer dermed en vej mod VLSI‑klar elektro‑optisk omskifterteknologi baseret på plasmonik og kiselmaterialeplatforme.

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