3.1. Long-Range Dielectric-Loaded Surface Plasmon-Polariton Waveguides (LR-DLSPPW) Simulation and Analysis
The considered plasmonic transmission line consists of a waveguide and light input/output diffraction grating. We considered two types of the waveguide cross-section with both silver and gold metal layers. However, in the paper we demonstrate only gold-based waveguides simulation results. For the first type, the lower Al
2O
3 layer has the same width (
Figure 2a) as the upper one, while for the second type, the lower layer has a much larger (infinite) width (
Figure 2b). The two Al
2O
3 layers’ thicknesses were optimized in order to maximize the long-range plasmonic mode propagation length while keeping a sufficiently large long-range mode effective index compared with the substrate refractive index (to avoid too-large scattering losses into the substrate on waveguide roughness and bends). The Au layer thickness was taken to be 8–12 nm, which is a reliable technological minimum for continuous films. Then, for the optimized thicknesses of the three layers on the substrate, the waveguide width (the width of the three-layer Al
2O
3/Au/Al
2O
3 or the two-layer Au/Al
2O
3 strip) was optimized in order to maximize the long-range waveguide plasmonic mode propagation length while keeping the waveguide to be single-mode (having only one long-range guided mode).
Figure 2c shows the dependences of the effective index of the long-range mode in the infinitely wide three-layer system Al
2O
3/Au/Al
2O
3 on the upper Al
2O
3 thickness for different lower Al
2O
3 layer thicknesses. In
Figure 2d, the corresponding dependences of the long-range plasmon propagation length are presented. All calculations are given for the wavelength of 785 nm.
Based on the results presented in
Figure 2, the thicknesses d1 and d3 were chosen so that the plasmon effective refractive index exceeded the substrate refractive index by more than 0.05, but the plasmon propagation length was maximal. This requirement approximately corresponds to d1 = 75 nm and the maximum of the corresponding curve in
Figure 2d, i.e., d3 = 240 nm. In such structures, the calculated long-range plasmon propagation length is L
prop = 0.27 mm for the wavelengths of 785 nm.
As in/outcoupling systems for light, we considered tapers with periodic gratings of slits cut through the two upper layers of the three-layer Al
2O
3/Au/Al
2O
3 (see
Figure 3). The tapers are made from three-layers Al
2O
3/Au/Al
2O
3 with the same layer thicknesses as in the LR-DLSPPW waveguides, which makes it possible to fabricate it in the same process steps. The tapers focus the long-range plasmonic waves into the LR-DLSPPW aperture. In turn, to excite long-range plasmonic waves in the taper by an incident Gaussian beam, a periodic grating of slits in the taper is used.
To select the optimal parameters of taper with the grating of slits, we first optimized the parameters of a grating in the three-layer Al
2O
3/Au/Al
2O
3 of infinite width (two-dimensional (2D) grating), and then we optimized the taper opening angle, the taper length L
tap and the distance from the grating to the taper-waveguide junction. As the exciting wave, we considered a Gaussian beam with a waist width of w
0 = 8.5 µm, normally incident from the substrate (the focus is located at the substrate-Al
2O
3-layer interface). The grating period, D, and the slits width, W
slit, were varied in order to maximize the efficiency of the long-range wave excitation in a 2D layered system. Optimization was performed with respect according to the lattice period, D, and the width of the slots. The case of a 2D exciting Gaussian beam was considered (the waist is w
0 in the
yz-plane perpendicular to the slits direction and is infinite in the
x-direction along the slits). The number of slits was taken to be N = 38. For such N, the grating length is approximately equal to 20 μm (or 2.3w
0) for the grating period D = 531 nm. In
Figure 3, the 2D grating efficiency (calculated as a ratio of the long-range plasmon power excited in the +
z direction in the layered system of infinite width to the incident 2D Gaussian beam power) as a function of W
slit, and D are shown.
As we can see from
Figure 3b, the highest grating efficiency is observed at D = 531 nm and is about 13%. The taper width, W
tap, should be several times larger than the exciting Gaussian beam waist, w
0. For example, we take W
tap = 30 μm. The taper opening angle
θ (determined by the ratio
) should approximately meet the condition:
where,
is the real part of the long-range plasmon effective refractive index in the three-layer Al
2O
3/Au/Al
2O
3 system on the substrate and
n’eff is the real part of the long-range plasmonic mode of the LR-DLSPPW of finite width. This condition determines the maximal angle
θ/2 of a taper long-range plasmonic wave incidence for which this plasmonic wave could be coupled into the LR-DLSPPW. For a larger
θ, however, the reflection of the long-range modes of the taper from the taper-waveguide junction is too large. Thus, we obtain L
tap = 100 µm. Note also, that at a crossing of two presented waveguides, there is practically no energy transfer from one waveguide to the crossing one (less than 0.01% of power).
In
Figure 4, the electric field amplitude distribution is shown for a long-range plasmonic mode incident on a crossing of two LR-DLSPPWs. Three-dimensional finite element calculation gives a power transmission coefficient of 94% for a long-range plasmonic waveguide mode, a power reflection coefficient back into a long-range mode and a scattering coefficient into long-range modes of the perpendicular waveguide to be less than 0.01% in power.
3.2. LR-DLSPPW Fabrication Process Flow and Key Issues
The general fabrication process flow for Al
2O
3/Au(Ag)/Al
2O
3 plasmonic LR-DLSPP waveguides on a quartz substrate is illustrated in
Figure 5. The process begins with substrate surface wet cleaning using megasound particle removal in DIW, followed by 80 ˚C Piranha solution and drying with nitrogen (
Figure 5a). Next, a three-layer thin film stack Al
2O
3/Au(Ag)/Al
2O
3 is e-beam evaporated in the same high vacuum cycle (base vacuum 3 × 10
−8 Torr.) with both in-situ quartz and optical thickness monitors to ensure accurate and reproductive film thicknesses (
Figure 5b). If hard masks are used for following the dry etch steps, then hard mask thin film is deposited together with the main three-layer thin film stack. Then, it is coated with a conventional e-beam resist and mask-less e-beam lithography is employed to expose a latent image of the waveguide topology in the resist layer. The e-beam lithography is completed (
Figure 5c) with a wet development that reduced the resist to a uniform topology of waveguides (interconnects or plasmonic nanocircuitry). In case of the resist mask, these topology elements serve as a mask during an ICP dry etch process that transfers the photoresist image into the Al
2O
3/Au(Ag)/Al
2O
3 plasmonic LR-DLSPP waveguides. In case of a hard mask, these topology elements serve as a mask during a hard mask ICP dry etch process followed by a second ICP dry etch (
Figure 5d) process that transfers the hard mask topology into the Al
2O
3/Au(Ag)/Al
2O
3 plasmonic LR-DLSPP waveguides. A final stage cleaning process (
Figure 5e) removes any residual photoresist, hard mask or contaminants from the etch plasma.
One of the most challenging processes of the proposed fabrication process flow is a low-damage reactive ion etching of a multilayer dielectric/metal/dielectric stack with ultrathin noble metal films, especially in cases of ultra-hard dielectrics like alumina due to a number of contradicting technological requirements. On the one hand, dry etching of a waveguide stack top alumina layer requires aggressive chlorine-based etching gasses and high process power as the result of natural alumina hardness and low etching speed. On the other hand, chlorine-based etching chemistry usually leads to intensive reaction (plasma/thermally stimulated) with complete degradation of ultrathin noble metal films. The widely used BCl
3-based alumina etching process was chosen to ensure high selectivity patterning of plasmonic LR-DLSPP waveguides nanostructures (due to efficient oxygen extraction in the form of BCl
xO
y components [
26], which then are decomposed by plasma and chemically react with both components of Al2O3 oxide):
Two main gas phase and volatile reaction products (AlCl
2 and BOCl) are finally formed, which could be easily removed from the etching reaction zone during the process. To provide high selectivity and etching speed, the process is usually carried out in inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching mode at relatively high ICP generator power (~1000–2000 W). However, such high-energy processes with aggressive (corrosive) etching gasses in most cases result in underlying ultrathin metal films damage because of both thermal and chemical influence (
Figure 6).
Figure 6a, b demonstrates the Al
2O
3/Ag/Al
2O
3 waveguide cross-sections with completely destructed silver ultrathin film inside because of overheating, only when the upper Al
2O
3 layer has been partly etched (70% of its thickness) and there was no interaction of etching gasses with silver films. The examples of the complex chemical reactions (with silver chloride products formation due to combined plasma/temperature action) of etching gasses and waveguide stack thin films are shown in
Figure 6c–e, when the Al
2O
3/Ag/Al
2O
3 stack was etched through to the substrate. It is worth noticing, that due to the micron overall dimensions, entire ultrathin metals inside waveguides are usually damaged (
Figure 6e) during the etching process, leading to complete plasmonic properties degradation.
We experimentally observed the active interaction of BCl
3 with silver thin films during the top Al
2O
3 layer etching with the non-volatile chemical products formation and its redeposition on the resistive mask (
Figure 6c–f). Additionally, these redeposited products mask the main waveguide micro- and nano-structures, and result in an uncontrolled, nonreproducible etching process. Moreover, when silver and top alumina layers are etched in the same BCl
3-based process, micro- and nano-particles reaction products (
Figure 6c,d) are formed on the etched surfaces, which could not then be selectively removed. The chemical reactions of particle formation in BCl
3 plasma and a possible solid precipitation reaction are presented below:
We confirmed this hypothesis using SEM EDX analysis of waveguide cross-sections (
Figure 6f), demonstrating Ag
xCl
x- and Cl-based reaction products [
27] in the degraded silver film. To completely eliminate chemical degradation of LR-DLSPP waveguides ultrathin silver films, the etching process should be carried out using chemically inactive gasses like Ar, He or H
2 [
19].
In contrast to silver, gold thin films dry etching in chlorine gasses could be very effective due to stable volatile reaction products (Au
2Cl
6) formation, which allows efficient removal of reaction products from the etching area. Additionally, it allows for providing high etching rates (approximately 350 nm/min) and minimizing material redeposition on the sidewalls of the resistive mask. By using chlorine-based etching processes, a good balance between the etching rate and profile could be achieved by optimizing recipe parameters. When using neutral etching gasses such as H
2, He and Ar, the physical sputtering process predominates, which drastically reduces etching selectivity. It is worth noticing, that for gold etching with hydrogen, the chemical reaction also takes place, since AuH and AuH
2 reaction products are formed, but its contribution is insignificant. These reaction products have low thermodynamic stability, which can also lead to the formation of redeposition defects on the sidewalls of the resistive mask. Furthermore, gold etching based on H
2, He and Ar gasses results in weak gold film etching rates, which are 3–5 times lower compared to chlorine-based processes [
28].
The multi-step high-precision dry etching process is developed to provide high-quality waveguide stack etching, eliminate reaction products formation and redeposition, and prevent overheating of ultrathin metal films. At the first stage of the process, 90% of the top alumina layer is selectively etched in chlorine gasses, leaving around 10–25 nm of alumina above the metal layer. This process ensures to eliminate the contact of the metal film with chlorine gasses. At the same time, it provides selective etching of the main thickness of the top thick alumina layer and ensures perfect quality of waveguide nanostructures with a high aspect ratio. Then, the residue alumina 10–25 nm layer and metal thin film have to be etched. We observed that during the etching process, due to surface bombardment and ongoing chemical reactions, the surface temperature of the samples rises above 75 °C, which is one of the reasons for structural changes in metal layers. To prevent overheating of metal films, we tested two methods: pre-cooling the samples before the etching process and stopping the etching in the middle of the process for intermediate cooling. It can be noted that prior cooling of the samples to minus 20 °C before the etching process can significantly reduce overheating and structural changes in the metal film (
Figure 7b), but it does not completely solve this problem.
The second technological issue in the fabrication of the proposed waveguides design in is low-damage reactive ion etching of Al
2O
3/Ag(Au)/Al
2O
3 high aspect ratio nanostructures. The Al
2O
3 etch selectivity to majority standard electron resists (PMMA-like) in chlorine gasses is usually from 1:10 to 1:1 [
29]. In the proposed waveguide design, the top alumina layer is around 250 nm thick, with the 100 nm sized topological elements critical dimensions. Taking into account Al
2O
3/PMMA etch selectivity, the 750–2500 nm thick resist mask is required to provide high-quality 100 nm features etching. In this case, the aspect ratio for the e-beam lithography process varies from 1:7.5 to 1:25, which is an extremely difficult task for standard PMMA-like resists and 50/100 kV e-beam tool. Moreover, dry plasma etching through the PMMA mask with such an aspect ratio is practically impossible due to extremely limited access of the etching reagents and further reaction products removal. That is why, in this paper, we compared the PMMA mask to silicon dioxide and tungsten hard masks (
Figure 8), which have better selectivity and can be selectively removed after the etching process from the Al
2O
3 surface.
After the first set of experiments, we concluded that PMMA masks are not suitable for the proposed waveguide design fabrication due to very low PMMA selectivity in chlorine gasses. The experimentally measured etch selectivity of silicon oxide hard masks in BCl
3 gasses to alumina was from 1.5:1 to 1.7:1, depending on the process recipe. In order to etch through the simulated Al
2O
3/Ag(Au)/Al
2O
3 (75–12–240 nm) stack, we developed the process of 500 nm thick (taking into account required over-etch) silicon oxide hard mask fabrication using standard plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), e-beam litho and ICP dry etch process flow. We observe that high-quality waveguide topologies could be nanofabricated using the proposed low-damage dry etching process. Unfortunately, the silicon oxide hard mask final removal process became the insurmountable problem. Dry etch removal leads to plasmonic metals damage, while both wet hydrogen fluoride (HF):DIW (1:100, 1:50) and vapor HF methods result in plasmonic metal adhesion failure to the bottom alumina layer (
Figure 9b–c). Nevertheless, we consider that further silicon oxide hard mask removal recipe optimization (HF:DIW concentration and vapor HF etching recipe) may allow us to successfully finish the waveguide fabrication process.
The experimentally measured etch selectivity of tungsten hard mask in BCl3 gasses to alumina is relatively high, 3:1, which makes it possible to use a significantly smaller thickness of the tungsten hard mask as compared to silicon oxide. Therefore, thinner hard masks could be used, which results in better e-beam lithography resolution and reduced aspect ratio, which improved access of etching reagents and reaction products removal. As the result, a 140 nm thick tungsten hard mask is required to etch through the simulated Al2O3/Ag (Au)/Al2O3 (75–12–240 nm) waveguide stack.
3.3. Al2O3/Ag (Au)/Al2O3 Dry Etching Process
The developed low-damage reactive ion etching of multilayer plasmonic waveguides with ultrathin noble metal films consists of multiple steps and uses tungsten hard masks. The whole process starts from hard mask etching which assumes the etching pause during the process to cooldown and protect the ultrathin metal film from thermal degradation. Next, the first 240 nm thick Al
2O
3 layer (Al
2O
3/Au(Ag)/Al
2O
3) is selectively etched using the BCl
3-based process for the depth of approximately 225 nm. The second step allows for both eliminating metal degradation due to chemical reactions of metal with etching gasses and providing an opportunity to selectively etch the major part of the hard Al
2O
3/Ag (Au)/Al
2O
3 stack. As mentioned above, thinner tungsten hard mask (compared to silicon oxide and PMMA) and etch recipe optimization allows for fabricating high-quality waveguide topologies with the typical 100 nm sized features (
Figure 10).
In the next process step, the tungsten hard mask is removed using the standard CF
4-based dry etching high-selectivity (>10:1) process, eliminating the possibility of Al
2O
3 waveguide structures damage. Finally, the residue Al
2O
3/Ag(Au)/Al
2O
3 waveguide stack, including the ultrathin plasmonic metal layer, is etched using the physical Ar-sputtering process (without tungsten hard mask) (
Figure 11).
In order to take into account the top Al
2O
3 oxide layer thinning during the Ar-sputtering process, we deposit a thicker top layer of the initial three layer Al
2O
3/Ag (Au)/Al
2O
3 stack. At the final process stage, all the chlorine and fluorine residues have to be removed from the fabricated waveguide nanostructures and the substrate open areas. It can be effectively done by treating the samples in deionized water from 1 to 2 minutes immediately after the etching process [
27]. The proposed process allows for eliminating ultrathin plasmonic films degradation, which usually actively interact with aggressive chlorine-based gasses and ensure a high quality LR-DLSPP waveguide nanostructures fabrication of on quartz substrates (
Figure 11).