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Characterization of Alumina Optical Waveguides Grown by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition for SPARROW Biosensors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

Praneetha Poloju ,
P. K. Samudrala ,
J. R. Nightingale ,
D. Korakakis  and
L. A. Hornak
Praneetha Poloju
Affiliation:
pranii.wvu@gmail.com, West Virginia University, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, 1064, Vanvoorhis rd, Apt # J202, Morgantown, WV, 26505, United States, 3046850812
P. K. Samudrala
Affiliation:
pavan.samudrala@yahoo.com, West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
J. R. Nightingale
Affiliation:
joshnightingale@gmail.com, West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
D. Korakakis
Affiliation:
Dimitris.Korakakis@mail.wvu.edu, West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
L. A. Hornak
Affiliation:
Lawrence.Hornak@mail.wvu.edu, West Virginia University, Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Morgantown, WV, 26506, United States
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Abstract

Dielectric optical films with minimal surface roughness are required for biosensing applications since the coupling characteristics often used in signal transduction are dependent on the quality of the waveguides. This paper describes the fabrication and characterization of alumina-based optical waveguides for biosensor device for biomolecular detection. Alumina (Aluminum Oxide) Al2O3 waveguides were chosen for their moisture stability and refractive index. Planar alumina optical waveguides were deposited on Borofloat substrates by a vacuum evaporation process using an ion assisted electron beam deposition technique. The deposited films showed RMS roughness of 0.3nm – 0.5nm and a range of refractive indices varying from 1.62 to 1.654 as a function of varying ion beam parameters such as oxygen flow rates and drive currents. The propagation losses for the TE0 (Transverse Electric) mode of the alumina films at 632.8nm wavelength were found to vary between 2dB/cm – 6dB/cm at a wavelength of 632.8nm for TE0 polarization as a function of ion beam parameters. It is shown that these factors influence the optical film quality and hold the potential for achieving further waveguide performance improvement for biosensing applications.

Keywords

ion-beam assisted depositionoptical propertieschemical vapor deposition (CVD) (deposition)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 967: Symposium U – Advances in In Situ Characterization of Film Growth and Interface Processes , 2006 , 0967-U05-12
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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References

REFERENCES

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