We propose a new three-dimensional photonic crystal structure or drilled alternating-layer photonic crystal (DALPC), which can be fabricated by a combination of the deposition of alternating layers of dielectric films and one-time dry etching. Our band calculation predicts that the DALPC has a photonic band gap (PBG) in all directions. We fabricated a Si/SiO2DALPC by electron beam lithography, bias sputtering, and fluoride-gas electron cyclotron resonance etching. We measured the light transmission of the DALPC sample in both the in-plane and vertical directions. We observed a transmission minimum around the 1.4-μm-wavelength for all measured directions and TE/TM polarizations, which demonstrated a potential of the DALPC as a three-dimensional PBG material.

We propose a new three-dimensional photonic crystal structure or drilled alternating-layer photonic crystal (DALPC), which can be fabricated by a combination of the deposition of alternating layers of dielectric films and one-time dry etching. Our band calculation predicts that the DALPC has a photonic band gap (PBG) in all directions. We fabricated a Si/SiO2 DALPC by electron beam lithography, bias sputtering, and fluoride-gas electron cyclotron resonance etching. We measured the light transmission of the DALPC sample in both the in-plane and vertical directions. We observed a transmission minimum around the 1.4-µm-wavelength for all measured directions and TE/TM polarizations, which demonstrated a potential of the DALPC as a three-dimensional PBG material.

Applicability of SPA (Surface Photo Absorption) as an in-situ monitor of Si nanocrystal formation was comparatively studied to a monitoring with pyrometer.

Although both SPA and pyrometer provide a signature of the Si nanocrystals nucleation and growth process as a function of irradiation time, SPA was found to be more sensitive to detect formation of desired nanocrystals on both SiO2 and Si3N4 surfaces. By using SPA as an in-situ monitor of nanocrystal formation, good repeatability of both nanocrystals' density and size was obtained on SiO2 and Si3N4 surfaces.

We report a process for Silicon (Si) nano-crystal dots fabrication using a cold-wall Ultrahigh-Vacuum Chemical Vapor Deposition (UHV-CVD) system. Si2H6 gas was used as the pre-curser and irradiated upon SiO2 film on Si wafer to form Si nano-crystal dots.

In our system, nucleation, growth, and coalescence phases of nano-crystal dots on SiO2 were found to be related with the optical pyro-meter's read-out curve.

At first, the optimum gas irradiation time which gives the highest dot density without coalescence was decided for every gas irradiation condition by using an optical pyro-meter. Then, the dependence of optimum gas irradiation time, dot diameter and dot density on gas flow rate and wafer temperature were investigated. A decrease of wafer temperature or an increase of gas flow rate during the nucleation and growth phase results in a decrease of dot diameter and an increase of dot density. The optimum gas irradiation time was prolonged by decreasing wafer temperature or gas flow rate.

Finally, a reproducible process of forming non-coalesced, small size, and high-density Si nano-crystal dots of about 5.5nm in diameter with density of 1x1012 dots/cm2 were obtained. Typical process time to get such dot formation characteristics was about 10 minutes, which were long enough for ensuring reproducibility.