Optical and Mechanical Properties of Si-Based Thin Films for Photonic Applications

In this talk, we will review recent advances in the fabrication and characterization of silicon-based thin film structures for photonic applications, including rare earth doped silicon oxynitrides and luminescent silicon carbonitrides. For Si-based materials to be used in solid-state lighting (SSL) and silicon photonics schemes it is necessary to have precise control of the optical emission from these materials. This can be accomplished using rare earth dopants such as Ce, Tb, and Eu to obtain blue, green, and red emissions, respectively. After a brief review of the latest developments in the field, this talk will focus on Eu-doped films, which are attractive for silicon photonic applications due to their intense emission in the visible spectral region [1]. The films are fabricated by electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (ECR-PECVD) and doping is accomplished using a novel hybrid radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering source in the ECR-PECVD reactor chamber [2]. This approach contrasts with traditional doping methods which use metal-organic precursors to introduce rare-earth dopant species into the host matrix. We will discuss the relationship between the photoluminescence, elasticity, and hardness of Eu doped silicon oxynitride (SiON) thin films. As the efficiency of photonic devices can be influenced by the mechanical properties of the deposited films, a good understanding of their mechanical properties is required for the integration of these films in photonic devices. SiNx thin films, for example, play an important role in strain engineering of active photonic devices, such as diode lasers fabricated on GaAs or InP substrates. We will discuss results of a collaboration between McMaster and the Université de Rennes in France, aimed at quantifying the effects of structured dielectric thin films on the generation of a mechanical strain field in the semiconductor through tuning the amount of mechanical stress present in the dielectric thin film, as a function of the details of the deposition process [3]. [1] Fahmida Azmi et al., “Tunable Emission from Eu:SiOxNy Thin Films Prepared by Integrated Magnetron Sputtering and Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition”, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 40, 043402 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001761 [2] J.W. Miller et al., “Integrated ECR-PECVD and Magnetron Sputtering System for Rare-Earth-Doped Si-Based Materials”, Surface and Coatings Technology 336, 99 (2018); doi: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2017.08.051 [3] Brahim Ahammou et al., “Strain engineering in III-V photonic components through structuration of SiNx films”, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 40, 012202 (2022); doi: 10.1116/6.0001352

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