POWRE: Reactive RF Sputtered Garnet Films for Integrated Magneto-Optics

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9973329StadlerThe main educational goals of this project are to enhance undergraduate, graduate and underrepresented student research and to develop undergraduate and graduate courses in the area of thin film processing and optoelectronics. This includes: 1) providing opportunities for student research through programs such as our Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), our NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, and supervision of graduate students; 2) improving a senior/graduate level elective in thin film processing by adding laboratories on processing and magneto-optics; and 3) developing a university-wide freshman seminar on the physics and chemistry of color which will encompass design of materials and applications.The main research goal of this project is to use reactive rf sputtering to enable integration of magneto-optical garnets, namely doped yttrium iron garnet (Y3Fe5Ol2 or YIG), onto semiconductor platforms. The current fabrication technique, liquid phase epitaxy, cannot be used with semiconductor substrates, which are important platforms for many other electro-optical devices. In addition, sputtering can also be used to deposit buffer layers and magnetic thin films, device costs can be greatly reduced. To achieve integration of magneto-optical (MO) materials, several major hurtles must be overcome, including development of a low-temperature, low-cost fabrication technique, identification of suitable buffer layers, optimization of the film microstructure, and optimization of the MO and magnetic properties. Full integration of magneto-optical components will be achieved during this effort. A prototype waveguide isolator will be tested which will contain a buffer layer and a magneto-optical garnet film together on a semiconductor substrate.Preliminary studies performed by the PI indicate that smooth, polycrystalline garnet films can be grown on-MgO by annealing amorphous films at 800'C. An MgO buffer layer was also shown to protect semiconductor substrates during subsequent depositions performed at over 8500C. This indicates that it will be feasible to grow garnet films on MgO-buffered semiconductors. In addition, preliminary garnet films were fabricated on garnet substrates in situ without a substrate heater. This technique will be studied further in order to stabilize as-grown garnet films on other substrates.The broader significance of this project stems from the variety of advanced scientific fields that will benefit from the proposed integration of garnets, including photonic integrated circuits (PICs), magneto-optical data storage and spatial light modulators that could be applied to flat panel displays. In addition, this project will contribute to undergraduate and graduate research and education through national and local programs and courses.***