SBIR Phase I: Potassium Lithium Niobate grown by Modified Laser Heated Pedestal Growth technique for blue and UV laser applications

SBIR 第一期：通过改进的激光加热基座生长技术生长铌酸钾锂，用于蓝光和紫外激光应用

• 批准号: 1013679
• 负责人: Gisele Maxwell
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Shasta Crystals, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-07-01 至 2010-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1013679&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Potassium; Lithium; Niobate

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate the technical feasibility of growing potassium lithium niobate (KLN) frequency doubling crystals for blue and ultraviolet (UV) laser applications. The incorporation of frequency-doubling crystals composed of KLN, a non-linear optical material with desirable properties, has the potential to improve the performance and reduce the cost of blue and UV lasers. However, potassium lithium niobate (KLN) crystals have not entered the commercial mainstream because it is impossible to grow them reproducibly, and with the required performance and cost, by conventional techniques such as the Czochralski method. We have developed a proprietary process based on the laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) technique that will eliminate the technical barriers to commercializing KLN crystals. In this project, we will determine the precise composition of KLN required for non-critical phase matching at 795 nanometers, optimize the quality of KLN crystals with the required composition, and then maximize the conversion efficiency of KLN crystals by precise doping to increase their transparency. The Phase I technical goal is to create KLN crystals capable of receiving 16 watts of infrared laser power at 795 nm and generating 2 watts of laser power at 397.5 nm. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be the availability of frequency doubling crystals which will improve the performance of UV lasers for inspecting photomasks, and patterned and unpatterned wafers in the semiconductor industry. The market for inspection systems for these applications has grown to 200 systems per year and is valued at $500 million. The KLN crystals to be developed will enable laser manufacturers to commercialize higher-power, more robust, lower-cost UV lasers, in turn enabling semiconductor equipment manufacturers to develop improved inspection and metrology systems. These inspection systems will enable chip makers to commercialize future generations of higher-performance integrated circuits, and to increase their yields. This project will be undertaken in close collaboration with Spectra-Physics, a leading laser manufacturer, which will assist in testing the resulting crystals, allowing us to accelerate market acceptance.

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将展示用于蓝光和紫外（UV）激光应用的锂酸钾（KLN）倍频晶体的技术可行性。 KLN是一种具有理想性能的非线性光学材料，加入由KLN组成的倍频晶体具有提高蓝光和紫外激光器性能和降低成本的潜力。然而，钛酸钾锂（KLN）晶体还没有进入商业主流，因为通过常规技术如直拉法不可能以所需的性能和成本可重复地生长它们。我们开发了一种基于激光加热基座生长（LHPG）技术的专有工艺，该工艺将消除KLN晶体商业化的技术障碍。 在这个项目中，我们将确定在795纳米处进行非临界相位匹配所需的KLN的精确成分，优化具有所需成分的KLN晶体的质量，然后通过精确掺杂来最大限度地提高KLN晶体的转换效率，以增加其透明度。 第一阶段的技术目标是制造能够接收795 nm的16瓦红外激光功率并在397.5 nm产生2瓦激光功率的KLN晶体。 该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是倍频晶体的可用性，这将提高紫外激光器的性能，用于检查半导体工业中的光掩模以及图案化和未图案化的晶片。 用于这些应用的检测系统的市场已经增长到每年200个系统，价值5亿美元。 待开发的KLN晶体将使激光器制造商能够将更高功率、更强大、更低成本的紫外激光器商业化，从而使半导体设备制造商能够开发改进的检测和计量系统。 这些检测系统将使芯片制造商能够将未来几代更高性能的集成电路商业化，并提高其产量。 该项目将与领先的激光制造商Spectra-Physics密切合作，该公司将协助测试所产生的晶体，使我们能够加快市场接受度。