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

9973329 StadlerThe该项目的主要教育目标是加强本科生，研究生和代表性不足的学生的研究，并开发在薄膜加工和光电子领域的本科生和研究生课程。 这包括：1）通过我们的本科生研究机会计划（UROP），我们的NSF本科生研究经验（REU）计划和研究生的监督等计划为学生提供研究机会; 2）通过增加加工和磁光学实验室，提高薄膜加工的高级/研究生水平选修课; 3）在全校范围内发展一个关于颜色的物理和化学的新生研讨会，包括材料设计和应用。这个项目的主要研究目标是使用反应射频溅射来实现磁光石榴石的集成，即掺杂钇铁石榴石（Y3 Fe 5 O 12或YIG）到半导体平台上。 目前的制造技术，液相外延，不能用于半导体衬底，这是许多其他电光器件的重要平台。 此外，溅射还可以用来沉积存款缓冲层和磁性薄膜，器件成本可以大大降低。 为了实现磁光（MO）材料的集成，必须克服几个主要的障碍，包括低温，低成本的制造技术的发展，合适的缓冲层的识别，薄膜的微结构的优化，和MO和磁性能的优化。 在这一努力中，将实现磁光部件的完全集成。 一个原型波导隔离器将被测试，它将包含一个缓冲层和磁光石榴石薄膜在半导体衬底上一起。PI进行的初步研究表明，光滑，多晶石榴石薄膜可以通过在800 ℃退火非晶薄膜生长在MgO上。 MgO缓冲层也被示出在随后的在超过8500 ℃下进行的沉积期间保护半导体衬底。 这表明在MgO缓冲半导体上生长石榴石薄膜是可行的。 此外，初步的石榴石薄膜制备在石榴石衬底上原位没有衬底加热器。 这项技术将被进一步研究，以稳定在其他基板上生长的石榴石薄膜。该项目的更广泛的意义源于各种先进的科学领域，将受益于石榴石的拟议集成，包括光子集成电路（PIC），磁光数据存储和空间光调制器，可应用于平板显示器。 此外，该项目将通过国家和地方计划和课程为本科生和研究生的研究和教育做出贡献。

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.***