Fabrication of submicrometric vertically etched diffraction gratings

本项目的目标是实现垂直刻蚀的熔融石英透射光栅，以获得最佳的可见/近红外信号色散和最小的零阶贡献。这种光信号的处理和分析解决了O/E Land Inc.感兴趣的问题，一家为快速和高灵敏度光谱仪、光学仪器和传感器以及电信光纤制造先进组件的公司。拟议的研究是基于等离子体和离子蚀刻技术的实施，以设计蚀刻深度在0.2和1.0 μm之间变化的光栅，以获得最佳的一阶信号色散和可见光/NIR光谱范围内的最大光传输。这些活动将在INRS与O/E Land的工程师密切合作，在由薄铬微米掩模覆盖的熔融石英基底上进行，该掩模将由该公司提供。在样品处理之后，蚀刻光栅的深度和均匀性将通过扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、原子力显微镜（AFM）和/或表面轮廓术来研究。通过改变刻蚀参数，可以得到均匀、平行、边缘垂直的沟槽.该项目期间生产的衍射光学元件将被集成到O/E Land仪器中，以测试其在光谱测定和信号处理方面的具体用途，从而确保立即进行技术转让。该项目的预期效益将使支持公司能够提供新产品，并加强其在光学仪器领域的地位。该项目使INRS有机会巩固其在制造和表征新的先进光学元件方面的专业知识，以便将来与私营部门，特别是与加拿大光学行业开展合作项目。

This project aims at achieving vertically etched fused silica transmission gratings for optimalvisible/near-infrared signal dispersion with minimum zeroth order contribution. The treatment and analysis ofsuch optical signals address a problem of interest for O/E Land Inc., a company that manufactures advancedcomponents for fast and highly sensitive spectrometers, optical instruments and sensors, as well as opticalfibers for telecommunication. The proposed research is based on the implementation of plasma and ion-etchingtechniques to design gratings of etched depths varying between 0.2 and 1.0 µm for optimal first order signaldispersion and maximal optical transmission in the visible/NIR spectral range. These activities will beconducted at INRS in close collaboration with O/E Land's engineers, on fused silica substrates covered by athin Cr micrometric mask, which will be supplied by the company. After sample processing, both the depth andthe uniformity of the etched gratings will be investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic forcemicroscopy (AFM) and/or surface profilometry. The etching parameters will be varied to obtain uniform andparallel grooves with vertical edges. The diffractive optical elements produced during this project will be thenintegrated into O/E Land instruments, to be tested for specific uses in optical spectrometry and signalprocessing, thus ensuring an immediate technology transfer. The expected benefits of this project will allow thesupporting company to offer new products and reinforce its position in the area of optical instrumentation. Itwill give INRS the opportunity of consolidating its expertise in the fabrication and characterization of newadvanced optical components, for future collaborative projects with the private sector, and more particularlywith the Canadian optical industry.