Ultra-smooth metal surfaces generated by pressure-induced surface deformation of thin metal films

“…Last, smooth silver films can be pressure induced [6]. In this case, the RMS is 1 nm or even below down to an impressive 0.1 nm, but the resulting thickness of the Ag layer is not well defined.…”

Section: Silver Thin Filmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The more plasmons are confined to the interface, the bigger are losses conventionally associated with the process of free electron transport or displacement in metals followed by electronelectron and electron-phonon scattering. This SPPs loss channel, which exists even in the ideal case of perfectly smooth metal layer interfaces is expectedly appended by intensive scattering of surface plasmons on possible surface/bulk imperfections and defects including the ones of extremely small sizes (of a nanometer scale, like metal grains) as a direct consequence of big wavevectors of SPPs in comparison with light waves of the same frequency [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultra-thin films for plasmonics: a technology overview

Malureanu

Lavrinenko

2015

Nanotechnology Reviews

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ultra-thin films with low surface roughness that support surface plasmon-polaritons in the infra-red and visible ranges are needed in order to improve the performance of devices based on the manipulation of plasmon propagation. Increasing amount of efforts is made in order not only to improve the quality of the deposited layers but also to diminish their thickness and to find new materials that could be used in this field. In this review, we consider various thin films used in the field of plasmonics and metamaterials in the visible and IR range. We focus our presentation on technological issues of their deposition and reported characterization of film plasmonic performance.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Apart from this SPPs loss channel, which exists even in the ideal case of perfectly smooth metal layers interfaces, intensive scattering of surface plasmons on possible surface/bulk imperfections and defects, including the ones of extremely small sizes (of a nanometer scale, like metal grains), add more loss channels. These loss channels are a direct consequence of big wavevectors of SPPs in comparison with light waves of the same frequency [6].Thus advancing in terms of plasmonic circuitry inevitably brings a challenge of fabricating interfaces as flat as possible. This strict constrain clashes with another requirement -to deposit ultrathin metal layers with typical thicknesses below 20 nm.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultra-thin metal and dielectric layers for nanophotonic applications

Shkondin

Leandro

Malureanu

et al. 2015

2015 17th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In our talk we first give an overview of the various thin films used in the field of nanophotonics. Then we describe our own activity in fabrication and characterization of ultra-thin films of high quality. We particularly focus on uniform gold layers having thicknesses down to 6 nm fabricated by e-beam deposition on dielectric substrates and Al-oxides/Ti-oxides multilayers prepared by atomic layer deposition in high aspect ratio trenches. In the latter case we show more than 1:20 aspect ratio structures can be achieved. Keywords: ultrathin layers, atomic layer deposition, gold, alumina, titania deposition. INTRODUCTIONUltra-thin films made of metals, semiconductors or dielectrics are on permanent demand for different purposes in modern nanophotonics. Among main research directions where thin films are employed we mention noble metal layers to support surface plasmon polariton propagation in different configurations [1], transparent conductive oxides films for electrodes and for active modulators based on changing the carriers concentration [2,3], and multiple metal-dielectric pairs for hyperbolic metamaterials in the infra-red and visible ranges [4]. Increasing efforts are made in order not only to improve the quality of the deposited layers, but also to diminish their thickness and to find new materials for these fields.Plasmon optics or plasmonics is currently considered as one of the principle direction of advancing waveguides and interconnects in nanophotonics. It lives through a revival period after its first successful appearance in the 80-s of the last century. Plasmonics has the full potential to become one of the nanophotonics key instruments to reach extreme light localization, deep subwavelength resolution and enhanced light emission [5]. Such properties stem from light-free electron coupling occurring at metal-dielectric interfaces. The carriers of such interactions are surface plasmons, which occur in two basic configurations: localized surface plasmons with deep analogy in mechanical oscillations and surface plasmon-polaritons (SPPs) or propagating surface plasmons analogous to mechanical waves.However, the main trade-off of plasmonics was obvious from the very beginning: losses versus confinement. The more the plasmons are confined to the interface the bigger the losses. The latter are conventionally associated with the process of free electrons transport or displacement in metals followed by electron-electron and electron-phonon scattering. Apart from this SPPs loss channel, which exists even in the ideal case of perfectly smooth metal layers interfaces, intensive scattering of surface plasmons on possible surface/bulk imperfections and defects, including the ones of extremely small sizes (of a nanometer scale, like metal grains), add more loss channels. These loss channels are a direct consequence of big wavevectors of SPPs in comparison with light waves of the same frequency [6].Thus advancing in terms of plasmonic circuitry inevitably brings a challenge of fabricating interfaces as fl...

show abstract

Ultra-smooth metal surfaces generated by pressure-induced surface deformation of thin metal films

Cited by 37 publications

References 15 publications

Ultra-smooth BaTiO3 surface morphology using chemical mechanical polishing technique for high-k metal-insulator-metal capacitors

Ultra-smooth BaTiO3 surface morphology using chemical mechanical polishing technique for high-k metal-insulator-metal capacitors

Ultra-thin films for plasmonics: a technology overview

Ultra-thin metal and dielectric layers for nanophotonic applications

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About