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Microassembly of semiconductor three-dimensional photonic crystals

Nature Materials volume 2, pages 117–121 (2003)Cite this article

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Abstract

Electronic devices and their highly integrated components formed from semiconductor crystals contain complex three-dimensional (3D) arrangements of elements and wiring. Photonic crystals, being analogous to semiconductor crystals, are expected to require a 3D structure to form successful optoelectronic devices. Here, we report a novel fabrication technology for a semiconductor 3D photonic crystal by uniting integrated circuit processing technology with micromanipulation. Four- to twenty-layered (five periods) crystals, including one with a controlled defect, for infrared wavelengths of 3–4.5 μm, were integrated at predetermined positions on a chip (structural error <50 nm). Numerical calculations revealed that a transmission peak observed at the upper frequency edge of the bandgap originated from the excitation of a resonant guided mode in the defective layers. Despite their importance, detailed discussions on the defective modes of 3D photonic crystals for such short wavelengths have not been reported before. This technology offers great potential for the production of optical wavelength photonic crystal devices.

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Figure 1: SEM images of micromanipulation.
Figure 2: SEM images of 3D photonic crystals.
Figure 3: Optical properties of the fabricated 3D photonic crystals.
Figure 4: Transmission spectra of the normal and defective eight-layer photonic crystals.
Figure 5: Electromagnetic fields in the x–z plane of the defected eight-layer photonic crystal at the peak transmission frequency calculated by the finite difference time domain method.

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Change history

  • 14 January 2003

    Kazuaki Sakoda is only affliated to Nanomaterials Laboratory,National Institute for Materials Science,3-13 Sakura,Ibaraki 304-0003,Japan. Figure 4b should read,'Defected crystal'.

Notes

  1. There were several errors in the AOP version of nmat802 (originally published online 12 January 2003).

    Kazuaki Sakoda is only affliated to Nanomaterials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, 3-13 Sakura, Ibaraki 304-0003, Japan.

    Figure 4b should read, 'Defected crystal'.

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Acknowledgements

We thank T.Sato, H. Morishita and Y. Hatamura for their support. This work has been supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports. Science, and Technology of Japan. K.A. gratefully acknowledges a fellowship 'President's Special Research Grant' provided by RIKEN.

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Author notes

  1. Kanna Aoki

    Present address: Research Center for Advanced Science Technology, University of Tokyo, 4-6 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Semiconductors Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan

    Kanna Aoki, Hideki Hirayama & Yoshinobu Aoyagi

  2. Materials Engineering Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, 305-0047, Ibaraki, Japan

    Hideki T. Miyazaki & Norio Shinya

  3. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya, 240-8501, Yokohoma, Japan

    Kyoji Inoshita & Toshihiko Baba

  4. Nanomaterials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, 3-13 Sakura, 304-0003, Ibaraki, Japan

    Kazuaki Sakoda

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Correspondence to Kanna Aoki.

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Aoki, K., Miyazaki, H., Hirayama, H. et al. Microassembly of semiconductor three-dimensional photonic crystals. Nature Mater 2, 117–121 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat802

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