Open AccessMNOS stack for reliable, low optical loss, Cu based CMOS plasmonic devices
Author(s) -
Alexandros Emboras,
Adel Najar,
Siddharth Nambiar,
Philippe Grosse,
E. Augendre,
Charles Leroux,
B. De Salvo,
R. Espiau de Lamaëstre
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.20.013612
Subject(s) - materials science , optoelectronics , stack (abstract data type) , cmos , plasmon , wafer , silicon nitride , optics , photonics , silicon photonics , capacitance , silicon , electrode , chemistry , physics , computer science , programming language
We study the electro optical properties of a Metal-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon (MNOS) stack for a use in CMOS compatible plasmonic active devices. We show that the insertion of an ultrathin stoichiometric Si(3)N(4) layer in a MOS stack lead to an increase in the electrical reliability of a copper gate MNOS capacitance from 50 to 95% thanks to a diffusion barrier effect, while preserving the low optical losses brought by the use of copper as the plasmon supporting metal. An experimental investigation is undertaken at a wafer scale using some CMOS standard processes of the LETI foundry. Optical transmission measurments conducted in a MNOS channel waveguide configuration coupled to standard silicon photonics circuitry confirms the very low optical losses (0.39 dB.μm(-1)), in good agreement with predictions using ellipsometric optical constants of Cu.