Open AccessPermanent fine tuning of silicon microring devices by femtosecond laser surface amorphization and ablation
Author(s) -
Daniel Bachman,
Zhijiang Chen,
R. Fedosejevs,
Ying Y. Tsui,
Vien Van
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.21.011048
Subject(s) - materials science , femtosecond , optics , laser , silicon , resonator , optoelectronics , laser ablation , resonance (particle physics) , wavelength , waveguide , etching (microfabrication) , ablation , nanotechnology , physics , particle physics , layer (electronics) , engineering , aerospace engineering
We demonstrate the fine tuning capability of femtosecond laser surface modification as a permanent trimming mechanism for silicon photonic components. Silicon microring resonators with a 15 µm radius were irradiated with single 400 nm wavelength laser pulses at varying fluences. Below the laser ablation threshold, surface amorphization of the crystalline silicon waveguides yielded a tuning rate of 20 ± 2 nm/J · cm(-2)with a minimum resonance wavelength shift of 0.10nm. Above that threshold, ablation yielded a minimum resonance shift of -1.7 nm. There was some increase in waveguide loss for both trimming mechanisms. We also demonstrated the application of the method by using it to permanently correct the resonance mismatch of a second-order microring filter.