Abstract

The transfer of continuous-relief micro-optical structures from resist into GaAs by the use of direct-write electron-beam (e-beam) lithography followed by dry etching in an inductively coupled plasma is demonstrated. BCl₃-Ar chemistry was found to give satisfactory results; N₂ and Cl₂ were added to change the selectivity between GaAs and e-beam resist. The transfer process generates smooth etched structures. Distortion of the diffractive structures in the transfer process was examined. Blazed gratings with a period of 10 µm were optically evaluated with a 940-nm VCSEL. This grating was a five-step approximation of a blazed profile. The diffraction efficiency was 67% in the first order, with a theoretical value of 87%. Also, simulations of the optical performance of the transferred diffractive elements were made by use of a Fourier transform of the grating profile. Our goal is to integrate micro-optical structures with VCSELs.

© 2002 Optical Society of America

Transfer of continuous-relief diffractive structures into diamond by use of inductively coupled plasma dry etching

Mikael Karlsson, Klas Hjort, and Fredrik Nikolajeff
Opt. Lett. 26(22) 1752-1754 (2001)

Form-birefringence structure fabrication in GaAs by use of SU-8 as a dry-etching mask

Lin Pang, Maziar Nezhad, Uriel Levy, Chia-Ho Tsai, and Yeshaiahu Fainman
Appl. Opt. 44(12) 2377-2381 (2005)

Refractive sapphire microlenses fabricated by chlorine-based inductively coupled plasma etching

Si-Hyun Park, Heonsu Jeon, Youn-Joon Sung, and Geun-Young Yeom
Appl. Opt. 40(22) 3698-3702 (2001)

Optimized condition for etching fused-silica phase gratings with inductively coupled plasma technology

Shunquan Wang, Changhe Zhou, Huayi Ru, and Yanyan Zhang
Appl. Opt. 44(21) 4429-4434 (2005)

Dry processing of high resolution and high aspect ratio structures in GaAs-AlxGa₁₋xAs for integrated optics

S. Somekh and H. C. Casey
Appl. Opt. 16(1) 126-136 (1977)