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Register a new userDeep Reactive Ion Etched Anti-Reflection Coatings for Sub-millimeter Silicon Optics
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Refractive optical elements are widely used in millimeter and sub-millimeter astronomical telescopes. High resistivity silicon is an excellent material for dielectric lenses given its low loss-tangent, high thermal conductivity and high index of refraction. The high index of refraction of silicon causes a large Fresnel reflectance at the vacuum-silicon interface (up to 30%), which can be reduced with an anti-reflection (AR) coating. In this work we report techniques for efficiently AR coating silicon at sub-millimeter wavelengths using Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) and bonding the coated silicon to another silicon optic. Silicon wafers of 100 mm diameter (1 mm thick) were coated and bonded using the Silicon Direct Bonding technique at high temperature (1100 C). No glue is used in this process. Optical tests using a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) show sub-percent reflections for a single-layer DRIE AR coating designed for use at 320 microns on a single wafer. Cryogenic (10 K) measurements of a bonded pair of AR-coated wafers also reached sub-percent reflections. A prototype two-layer DRIE AR coating to reduce reflections and increase bandwidth is presented and plans for extending this approach are discussed.
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We used two novel approaches to produce sub-wavelength structure (SWS) anti-reflection coatings (ARC) on silicon for the millimeter and sub-millimeter (MSM) wave band: picosecond laser ablation and dicing with beveled saws. We produced pyramidal structures with both techniques. The diced sample, machined on only one side, had pitch and height of 350 $mu$m and 972 $mu$m. The two laser ablated samples had pitch of 180 $mu$m and heights of 720 $mu$m and 580 $mu$m; only one of these samples was ablated on both sides. We present measurements of shape and optical performance as well as comparisons to the optical performance predicted using finite element analysis and rigorous coupled wave analysis. By extending the measured performance of the one-sided diced sample to the two-sided case, we demonstrate 25 % band averaged reflectance of less than 5 % over a bandwidth of 97 % centered on 170 GHz. Using the two-sided laser ablation sample, we demonstrate reflectance less than 5 % over 83 % bandwidth centered on 346 GHz.
We report on the first use of laser ablation to make sub-millimeter, broad-band, anti-reflection coatings (ARC) based on sub-wavelength structures (SWS) on alumina and sapphire. We used a 515 nm laser to produce pyramid-shaped structures with pitch of about 320 $mu$m and total height of near 800 $mu$m. Transmission measurements between 70 and 140 GHz are in agreement with simulations using electromagnetic propagation software. The simulations indicate that SWS ARC with the fabricated shape should have a fractional bandwidth response of $Delta u / u_{center} = 0.55$ centered on 235 GHz for which reflections are below 3%. Extension of the bandwidth to both lower and higher frequencies, between few tens of GHz and few THz, should be straightforward with appropriate adjustment of laser ablation parameters.
We report on the development of coatings for a CCD detector optimized for use in a fixed dispersion UV spectrograph. Due to the rapidly changing index of refraction of Si, single layer broadband anti-reflection coatings are not suitable to increase quantum efficiency at all wavelengths of interest. Instead, we describe a creative solution that provides excellent performance over UV wavelengths. We describe progress in the development of a CCD detector with theoretical quantum efficiencies (QE) of greater than 60% at wavelengths from 120 to 300nm. This high efficiency may be reached by coating a backside illuminated, thinned, delta-doped CCD with a series of thin film anti-reflection coatings. The materials tested include MgF2 (optimized for highest performance from 120-150nm), SiO2 (150-180nm), Al2O3(180-240nm), MgO (200-250nm), and HfO2 (240-300nm). A variety of deposition techniques were tested and a selection of coatings which minimized reflectance on a Si test wafer were applied to live devices. We also discuss future uses and improvements, including graded and multi-layer coatings.
Silicon optics with wide bandwidth anti-reflection (AR) coatings, made of multi-layer textured silicon surfaces, are developed for millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. Single and double layer AR coatings were designed for an optimal transmission centered on 250 GHz, and fabricated using the DRIE (Deep Reaction Ion Etching) technique. Tests of high resistivity silicon wafers with single-layer coatings between 75 GHz and 330 GHz are presented and compared with the simulations.
The Simons Observatory (SO) will be a cosmic microwave background (CMB) survey experiment with three small-aperture telescopes and one large-aperture telescope, which will observe from the Atacama Desert in Chile. In total, SO will field over 60,000 transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers in six spectral bands centered between 27 and 280 GHz in order to achieve the sensitivity necessary to measure or constrain numerous cosmological quantities, as outlined in The Simons Observatory Collaboration et al. (2019). These telescopes require 33 highly transparent, large aperture, refracting optics. To this end, we developed mechanically robust, highly efficient, metamaterial anti-reflection (AR) coatings with octave bandwidth coverage for silicon optics up to 46 cm in diameter for the 22-55, 75-165, and 190-310 GHz bands. We detail the design, the manufacturing approach to fabricate the SO lenses, their performance, and possible extensions of metamaterial AR coatings to optical elements made of harder materials such as alumina.
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