Advanced Electrooptic Materials by CVD Process

Presently available electro-optic (E-0) materials are unsatisfactory for many applications due to their small E-0 coefficients and relatively large electroacoustic effect. Many other complex-oxide E-0 crystals show promise for providing substantial improvements in E-0 device performance. orders of magnitude reductions in drive voltage, power consumption, electroacoustic wave generation, and device size are expected by replacing LiNbO3 with materials having very large E-0 coefficients, such as SrxBal-xNb2O3- However, the difficulties associated with the bulk crystal growth of these high E-0 figures of merit complex- oxides have hampered their use in practical applications. Epitaxial vapor phase growth is an alternative approach to obtaining large area, high purity single-crystalline films. The recent advances in thin film deposition processes have opened an unprecedented opportunity to fully realize the potential of advanced complex-oxides. In this Phase I program, NZ Applied Technologies, in collaboration with Prof. E.L. Cross of Pennsylvania State University, will identify the most promising E-0 complex-oxide and demonstrate its thin film growth feasibility via an innovative plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) process. The thin film device structures having rigid substrates further restrain the electroacoustic wave generation. In Phase II, the fabrication process will be optimized, and the prototype devices will be produced. Anticipated Benefits/Potential Applications - Success in the Phase I effort will identify a viable fabrication route for advanced, compact Mach-Zehnder devices having a wide spectral range and low power requirements. Other commercial applications include the fabrication of spatial light modulators, matrix optical switches, and optical interconnections.