Thick PLZT films for Integrated spatial light Modulators

Over the past twenty years two-dimensional spatial light modulators (SLM's) have been identified as a critical element in a many applications. While large electro-optic effects can be engineered in composite structures such as multiple quantum-wells or liquid crystals, SLM's based on ceramic materials in the PbLaZrTiO3 (PLZT) family of compounds show a unique combination of high transparency iind large electro-optic effects. However, integration of PLZT ceramics with associated electronics in SLM's is a major obstacle to their commercial acceptance. ATM has pioneered the use of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to deposit complex oxide films, and we now believe that a significant opportunity exists to utilize CVD to deposit films of PLZT on silicon, allowing integration of the SLM with silicon-based drive electronics. In Phase I we will use this technique to deposit thick films (=10m) of PLZT and the films' electro-optic properties will be optimized. In Phase II we will scale the CVD process to an 8" single wafer commercial CVD system now in use at ATM for deposition of BaSrTiO3 films for DRAMs and pyroelectric IR detectors. The effort will culminate in a commercially available "turn-key" CVD process to fabricate thick, high quality PLZT films for integrated electro-optics .