Broadband IR Protective Shutter

This proposal addresses the fabrication of novel complex-oxide film based laser hazard shutters, having significant performance and cost advantages over the competing technologies. Advanced electro-optic (E-O) complex-oxides are particularly suitable for the proposed device fabrication due to their faster response time, broad spectrum bandwidth covering the range from visible into long wave infrared, wider operating temperature range, and high reliability. However, E-O shutters based on bulk ceramic materials are hampered by high voltage requirements and high costs associated with fabrication. NZ Applied Technologies proposes to epitaxially grow high quality films with high E-O figures of merit for low cost batch fabricating high performance laser hazard shutters. A significant reduction in operating voltage and cost is anticipated from use of single-crystalline materials and the elimination of wafer thinning and polishing associated with bulk devices. In this Phase I program, we will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach by fabricating a prototype device via an innovative low temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) process. The PE-CVD may become the best choice to produce hazard protection shutters in sufficient qualities and at low enough cost to facilitate widespread use.