Emulation of deep-ultraviolet lithography using rapid-prototyping, electron-beam lithography for silicon photonics...

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Nanofabrication
• Computational Lithography

Background:

• Silicon photonic devices are crucial for optical communication and computing.
• Fabrication using deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lithography introduces performance variations.
• Accurate prediction of these variations is essential for reliable device design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for emulating DUV lithography's optical performance impact on silicon photonic devices.
• To enable rapid prototyping and low-cost experimental validation of DUV lithography effects.
• To facilitate a first-time-right design flow for silicon photonic integrated circuits.

Main Methods:

• A computational lithography predictive model was generated by processing scanning electron microscope (SEM) image data from DUV lithography.
• The emulation method was implemented on a rapid-prototyping electron-beam lithography (EBL) process.
• Experimental validation was performed on integrated silicon Bragg grating waveguides and grating-based add-drop filters.

Main Results:

• The emulation method accurately predicted the optical performance of silicon photonic devices affected by DUV lithography.
• Bragg grating waveguides and add-drop filters, sensitive to lithography effects, showed accurate emulation.
• The approach demonstrated the feasibility of observing DUV lithography impacts via EBL.

Conclusions:

• The developed method effectively emulates DUV lithography's optical performance in silicon photonics.
• This technique offers a low-cost, rapid solution for designers to assess fabrication impacts.
• The findings support a more efficient and accurate design cycle for silicon photonic devices.