Electrically tunable fabry-perot structure utilizing a deformable multi-layer mirror and method of making the same
US6324192A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 14, 1998 |
| Grant date | Nov 27, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 14, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/18372
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An electrically tunable Fabry-Perot structure using a deformable multi-layer mirror construction wherein Ga.sub.1-a Al.sub.a As, where a <0.1, is used as the sacrificial layer which may be selectively removed using a citric acid enchant. The multi-layer mirrors consist of N and M period of quarter wavelength layers where N and M are integers, or integers plus 1/2. Further, the mirrors are made from alternating layers of Ga.sub.1-x Al.sub.x As, where X>0.96, and a material selected from the group consisting of either Ga.sub.1-z Al.sub.z As, where 0.7>Z>0, or Ga.sub.1-y Al.sub.y As/Ga.sub.1-z Al.sub.z As/Ga.sub.1-y Al.sub.y As, where 0.7>Z>0 and y>0.5. The Ga.sub.1-x Al.sub.x As is wet oxidized by exposing its edge to water in a nitrogen or helium atmosphere at a temperature of between about 360.degree. C. and 450.degree. C. so as to transform it to AlO.sub.x. The resulting AlO.sub.x layers abut the sacrificial layer and act as etch stops during the formation of a cantilever Fabry-Perot structure by etching of the sacrificial layer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.