US5306385A
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Method for generating photoluminescence emission lines from transition element doped CAF2 thin films over a Si-based substrate
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1992-09-30
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Granted: 1994-04-26
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Expires: 2012-09-30
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for producing photoluminescence emissions (68) from thin CaF 2 films grown on either silicon or silicon/aluminum substrate shows narrow emission linewidth and high emission intensities for CaF 2 with thickness as low as 0.2 μm. The preferred embodiment is doped with a rare-earth such as Nd.
Inventors
- 👤 Chih-Chen Cho
- 👤 Tsen H. Lin
- 👤 Shou-Kong Fan
- 👤 Walter M. Duncan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 18:58
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/05; H01S3/06; H01S3/0627; H01S3/14; H01S3/16; H01S3/0602; H01S3/0604; H01S3/063; H01S3/0632; H01S3/0635; H01S3/1601; H01S3/1603; H01S3/1611; H01S3/163; H01S3/1645; H01S3/165; H01S5/00; H01S5/02; H01S5/026; H01S5/04; H01S5/041; H01S5/10; H01S5/18; H01S5/183; H01S5/18361; H01S5/30; H01S5/32; H01S5/3223; H01S5/3224; H01S5/3227; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/96
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
60 words
A method for producing photoluminescence emissions comprising the steps of: forming a layer of reflective material, said reflective material having the property of reflecting greater than approximately 90 percent of radiation at the wavelength of said emissions; forming a layer of CaF 2 over said layer of reflective material; and doping said CaF 2 film with a transition element dopant.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
60 words
A method for producing photoluminescence emissions comprising the steps of: forming a layer of reflective material, said reflective material having the property of reflecting greater than approximately 90 percent of radiation at the wavelength of said emissions; forming a layer of CaF 2 over said layer of reflective material; and doping said CaF 2 film with a transition element dopant.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of doping with a transition element dopant is performed with a rare earth element dopant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said step of doping with a rare earth element is performed with Nd.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of forming said layer of reflective material on a Si surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of forming a layer of CaF 2 is performed at temperatures in the range of approximately 100° C. to 300° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of forming a layer of CaF 2 is performed at a temperature of approximately 300° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of forming a layer of CaF 2 comprises forming a layer of polycrystalline CaF 2 .
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of forming a layer of CaF 2 comprises forming a layer of epitaxial CaF 2 .
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of forming a layer of reflective material comprises forming a layer of epitaxial Al.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
43 words
A method for amplifying photoluminescence emissions comprising the steps of: forming a CaF 2 film on said aluminum film; doping said CaF 2 film with a rare-earth dopant; and activating said CaF 2 film with photoluminescence energy to produce therefrom amplified photoluminescence emissions.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
43 words
A method for amplifying photoluminescence emissions comprising the steps of: forming a CaF 2 film on said aluminum film; doping said CaF 2 film with a rare-earth dopant; and activating said CaF 2 film with photoluminescence energy to produce therefrom amplified photoluminescence emissions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said doping step further comprises the step of doping said CaF 2 film with Nd.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 11, wherein said CaF 2 is grown to a thickness of approximately 0.2 μm, said Nd has a weight percentage of approximately 3.8 and said spectral emission has a linewidth of approximately 1.2 Å at a temperature of approximately 4.2 K.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of growing said CaF 2 to a thickness of approximately 0.2 μm and doping said CaF 2 film to a weight percent of approximately 3.8 so that said photoluminescence emission has a linewidth of approximately 15 Å at approximately 300 K.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said CaF 2 film growing step further comprises a step of growing CaF 2 film to a thickness ranging between 0.02 μm and 1.0 μm.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 14, wherein said doping step further comprises the step of doping said CaF 2 film with a Nd amount ranging between 0.48 and 3.8 weight percent.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of growing said aluminum in a molecular beam epitaxy reactor.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of growing said aluminum layer and said CaF 2 film in a fabrication reactor having a molecular beam epitaxy chamber, a metallization chamber, and a chemical vapor deposition chamber.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said CaF 2 growing step further comprises the step of growing said CaF 2 in a process environment having a pressure of approximately 5×10 -10 mbar.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of growing said aluminum film in a process environment base pressure of approximately 2×10 -9 mbar.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of growing said CaF 2 film in a process temperature of approximately 500° C.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of growing said CaF 2 film in a process environment temperature ranging between 100 and 300° C.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of doping said CaF 2 film to a degree sufficient to substantially reduce M and N defect center intensities associated with said photoluminescence emission.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said activating step causes said photoluminescence emission upon a 4 F 3/2 → 4 I 9/2 transition.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said activating step causes said photoluminescence emission upon a 4 F 3/2 → 4 I 11/2 transition.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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