| There is currently a wide variety of passive plasmonic technologies, with applications in the fields of sensing, security, and optical interconnects and computing. Development of a rapidly and broadly tunable plasmonic device would be an enabling technology, giving active control over these traditionally passive devices. The free charge carrier concentration directly affects the dielectric permittivity of a semiconductor, which in turn determines the plasmonic resonance. Metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors using n-type substrates permit the modulation of free charge carriers in a semiconductor by applying a bias. In this study, MOS-capacitors were fabricated with an extraordinary optical transmission gratings built into the top gate. Tuning of the optical resonance of an EOT spectrum is shown applying a reverse bias across the semiconductor. The oxide layer used was hafnium dioxide, grown by atomic layer deposition. The electrical properties of the hafnia were studied in order to maximize the capabilities of this design. The samples were processed using standard photolithography and wet etching techniques, and characterized by optical microscopy, probe testing, and transmission spectroscopy. Resonant tuning of 30 nm has been demonstrated. The maximum depletion width in the semiconductor limited the effect and prohibited broader tuning. |
