Single-crystal silicon is being increasingly employed in a variety of new commercial products not because of its well-established electronic properties, but rather because of its excellent mechanical properties. In addition, recent trends in the engineering literature indicate a growing interest in the use of silicon as a mechanical material with the ultimate goal of developing a broad range of inexpensive, batch-fabricated, high-performance sensors and transducers which are easily interfaced with the rapidly proliferating microprocessor. This review describes the advantages of employing silicon as a mechanical material, the relevant mechanical characteristics of silicon, and the processing techniques which are specific to micromechanical structures. Finally, the potentials of this new technology are illustrated by numerous detailed examples from the literature. It is clear that silicon will continue to be aggressively exploited in a wide variety of mechanical applications complementary to its traditional role as an electronic material. Furthermore, these multidisciplinary uses of silicon will significantly alter the way we think about all types of miniature mechanical devices and components.

Silicon as a mechanical material

Materials research plays a vital role in transforming breakthrough scientific ideas into next-generation technology. Similar to the way silicon revolutionized the microelectronics industry, the proper materials can greatly impact the field of plasmonics and metamaterials. Currently, research in plasmonics and metamaterials lacks good material building blocks in order to realize useful devices. Such devices suffer from many drawbacks arising from the undesirable properties of their material building blocks, especially metals. There are many materials, other than conventional metallic components such as gold and silver, that exhibit metallic properties and provide advantages in device performance, design flexibility, fabrication, integration, and tunability. This review explores different material classes for plasmonic and metamaterial applications, such as conventional semiconductors, transparent conducting oxides, perovskite oxides, metal nitrides, silicides, germanides, and 2D materials such as graphene. This review provides a summary of the recent developments in the search for better plasmonic materials and an outlook of further research directions.

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Alternative Plasmonic Materials: Beyond Gold and Silver

A Three Dimensional Structure (3DS) Memory (100) allows for physical separation of the memory circuits (103) and the control logic circuit (101) onto different layers (103) such that each layer may be separately optimized. One control logic circuit (101) suffices for several memory circuits (103), reducing cost. Fabrication of 3DS memory (100) involves thinning of the memory circuit (103) to less than 50 microns in thickness and bonding the circuit to a circuit stack while still in wafer substrate form. Fine-grain high density inter-layer vertical bus connections (105) are used. The 3DS memory (100) manufacturing method enables several performance and physical size efficiencies, and is implemented with established semiconductor processing techniques.

Three dimensional structure memory

The detailed balance method for calculating the radiative recombination limit to the performance of solar cells has been extended to include free carrier absorption and Auger recombination in addition to radiative losses. This method has been applied to crystalline silicon solar cells where the limiting efficiency is found to be 29.8 percent under AM1.5, based on the measured optical absorption spectrum and published values of the Auger and free carrier absorption coefficients. The silicon is assumed to be textured for maximum benefit from light-trapping effects.

Limiting efficiency of silicon solar cells

Free carrier absorption in heavily doped layers reduces the useful photon flux in the photoconductive region of extrinsic Si infrared detectors. A simple theory is developed which predicts the transmissivity of such layers as a function of their sheet resistance and the wavelength of the radiation. Experimental data over the 2.5-20 µm wavelength and 5-500 Ω/square sheet resistance range are given for both diffused and ion-implanted layers and also for polysilicon gases. The temperature dependence of both transmissivity and sheet resistance is investigated from 20 to 300 K.

Free carrier absorption in silicon

Free carrier absorption in heavily doped layers reduces the useful photon flux in the photoconductive region of extrinsic Si infrared detectors. A simple theory is developed which predicts the transmissivity of such layers as a function of their sheet resistance and the wavelength of the radiation. Experimental data over the 2.5-20 /spl mu/m wavelength and 5-500 Omega/square sheet resistance range are given for both diffused and ion-implanted layers and also for polysilicon gates. The temperature dependence of both transmissivity and sheet resistance is investigated from 20 to 300 K.

Free Carrier Absorption in Silicon

A completely sealed-off electron beam-addressed light valve offering high reliability, low thermal impedance, and low-voltage operation is described. It is suitable for projection displays and is capable of producing bright high-contrast images with full gray-scale range and long-term storage. The light valve is contained as the faceplate in an otherwise standard, sealed-off 1½-in diameter vidicon tube and utilizes conventional focusing and deflection components. The target, which is fabricated of refractory materials using high-yield semiconductor-processing techniques, is composed of a dense matrix (500 elements/in) of aluminized silicon-dioxide membranes (~ 3000-A thickness) which are supported centrally on small silicon posts (4-5 µm high) above a transparent sapphire faceplate. These flat, stress-free oxide membranes can be deflected electrostatically (up to 4°) when addressed with the electron beam. Thus an intensity-modulated display of the deposited charge pattern on the "mirror matrix" is produced when this type of light valve is used in conjunction with reflective schlieren optical arrangement, Mechanical and optical considerations have led to a special 4-leaf geometry of the mirror elements, enabling operation at low-voltage levels (175 V) and a high optical gating efficiency (~ 50 percent) to be achieved. Large-screen (2½-by 3½-ft) displays with up to 35-fL highlight brightness ( ×5 screen gain), 15:1 contrast ratio, and 400 TV lines resolution have been demonstrated. In addition, single-frame displays (1/30-s writetime) with full gray scale storage (of many hours) have been achieved. Preliminary studies using higher density mirror matrices (1000 elements/in) show that the display resolution can be extended to 600 TV lines/picture height.

The mirror-matrix tube: A novel light valve for projection displays

A solid state radiation sensitive field emitter cathode comprising a single crystal semiconductor member having a body portion with a uniform array of closely spaced and very sharp electron emitting projections from one surface in the form of needles or whisker like members. Electrons are emitted into vacuum when a planar-parallel positive anode is mounted in close proximity to the surface. The cathode is responsive to input radiation such as electrons or light directed onto the cathode in modifying the electron emission from the array of electron emitter projections. The method of manufacturing the cathode by providing a predetermined pattern or mosaic of islands of a material exhibiting a greater etch resistant property than the semiconductor material, on a wafer of a semiconductor material and then etching out between and beneath the islands to undercut to a point where the islands are supported by only a small whisker of the semiconductor material. Removal of the islands results in an electron emitter being exposed from beneath each island wherein carriers generated within the body portion and also carriers generated within the depletion regions of the tips diffuse to the electron emitter projections wherein establishment of a high electric field at the tips of the electron emitter projections results in electron emission primarily due to conduction band tunneling. The device provides about 106 emitting points of close proximity so as to effect photographic-like imaging.

Solid state radiation sensitive field electron emitter and methods of fabrication thereof

An improved silicon-on-insulator (SOI) approach offers devices and circuits operating to 10 GHz by providing formerly unattainable capabilities in bulk silicon: reduced junction-to-substrate capacitances in FETs and bipolar transistors, inherent electrical isolation between devices, and low-loss microstrip lines. The concept, called MICROX (patent pending), is based on the SIMOX process, but uses very-high-resistivity (typically>10000 Omega -cm) silicon substrates, MICROX NMOS transistors of effective gate length 0.25 mu m give a maximum frequency of operation, f/sub max/, of 32 GHz and f/sub T/ of 23.6 GHz in large-periphery (4 mu m*50 mu m) devices with no correction for the parasitic effects of the pads. The measured minimum noise figure is 1.5 dB at 2 GHz with associated gain of 17.5 dB, an improvement over previously reported values for silicon FETs. >

R.N. Thomas

Papers

Free carrier absorption in silicon

Free Carrier Absorption in Silicon

The mirror-matrix tube: A novel light valve for projection displays

Solid state radiation sensitive field electron emitter and methods of fabrication thereof

MICROX-an all-silicon technology for monolithic microwave integrated circuits