This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 7764, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, and the Conference Committee listing.

In an effort to engineer photonic crystal slab (PCS) devices that operate within a single slab-mode regime, the effect of increased cladding index was studied using FDTD simulation. It is known that while increased cladding index forces the light-cone to constrict in frequency, the single mode condition eases allowing for the use of thicker slabs that remain single-mode. This study shows that the behavior of the photonic band gap is similar to that of the light-cone, sweeping lower in frequency, and even widening in some cases, as cladding index increases. Band gap behavior for both even and odd polarizations over thicknesses from d/a = 0.2 to 0.6 and cladding indices from 1 to 2.5 were studied in efforts to design a single-mode, polarization insensitive, complete band gap. When graphically overlaid, the light-cone, single-mode condition, and transmission spectra represent an enabling reference for the design of realizable structures. For device applications where modal dispersion is detrimental or single mode operation is necessary, a paradigm shift away from air-bridge devices is shown to be essential as single-mode structures of this type demand slab thicknesses far too thin for adequate band gap engineering.

Polymer-based flexible Cu stripe optical waveguides have been developed to configure a board-level optical interconnection. By embedding Cu stripe in a dual slab waveguide with high refractive-index contrast, the field of the guided mode is confined more in the two dielectric core layers. Thus, significant reduction of the propagation and vertical bending loss are expected. The fabricated Cu plasmonic waveguide is flexible enough to be bent down to a radius of 0.5 mm. The measured optical properties are satisfactory for very short distance board-level optical interconnection. Based on the experimental results, we concluded that hybrid Cu plasmonic waveguides have a great potential to be developed as a means of optical signal guiding medium in the optical interconnections.

A polarization-independent racetrack type micro-ring resonator formed by silicon-on-insulator slot waveguides with a phase compensation section included was investigated and proposed. By tuning the ratio of lengths of the slot waveguide and the channel waveguide the cumulative phase difference between quasi-TE and quasi-TM modes can be well eliminated which allows for a polarization independent operation over a wide spectral range. The finesses are 226 and 225 for the quasi-TE and quasi-TM modes respectively, with a free spectral range of 9 nm achieved as well as a compact device size of 30 μm, while delivering a good polarization-independent performance with the resonance mode mismatch less than 0.5 nm.

We describe nanotechnologies used to improve the efficient harvest of energy from the Sun and the wind, and the efficient storage of energy in secondary batteries and ultracapacitors, for use in a variety of applications including smart grids, electric vehicles, and portable electronics. We demonstrate high-quality nanostructured copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin films for photovoltaic (PV) applications. The self-assembly of nanoscale p-n junction networks creates n-type networks that act as preferential electron pathways, and p-type networks that act as preferential hole pathways, allowing positive and negative charges to travel to the contacts in physically separated paths, reducing charge recombination. We also describe PV nanotechnologies used to enhance light trapping, photon absorption, charge generation, charge transport, and current collection. Furthermore, we describe nanotechnologies used to improve the efficiency of power-generating wind turbines. These technologies include nanoparticle-containing lubricants that reduce the friction generated from the rotation of the turbines, nanocoatings for de-icing and self-cleaning technologies, and advanced nanocomposites that provide lighter and stronger wind blades. Finally, we describe nanotechnologies used in advanced secondary batteries and ultracapacitors. Nanostructured powder-based and carbon-nanotube-based cathodes and anodes with ultra-high surface areas boost the energy and power densities in secondary batteries, including lithium-ion and sodium-sulfur batteries. Nanostructured carbon materials are also controlled on a molecular level to offer large surface areas for the electrodes of ultracapacitors, allowing to store and supply large bursts of energy needed in some applications.

We report the results of fabrication and testing of a thermoelectric power generation module. The module was fabricated using a new "flip-chip" module assembly technique that is scalable and modular. This technique results in a low value of contact resistivity ( ≤ 10⁵ Ω-cm² ). It can be used to leverage new advances in thin-film and nanostructured materials for the fabrication of new miniature thermoelectric devices. It may also enable monolithic integration of large devices or tandem arrays of devices on flexible or curved surfaces. Under mild testing, a power of 22 mW/cm² was obtained from small (<100 K) temperature differences. At higher, more realistic temperature differences, ~500 K, where the efficiency of these materials greatly improves, this power density would scale to between 0.5 and 1 Watt/cm². These results highlight the excellent potential for the generation and scavenging of electrical power of practical and usable magnitude for remote applications using thermoelectric power generation technologies.

We study the coupled electro-mechanical effects in the band structure calculations of low dimensional semiconductor nanostructures (LDSNs) such as AlN/GaN quantum dots. Some effects in these systems are essentially nonlinear. Strain, piezoelectric effects, eigenvalues and wave functions of a quantum dot have been used as tuning parameters for the optical response of LDSNs in photonics, band gap engineering and other applications. However, with a few noticeable exceptions, the influence of piezoelectric effects in the electron wave functions in Quantum Dots (QDs) studied with fully coupled models has been largely neglected in the literature. In this paper, by using the fully coupled model of electroelasticity, we analyze the piezoelectric effects into the band structure of cylindrical quantum dots. Results are reported for III-V type semiconductors with a major focus given to AlN/GaN based QD systems.

In this paper we demonstrate how an elliptically shaped semiconductor microcavity can be used to generate surface plasmons (SP) mode by pumping current and injecting optical pulse. After achieving stable lasing mode, external magnetic field is applied to a small elliptical confined area on the elliptical microcavity. The applied magnetic field produces Lorentz torque and "pushes" the electrons to the edge of the microcavity. Strong electron plasma is built up on the boundary of the microcavity and air interface as more electrons accumulate. The laser light source interacts with the electron plasma at the boundary of microcavity and excites surface plasmon mode. The direct excitation of SPP modes could be used to extract the laser light from elliptical microcavity source and results in a lower coupling loss and higher efficient small coupling system.

Direct writing using a femtosecond laser provides an accurate, repeatable and efficient means of creating nanoscale lines for electronic applications circumventing the standard fabrication methods that require expensive masks and numerous processing steps. Femtosecond laser writing makes these nanoscale lines by using a phase zone plate to focus the laser pulse onto a silicon substrate in a chemical vapor deposition chamber flowing silane. The silane is decomposed onto the narrow heated area of the substrate as the laser scans across leaving behind a thin line of silicon deposition. This manufacturing technique utilizes a high precision optical metrology system and a high precision motion control system to make this nanomanufacturing possible. It has been shown to successfully make as many as 100 silicon lines on the order of a few hundred nanometers in width. The size and crystal structure of these lines are characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).

Thin, free-standing boro-phosphosilicate glass (BPSG) films (<1.5 μm thick, 10 - 20 mm²) were fabricated (PSU NSF - NNIN Site) to serve as neutron converting media for a proposed high-resolution neutron imaging system capable of submicron sample imaging . The B and P concentration in the BPSG films was 4.5 and 3.5 w%, respectively, measured by ICP-OES. Silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) was deposited on both sides of the wafer to act as an etch mask and a protective layer over the BPSG. The bulk wafer stress induced by the lower expansion Si₃N₄ and BPSG layers was ~90 MPa (tensile). The Si substrate was removed from the photolithography-patterned areas via wet etch in KOH:DI H2O (45:55) solution at 100°C so that the exposed areas consisted of free-standing Si3N4/BPSG/Si₃N₄ stacked windows. The Si₃N₄ was removed via MERIE from the windows. NDP of the processed films showed that the boron concentration was constant and uniform throughout the exposed BPSG film. Visual observations of the free-standing windows showed long-range spatial deformation of the films in terms of "waves" caused by stress gradients, which were observed near the edges of the windows using optical birefringence. An annealing schedule was implemented to determine if the glass film deformation was caused by residual stress in the as-deposited film. Preliminary results of these experiments imply another mechanism is responsible for the deformation of the free-standing films. This work will review the processing techniques used in film fabrication and present the results of the thermal treatments of the thin, free-standing BPSG films.

Logic gates consisting of DNA molecules are useful for direct processing of information that relates to biomolecules including DNA at nanoscale. This study is aimed at demonstrating operation of the DNA logic gates by optical manipulation of micro-droplets that contain DNA to show potential of photonics techniques in realizing nanoscale computing. Connections of different DNA logic gates are reconfigurable owing to flexibility in manipulating the micro-droplets. The method is effective in, for example, implementing logic operations in limited-volumes at multiple positions in parallel, enhancing an operation rate, and decreasing sample consumption, and it can be a promising technique applicable to photonic DNA computing. We used a two-input and one-output AND or OR gate consisting of DNA in experiments. The individual inputs, A and B, were encoded into different DNA molecules, I1 and I2, and the output was obtained from a fluorescence signal. Input A (B) is 1 when DNA I₁ (I₂) exists, and 0 when the DNA does not exist. Microdroplets were made by mixing DNA solution, acetophenone as solvent, and sorbitan monooleate as surfactant. For AND/OR operation, two micro-droplets, one of which contained input-DNAs and the other contained AND/OR logic gates, were optically manipulated to be in contact each other; then the micro-droplets coalesced and the operation started. Experimental results show that expected fluorescence intensities are obtained as the output for all possible input values, and logic operation can be implemented successfully in optically manipulated microdroplets.

A nanoimprinted polymer chip with a thin near-infrared absorber layer that enables light-induced local heating (LILH) of liquids inside micro- and nanochannels is presented. An infrared laser spot and corresponding hot-spot could be scanned across the device. Large temperature gradients yield thermophoretic forces, which are used to manipulate and stretch individual DNA molecules confined in nanochannels. The absorber layer consists of a commercially available phthalocyanine dye (Fujifilm), with a narrow absorption peak at approximately 775 nm, dissolved in SU-8 photoresist (Microchem Corp.). The 500 nm thick absorber layer is spin-coated on a transparent substrate and UV exposed. Microand nanofluidic channels are defined by nanoimprint lithography in a 1.5 μm thick layer of low molecular weight polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, Microchem Corp.), which is spin coated on top of the absorber layer. We have used a previously developed two-level hybrid stamp for replicating two V-shaped microchannels (width=50 μm and height = 900 nm) bridged by an array of 200 nanochannels (width and height of 250 nm). The fluidic channels are finally sealed with a lid using PMMA to PMMA thermal bonding. Light from a 785 nm laser diode was focused from the backside of the chip to a spot diameter down to 5 ..m in the absorber layer, yielding a localized heating (Gaussian profile) and large temperature gradients in the liquid in the nanochannels. A laser power of 38 mW yielded a temperature of 40oC in the center of a 10 μm 1/e diameter. Flourescence microscopy was performed from the frontside.

Nanoporous liquid core waveguides are fabricated by selectively UV modifying a nanoporous polymer. The starting point is a diblock polymer where 1,2-polybutadiene (PB) molecules are bound to PDMS. When the PB is cross linked it self-assembles into PB with a network of 14 nm diameter PDMS filled pores. When the PDMS is etched, the hydrophobic PB is left with a porosity of 44%. The polymer is subsequently UV exposed through a shadow mask. This renders the exposed part hydrophilic, making it possible for water to infiltrate these areas. Water infiltration raises the refractive index, thus forming a liquid core waveguide. Here we present both the fabrication scheme and characterization results for the waveguides.

A new nanoscale electric field sensor was developed for studying triboelectric charging in terrestrial and Martian dust devils. This sensor is capable to measure the large electric fields for large dust devils without saturation. However, to quantify the electric charges and the field strength it is critical to calibrate the mechanical stiffness of the sensor devices. We performed a technical feasibility study of the Nano E-field Sensor stiffness by a non-contact stiffness measurement method. The measurement is based on laser Doppler vibrometer measurement of the thermal noise due to energy flunctuations in the devices. The experiment method provides a novel approach to acquire data that is essential in analyzing the quantitative performance of the E-field Nano Sensor. To carry out the non-contact stiffness measurement, we fabricated a new Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT) E-field sensor with different SWCNTs suspension conditions. The power spectra of the thermal induced displacement in the nano E-field sensor were measured at the accuracy of picometer. The power spectra were then used to derive the mechanical stiffness of the sensors. Effect of suspension conditions on stiffness and sensor sensitivty was discussed. After combined deformation and resistivity measurement, we can compare with our laboratory testing and field testing results. This new non-contact measurement technology can also help to explore to other nano and MEMS devices in the future.

Para-hexaphenylene (p6P) molecules have the ability to self-assemble into organic nanofibers, which exhibit a range of interesting optical and optoelectronic properties such as intense, polarized luminescence, waveguiding and lasing. The nanofibers are typically grown on specific single-crystalline templates, such as muscovite mica, on which mutually parallel nanofibers are self-assembled upon vapor deposition of the organic material under high vacuum conditions. Besides such single-crystalline templates, the nanofibers can also be grown on non-crystalline gold surfaces, on which the orientation of the nanofibers can be manipulated by structuring the gold surface prior to parahexaphenylene (p6P) deposition. In this work it is demonstrated, how such organic nanofiber growth can be controlled by modifying the design of the underlying gold structures prior to growth. Here, the investigated designs include pinning lines and gratings. We demonstrate how gold gratings fabricated on an insulating substrate can enable electrical contact to in-situ grown p6P nanofibers. Furthermore, the electrical characteristics of in-situ grown fibers are compared to that of transferred p6P nanofibers. The transferred nanofibers are initially grown on muscovite mica, and subsequently transferred onto a target substrate by drop casting, and electrodes are applied on top by a special shadow mask technique.

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is a recently discovered powerful technique which has demonstrated sensitivity and selectivity for detecting single molecules of certain chemical species. This is due to an enhancement of Raman scattered light by factors as large as 10¹⁵. Gold and Silver-coated substrates fabricated by electron-beam lithography on Silicon are widely used in SERS technique. In this paper, we report the use of nanoporous ceramic membranes for SERS studies. Nanoporous membranes are widely used as a separation membrane in medical devices, fuel cells and other studies. Three different pore diameter sizes of commercially available nanoporous ceramic membranes: 35 nm, 55nm and 80nm are used in the study. To make the membranes SERS active, they are coated with gold/silver using sputtering techniques. We have seen that the membranes coated with gold layer remain unaffected even when immersed in water for several days. The results show that gold coated nanoporous membranes have sensitivity comparable to substrates fabricated by electron-beam lithography on Silicon substrates.

In order for laser oscillation to occur, the modal gain at the lasing photon energy must equal the total losses. In this work, we analyze and calculate the total losses due to the free carrier absorption, optical waveguide scattering and the laser cavity end losses for PbSe/Pb_0.934Sr_0.066 Se quantum well laser structures. The small confinement factor value causes the free carrier absorption loss to be negligible. The calculated scattering loss values showed a decreasing order for the MQW, MMQW and SCH-SQW structures, for a surface roughness amplitude of 10nm. Increasing the surface roughness amplitude increases these scattering losses even further. However, the calculated cavity loss calculations showed that its values are in an increasing order for the MQW (or MMQW) and SCH-SQW structures. These cavity losses are lowest for uncoated cavity ends. Coating these ends with a quarter wavelength BaF2 layer increases the total cavity loss. In addition, coating the cavity ends with alternating quarter wavelength layers of BaF₂ and CaF₂ also results in an increase in the cavity loss. The increase in cavity loss due to coating is caused by the decrease in the mirrors' reflectivity values. These results show that coating with fluoride layers can best be utilized in applications where high transitivity values are needed.

The aim of present paper is to present the latest results on investigations of the carbon thin film deposited by Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) method and laser pyrolysis. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray generated Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES) were used to determine composition and sp2 to sp3 ratios in the outer layers of the film surfaces. The analyses were conducted in a Thermoelectron ESCALAB 250 electron spectrometer equipped with a hemispherical sector energy analyser. Monochromated Al K X-radiation was employed for the XPS examination, at source excitation energy of 15 KeV and emission current of 20 mA. Analyzer pass energy of 20 eV with step size of 0.1 eV and dwell time of 100 ms was used throughout.

Glass surface roughness with defined morphologies is realized by a two step lithography-free process: first sputter deposition of an around 10 nm thin unstructured metallic layer onto the surface, second reactive ion etching in an Ar/CF4 high density plasma. During the etch step metal atoms and etch gas constituents build hardly volatile metal halogen compounds resulting in self-masking of the glass. Several metals like Ag, Al, Au, Cu, In, and Ni can be employed as the metallic seed layer in this technology. Within the second process step the sacrificial metal layer is completely removed from the surface. Due to the locally varying etch velocity further etching causes formation of pits and elevations with typical height and lateral dimensions on the order of 0.5 μm. Surface morphology is influenced by choice of seed layer material and etch parameters, resulting in a multitude of different morphologies. Hence optical scattering characteristics of the glass can be tuned almost arbitrarily over a wide range. The dosed extents of light scattering could possibly be used advantageously for specific classes of applications, e.g. lighting engineering, efficiency enhancement of thin film solar cells or organic light emitting diodes.

We investigate commercial nano-engineered SERS (surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy) substrates for the possibility of recycling them and using them multiple times. Klarite^TM is a commercial SERS substrate fabricated by nanoscale lithographic patterning technique on silicon wafer before being coated with a thin layer of Gold. It has been widely reported that, this substrate results in more reproducible surface enhanced Raman signals. However, it is designed only for a single measurement and disposable use. In this work, we report a method for recycling one substrate for multiple SERS measurements by coating a thin layer of Gold/Silver after each application of the substrate. The results obtained using reprocessed substrates are comparable to the measurements recorded using fresh substrates.

We present the first results of fabrication the circular zone plate by means of high resolution negative tone inorganic HSQ (Hydrogen Silsesquioxane or XR-1541) electron-beam resist. Fresnel zone plates (FZPs) has been fabricated on the surface of silicon crystals for the energy from 8keV up to 100keV by electron beam lithography. Three different FZPs have been fabricated; circular FZP for the first diffraction order, circular compound FZP for the first and third diffraction order, and linear FZP for the first and second diffraction order. The parameters of the compound FZPs for first and third order were the following: the focal distance of first and third orders FZP is F =13.229cm for 0.1nm wavelength, the entire aperture is 400.0016μm, the width of the outermost zones of the first and third orders is 100nm, and the number of the first and third order zones is 1223.

We apply the former general dynamical model of drying process of polymer solution coated on a flat substrate for flat polymer film fabrication to concrete detailed subjects. Concretely we apply the model to effects of a bumpy substrate as an example. We understand that a humpy structure on a substrate does not affect nearly solute's distribution after drying because effects of diffusion around the hump are sufficiently effective as far as the hump interfere with diffusion. We also understand that when the beginning time of special vaporization near a hump is earlier, solute's distribution after drying except for at the edge's region is thinner a little because leveling including the edge's region by diffusion is more effective.

Fiber optic sensor is proposed based on cladding modification method for detecting ammonia emissions. Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide is used as a sensing material and spectral characteristics of the sensor are studied for different concentrations (50-500 ppm) of ammonia, methanol and ethanol. The sensor shows a linear variation in the output light intensity with the concentration. The light intensity increases for ammonia whereas it decreases for methanol and ethanol. Gas selectivity of the sensor is discussed.

Zinc Oxide nanostructures are capable of applying numerous applications such as optoelectronics, sensors, varistors, and electronic devices. There are several techniques to gorw ZnO nanostructures, including vapor-liquid-solid method, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, metal organic chemical vapor deposition and solution process. Recently reported solution method is a simple way to grow ZnO nanowires at a low temperature. One distinctive advantage with the solution method is low processing temperature so that flexible polymer materials can be used as a substrate to grow ZnO nanowires. In this study, ZnO nanowires have been fabricated on PET film by solution method with various molarities to see the effect of different molarities on ZnO nanowire growth. The solution temperature was 80°C and ZnO nanowires were grown for 6 hours for each case. The ZnO seed layer was sputtered at room temperature for 33 min. prior to ZnO nanowire growth. These ZnO nanowires were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and photoluminescence (PL) measurements at room temperature using a He-Cd 325-nm laser as the excitation source. We also measured the current using current Atomic Force Microscopy (I-AFM) and presented the possibility to use ZnO nanowires as a power source for micro/nano scale devices. As a result, we found that the characterization of ZnO nanowires changes according to the solution molarity.

Bending efficiency of three-dimensional (3-D) horizontal single- and multiple-slot waveguide microrings are analyzed using a combination of effective-index and modified transfer-matrix methods. The effects of waveguide parameters, low-index material, high-index material, asymmetric structure, and asymmetric slots on the bending loss are studied. We show that the bending efficiency can be enhanced by applying asymmetric structures and asymmetric slots. In addition, it is demonstrated that the bending loss increases with increasing the number of slots. However, by using proper thicknesses for different high-index layers of horizontal multiple-slot waveguide, it is possible that horizontal multipleslot waveguide can provide a lower bending loss than the single-slot one.