Abstract
Sensors based on the interaction between analytes and the evanescent field of a silicon nitride waveguide are emerging in the field of bio-medical and environmental applications. We designed and implemented the first single particle detector based on this sensor principle that consists of a silicon nitride waveguide with sub-micron dimensions. The detection capabilities of the prototype were demonstrated with polystyrene latex (PSL) spheres equal to or greater than Ø200 nm. Single PSL spheres caused a decrease of the transmission through the waveguide from 0.2 up to 10%, depending on their diameter and position with respect to the waveguide. The experiments were supported by 3D finite element method (FEM) simulations of the particle-waveguide interaction. The simulated relative scattered power of a single sphere is in agreement with experimental results obtained from two different setups. The silicon nitride photonic chip was fabricated with a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, which is compatible with established complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes for high-volume production. The demonstrator setup was realized with an external laser and photodetector, but with recent advances in light source and detector integration, our work leverages the realization of a fully integrated, low-cost photonic particle detector.
Originalsprache | Deutsch (Österreich) |
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Aufsatznummer | 9448233 |
Seiten (von - bis) | 18829-18836 |
Seitenumfang | 8 |
Fachzeitschrift | IEEE Sensors Journal |
Jahrgang | 21 |
Ausgabenummer | 17 |
DOIs | |
Publikationsstatus | Veröffentlicht - 8 Juni 2021 |
Schlagwörter
- Optical waveguides
- Electromagnetic waveguides
- Silicon nitride
- Sensors
- Silicon
- Photonics
- Numerical models