Invention:
This invention discloses a novel approach to integrating metasurfaces with standard Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) processes, a significant advancement in the field of photonics and nanofabrication. This approach leverages a bulk CMOS foundry process for the fabrication of metasurfaces and experimental results show that three primary ones: Geometric Phase, Resonant, and Huygens Metasurfaces, can be fabricated, as well as dielectric metasurfaces.
Background:
Metasurfaces, defined as two-dimensional arrays of nanostructures, enable precise manipulation of light at subwavelength scales, impacting phase, amplitude, and polarization control. However, their practical application has been restricted due to challenges in nanofabrication, scalability, and integration with existing technologies. As there is currently no foundry process that is established to fabricate metasurfaces, the ability to do this means that almost any optical device using existing CMOS foundry processes can be realized.
The concept of using CMOS processes for metasurface fabrication represents a significant leap in overcoming existing limitations in the field of nanophotonics. This invention not only simplifies the production process but also enhances the potential for mass production of optical components. It’s a critical step towards making complex photonic devices more accessible and cost-effective, potentially revolutionizing the way we interact with light and its applications.
Applications:
- Semiconductor manufacturing
- Optical computing
- On-chip optics
- Optical elements in various industries including:
- Telecommunications
- Consumer electronics
- Medical / biotechnology
- Automotive / aerospace / transportation
- Security / defense
- Augmented Reality (AR) / Virtual Reality (VR)
Advantages:
- Novel integration method
- Variable types of metasurfaces available
- High growth potential
- High design potential
- More cost effective design
