Wafer-level substrate-free low-stress silicon nitride platform for THz metadevices and monolithically integrated narrowband metamaterial absorbers

TL;DR

This paper introduces a wafer-level, substrate-free silicon nitride platform for THz metadevices, demonstrating high transparency, a new spectral response model, and a prototype THz absorber, advancing integrated THz technology.

Contribution

It presents the first experimental demonstration of a low-stress, substrate-free silicon nitride platform for THz metadevices with a new predictive spectral model.

Findings

Achieved up to 2.5 THz transparency in SiNx films.

Validated a Lorentz-based analytical model for spectral responses.

Demonstrated a THz absorber with performance close to theoretical predictions.

Abstract

The implementation of terahertz (THz) wafer-level metadevices is critical to advance the science for applications including (I) integrated focal plane array which can image for biology and (II) integrated narrowband absorbers for high spectral resolution THz spectroscopy. Substantial progress has been made in the development of THz metamaterials; however, a wafer-level low-stress THz metadevices platform remains a challenge. This paper experimentally demonstrates a substrate-free THz metadevices platform adopting engineered Si-rich and low-stress silicon nitride (SiNx) thin films, achieving an extensive THz transparency up to f = 2.5 THz. A new analytical model is first reported from the Lorentz model that can accurately predict spectral responses of metal insulator metal (MIM) metamaterial absorbers. The model is experimentally validated in the THz range and exploited for the first demonstration of a THz absorber, which exhibits performance approaching the predicted results. Our results show that the wafer-level SiNx platform will accelerate the development of large-scale, sophisticated substrate-free THz metadevices. The Lorentz model and its quadratic model will be a very practical method for designing THz metadevices.