Atomic Layer Deposition for Nano-Fabrication of 3D Optoelectronic Devices

We present recent investigations of the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of high transparency, high index, luminescent, and optoelectronic materials into self-assembled opal, lithographic, and biologically derived templates. Investigations on inverse opal based structures, which have the potential to sustain a complete photonic band gap, are presented and have been infiltrated with depositions of TiO2, Al2O3, ZnS:Mn and GaP. It is demonstrated that derivatives of the opal structure can be obtained by the use of a sacrificial buffer layer technique. Consequently, structures can be inverted, precisely replicated, and formed from composite or multilayered materials that allow a high degree of functionality. Additionally, this process enables temperature-sensitive polymer structures to be inverted by low temperature ALD to a high temperature compatible material that then serves as a high temperature template. Recent work is presented on the application of this technique to tune the properties of 2D photonic crystal slab waveguides and for the coating of biological scaffolds.