Measurements and Modeling of Atomic‐Scale Sidewall Roughness and Losses in Integrated Photonic Devices

Atomic-level imperfections play an increasingly critical role in nanophotonic device performance. However, it remains challenging to accurately characterize the sidewall roughness with sub-nanometer resolution and directly correlate this A method that allows measure of waveguides made any material (including dielectrics) using high atomic force microscopy is developed. This illustrated by measuring state-of-the-art photonic devices silicon nitride. The fabricated both deep ultraviolet (DUV) photo-lithography electron-beam lithography for two different etch processes compared. To performance, a new Payne–Lacey Bending model described, which adds correction factor widely used so losses resonators bends can be predicted given roughness, waveguide width bending radii. Having better way use predict performance allow researchers engineers optimize fabrication photonics many materials.