This project is focused on the development of advanced components and system technologies for secure data transmission on high-speed fiber optic data systems. This work capitalizes on (1) a strong relationship with outstanding faculty at the University of California-Davis who are experts in high speed fiber-optic networks, (2) the realization that code division multiple access (CDMA) is emerging as a bandwidth enhancing technique for fiber optic networks, (3) the realization that CDMA of sufficient complexity forms the basis for almost unbreakable one-time key transmissions, (4) our concepts for superior components for implementing CDMA, (5) our expertise in semiconductor device processing and (6) our Center for Nano and Microtechnology, which is where the majority of the experimental work was done. Here we present a novel device concept, which will push the limits of current technology, and will simultaneously solve system implementation issues by investigating new state-of-the-art fiber technologies. This will enable the development of secure communication systems for the transmission and reception of messages on deployed commercial fiber optic networks, through the CDMA phase encoding of broad bandwidth pulses. CDMA technology has been developed as a multiplexing technology, much like wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) or time division multiplexing (TDM), to increase the potential number of users on a given communication link. A novel application of the techniques created for CDMA is to generate secure communication through physical layer encoding. Physical layer encoding devices are developed which utilize semiconductor waveguides with fast carrier response times to phase encode spectral components of a secure signal. Current commercial technology, most commonly a spatial light modulator, allows phase codes to be changed at rates of only 10's of Hertz ({approx}25ms response). The use of fast (picosecond to nanosecond) carrier dynamics of semiconductors, as opposed to field dynamics of liquid crystal molecules, enable phase codes at GHz rates. The semiconductor arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) is the building block of the encoder/decoder device. A monolithically integrated AWG is developed in this LDRD. Using this building block, the AWG can be integrated with phase modulators to create temporally varying phase codes; this allows superior physical level encoding technology. The breadth of this project is wide, covering a free space optic demonstration (large optic at the meter scale) of the encoding system. This was done as a proof-of-principal exercise and to investigate the time varying phase codes (''locks'' and ''keys''). Then a monolithically integrated AWG implemented at the millimeter was investigated. The mono lithically integrated AWG has the same functionality as the table top free space optic but reduced down in size to be easily embedded in fiber optic networks.

We present a new x-ray detection technique based on optical measurement of the effects of x-ray absorption and electron hole pair creation in a direct band-gap semiconductor. The electron-hole pairs create a frequency dependent shift in optical refractive index and absorption. This is sensed by simultaneously directing an optical carrier beam through the same volume of semiconducting medium that has experienced an xray induced modulation in the electron-hole population. If the operating wavelength of the optical carrier beam is chosen to be close to the semiconductor band-edge, the optical carrier will be modulated significantly in phase and amplitude. This approach should be simultaneously capable of very high sensitivity and excellent temporal response, even in the difficult high-energy xray regime. At xray photon energies near 10 keV and higher, we believe that sub-picosecond temporal responses are possible with near single xray photon sensitivity. The approach also allows for the convenient and EMI robust transport of high-bandwidth information via fiber optics. Furthermore, the technology can be scaled to imaging applications. The basic physics of the detector, implementation considerations, and preliminary experimental data are presented and discussed.

Reticle blanks for extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) are fabricated by depositing reflective Mo/Si multilayer films on superpolished substrates. To obtain a reasonable cost of ownership for EUVL, the multilayer films must be nearly defect free, have excellent reflectance/thickness uniformity, and have a high EUV reflectance. Small particle contaminants on the substrate that can nucleate printable Mo/Si phase defects are a serious concern. We develop an ion-beam thin film planarization process for mitigating the effect of small substrate contaminants that relies on enhancing the smoothing capability of Mo/Si multilayer films; we observe that etching of the Si layers in between deposition steps can yield a significant improvement in smoothing. Using this process substrate particles as large as 50 nm in diameter are smoothed to similar to1 nm in height, rendering them harmless. We further develop this process so that it retains these particle-smoothing capabilities while also achieving a high EUV reflectance and excellent uniformity. (C) 2004 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Particles are a serious concern in the fabrication of reticles for extreme ultraviolet lithography because they nucleate perturbations in the reflective multilayer film that can print in the lithographic image. We call these perturbations defects. It has been suggested that reticle substrates can be planarized and the high-spatial-frequency roughness of the multilayer film can be reduced by using an ion-assisted Mo–Si deposition process. In this article we discuss the cleanliness of this ion-assisted deposition process. Within one cleaning cycle, we improved the cleanliness of the deposition process without ion assist from 3–4 to 0.26 particles/cm2. Of these, 0.09 particles/cm2 are due to manual handling of the wafers. We found that in our experimental setup, the added particle density using a process with ion assist is more then six times larger than the added density without ion-assist, suggesting that further work is necessary to develop a clean ion-assisted deposition process. We characterized the chemical composition of some of the added particles and found that they contain Al, C, Fe, Mo, and Si.

An ion-beam deposition system has been used to fabricate Mo-Si multilayer coatings for masks and imaging optics to be used for extreme-ultraviolet lithography. In addition to high reflectivity and excellent profile control, ion-beam deposition has the capability to smooth rough substrates. For example, we achieved reflectivity of 66.8% on a substrate with 0.39-nm roughness. Smoothing can be further enhanced with a second ion source directed at the multilayer coating. The smoothing capabilities relax the requirement on the finish of the mirror and the mask substrates and could dramatically reduce the cost of these components. Thickness profile control is in the +/-0.01% range, and the figure error added to the mirror substrate by errors in the multilayer thickness is less than 0.1 nm. Peak reflectivities obtained on smooth substrates are 67.5-68.6%.

Substrate particles are a serious concern in the fabrication of reticles for extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) because they nucleate defects in the reflective multilayer films that can print in the lithographic image. We have developed a strategy for planarizing reticle substrates with smoothing-layers and, in this letter, we investigate the smoothing properties of an ion-assisted Mo-Si deposition process. We have observed that ion-assistance can significantly improve the particle-smoothing properties of Mo-Si multilayer films and can do so without a significant increase in the high-spatial frequency roughness of the multilayer film. An ion-assisted Mo-Si smoothing-layer approach to reticle substrate planarization, therefore, shows significant promise for defect mitigation in EUVL reticles.

We have demonstrated high average power output devices in both one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) arrays of laser diodes using efficient edge emitting cleaved bars and silicon microchannel coolers. These packages are based on the rack and stack architecture. For the 1-D array a cw optical power output of 22.2 W was obtained with 20% electrical to optical conversion efficiency. For the 2-D array an average optical power density of greater than 100 W/cm2 was obtained at an efficiency of 25%.

A simple and highly reliable package consisting of a 1-cm-long AlGaAs laser diode array mounted directly on a silicon microchannel cooler has been demonstrated. 3.4×109 shots were logged on this device at an average optical output of 8.75 W with only a 6% increase in current required to hold the light output constant. This extrapolates to a current doubling lifetime of 1.6×1011 shots. The thermal impedance was also measured to be 0.014 °C/(W/cm2).

Many applications for semiconductor lasers that require high average power are limited by the inability to remove the waste heat generated by the diode lasers. In order to reduce the cost and complexity of these applications a heat sink package has been developed which is based on water cooled silicon microstructures. Thermal resistivities of less than 0.025°C/01/cm2) have been measured which should be adequate for up to CW operation of diode laser arrays. This concept can easily be scaled to large areas and is ideal for high average power solid state laser pumping. Several packages which illustrate the essential features of this design have been fabricated and tested. The theory of operation will be briefly covered, and several conceptual designs will be described. Also the fabrication and assembly procedures and measured levels of performance will be discussed.