| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 544368 | Microelectronic Engineering | 2012 | 4 Pages |
A nanocomposite system based on titania-bound indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles has been developed as directly patternable material for the realization of two dimensional (2D) plasmonic gratings through nanoimprint lithography. An optical and electrical characterization of the ITO-based films has been performed. The imprinting process has been optimized in order to obtain a faithful negative replication of an array of nanopyramids on a hard master, in terms of period and depth of the structures. The morphology of the fabricated 2D gratings has been characterized with Atomic Force and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Experimental measurements and theoretical simulations of the far-field properties of the “naked” photonic grating, before coupling with an emitter or depositing a thin metal film on top, have been carried out for incident light in the 300–1500 nm wavelength range. A good qualitative agreement for transmittance data has been obtained. Simulated data for reflectance properly reproduce the experimental result only at long wavelengths, in the near-infrared region. Suggestions for further model implementations are proposed. The plasmonic architecture will be eventually designed and realized by applying the suitable metal coating.
Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Hybrid ITO-based films for direct patterning through nanoimprint lithography. ► Process optimization for 2D photonic grating fabrication and device characterization. ► Quite nice agreement between experimental and simulated far-field properties. ► Suggestions for model implementation, aiming to a plasmonic architecture design.
