We demonstrate the fabrication of micropore and nanopore features in hollow antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides to create an electrical and optical analysis platform that can size select and detect a single nanoparticle. Micropores (4 µm diameter) are reactive-ion etched through the top SiO2 and SiN layers of the waveguides, leaving a thin SiN membrane above the hollow core. Nanopores are formed in the SiN membranes using a focused ion-beam etch process that provides control over the pore size. Openings as small as 20 nm in diameter are created. Optical loss measurements indicate that micropores did not significantly alter the loss along the waveguide.
We have previously produced antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROWs) with hollow cores that can guide
light through liquid or gas media. In order to utilize these structures in sophisticated sensing applications, we have
improved our initial designs and fabrication methods to increase yield, lower waveguide transmission loss, and
incorporate structural features into the waveguides themselves. Yields have been increased by optimizing PECVD film
conformality leading to greater sidewall strength for hollow waveguides. Sensing applications require interfacing hollow
waveguides with solid waveguides on the surface of a substrate to direct light on and off a chip and into and out of a test
medium. Previous interfaces required light transferring from solid to hollow waveguides to pass through the antiresonant
layers, with measured transmission efficiencies of about 30%. By removing the ARROW layers at the
interfaces, transmission efficiencies at these interfaces can be improved to greater than 95%. We also demonstrate the
fabrication of micropore structures on the hollow waveguides to be used for chemical sensing. A fabrication method has
been developed that allows for removal of the thick top oxide and nitride ARROW layers leaving only a thin nitride membrane directly over the hollow core allowing controlled access to test media.
We demonstrate a method for integrating silicon nitride nanopores in liquid core Anti Resonant Reflecting Optical
Waveguides (ARROW) for single molecule electrical detection and control. We use a two-step integration process when
a micropore is fabricated first, paving the way for subsequent nanopore integration in the first silicon nitride layer of the
ARROW structure. Nanopores with dimensions as small as 11 nm were fabricated using a Focused Ion Beam shrinking
process commensurate with single particle gating of viruses, proteins, ribosomes and other biomolecules.
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