Fabricating SiC nanovoid arrays for Mie-tronics

Abstract We fabricated a periodic SiC nanovoid array embedded in the flexible polymer, which is applicable as a sticker to stick to any clean surfaces to control light. Starting from the epitaxial 3C-SiC thin films on Si substrates, the nanovoid array was fabricated by combining nanoimprint lithography and dry etching. After coating the nanovoid with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film, the Si substrate on the backside was etched away to obtain the free-standing SiC nanovoid array embedded in the PDMS film. The optical measurements show that the resultant nanovoid array sticker supports wave-guiding modes in the SiC layer about 650 nm thick. Photoluminescence enhancement was demonstrated by depositing the luminous layer on top of the nanovoid array. Compared to the same luminous layer on the structure-less flat substrate, the photoluminescence intensity on the nanovoid array was enhanced up to about 8 times. The present method is applicable to fabricate various optical devices using SiC.