The Optimization of Metasurface lenses Fabrication based on Silicon Pillars within the fab's 12-inch production line

Silicon photonic devices boast high transmission speeds and minimal loss, presenting vast potential for application in cutting-edge technological domains such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and quantum computing. Furthermore, silicon photonic devices can be integrated with CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) technology, leveraging its low power consumption and high integration density. The research endeavors on silicon photonic devices are undergoing a transition from the laboratory-scale stage to fab-scale production. This research is dedicated to the development of silicon photonic devices based on silicon pillars for metasurface lenses within 12-inch semiconductor manufacturing lines. It is observed that silicon pillars fabricated at 580 °C exhibit extensive porosity and cracking. Simultaneously, it was observed that the silicon film grown via LPCVD (Low-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) at 580 °C exhibited remarkably large grain sizes and notably poor roughness. By altering the deposition temperature from 580 °C to 550 °C, a significantly compact silicon thin film was achieved, characterized by almost no crystallization. According to the refractive index of the newly developed Si film and fundamental mechanisms of the metalens, the film thickness and etching process were meticulously fine-tuned. Silicon pillars crafted from this refined adjustment demonstrated an impeccable quality, free of any cracks or voids. This study offers valuable insights and guidance for the industrial-scale fabrication of silicon pillars, thereby paving the way for the efficient mass production of silicon photonic devices.