RADIATION MONITORING DEVICES, INC. — Department of Defense STTR Phase I: A17A-T001

Description

Novel photonic structures, such as periodic metal-dielectric photonic bandgap structures (MDPBG) have the potential to revolutionize the field of optical windows. The large mismatch in the permittivities of the metal and dielectric creates resonant tunneling, which allows for high transmission in regions where metals are typically opaque. This property makes MDPBGs very attractive for screening or filtering specific electromagnetic radiation. Despite the technologys potential for wide range of applications, there remain significant problems in manufacturing these structures reliably and economically. A specific challenge is the deposition of metals on dielectric surfaces, where the metal layer is less than 10 nm thick but smooth, conformal, continuous and highly-conductive. RMD proposes to address this issue by developing a unique atomic layer deposition technique that will integrate a well-studied metal precursor chemistry with highly energetic reactant source in order to lower the percolation threshold for metal layers. In Phase I, RMD will demonstrate the ALD of 7 10 nm thick metal film on a dielectric surface that is well characterized for its morphology and conductivity. In Phase II, RMD will demonstrate the ALD fabrication of periodic metal-dielectric structures with good interfacial adhesion, and designed to satisfy a specific spectral transmission.