PLASMONICS
A
NEW DEVICE
TECHNOLOGY
PRESENTED BY:
C . Deepika Kameswari R. Nikhila Reddy
[email protected] [email protected]ECE III/IV (II-SEM) ECE III/IV (II-SEM)
Contact no.: 9985387080
C M R COLLEGE OF ENGG. & TECHNOLOGY
PLASMONICS – THE NEXT DEVICE TECHNOLOGY
Abstract: fixed positive ions with a plasma frequency.
Plasmonics, then, is the technology of
Electronic circuits provide us with the ability to
transmitting these lights like waves along
control the transport and storage of electrons.
nanoscale wires. With every wave, we can, in
However, the performance of electronic circuits
principle, carry loads of information.
is now becoming rather limited when digital
information needs to be sent from one point to
Thus development of chip-scale electronics and
another. Photonics offers an effective solution to
photonics has led to remarkable data processing
this problem by implementing optical
and transport capabilities that permeate almost
communication systems based on optical fibers
every facet of our lives. Plasmonics is an
and photonic circuits. Unfortunately, the
exciting new device technology that has recently
micrometer-scale bulky components of photonics
emerged. It exploits the unique optical properties
have limited the integration of these components
of metallic nanostructures to enable routing and
into electronic chips, which are now measured in
manipulation of light at the nanoscale. A
nanometers. Surface plasmon–based circuits,
tremendous synergy can be attained by
which merge electronics and photonics at the
integrating plasmonic, electronic, and
nanoscale, may offer a solution to this size-
conventional dielectric photonic devices on the
compatibility problem. Here we review the
same chip and taking advantage of the strengths
current status and future prospects of plasmonics
of each technology.
in various applications including plasmonic
chips, light generation, and nanolithography.
Introduction:
The term Plasmonics is derived from ‘plasmons’,
which are the quanta associated with longitudinal
waves propagating in matter through the
collective motion of large numbers of electrons.
Plasma is a medium with equal concentration of
positive and negative charges, of which at least
The ever-increasing demand for faster
one charge type is mobile. In as solid, the
information transport and processing capabilities
negative charges of the conduction electrons are
is undeniable. Our data-hungry society has
balanced by an equal concentration of positive
driven enormous progress in the Si electronics
charge of the ion cores. A plasma oscillation in a
industry and we have witnessed a continuous
metal is a collective longitudinal excitation of the
progression towards smaller, faster, and more
conduction electron gas against a background of
efficient electronic devices over the last five realize the dream of significantly faster
decades. The scaling of these devices has also processing speeds. The metals commonly used in
brought about a myriad of challenges. Currently, electrical interconnection such as Cu and Al
two of the most daunting problems preventing allow the excitation of surface plasmon-
significant increases in processor speed are polaritons (SPPs). SPPs are electromagnetic
thermal and signal delay issues associated with waves that propagate along a metal-dielectric
electronic interconnection. Optical interconnects, interface and are coupled to the free electrons in
on the other hand, possess an almost the metal.
unimaginably large data carrying capacity, and
may offer interesting new solutions for From an engineering standpoint, an SPP can be
circumventing these problems. Optical viewed as a special type of light wave. The
alternatives may be particularly attractive for metallic interconnects that support such waves
future chips with more distributed architectures thus serve as tiny optical waveguides termed
in which a multitude of fast electronic computing plasmonic waveguides. The notion that the
units (cores) need to be connected by high-speed optical mode (‘light beam’) diameter normal to
links. Unfortunately, their implementation is the metal interface can be significantly smaller
hampered by the large size mismatch between than the wavelength of light has generated
electronic and dielectric photonic components. significant excitement and sparked the dream
Dielectric photonic devices are limited in size by that one day we will be able to interface
the fundamental laws of diffraction to about half nanoscale electronics with similarly sized optical
a wavelength of light and tend to be at least one (plasmonic) devices. It is important to realize
or two orders of magnitude larger than their that, with the latest advances in electromagnetic
nanoscale electronic counterparts. This obvious simulations and current complementary metal-
size mismatch between electronic and photonic oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible
components presents a major challenge for fabrication techniques, a variety of functional
interfacing these technologies. Further progress plasmonic structures can be designed and
will require the development of a radically new fabricated in a Si foundry right now. Current Si-
chip-scale device technology that can facilitate based integrated circuit technology already uses
information transport between nanoscale devices nanoscale metallic structures, such as Cu and Al
at optical frequencies and bridge the gap between inter-connects, to route electronic signals
the world of nanoscale electronics and between transistors on a chip. This mature
microscale photonics. processing technology can thus be used to our
advantage in integrating plasmonic devices with
Plasmonics as a new device technology their electronic and dielectric photonic
counterparts. In some cases, plasmonic
Metal nanostructures may possess exactly the waveguides may even perform a dual function
right combination of electronic and optical and simultaneously carry both optical and
properties to tackle the issues outlined above and
electrical signals, giving rise to exciting new reason, plasmonics is frequently associated with
capabilities. nanotechnology.
Plasmonics describes how ultra-small metallic
structures of various shapes capture and
manipulate light and provides practical design
tool for nanoscale optical components. The fact
that light interacts with nanostructures
overcomes the belief held for more than a
century that light waves couldn’t interact with
anything smaller than their own wavelengths.
When light of a specific frequency strikes a
plasmon that oscillates at a compatible
Fig (a) the red
frequency, the energy from light is harvested by
arrow shows how
an SPP is the plasmon, converted into electrical energy that
launched from an
propagates through the nanostructure and
excitation spot
onto a metal film eventually converted back into light.
surface.
Limitations do exist!
Plethora of The potential of
Benefits: plasmonics right
Plasmon waves are of particular interest because now is mainly
these are at optical frequencies. The higher the limited by the fact
frequency of the wave, the more the information that plasmons can
we can transport. Optical frequencies are about typically travel only several millimeters before
100,000 times greater than the frequency of they peter out. Chips, meanwhile, are typically
today’s electronic microprocessors. about a centimeter across, so plasmons can’t yet
go the whole distance. The distance that a
The key is using a material with a low refractive plasmon can travel before dying out is a function
index, ideally negative, such that the incoming of several aspects of the metal. But for optimal
electromagnetic energy is reflected parallel to the transfer through a wire of any metal, the surface
surface of the material and transmitter along its of contact with surrounding materials must be as
length as far as possible. There exists no natural smooth as possible and the metal should not have
material with a negative refractive index, so any impurities.
nano-structured materials must be used to
fabricate effective plasmonic devices. For this For most wavelengths of visible light, aluminum
allows plasmons to travel farther than other
metals such as gold, silver and copper. It is on the surface of a plasmon-carrying metallic
somewhat ironic that aluminum is the best metal material, it leaves its characteristic signature in
to use because the semiconductor industry the angle at which it reflects the energy.
recently dumped aluminum in favor of copper –
the better electrical conductor – as it is wiring of In the field of chemical sensing plasmonics
choice. Of course, it may turn out that some kind offers the possibility of new technologies that
of alloy will have even better plasmonic will allow Doctors, anti-terror squads and
properties than either aluminum or copper. environmental experts to detect chemicals in
quantities as small as a single molecule.
Another classic semiconductor issue that the
researchers will have to address is ‘heat’. Conclusions:
Chipmakers are constantly striving to ensure that Plasmonics has
their electronic chips don’t run too hot. the potential to
Plasmonics also will generate some heat, but the play a unique
exact amount is not yet known. Even if and important
plasmonics runs as hot as electronics, it will still role in
have the advantage of higher data capacity in the enhancing the
same space. processing
Promising speed of future
integrated circuits. The field has witnessed an
explosive growth over the last few years and our
knowledge base in plasmonics is rapidly
expanding. As a result, the role of plasmonic
applications:
devices on a chip is also becoming more well-
Before all-plasmonic chips are developed,
defined. In the past, devices were relatively slow
plasmonics will probably be integrated with
and bulky. The semiconductor industry has
conventional silicon devices. Plasmonic wires
performed an incredible job in scaling electronic
will act as high band-width freeways across the
devices to nanoscale dimensions. Unfortunately,
busiest areas of the chip. Plasmon printing is a
interconnect delay time issues provide significant
new approach to lithographic printing that takes
challenges toward the realization of purely
advantage of the resonantly enhanced optical
electronic circuits operating above ~10 GHz. In
intensity in optical near-field of metallic nano-
stark contrast, photonic devices possess an
particles, and that could enable printing of deep
enormous data-carrying capacity (bandwidth).
sub-wavelength features using conventional
Unfortunately, dielectric photonic components
photo-resist and simple visible ultra-violet light
are limited in their size by the laws of diffraction,
sources.
preventing the same scaling as in electronics.
Finally, plasmonics offers precisely what
Plasmonics has also been used in biosensors.
electronics and photonics do not have: the size of
When a particular protein or DNA molecule rests
electronics and the speed of photonics.
Plasmonic devices, therefore, might interface
naturally with similar speed photonic devices and
similar size electronic components. For these
reasons, plasmonics may well serve as the
missing link between the two device
technologies that currently have a difficult time
communicating. By increasing the synergy
between these technologies, plasmonics may be
able to unleash the full potential of nanoscale
functionality and become the next wave of chip-
scale technology.
Acknowledgements:
Articles from website
http://www.sciencedaily.com
Articles from website
http://www.wisegeek.com
Plasmonic technology and its applications
by Dr S S Verma, professor in Dept of
Physics, SLIET, Longolwal, Punjab
Plasmonics, the next chip-scale technology –
Rashid Zia, Anu Chandran and Mark L
Brongersma from Geballe Laboratory for
Advanced Materials, Stanford University,
Stanford, California USA
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