JP2759568B2 - Manufacturing method of optical functional element - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical functional element in which a metal is dispersed in a light-transmitting material, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing the optical function element by mixing a metal cluster into a thin film of the light-transmitting material. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a functional device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An oxide glass material or an oxynitride glass material in which various metal particles are dispersed can be used as an optical function element. For example, when laser light is applied to this type of optical functional element, it is expected that the metal dispersed in the glass will cause self-polarization, exhibit nonlinear optical effects and laser effects, and can be used for various small optical devices. ing.

[0003]

However, in practice, it is very difficult to disperse minute metals in the glass material. As a method of dispersing the fine metal inside the glass material, for example, it is considered that an oxide glass material or an oxynitride glass material is synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition method, sputtering, or the like, and at the same time, the metal is dispersed and deposited inside the glass material. However, in this case, at the stage of the raw material gas, the metal reacts with oxygen atoms or nitrogen atoms in the gas to form oxides or nitrogen oxides, and the metal is uniformly dispersed in the glass while maintaining that state. Have difficulty.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to manufacture an optical functional element in which fine metals are uniformly dispersed in a light-transmitting material.

[0005]

According to a method of manufacturing an optical function element according to the present invention, a plasma generating means for generating an ultrahigh temperature is provided at a position above a reaction chamber for synthesizing a film of a light-transmitting material, and the plasma is generated by the plasma generating means. A liquid containing metal atoms is supplied into the obtained plasma to generate metal clusters, and the metal clusters are dispersed and interposed in the film to be synthesized in the reaction chamber.

[0006]

In the above means, for example, a chemical vapor deposition method (CVD)
Method), by reacting a gas containing a metal atom such as Si with a gas containing an oxygen atom or a nitrogen atom,
A film of a light-transmitting material made of amorphous metal oxide or metal oxynitride is deposited on a substrate. In the process of depositing this thin film, a liquid containing metal atoms is supplied into an ultra-high temperature plasma generating means such as a high-frequency induction plasma generator disposed above the reaction chamber to generate clusters in which the metal atoms are bonded to each other. I do. Then, metal clusters are dispersed in a film deposited in the reaction chamber, and an optical functional element in which metal particles are dispersed in a thin film of an amorphous translucent material is manufactured.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a structural explanatory view of a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an optical functional element according to the present invention, and FIG. The structure of the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described. Reference numeral 1 denotes a reaction tube formed by a quartz tube or the like, and the inside thereof is a reaction chamber A. Reference numeral 2 denotes a microwave plasma generator. Reference numeral 2a denotes a microwave oscillator. In this embodiment, a microwave of 2.45 GHz is oscillated by the cyclotron. 2b is a waveguide, 2c is a matching device,
2d is a reflection plate. The silicon (Si) substrate 31 is set on the support member 4 in the reaction chamber A. Support member 4
Is provided with a holder 4a at its upper end.
The substrate 31 is installed on the substrate. The holder 4a is formed of silicon nitride (Si ₃ N ₄ ) or the like. The support portion 4b of the holder 4a is composed of a quartz tube and a metal tube.

A high frequency induction plasma generator 10 is provided above the reaction chamber A. The high-frequency induction plasma generator 10 includes an ion beam tube 11 and a high-frequency induction coil 12 provided around the ion beam tube 11.
And a carbon rod 13 provided above the ion beam tube 11, and an aqueous solution introduction port 14 opened above the ion beam tube 11. Further, a gas supply nozzle 6 is arranged on the side of the reaction chamber A. This gas supply nozzle 6 is a multiple pipe. A gas for synthesizing a thin film of a light-transmitting material is supplied into the reaction chamber A by the gas supply nozzle 6. An exhaust pipe 7 is connected to the reaction chamber A, and the pressure in the reaction chamber A is set to about 10 torr by an exhaust pump.

This embodiment shows a case where amorphous silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) is deposited as a light-transmitting material on the surface of a substrate 31, and a reaction gas is supplied from a gas supply nozzle 6 as a gas for the reaction. Silane gas (Si
H ₄ ) and laughing gas (N ₂ O) are supplied to the reaction chamber A.
Mixed within. Since the silane gas has an explosive property, a gas diluted with nitrogen gas (N ₂ ) in advance is used. As the gas for diluting the silane gas, nitrogen gas is optimal, but other gases such as xenon, krypton, hydrogen, and argon can be used. As a liquid for forming metal clusters, for example, Al
An aqueous solution of Cl ₃ and CrO ₂ Cl ₂ is used, and is supplied into an ion beam tube 11 in the high-frequency induction plasma generator 10.

Next, a method for manufacturing an optical functional element using the above-described apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the above-described apparatus, when microwaves are applied to the reaction chamber A by the microwave plasma generator 2 and silane gas and laughing gas are introduced into the reaction chamber A from the gas supply nozzle 6, plasma by the microwave is generated in the reaction chamber A. Occurs
A thin film 32 of amorphous silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) is deposited on the surface of the substrate 31. In the process of synthesizing the silicon oxide thin film 32, a high frequency is applied to the high frequency induction coil 12 of the high frequency induction plasma generator 10 located above, and, for example, AlCl 3 is supplied from the upper aqueous solution introduction port 14.
₃ and an aqueous solution of CrO ₂ Cl ₂ are supplied. The aqueous solution is dissociated into an atomic state in an ultra-high temperature region in the ion beam tube 11 by high-frequency induction heating, and a compound is generated from a gas in the ultra-high temperature region in a low temperature portion called a tail flame portion B. This compound is a metal cluster in which Al and Al, Al and Cr, or Cr and Cr are bonded.

The metal cluster 33 is sent from the tail flame section B into the reaction chamber A. At this point, the metal cluster 3
₂ is in the atmosphere of a reaction gas such as N ₂ O.
As indicated by reference numeral 34, the state around the metal cluster 33 is covered with an oxynitride film. The metal cluster formed with the oxynitride film indicated by reference numeral 34 is dispersed and enters the inside of the silicon oxide being formed, and Al and Al or Al and Cr or Cr and Cr are bonded into the silicon oxide thin film 32. An optical function element in which metal particles are dispersed and interposed is manufactured.

This optical function element is a material in which metal particles such as aluminum and chrome are dispersed in amorphous silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) having good translucency. The particles generate self-polarization, exhibit nonlinear optical effects and laser effects, and can be applied to various optical devices. The amorphous light-transmitting material forming the thin film 32 is silicon oxide (SiO ₂ or S
Not limited to iO), for example, aluminum oxynitride (Al-O
-N) or aluminum nitride (AlN). Aluminum oxynitride can be synthesized by supplying aluminum bromide (AlBr ₃ ), laughing gas (N ₂ O), and nitrogen gas (N ₂ ) into the reaction chamber A by the gas supply nozzle 6. Can be synthesized by supplying aluminum bromide (AlBr ₃ ) and nitrogen gas (N ₂ ) through a gas supply nozzle 6. Further, by supplying aluminum bromide (AlBr ₃ ), silane gas (SiH ₄ ), laughing gas (N ₂ O) and nitrogen gas (N ₂ ), sialon (Si-Al-ON) is formed as the thin film 32. It is also possible to synthesize them.

Further, the thin film 32 is made of an amorphous translucent material.
Is not limited to the plasma CVD method using the plasma generator 2, but may be a thermal CVD method.
It can also be formed by a sputtering method other than the CVD method, the laser CVD method, or the CVD method. In these cases, the high-frequency induction plasma generator 10 is provided in the upper region of the reaction chamber where the thin film 32 is manufactured by each method, thereby manufacturing an optical functional element in which metal particles are dispersed in an amorphous translucent material. It is possible. Further, the liquid supplied to the high-frequency induction plasma generator may be, for example, an aqueous solution of aluminum bromide (AlBr ₃ ). In this case, the metal cluster is a combination of Al and Al.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably synthesize an optical functional element in which fine metals are uniformly dispersed in a translucent material.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an apparatus configuration of a plasma CVD apparatus used for manufacturing an optical function element according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a process in which metal particles are dispersed in a light-transmitting material to form an optical functional element,

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 reaction tube A reaction chamber 6 gas supply nozzle 10 high frequency induction plasma generator 31 substrate 32 thin film made of amorphous translucent material 33 metal cluster

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Toshio Hirai 3-4-1 Takamori, Izumi-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi 91 (72) Inventor Makoto Sasaki 3-3-1 Minamikoizumi, Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai, Miyagi (58 6) Surveyed field (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) C23C 16/00-16/56 C23C 14/00-14/58 G02F 1/29-7/00 C03C 1/00-14/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An ultra-high temperature plasma generating means is provided at a position above a reaction chamber for synthesizing a film of a light-transmitting material, and a liquid containing metal atoms is supplied to plasma generated by the plasma generating means. A method for producing an optical functional element, comprising forming clusters and dispersing and interposing the metal clusters in the film synthesized in the reaction chamber.