Polymer-hybrid electro-optic devices and method of fabricating polymer-hybrid electro-optic devices

1. A method of fabricating an electro-optic device, the method comprising:

(a) providing a semiconductor substrate;

(b) depositing a metal electrode layer on the semiconductor substrate;

(c) depositing a dielectric barrier core layer within a gap of the metal electrode layer;

(d) patterning a polymer layer to cover the dielectric barrier core layer and partially covering the metal electrode layer;

(e) infiltrating the polymer layer with an inorganic component to form a hybrid oxide-polymer layer; and

(f) removing excess inorganic component from the semiconductor substrate and metal electrode layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, following the step of infiltrating, annealing the hybrid oxide-polymer layer in an oxygen-rich atmosphere.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of infiltrating comprises exposing the polymer layer to at least one cycle of a metal-containing precursor followed by a second precursor.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the metal-containing precursor comprises trimethyl aluminum (TMA), titanium tetrachloride (TiCl 4 ), diethyl zinc (DEZ), or tungsten hexafluoride (WF 6 ).

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second precursor comprises an oxygen source, the oxygen source comprising H 2 O, O 2 , O 3 , or H 2 O 2 .

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second precursor comprises a reducing agent, the reducing agent comprising H 2 , H 2 S, H 2 S 2 , or Si 2 H 6 .

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic component comprises aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), zinc oxide (ZnO), silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), hafnium dioxide (HfO 2 ), zirconium dioxide (ZrO 2 ), magnesium oxide (MgO), tin oxide (SnO) or tungsten (W).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer comprises poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(methyl glutarimide) (PMGI), phenol formaldehyde resin (DNQ/Novolac), SU-8, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), SPR-220, ZEP-520, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyimide (Kapton), polyhydroxystyrene-based polymers, polyimides, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), or hydrogels.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of exposing the polymer layer comprises exposing the polymer layer to 12 cycles, with each cycle comprising: a 120 second DEZ exposure followed by a 120 second H 2 O exposure to form a hybrid ZnO-polymer layer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of exposing the polymer layer occurs at approximately 95° C. and approximately 1 Torr, and wherein after the step of exposing the polymer layer, annealing at a temperature ranging between 200° C. and 1000° C. in an oxygen-rich atmosphere for at least 20 minutes.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic component is embedded to a depth of 300 nm to 500 nm into the polymer layer.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal electrode layer is formed underneath the hybrid oxide-polymer layer.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of patterning the polymer layer is conducted via electron beam exposure, photolithography (i.e. wet chemical etching) and polymer self-assembly processes, plasma etch, UV-ozone burn-off, or in a furnace with an oxygen-rich atmosphere.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal electrode layer comprises interdigitated electrodes and p-type electrode to form a p-n junction.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of depositing the metal electrode layer comprises patterning the p-type electrode on the semiconductor substrate followed by patterning the interdigitated electrodes.