Abstract: The various technologies presented herein relate to integrating an IC having at least one waveguide incorporated therein with a v-groove array IC such that an optical fiber located in a v-groove is aligned relative to a waveguide in the IC maximizing optical coupling between the fiber and the waveguide. The waveguide IC and the v-groove array IC are bonded in a stacked configuration. Alignment of the waveguide IC and the array IC in the stacked configuration enables advantage to be taken of lithographic accuracy of features formed with respect to the Z-direction. Further, kinematic pins and sockets are utilized to provision accuracy in the X- and Z-directions, wherein advantage is taken of the placement accuracy and fabrication tolerance(s) which can be utilized when forming the and sockets. Accordingly, automated alignment of the waveguide IC and the array IC is enabled, facilitating accurate alignment of the respective waveguides and fibers.

Abstract: The various technologies presented herein relate to formation of carbon micromechanical systems (CMEMS), wherein the CMEMS comprise multiple layers of carbon structures and are formed using a plurality of photoresist precursors that are processed to form carbon. The various embodiments can be utilized in producing a plurality of CMEMS with full production level fabrication, e.g., 6 inch wafers can be processed. A pyrolyzed layer of carbon is lithographically defined after pyrolysis, wherein the post-pyrolysis etch process can produce carbon structures having repeatable and accurate device geometries, with straight sidewalls. A sacrificial layer can be applied to facilitate separation of a first carbon layer from a second carbon layer, wherein, upon pyrolysis to form the second carbon layer and lithography thereof, the sacrificial layer is removed to form a CMEMS comprising a first carbon layer (e.g., comprising bottom contacts) located beneath a second carbon layer (e.g., a mechanical layer).

Abstract: Tunable filters can use Fano metasurface designs having extremely narrow transmission bands. The Fano metasurface can comprise dielectric or semiconductor materials and can produce transmission bands with quality factors well in excess of 1000—at least a factor of 50 greater than typical metamaterial-based infrared resonances. Numerical simulations of these metasurfaces show that the spectral position of the passband can be changed by slightly changing the position of a small dielectric perturbation block placed within the near-field of the resonator by using simple electromechanical actuation architectures that allow for such motion. An array of independently tunable narrowband infrared filters can thereby be fabricated that only requires deep-subwavelength motions of perturbing objects in the resonator's near-field.

Abstract: A metallic waveguide tuned to an infrared region of interest provides spectral and spatial control over emitted/absorbed thermal radiation. The ratio of the depth of the waveguide to the smallest lateral dimension thereof is such that that the lateral dimension provides spectral selectivity and that the waveguide is deep enough for a fixed lateral dimension to establish directionality but is not so deep that it incurs severe ohmic losses. A panel with an array of such waveguides directs thermal radiation from a body in a specific direction and with a spectral response that is the result of the physical dimensions of the individual waveguides that make up the waveguide array and the arrangement of the waveguides in the array. The waveguide axis may be obliquely oriented with respect to the substrate normal so as to impart non-normal directionality to the emitted radiation with respect to the substrate normal surface.

Abstract: A patterned graphene or graphitic body is produced by providing a three-dimensionally patterned carbonaceous body; coating the body with a catalytic metal whereby is formed a coating having an inner surface proximal the body and an outer surface distal the body; and annealing the coated body under time and temperature conditions effective to form a graphene or graphitic layer on the outer surface of the catalytic metal coating.

Abstract: Wafer scale oblique angle etching of a semiconductor substrate is performed in a conventional plasma etch chamber by using a fixture that supports a multiple number of separate Faraday cages. Each cage is formed to include an angled grid surface and is positioned such that it will be positioned over a separate one of the die locations on the wafer surface when the fixture is placed over the wafer. The presence of the Faraday cages influences the local electric field surrounding each wafer die, re-shaping the local field to be disposed in alignment with the angled grid surface. The re-shaped plasma causes the reactive ions to follow a linear trajectory through the plasma sheath and angled grid surface, ultimately impinging the wafer surface at an angle. The selected geometry of the Faraday cage angled grid surface thus determines the angle at with the reactive ions will impinge the wafer.

Abstract: A patterned graphene or graphitic body is produced by providing a three-dimensionally patterned carbonaceous body; coating the body with a catalytic metal whereby is formed a coating having an inner surface proximal the body and an outer surface distal the body; and annealing the coated body under time and temperature conditions effective to form a graphene or graphitic layer on the outer surface of the catalytic metal coating.

Abstract: A microporous carbon scaffold is produced by lithographically patterning a carbon-containing photoresist, followed by pyrolysis of the developed resist structure. Prior to exposure, the photoresist is loaded with a nanoparticulate material. After pyrolysis, the nanonparticulate material is dispersed in, and intimately mixed with, the carbonaceous material of the scaffold, thereby yielding a carbon composite structure.

Abstract: The fabrication of small-scale structures is disclosed. A unit-cell of a small-scale structure with non-planar features is fabricated by forming a membrane on a suitable material. A pattern is formed in the membrane and a portion of the substrate underneath the membrane is removed to form a cavity. Resonators are then directionally deposited on the wall or sides of the cavity. The cavity may be rotated during deposition to form closed-loop resonators. The resonators may be non-planar. The unit-cells can be formed in a layer that includes an array of unit-cells.

Abstract: The various technologies presented herein relate to a three dimensional manufacturing technique for application with semiconductor technologies. A membrane layer can be formed over a cavity. An opening can be formed in the membrane such that the membrane can act as a mask layer to the underlying wall surfaces and bottom surface of the cavity. A beam to facilitate an operation comprising any of implantation, etching or deposition can be directed through the opening onto the underlying surface, with the opening acting as a mask to control the area of the underlying surfaces on which any of implantation occurs, material is removed, and/or material is deposited. The membrane can be removed, a new membrane placed over the cavity and a new opening formed to facilitate another implantation, etching, or deposition operation. By changing the direction of the beam different wall/bottom surfaces can be utilized to form a plurality of structures.

Abstract: A lithographic method is used to fabricate porous carbon structures that can provide electrochemical electrodes having high surface area with uniform and controllable dimensions, providing enormous flexibility to tailor the electrodes toward specific applications. Metal nanoparticles deposited on the surface of the porous carbon electrodes exhibit ultra small dimensions with uniform size distribution. The resulting electrodes are rugged, electrically conductive and show excellent electrochemical behavior.

Abstract: A fabrication method is capable of creating canonical metamaterial structures arrayed in a three-dimensional geometry. The method uses a membrane suspended over a cavity with predefined pattern as a directional evaporation mask. Metallic and/or dielectric material can be evaporated at high vacuum through the patterned membrane to deposit resonator structures on the interior walls of the cavity, thereby providing a unit cell of micron-scale dimension. The method can produce volumetric metamaterial structures comprising layers of such unit cells of resonator structures.