Silicon wire grid polarizer for ultraviolet applications

Appl Opt. 2014 Dec 1;53(34):8140-4. doi: 10.1364/AO.53.008140.

Abstract

We present a silicon wire grid polarizer operating down to a wavelength of 300 nm. Besides metallic grating materials, semiconductors also offer appropriate material properties to realize wire grid polarizers in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral range. The presented polarizer with a period of 140 nm was realized by means of electron beam lithography and dry etching using amorphous silicon as the grating material. At a wavelength of 365 nm, a transmission of 42% and an extinction ratio of 90 (19.5 dB) are measured. The spectral bandwidth of these polarizers in the UV-spectral range is about 100 nm.