Method of manufacturing an optical integrated nanospectrometer

Abstract

A planar nanospectrometer is manufactured as a single chip that uses diffraction structures, which are combinations of numerous nano-features placed in a predetermined configuration. The manufacturing method consists of creating a two-dimensional analog-generating function A(x,y), binarizing the two-dimensional analog-generating function A(x,y) by creating a binary function B(x,y), simplifying the binary function B(x,y) by assigning the value of 1 to areas exceeding a predetermined threshold and 0 to all the remaining areas in order to convert the binary function B(x,y) to discrete generating function C(x,y), and lithographically fabricating the aforementioned binary features by etching as a discrete generating function C(x,y) to a calculated depth on a planar waveguide.

1 . A method of manufacturing an optical integrated nanospectrometer for analyzing an analyte, said optical integrated nanospectrometer comprising at least one sensor for converting light signals into electrical signals; a planar light waveguide with a combination of numerous nano-features that form at least one super-grating embedded into the planar light waveguide and comprising a plurality of sub-gratings, and N sub-grating channels, wherein said nano-features being formed by:
 creating a two-dimensional analog-generating function A(x,y);   binarizing the two-dimensional analog-generating function A(x,y) by creating a binary function B(x,y);   simplifying the binary function B(x,y) with the value of 1 in order to be presented as a combination of standard microlithographic features for conversion to a discrete generating function C(x,y); and   lithographically fabricating the aforementioned binary features by etching as a discrete generating function C(x,y) to a calculated depth on a planar waveguide.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of creating a two-dimensional analog-generating function A(x,y) comprises representing a superposition of modulation profiles of the refractive index by means of modulation functions that correspond to equivalents of the aforementioned N sub-gratings. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of tuning each of the sub-gratings to be resonantly reflecting at least at one of N spectral channels. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of binarizing the two-dimensional analog-generating function A(x,y) comprises applying a threshold value by assigning 1 to all areas above the predetermined threshold and 0 to the remaining areas in order to obtain said digital two-dimensional generating function B(x,y). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said step of creating a two-dimensional analog-generating function A(x,y) comprises representing a superposition of modulation profiles of the refractive index, each modulation function corresponding to the equivalent of the aforementioned sub-grating. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the standard microlithographic features are selected from dashes and grooves. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said step of creating a two-dimensional analog-generating function A(x,y) comprises representing a superposition of modulation profiles of the refractive index by means of modulation functions that correspond to equivalents of the aforementioned N sub-gratings. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of tuning each of the sub-gratings to be resonantly reflecting at least at one of N spectral channels.