Bringing Plasmonics Into CMOS Photonic Foundries: Aluminum Plasmonics on Si$_{3}$N$_{4}$ for Biosensing Applications

We present a technology platform supported by a new process design kit (PDK) that integrates two types of aluminum plasmonic waveguides with Si $_{3}$ N $_{4}$ photonics towards CMOS-compatible plasmo-photonic integrated circuits for sensing applications. More specifically, we demonstrate the fabrication of aluminum slot waveguide via e-beam lithography (EBL) on top of the Si $_{3}$ N $_{4}$ waveguide and an optimized fabrication process of aluminum plasmonic stripe waveguides within a CMOS foundry using EBL. Experimental measurements revealed a propagation length of 6.2 μm for the plasmonic slot waveguide in water at 1550 nm, reporting the first ever experimental demonstration of a plasmon…