Intermetallic Plasmonic Antennas
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: Sch of Mathematics and Physics
Abstract
Developing plasmonic antennas capable of working in harsh environment is very important for many applications, such as in heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), solar energy harvesting and nanoscale heat transfer systems. At present the most efficient plasmonic antennas are mainly based on noble metals (such as silver, gold and copper). However, these coinage metals are soft and have relatively low melting temperatures, which easily deform at elevated temperatures, therefore they are not suitable for applications in high-temperature environment, such as in HAMR. Recently, significant research interest has been growing in refractory plasmonic materials. A range of new plasmonic materials has emerged as promising candidates for high-temperature applications, such as transition metal nitrides, conductive oxides, and intermetallics.
This project aims to explore the optical properties of intermetallic materials and to investigate the functionality of intermetallic plasmonic antennas. Many intermetallics exhibit superior thermal and mechanical properties, rendering them highly desirable materials for applications in extreme environment of high temperature and mechanical strength, the similar harsh operating conditions of HAMR devices. In the past, research on intermetallics has mainly concentrated on mechanical, chemical and thermal properties, the optical properties of a broad variety of intermetallics remain largely unexplored. Recently it was found that intermetallics may possess interesting optical properties ideal for many alternative plasmonic applications. In this project, we will explore the optical properties of various intermetallic materials, and assess their suitability as alternative plasmonic materials for HAMR technology.
Previous work has achieved some promising preliminary results on intermetallics of AuZr. This project will continue the investigation and extend it further to other materials. The Centre for Nanostructured Media (CNM) at Queen's University Belfast is home to a suite of state-of-the-art nanofabrication and characterisation tools, including industrial standard magneton sputtering systems, ellipsometers, brand new transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), focused ion beam (FIB), and a range of optical spectroscopy and microscopy equipment. These, in conjunction with the advanced nanofabrication facilities at the University of Glasgow, will provide excellent experimental facilities to ensure the successful and smooth implementation of the project.
This project aims to explore the optical properties of intermetallic materials and to investigate the functionality of intermetallic plasmonic antennas. Many intermetallics exhibit superior thermal and mechanical properties, rendering them highly desirable materials for applications in extreme environment of high temperature and mechanical strength, the similar harsh operating conditions of HAMR devices. In the past, research on intermetallics has mainly concentrated on mechanical, chemical and thermal properties, the optical properties of a broad variety of intermetallics remain largely unexplored. Recently it was found that intermetallics may possess interesting optical properties ideal for many alternative plasmonic applications. In this project, we will explore the optical properties of various intermetallic materials, and assess their suitability as alternative plasmonic materials for HAMR technology.
Previous work has achieved some promising preliminary results on intermetallics of AuZr. This project will continue the investigation and extend it further to other materials. The Centre for Nanostructured Media (CNM) at Queen's University Belfast is home to a suite of state-of-the-art nanofabrication and characterisation tools, including industrial standard magneton sputtering systems, ellipsometers, brand new transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), focused ion beam (FIB), and a range of optical spectroscopy and microscopy equipment. These, in conjunction with the advanced nanofabrication facilities at the University of Glasgow, will provide excellent experimental facilities to ensure the successful and smooth implementation of the project.
Planned Impact
Academic
The development of a cohort of fifty young doctoral researchers who in the programme will acquire a unique set of technical abilities allied with working practice, managerial and enterprise skills.
The research to be undertaken by the cohort incorporates areas such as photonics, meta-materials, functional materials and plasmonics. The research programme is targeted at developing a suite of integrative technologies that address the requirements of heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). HAMR requires a highly manufacturable, rugged heterogeneous integration platform, encompassing semiconductor lasers, passive waveguides, rugged plasmonic devices and advanced magnetic materials. The successful development of HAMR will see a paradigm shift in the performance of data storage devices.
Advances in the above areas will see the CDT, supervisory staff and cohort develop a reputation and output profile that will lead to further basic research funding in the Universities and to the launch of academic careers for some of the cohort through attaining post-doctoral positions.
Industrial
The CDT brings together key companies who could form a complete UK manufacturing supply chain for HAMR technology. These companies include as founder partners - IQE as a supplier of custom epitaxy, Oclaro for volume laser production and Seagate for volume manufacturing of magnetic recording heads.
The CDT will result in the development and adoption of this low-cost heterogeneous integration technology, a technology than can also be applied in multiple markets. Although the HAMR environment is particularly harsh, many other consumer and society driven applications (such as widely deployable high speed internet) also require operation in harsh environments. The technology developed here will allow migration away from traditional expensive solutions such as laser packaging in temperature stabilised, gold plated, hermetic boxes.
Societal
The Engagement & Outreach Committee of the CDT along with the leadership, supervisory staff and cohort will proactively engage with the wider society to raise awareness of the underpinning science and engineering. The CDT will demonstrate how it supports a high technology manufacturing supply chain in which UK activity has a global significance and brings benefit to a large part of society. Notwithstanding other commercial applications that our end-users have, we will be able to highlight how the integration of underpinning science and engineering lies at the core of much high technology.
Economic.
Our key partner has a significant presence in the UK through employment of some 1500 people in manufacturing and R&D. The current operation is centred on a capital base of some £1.5B and contributes around £100M GVA p.a. to the UK economy. The societal need for increased data storage places this operation as a nexus of the global economy and consequently offers significant supply chain opportunity for the UK. The need to develop HAMR requires the development of the integration technology that lies at the core of our CDT. The outcomes of the CDT will inform future decisions that will underpin further corporate investment of £10M's to equip the partner and to recruit the necessary staff. We note that the key partner, in their letter of support, could absorb the entire cohort into employment over the next few years. Our other project partners will also benefit beyond HAMR. As examples; CST Global would apply novel lasers and integrated solutions to niche applications, Kelvin Nanotechnology will be able to exploit new integration expertise, OIPT need a pipeline of trained personnel that is currently not available in the UK, JEOL and FEI have interests in new imaging and metrology associated with new material and integration technologies. All the partners would benefit from a flow of PhD graduates trained in advanced material assessment.
The development of a cohort of fifty young doctoral researchers who in the programme will acquire a unique set of technical abilities allied with working practice, managerial and enterprise skills.
The research to be undertaken by the cohort incorporates areas such as photonics, meta-materials, functional materials and plasmonics. The research programme is targeted at developing a suite of integrative technologies that address the requirements of heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). HAMR requires a highly manufacturable, rugged heterogeneous integration platform, encompassing semiconductor lasers, passive waveguides, rugged plasmonic devices and advanced magnetic materials. The successful development of HAMR will see a paradigm shift in the performance of data storage devices.
Advances in the above areas will see the CDT, supervisory staff and cohort develop a reputation and output profile that will lead to further basic research funding in the Universities and to the launch of academic careers for some of the cohort through attaining post-doctoral positions.
Industrial
The CDT brings together key companies who could form a complete UK manufacturing supply chain for HAMR technology. These companies include as founder partners - IQE as a supplier of custom epitaxy, Oclaro for volume laser production and Seagate for volume manufacturing of magnetic recording heads.
The CDT will result in the development and adoption of this low-cost heterogeneous integration technology, a technology than can also be applied in multiple markets. Although the HAMR environment is particularly harsh, many other consumer and society driven applications (such as widely deployable high speed internet) also require operation in harsh environments. The technology developed here will allow migration away from traditional expensive solutions such as laser packaging in temperature stabilised, gold plated, hermetic boxes.
Societal
The Engagement & Outreach Committee of the CDT along with the leadership, supervisory staff and cohort will proactively engage with the wider society to raise awareness of the underpinning science and engineering. The CDT will demonstrate how it supports a high technology manufacturing supply chain in which UK activity has a global significance and brings benefit to a large part of society. Notwithstanding other commercial applications that our end-users have, we will be able to highlight how the integration of underpinning science and engineering lies at the core of much high technology.
Economic.
Our key partner has a significant presence in the UK through employment of some 1500 people in manufacturing and R&D. The current operation is centred on a capital base of some £1.5B and contributes around £100M GVA p.a. to the UK economy. The societal need for increased data storage places this operation as a nexus of the global economy and consequently offers significant supply chain opportunity for the UK. The need to develop HAMR requires the development of the integration technology that lies at the core of our CDT. The outcomes of the CDT will inform future decisions that will underpin further corporate investment of £10M's to equip the partner and to recruit the necessary staff. We note that the key partner, in their letter of support, could absorb the entire cohort into employment over the next few years. Our other project partners will also benefit beyond HAMR. As examples; CST Global would apply novel lasers and integrated solutions to niche applications, Kelvin Nanotechnology will be able to exploit new integration expertise, OIPT need a pipeline of trained personnel that is currently not available in the UK, JEOL and FEI have interests in new imaging and metrology associated with new material and integration technologies. All the partners would benefit from a flow of PhD graduates trained in advanced material assessment.
Organisations
| Description | I have investigated alloys of gold as an alternative material for the next generation of hard drives. These drives will incorporate the transfer of energy below the minimum resolvable wavelength of light, through an aspect of physics known as plasmonics, and require thermally and mechanically resilient materials to transfer this energy below this threshold, due to the harsh conditions they will experience in operation. I investigated 2 alloys with gold, the results of which suggest that these two alloys will not be suitable for this particular application due to the inefficiency of energy transfer compared to the current gold standard in the field of plasmonics, and that they decompose into constituent parts and react with oxygen when raised to higher temperature. These materials however could be modified in their fabrication to improve the results, but that will require further work. I have also investigated the optical properties of a promising ternary alloy of Lithium, Silver, and Indium, from a sample that was provided to us by a research group from the Karlsruhe institute of Technology (KIT) who previously investigated the structural properties, with some focus on the optical properties. The sample was handled, and prepared for characterisation, under a protective atmosphere of argon gas, to limit reaction with nitrogen, oxygen and water in the air, and the results extracted. The components of the refractive index that we were looking for disagreed with the reported results for this material, so work has halted until the material composition can be confirmed. |
| Exploitation Route | In its current format the most applicable outcome of the results determined would be used to direct others, looking for materials for the hard drive industry, to investigate other materials. In essence as a contribution to an archive of material characteristics that could be chosen for for application as required. Other applications could potentially be found in photovoltaics or other aspects that I have not conceived of. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) |
| Description | Joint presentation of overarching research field at a stall Glasgow Science festival 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Myself and my colleagues manned a stall at a national science festival, hosted at one of the academic institutions that I am associated with. The stall was used as a platform to broadcast scientific messages to a number of target groups. The stall was organised and initiated by the program of study that I am a member of, and as such presenting the numerous, but interconnected, fields held within the research focus of the study programme. The intent and purpose of this stall was to inform members of the general public to aspects of fundamental technology that they take for granted, that relate to the programme of study that I am a member of, and engage their interest in investigating the science of these aspects further, and question their view on this hidden aspect of the world. The main approach to this was to present the public with images taken in electron microscopes which highlight the fundamental characteristics of these technological pieces, identifying the key operational features that allow for successful function. This was in addition to explaining in appropriate terms how they work and inviting them to engage with props that we had brought to aid in their understanding. The intent and purpose of this stall was also to engage a younger audience of primary and secondary school age children to engage more in science and technology through asking them questions they had not considered, and giving explanations and insight into science, and letting them play with USB microscope props that we had at our stall to allow them to investigate the microscopic world themselves, on leaves and hard-disk drives and relating it back to the collective fields of myself and my contemporaries at the stall. The intent and purpose of this stall was also to engage undergraduate students to potentially consider not just this particular course of study or related field, but also general postgraduate study, by informing them of the opportunities within our course, in postgraduate study and in this country to help enthuse a more potential researchers. This was partly done by highlighting the skills and attributes they already held from undertaking undergraduate study, and making them aware that with the right drive and passion for science they could be appropriate candidates. Given that this was a stall for the general public, and that feedback forms and review questions would be inappropriate to gauge response, we were unable to garner specific impact factors of this. However, the general positive response and average time spent at the stall by people is indicative that this public event was successful. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |