Electric field-tunable IR devices with very large modulation of refractive index and methods to fabricate them

An electric field-controlled refractive index tunable device comprising:

• a phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• and
• E-field responsive charge dopants, wherein the E-field responsive charge dopants either accumulate in the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer or are depleted from the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer in response to an E-field applied to the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• wherein the E-field responsive charge dopants comprise hydrogen dopants.

An electric field-controlled refractive index tunable device comprising:

• a phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• and
• E-field responsive charge dopants, wherein the E-field responsive charge dopants either accumulate in the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer or are depleted from the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer in response to an E-field applied to the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• the device further comprising either:
• a substrate;
• a bottom electrode on the substrate;
• a diffusion barrier layer on the bottom electrode, wherein the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer is on the diffusion barrier layer;
• and
• an optically transparent top electrode on the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• or
• a substrate;
• a diffusion barrier on the substrate;
• a bottom electrode on the diffusion barrier, wherein the phase change correlated transition metal oxide (PCMO) layer is on the bottom electrode;
• and
• an optically transparent top electrode on the phase change correlated transition metal oxide (PCMO) layer.

A method of providing an electric field-controlled refractive index tunable device comprising:

• providing a phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• providing E-field responsive charge dopants;
• and
• tuning an E-field on the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer to either accumulate E-field responsive charge dopants in the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer or to deplete E-field responsive charge dopants from the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• wherein the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer has an optical extinction coefficient k of less than 0.01.

A method of providing an electric field-controlled refractive index tunable device comprising:

• providing a phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• providing E-field responsive charge dopants;
• and
• tuning an E-field on the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer to either accumulate E-field responsive charge dopants in the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer or to deplete E-field responsive charge dopants from the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• wherein the E-field responsive charge dopants comprise hydrogen dopants.

A method of providing an electric field-controlled refractive index tunable device comprising:

• providing a phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• providing E-field responsive charge dopants;
• and
• tuning an E-field on the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer to either accumulate E-field responsive charge dopants in the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer or to deplete E-field responsive charge dopants from the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• the method further comprising either:
• providing a substrate;
• providing a bottom electrode on the substrate;
• providing a diffusion barrier layer on the bottom electrode, wherein the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer is on the diffusion barrier layer;
• and
• providing an optically transparent top electrode on the phase change correlated transition metal oxide layer;
• or
• providing a substrate;
• providing a diffusion barrier on the substrate;
• providing a bottom electrode on the diffusion barrier, wherein the phase change correlated transition metal oxide (PCMO) layer is on the bottom electrode;
• and
• providing an optically transparent top electrode on the phase change correlated transition metal oxide (PCMO) layer.