Dispersion properties and low infrared optical losses in epitaxial AlN on sapphire substrate in the visible and infrared range

Optical waveguiding properties of a thick wurtzite aluminum nitride highly [002]-textured hetero-epitaxial film on (001) basal plane of sapphire substrate are studied. The physical properties of the film are determined by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, microRaman, and photocurrent spectroscopy. The refractive index and the thermo-optic coefficients are determined by m-lines spectroscopy using the classical prism coupling technique. The optical losses of this planar waveguide are also measured in the spectral range of 450–1553 nm. The lower value of optical losses is equal to 0.7 dB/cm at 1553 nm. The optical losses due to the surface scattering are simulated showing that the contribution is the most significant at near infrared wavelength range, whereas the optical losses are due to volume scattering and material absorption in the visible range. The good physical properties and the low optical losses obtained from this planar waveguide are encouraging to achieve a wide bandgap optical guiding platform from these aluminum nitride thin films.