Wafer-level filling of microfabricated atomic vapor cells based on thin-film deposition and photolysis of cesium azide

Journal Article · Mon Mar 12 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2712501· OSTI ID:20960156

Liew, Li-Anne; Moreland, John; Gerginov, Vladislav ^[1]

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1. Electromagnetics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States)

The thin-film deposition and photodecomposition of cesium azide are demonstrated and used to fill arrays of miniaturized atomic resonance cells with cesium and nitrogen buffer gas for chip-scale atomic-based instruments. Arrays of silicon cells are batch fabricated on wafers into which cesium azide is deposited by vacuum thermal evaporation. After vacuum sealing, the cells are irradiated with ultraviolet radiation, causing the azide to photodissociate into pure cesium and nitrogen in situ. This technology integrates the vapor-cell fabrication and filling procedures into one continuous and wafer-level parallel process, and results in cells that are optically transparent and chemically pure.

• OSTI ID: 20960156
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 90, Issue 11; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2712501; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
AZIDES
CESIUM
CESIUM COMPOUNDS
DEPOSITION
EVAPORATION
FABRICATION
NITROGEN
PHOTOLYSIS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
SILICON
SOLAR CELLS
THIN FILMS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION