Temperature-Compensated Devices Using Thin TeO{sub}2 Layer With Negative TCD

摘要

This letter evaluates the applicability of TeO{sub}2 thin films as an attractive alternative over conventional SiO{sub}2 layers in the field of temperature compensation of various devices. It is reported that the processing environment during TeO{sub}2 growth plays an important role in defining its negative temperature coefficient of delay (TCD), and the magnitude of TCD increases continuously from -1.862 × 10{sup}3 ppm · ℃{sup}(-1) to -9.883 × 10{sup}3 ppm · ℃{sup}(-1) with an increase in the oxygen percentage from 25% to 100% in the processing gas mixture. A very low thickness of 0.008A for the TeO{sub}2 over layer (in comparison to the 0.32A-thick SiO{sub}2 layer) is required for achieving a zero-TCD device without degrading its performance.