Optical and structural properties of amorphous silicon-nitrides and silicon-oxycarbides: Application of multilayer structures for the coupling of Bloch Surface Waves

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon-nitrides (a-SiNx:H) and -oxycarbides (a-SiOxCy:H) were grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at low power density (40 – 60 mW/cm2) using silane, ammonia, methane and carbon dioxide as silicon, nitrogen, carbon and oxygen precursors respectively. Their refractive index dispersion curves were analyzed by means of specular reflectance spectroscopy and their structural properties by FTIR spectroscopy. Taking advantage from their properties such as tunable refractive index, the alloys were fruitfully applied in dielectric stratified structures, optimized for surface electromagnetic waves propagation.