SiC-on-insulator on-chip photonic sensor in a radiative environment

Silicon carbide has a high refractive index, a large band gap, CMOS compatibility, and excellent chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties, thus making it an ideal material for on-chip photonic sensors in hostile environments. We discuss the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a SiC-on-insulator photonic device for chemical sensing as well as the gamma-ray radiation effects on device performance and sensitivity. The SiC-on-insulator device demonstrates a quality factor of 18,000 at near IR wavelengths and maintains the high quality factor even after a high dose of gamma irradiation. The effect of gamma irradiation on N-methyaniline chemical sensitivity of the SiC-on-insulator sensor is studied.