Complete three-dimensional photonic bandgap in a simple cubic structure

The creation of a three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystal with simple cubic (sc) symmetry is important for applications in the signal routing and 3D waveguiding of light. With a simple stacking scheme and advanced silicon processing, a 3D sc structure was constructed from a 6-in. silicon wafer. The sc structure is experimentally shown to have a complete 3D photonic bandgap in the infrared wavelength. The finite size effect is also observed, accounting for a larger absolute photonic bandgap. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.