FDTD Solutions

Application Examples
Introduction

Outline
Recommended workflow
:
:
:
:
:

Setup and parameterization of simulation

Running and analyzing results
Parameter sweeps and optimization
Convergence testing
Using extra computers to make sweeps and optimizations run
faster

Application examples
: Moth's eye solar cell
: Nanohole array

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Outline
Advanced application examples (Day 2):
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:

Plasmonics
Silicon Photonics (Grating Coupler, Ring Resonator)
Solar Cells
CMOS Image Sensors
Fluorescence Enhancement
Metamaterials
Bandstructure calculations
Nonlinear/Magneto-Optics/Anisotropy
Other requests?

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

FDTD Solutions Workflow

1. Parameterize the model
:
:

Add structures, simulation, sources, monitors

Parameterize where appropriate

2. Check material fits and simulation memory

requirements
3. Run the simulation
4. Analyze and display the results
5. Repeat if necessary
6. Add parameter sweeps and/or optimization
7. Run parameter sweeps and/or optimization
8. Analyze and display the results

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Parameterization of your model

Parameterization is essential for optimization
Designs are often complex 3D structures

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Parameterization of your design

Create your own properties

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Parameterization of your design

Construct the design

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Parameterization of your design

Parameterization can include position of sources and monitors
: Any group can set properties of the children

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Parameterization of your design

Essential for
: Reproducibility
: Easy parameter sweeps
: Optimization

Lumericals hierarchical group layout and script

based parameterization makes almost anything
possible
It is worth the initial investment!

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

FDTD Solutions Workflow

We will go through the recommended workflow
in some advanced examples
: Moth's eye design for Silicon AR on solar cell
: Nanohole array

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Silicon AR
Moth eye structures have been proposed as a
mechanism to reduce reflections from silicon to improve
the efficiency of photovoltaic solar cells
: Chih-Hung Sun et al., Broadband moth-eye antireflection
coatings on silicon, APL 92, 061112 (2008).

We will try to simulate the reflection vs wavelength for

an example structure
: We will then consider where the electromagnetic energy is
absorbed and where the photoelectrons are created

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Silicon AR
Assume a square lattice of parabolic silicon
structures
: Lattice period 500 nm
: Structure height 500 nm

Example files
: silicon_AR.fsp
: silicon_AR.lsf
http://docs.lumerical.com/en/fdtd/silicon_ar_setup.html

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Silicon AR
Physical structures
: Add a Silicon substrate
(x,y) = (0,0)
x span = y span = 4 microns
z min = -2 microns, z max = 0 microns

: Add surface primitive

Set to conic surface model only

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Silicon AR
Surface primitive
: Set Kappa to -1 (parabolic surface)
Note that when Kappa is 0 we have a spherical surface

: Set radius of curvature to 0.05 microns

: Set z min to 0 and z max to 0.5 microns

Use array feature to create square lattice array

: 500nm period
2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Parameterization
Instead of constructing the device by hand we
could create a structure group with the following
parameters
: Pitch
: Radius of curvature
: Height

We could then automatically reconstruct the

device as we make changes
See example in silicon_AR_parameterized.fsp

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Silicon AR
Simulation region
: Geometry
x span = y span = 500nm
z min = -0.2 microns
z max = 0.7 microns

: Boundary conditions
x and y to Periodic
Z to PML

: Simulation time to 200fs

: Mesh accuracy to 1

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Silicon AR
Plane wave source
: Make sure it is large enough (x span and y span)!
: Z position of 600nm
: Wavelength range
350 to 850nm

: Direction to Backward

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Silicon AR
Monitors
: Index monitor in x-y plane
: Movie monitor in y-z plane
Set field component to Electric field intensity

: Point time monitor

: Power monitor named R at z = 0.7 microns
: Power monitor named T at z = 0

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Model parameterization
We could parameterize the model with
: Pitch
: Height
: Radius of curvature

As we adjust the pitch and height

: We set the same properties in the moth eye structure
: We reposition the z max of the simulation to be 200nm above
the surface
: We reposition the source to be 100nm above surface
: We reposition the reflection monitor to be 200nm above the
surface

See examples in silicon_AR_parameterized.fsp

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Silicon AR
Check memory requirements!
Check material fits

Save simulation file under name silicon_AR.fsp

Run simulation
: Diverging simulation?
Reduce dt stability factor to 0.8

: Note when the simulation auto-shutoff occurs

Can we reduce the maximum simulation time for the next
simulation?
2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

10

Silicon AR
Using the GUI, plot
:
:
:
:

Ex vs t from the time monitor

Refractive index vs x,y
Reflection vs wavelength
Transmission vs wavelength
movie_silicon_AR.mpg

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Silicon AR
Scripting analysis
: Run file silicon_AR.lsf

Compare results to a flat Si surface

without the motheye patterning

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

11

Silicon AR
We can look at the distribution of |E|2 at z=0
: Distribution changes with wavelength

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Silicon AR
If we rerun at a mesh accuracy of 2, the results change
a small amount

Mesh accuracy 1

Mesh accuracy 2

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

12

Silicon AR
Mesh accuracy 1

Mesh accuracy 2

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanohole arrays
Nanohole arrays in metallic films can have
: Resonant transmission
: Extremely high local field intensities

We will try to simulate the reflection and transmission vs

wavelength for an example structure
: We will then consider some near field profiles

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

13

Nanohole arrays
Assume a square lattice of nanoholes in a 100nm
thick layer of gold on a glass substrate
:
:
:
:

Lattice period 0.4 mm

Radius 100 nm
Substrate index 1.45
Gold material Au (Gold) CRC

Example files
: nanohole_array.fsp
: nanohole_array.lsf
http://docs.lumerical.com/en/previous_fdtd/sp_nanohole_array.html
2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanohole arrays
Physical structures
: Add a glass substrate

(x,y) = (0,0)
x span = y span = 1 micron
z min = -1 microns, z max = -0.05 microns
Mesh order = 3
Refractive index of 1.45

: Add gold film

(x,y) = (0,0)
x span = y span = 1 microns
z min = -0.05 microns, z max = 0.05 microns
Material = Au (Gold) CRC
Mesh order = 2
Make transparent for easier viewing
2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

14

Nanohole arrays
Add circles
:
:
:
:

Radius = 100 nm
z min = -0.05 microns, z max = 0.05 microns
Mesh order = 1
Material = etch

Use array feature to create square lattice array

: 400 nm period

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanohole arrays
Simulation region
: Geometry
x span = y span = 400 nm
z min = -0.3 microns
z max = 0.3 microns

: Boundary conditions
x and y to Periodic
Z to PML

: Simulation time to 100fs

: Mesh accuracy to 2

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

15

Nanohole arrays
Mesh override region
: Geometry
x span = y span = 200 nm
z min = -0.05 microns
z max = 0.05 microns

: General
dx=dy=dz=10nm

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanohole arrays
Plane wave source
: Make sure it is large enough (x span and y span)!
: Z position of -0.2 microns
: Wavelength range
400 to 750nm

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

16

Nanohole arrays
Monitors
: Index monitor in x-y plane
: Movie monitor in x-z plane
Set field component to Electric field intensity

: Point time monitors

: Power monitor named R, T at z = 0.3 microns
Record ONLY power (reduce fsp file size)

: Profile monitors at z = 60 nm, and in x-z plane, wavelength 675 nm

Names profile_at_675nm_R, profile_at_675nm_T and
profile_at_675nm_xz_plane
Only 1 frequency point

Set global monitor properties

: 100 frequency points
: use linear wavelength spacing

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanohole arrays
Check memory requirements!
Check material fits

Save simulation file under name nanohole_array.fsp

Run simulation
: Note when the simulation auto-shutoff occurs
Does the auto-shutoff occur?
Check time monitors

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

17

Nanohole arrays
Using the GUI, plot
:
:
:
:
:

Ex vs t from the time monitors

Refractive index vs x,y
Reflection vs wavelength
Transmission vs wavelength
|E|2 vs x,y at both sides of metal film

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanohole arrays
Scripting analysis
: Run file nanohole_array.lsf

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

18

Nanohole arrays
We can look at the distribution of |E|2 at the metal film surface at
the resonant wavelength (675nm)

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanohole arrays
We can consider the maximum field enhancement, max(|E|2/|Einc|2)
by looking at the profile in the x-z plane at y=0
: Adjusting the color bar allows us to see the region where a 10x enhancement is
achieved

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

19

Getting Started Examples

Silver nano-wire (2D)
Photonic crystal cavity (3D)
Ring resonator (3D)
Examples files are included with every installation
Detailed instruction are provided in the Getting Started
Guide
: http://www.lumerical.com/fdtd_online_help/ (online)
: FDTD Solutions - Help Menu - Getting Started (PDF)

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Silver nano-wire
Study surface plasmons

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

20

Photonic crystal cavity

Determine resonant
frequencies of PC
cavity
Design optimization

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Ring resonator
Calculate ring
resonator Through
and Drop
frequencies
Parameter sweep

2012 Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

21