Autocloning Method Introduction

1. What is Autocloning?

The corrugated multilayer film is the basic structure of the Autocloned photonic crystal. It is fabricated by sputterring onto a preprepared substrate with a corrugated surface. This corrugated shape is the source of the unique optical properties which cannot be obtained by conventional multilayer films.
During the process of deposition the shape of subsequent layers gradually becomes smooth and the sharp discontinuities of the substrate disappear because of the sputtering deposition process. This deposition technology is known as the Autocloning Technology.

The triangular corrugation tends to be rounded by the process of deposition. When this is allowed to progress the surface ultimately becomes smooth.
To counterbalance this smoothing the surface is etched, as the etching rate of a diagonal surface of 45 degrees is highest, the surface modulation stablizes at 45 degrees.
It is possible to accumulate, by combining the effects of deposition and etching, hundreds of layers maintaining the same triangular wave shape.

Our company has covering patents concerning the design, fabrication, and applications of photonic crystal fabricated by the autocloning method. At the time of writing the number of domestic and foreign patent applications is 71.