Rigorous computation and fabrication of 2D-subwavelength resonance structures for photonic applications

The use of metal 2D subwavelength structures (SWS) is a promising solution for all those applications where a selective emission from a thermal source is desirable, e.g. photovoltaic and blackbody emission. The investigation of the SWS' photonic bandgap properties is challenging, especially for the infrared and visible spectrum, where the fabrication difficulties have always represented an obstacle. In this paper, the anodization of aluminum films as a self-assembly method for the SWS fabrication is proposed. A rigorous calculation of 2D-SWS of gold having high absorptivity in the visible and low-absorptivity in the NIR, their fabrication by DC-sputtering deposition through anodic porous alumina templates, and their optical and topographic characterization are presented. In this paper, the anodization of aluminum films as a self-assembly method for the SWS fabrication is proposed.