Complete three-dimensional band gap in macroporous silicon photonic crystals

The prospect of obtaining a complete three-dimensional band gap in macroporous silicon photonic crystals is investigated theoretically. Band structure calculations indicate that a modified form of the simple cubic lattice of air spheres in silicon exhibits a complete band gap, with a bandwidth of up to 4%. It is further shown that this quasispherical crystal may be fabricated using standard etching procedures. These results provide a practical route to obtaining large-scale, high-quality, silicon photonic crystals with a complete band gap. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.