Porous silicon filters for mid- to far-IR range

We present in this paper the development of novel mid-to-far IR filters that are based on porous silicon structures. The diameters of the pores in such filters are by orders of magnitude less than the central wavelength of the transmission band, leading to effective averaging of the porous structure by the light waves. Such filters have a number of important advantages over multilayer interference filters. Since the filters are made from a single material by means of an electrochemical etching process (rather than through deposition), these filters do not exhibit delamination problems and are well suited for operation at extreme temperatures (for example, in the environment of space). Our fabrication technique permits the fabrication of filters up to 200 mm (8 inches) in diameter, suitable for any wavelength from below 1.1 μm to more than 45 μm. The results of experimental testing of such filters are shown to prove the main predictions.