Optical characterization of wiregrid micropolarizers designed for infrared imaging polarimetry

We report the optical characterization of a metal wiregrid micropolarizer array for IR imaging polarimetry. The micropolarizers are designed for operation in the 1.5-5.0 mu m band with a specially designed thin SiO2 layer between the silicon substrate and the wiregrids to improve the performance at the shorter wavelengths. Deep-UV projection lithography is used to fabricate 1.40-nm-deep wiregrids with a 400 nm period. The extinction ratio and the transmission coefficient are measured with a tunable IR laser. A TM transmission coefficient greater than 70% with an extinction ratio greater than 104 is achieved for the midwave-IR region while maintaining an extinction ratio better than 102 for the near-IR region above 1.5 mu m. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America.