Interference pattern generation in evanescent electromagnetic waves for nanoscale lithography using waveguide diffraction gratings

Abstract

The generation of interference patterns of evanescent electromagnetic waves with an essentially subwavelength period using dielectric waveguide diffraction gratings is considered. Using simulations within the framework of the electromagnetic theory, the possibility of obtaining high-quality interference patterns due to enhancement of evanescent diffraction orders under resonance conditions is demonstrated. The contrast of the interference patterns in the case of TE polarisation of the incident wave is close to unity. The field intensity in the near-field interference maxima exceeds the intensity of the incident wave by 25–100 times. The possibility of generation of the interference patterns of evanescent waves corresponding to higher diffraction orders is shown. The use of higher orders reduces the requirements to the fabrication technology and allows generation of interference patterns with a high spatial frequency, using diffraction gratings with a low spatial frequency. Examples of generating interference patters with periods six times smaller than those of the used diffraction gratings are presented.