<title>Electron-radiation-sensitive hybrid sol-gel materials for electron-beam lithography and diffractive optics</title>

Abstract

We present two techniques to use hybrid sol-gel materials for electron-beam lithography and direct writing of surface relief diffractive elements. We are able to obtain direct physical electron beam etching of hybrid sol-gel glass and variable- doses can induce complex multi-phase-level diffractive elements and apodized sol-gel waveguide gratings. We are also able to obtain hybrid so-gel glass formation under the electron radiation, so that material can be used as a negative resist in electron-beam lithography. Both of these techniques are promising for the fabrication of submicron optical components and micromachining tools such as embossing masters for the replication.