Abstract
We report results of parallel optical nanolithography using nanoscale bowtie aperture array. These nanoscale bowtie aperture arrays are used to focus a laser beam into multiple nanoscale light spots for parallel nano-lithography. Our work employed a frequency-tripled diode-pumped solid state (DPSS) laser (lambda = 355 nm) and Shipley S1805 photoresist. An interference-based optical alignment system was employed to position the bowtie aperture arrays with the photoresist surface. Nanoscale direct-writing of sub-100nm features in photoresist in parallel is demonstrated.
Highlights
Nano-optics-based lithography has the potential to be a low-cost alternative to other nanofabrication techniques such as e-beam lithography
Many processes have been demonstrated towards this end, including near-field optical microscopy (NSOM)-based nanolithography [1], evanescent near-field optical lithography [2], and surface-plasmon interference nanolithography [3]
The unique property of ridge apertures enabling their application in nanolithography is that these apertures support a propagating TE01 mode when the incident laser light is polarized across the gap
Summary
Nano-optics-based lithography has the potential to be a low-cost alternative to other nanofabrication techniques such as e-beam lithography. The unique property of ridge apertures enabling their application in nanolithography is that these apertures support a propagating TE01 mode when the incident laser light is polarized across the gap The energy of this mode is concentrated in the gap region and a nanoscale light source is produced. The radiation on the exit-plane of these apertures is concentrated to within a small distance, of the order of tens of nanometers from the exit-plane, beyond which the light-spot increases significantly in size and decreases in intensity [6] Using these apertures for nanolithography and nano-patterning necessitates intimate contact between the aperture exit-plane and the photoresist surface or accurate control of the separation distance to within a few nanometers. We present an optical interference-based alignment system to establish intimate contact between an array of apertures and the photoresist surface with minimum friction between the two surfaces, facilitating parallel nano direct-writing
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