Pattern-integrated interference lithography: Vector modeling and 1D, 2D, and 3D device structures

Abstract

Multibeam interference lithography (MBIL) represents a versatile, wafer-scale, rapid, and cost-effective fabrication technique for periodic-based microstructures. However, integrating arbitrary and nonperiodic functional elements within an MBIL-defined lattice typically requires an additional time-consuming step. To address this issue, the authors recently introduced pattern-integrated interference lithography (PIIL) that couples MBIL and imaging lithography simultaneously. In this work, the authors present a comprehensive multibeam high-numerical-aperture (NA) vector volume interference/image model for PIIL. This model accounts for the vector nature of light in a high-NA PIIL implementation, the beam propagation within a photoresist film, and the influence of the beam amplitudes and polarizations on the interference pattern. Using this model, PIIL capabilities are illustrated through examples of pattern-integrated one-, two-, and three-dimensional periodic microstructures.