Study of Nano-Stereolithography Using Evanescent Light (1st report)

Abstract

Micro-fabrication technologies have recently developed dramatically and fabrication methods have become much-needed with which devices on the order of micrometer can be fabricated precisely. In particular, methods of fabricating MEMS and microscopic optical devices as typified by a photonic crystal are in huge demand. In this study, we propose a novel stereolithography method using evanescent light instead of propagating light to realize a 100-nanometer resolution. With this method, we intend to establish the nano-stereolithography with higher accuracy and flexibility. In the first report, we carry out theoretical and experimental analyses to verify the feasibility of the method. The analyses show that evanescent light energy is sufficient for curing photosensitive resin and that it is possible to fabricate micro three-dimensional objects with a 100-nanometer resolution by laminating resin layers cured by evanescent light exposure.