Zhang Wen-Peng, Li Xiao-Tian, Dai Jin-Hong, Wen Zhong-Quan, Zhou Yi, Chen Gang, Liang Gaofeng
Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology & Systems (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, and College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, People's Republic of China.
Nanotechnology. 2023 Nov 15;35(5). doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/ad0591.
Near-field lithography has evident advantages in fabricating super-resolution nano-patterns. However, the working distance (WD) is limited due to the exponential decay characteristic of the evanescent waves. Here, we proposed a novel photolithography method based on a modified photonic crystal (PC), where a defect layer is embedded into the all-dielectric multilayer structure. It is shown that this design can amend the photonic band gap and enhance the desired high-waves dramatically, then the WD in air conditions could be extended greatly, which would drastically relax the engineering challenges for introducing the near-field lithography into real-world manufacturing applications. Typically, deep subwavelength patterns with a half-pitch of 32 nm (i.e.,/6) could be formed in photoresist layer at an air WD of 100 nm. Moreover, it is revealed that diversified two-dimensional patterns could be produced with a single exposure using linear polarized light. The analyses indicate that this improved dielectric PC is applicable for near-field lithography to produce super-resolution periodic patterns with large WD, strong field intensity, and great uniformity.
近场光刻在制造超分辨率纳米图案方面具有明显优势。然而，由于倏逝波的指数衰减特性，工作距离（WD）受到限制。在此，我们提出了一种基于改进光子晶体（PC）的新型光刻方法，其中在全介质多层结构中嵌入了缺陷层。结果表明，这种设计可以修正光子带隙并显著增强所需的高波，进而在空气条件下可大大扩展工作距离，这将极大地缓解将近场光刻引入实际制造应用中的工程挑战。通常，在光刻胶层中，在100 nm的空气工作距离下可以形成半节距为32 nm（即λ/6）的深亚波长图案。此外，研究表明使用线偏振光单次曝光可以产生多样化的二维图案。分析表明，这种改进的介电光子晶体适用于近场光刻，以产生具有大工作距离、强场强和高均匀性的超分辨率周期性图案。
