Fabrication of Diffractive Optical Elements by Near-Field Optical Lithography

9361263目前正在开发几种生产表面浮雕衍射光学器件的方法，包括光刻、单点钻石车削和单点激光写入。所有这些方法都受到可实现的几何形状或最小特征尺寸的限制。为了充分实现衍射光学和亚波长结构表面的商业潜力，有必要创造出由更小特征组成的结构。我们打算利用近场扫描光学光刻技术(NSOL)来制作可以在大数值孔径和短波长下使用的衍射结构。近场扫描可以产生远低于传统投影光刻的结构。为了制造有用的宏观光学器件，有必要提高NSOL的产量和扩大可制造的尺寸。这一能力将有助于推动紫外光光学系统、光学数据存储和亚波长结构光学领域的光学技术。制造纳米结构的能力也将有助于X射线仪器和微机械加工的应用。我们已经确定了在文档安全和极化组件方面的商业应用。***

9361263 Bowen Several methods are currently being developed for the production of surface-relief diffractive optics including photolithography, single-point diamond turning, and single-point laserwriting. All of these methods are limited in either the achievable geometries or minimum feature size. In order to realize the full commercial potential of diffractive optics and subwavelength structured surfaces, it is necessary to create structures that consist of smaller features. We propose to investigate the use of near-field scanning optical lithography (NSOL) for the fabrication of diffractive structures that can be used at high numerical aperture and short wavelengths. Near-field scanning can create structures well below that produced by conventional projection lithography. In order to fabricate useful macroscopic optical devices, it is necessary to increase throughput and extend the manufacturable dimensions of NSOL. This capability will serve to advance optical technology in the areas of UV optical systems, optical data storage and subwavelength structured optics. The ability to fabricate nanometer-sized structures will also be useful for applications in X-ray instruments and micromachining. We have identified commercial applications in document security and polarization components. ***