Photo-Mask-Based Multi-Beam-Interference Lithography for Wafer-Scale-Integration of Photonic Crystal Devices

目的：传统的光刻技术虽然很发达，但不能一次生成三维结构。然而，这种结构需要实现光子晶体器件，这些器件被设想为产生第一个真正密集的集成光子电路和系统。多束干涉光刻技术（MBIL）是一种很有前途的光子晶体器件制造技术。然而，以目前的形式，MBIL与1)微电子制造或2)多电路元件集成不兼容。本研究的目的是通过开发一种新的光掩膜概念来克服这些缺点，该概念允许在整个晶圆上并行地制造和集成多个优化的光子晶体器件。然而，实现这种制造突破的道路受到目前可用的有限干涉图案设计空间的阻碍。本研究的智力价值在于戏剧性地定义和应用了一套详尽的原始-晶格-矢量方向相等对比的条件，这是第一次显示了可用于正负光阻剂的干涉图案的全部丰富性。这些结果将影响干涉光刻的所有应用，包括本提案的光掩模实现。更广泛的影响使用MBIL生产密集集成光子电路和系统将反过来促进安全（通过传感、不间断通信、控制等）和经济增长（通过系统提供对广泛的商业、医疗、金融、研究和数据库信息的有效交互访问）的发展。

ObjectiveConventional lithographic techniques, though highly developed, cannot produce three-dimensional structures in a single step. However, such structures are needed to implement the photonic crystal devices which are envisioned to produce the first truly dense integrated photonic circuits and systems. Multiple Beam Interference Lithography (MBIL) offers a promising technique for the fabrication of photonic crystal devices. However, MBIL, in its present form, is not compatible with 1) microelectronics manufacturing or with 2) integration of multiple circuit elements. The objective of the present research is to overcome these shortcomings by developing a new photo-mask concept that allows the fabrication and integration of a multiplicity of optimized photonic crystal devices, in parallel, across an entire wafer.Intellectual MeritHowever, the path to achieving such a fabrication breakthrough is impeded by the limited design space for interference patterns that is currently available. The intellectual merit of the present research lies in the dramatic definition and application of an exhaustive set of conditions for primitive-lattice-vector direction equal contrasts, which, for the first time, show the full richness of interference patterns usable with both positive and negative photoresists. These results will affect all applications of interference lithography including the photo-mask implementation of this proposal.Broader ImpactThe use of MBIL to produce dense integrated photonic circuits and systems will, in turn, enable developments in security (through sensing, uninterruptible communications, control, etc.) and in economic growth (through systems that provide efficient interactive access to a broad range of business, medical, financial, research, and data base information.).