Table top EUV holography: a new approach for versatile nanolithography

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)资助的。这项研究的目的是展示一种新的桌面光刻方案，能够打印出亚50 nm的特征。该方法基于投影全息光刻，由印刷光刻胶和计算机设计的数字全息掩模的再现图像组成。照明光源是高度相干的台式极端紫外线(EUV)激光器。该项目意义重大，因为它承诺实现纳米级分辨率的纳米图案化方案，从而将激光制造扩展到大型同步加速器设施到目前为止才能获得的波长。全息投影光刻方法将允许在几秒钟内打印具有任意动机的图案。由于图案的最小特征主要由照明波长决定，本项目中使用的台面EUV激光器的照明波长范围为47到13 nm，因此该方案承诺的书写分辨率为几十纳米。该项目将通过培养结合光学工程和计量学、激光设计和材料科学的创新技术的研究生，在教育中产生更广泛的影响。这项拟议的研究还将通过每年在CSU组织的暑期实习为本科生提供令人兴奋的学习机会。拟议的纳米技术计划的实施将影响纳米科学和技术的其他领域，包括纳米结构材料、纳米光子学、等离子体结构等的发展。它承诺实现一种桌面图案制作工具，该工具具有与大型同步加速器设备类似的功能，可以在小型实验室环境中与其他加工工具集成。

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)." The objective of this research is to demonstrate a new table top photolithography scheme capable to print sub-50 nm features. The approach is based on projection holographic lithography, consisting of printing photoresist with the reconstructed image of a computer-designed digital holographic mask. The illumination source is a highly coherent table-top extreme ultraviolet (EUV) laser.The project is significant as it promises to realize a nano-patterning scheme with nano-scale resolution thereby extending laser manufacturing to wavelengths only available until now at large synchrotron facilities. The holography projection lithography approach will allow printing in a matter of seconds patterns with arbitrary motives. Since the pattern smallest feature is mainly determined by the wavelength of the illumination, which for the table top EUV lasers used in this project ranges from 47 to 13 nm, the proposed scheme promises writing resolution in the few tens of nanometers.This project will have a broader impact in education through the training of graduate students in an innovative technology that combines optical engineering and metrology, laser design and material science. The proposed research also will provide exciting learning opportunities for undergraduate students through summer internships organized every year in CSU. The implementation of the proposed nanopatterning scheme will impact other areas of nanoscience and technology, including the development on nano-structured materials, nano-photonics, plasmonic structures, etc.. It promises the realization of a table-top patterning tool with similar capabilities as large synchrotron facilities that could be integrated with other processing tools in a small laboratory environment.