Surface plasmon interference pattern on the surface of a silver-clad planar waveguide as a sub-micron lithography tool

• Published in: Science China. Physics, mechanics & astronomy mechanics & astronomy, 2011-02, Vol.54 (2), p.240-244
• Main Authors: Zhu, QiuXiang, Hu, CanDong, Wang, WenJie, He, Miao, Zhou, Jun, Zhao, LingZhi, Peng, ZhiXiang, Li, ShuTi, Zhu, Ning, Zhang, Yong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astronomy; Classical and Continuum Physics; Finite difference time domain method; Incident light; Interference; Laser beams; Near field optical microscopes; Observations and Techniques; Optical microscopes; Photolithography; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Planar waveguides; Plasmons; Research Paper; Silicon dioxide; Silver; Standing waves; Waveguides; Zirconium dioxide; 亚微米光刻; 干涉条纹; 平面波导; 表面等离子体; 近场光学显微镜; 近场扫描光学显微镜
• ISSN: 1674-7348; 1869-1927
• DOI: 10.1007/s11433-010-4227-3

A new sub-micron photolithography tool has been realized by utilizing the interference of surface plasmon waves（SPWs） on the near surface of a silver（Ag）-clad ultraviolet（UV） planar waveguide.A laser beam with a wavelength of 325 nm was incident into the waveguide core,and suffered a series of total internal reflections on the interfaces between the waveguide core and the cladding layers.The incident light and the reflected light induced two beams of SPWs traveling in contrary directions,which interfered with each other and formed a standing wave as a sub-micron photolithography tool.A near-field scanning optical microscope（NSOM） was employed to measure the intensity distribution of the stationary wave field of the near surface of the Ag layer of the waveguide,anastomosed with theoretical values acquired by use of finite difference time domain（FDTD） simulations.And with this sub-micron photolithography tool a SMG with a period of 79.3 nm,in good agreement with the theoretical value of 80.1 nm,was inscribed on the surface of a self-processing hybrid SiO2/ZrO2 solgel film for the first time.