Study of pattern fabrication model using near-field photolithography

This study established a pattern fabrication model for near-field photolithography (NFP) and conducted pattern fabrication and analysis to understand the process of NFP. This study proposed that exposure energy density can accumulate when two exposure beams overlap. We also presented a method to analyze the exposure energy density of patterns and an error function derived from the results of the exposure energy simulation and the maximum exposure energy density. Using the Levenberg-Marquardt method and a reasonable convergence criterion, the exposure interval of two line segments for optimum pattern flatness was obtained. A simulation of the pattern fabrication model showed that when the exposure interval S = 1.66ρ(0) , optimum flatness could be obtained. The results of this study have potential for industrial application in fabrication of micro- and nano-scale channels.