Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
08:38
Electrospray Deposition of Uniform Thickness Ge23Sb7S70 and As40S60 Chalcogenide Glass Films
Published on: August 19, 2016
Sub-micrometer soft lithography of a bulk chalcogenide glass
Tomas Kohoutek1, Jiri Orava, A Lindsay Greer
1Centre for Materials and Nanotechnologies, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, CS. Legion’s sq. 565, Pardubice 532 10, Czech Republic. tomas.kohoutek@upce.cz
Optics Express
|April 24, 2013
Summary
Researchers developed a cost-effective method to replicate sub-micrometer features onto chalcogenide glass using soft lithography. This technique enables the creation of advanced optical and photonic structures with high precision.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Optics
Background:
- Replicating sub-micrometer features on bulk glasses is challenging.
- Soft lithography offers potential for cost-effective nano-structuring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a time- and cost-effective method for replicating sub-micrometer features onto chalcogenide glass.
- To explore the feasibility of using soft lithography for fabricating optical and photonic elements.
Main Methods:
- Replication of sub-micrometer features using a soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mold.
- Imprinting a periodic array (diffraction grating) onto AsSe(2) bulk glass below its softening point (225°C).
- Characterization of imprinted features including period (625 nm), amplitude (45 nm), and surface roughness (3 nm).
Main Results:
- Successful, time- and cost-effective replication of sub-micrometer features over a large surface area.
- Achieved high-fidelity imprinting of a diffraction grating with specified dimensions.
- Demonstrated good reliability and reproducibility of the soft lithography process on chalcogenide glass.
Conclusions:
- Sub-micrometer soft lithography is a viable technique for fabricating nano-structured chalcogenide glass.
- The method holds promise for creating dispersive optical elements, anti-reflection surfaces, and photonic structures.
- Potential applications include enhanced photonic properties and chemical sensing.
