Development of broadband X-ray interference lithography large area exposure system

Area of Science:

• Nanofabrication and Lithography
• Synchrotron Radiation Applications
• Materials Science and Engineering

Background:

• Multi-beam X-ray interference lithography (XIL) is limited by small single-exposure patterned areas (around 10^2 x 10^2 μm^2).
• Stitching these small areas into larger ones is challenging due to the presence of 0th diffraction exposure areas surrounding the main pattern.
• Existing XIL systems struggle to create large-area, high-resolution patterns efficiently.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel large-area exposure technology for X-ray interference lithography (XIL).
• To overcome the stitching limitations imposed by 0th diffraction beams in XIL.
• To enable the fabrication of centimeter-scale patterned areas using XIL.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an order-sorting aperture within the XIL system at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
• Integration of a new in situ monitoring scheme for precise control.
• Precise blocking of 0th diffraction beams to facilitate seamless stitching.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated a new XIL technology capable of precise 0th diffraction beam blocking.
• Achieved stitching of patterned areas to several square centimeters and potentially larger.
• Overcame the inherent limitations of small exposure fields in conventional XIL.

Conclusions:

• The developed large-area exposure technology significantly advances XIL capabilities.
• This method allows for the efficient fabrication of large-scale nanostructures and devices.
• The technology paves the way for new applications requiring large-area, high-resolution patterning.