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Updated: Mar 17, 2026
Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
Large area and deep sub-wavelength interference lithography employing odd surface plasmon modes.
Liqin Liu1, Yunfei Luo1, Zeyu Zhao1
1State Key Laboratory of Optical Technologies on Nano-Fabrication and Micro-Engineering, Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Science, P.O. Box 350, Chengdu 610209, China.
Researchers created large-scale, high-resolution sub-wavelength interference patterns using odd surface plasmon modes. This cost-effective method achieves 45nm half-pitch resolution without expensive nanofabrication tools.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics
- Nanofabrication
- Optics
Background:
- Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) enable sub-wavelength optical phenomena.
- Metal/insulator/metal (MIM) structures support plasmon modes with unique electromagnetic properties.
- Achieving large-area, high-resolution interference patterns is crucial for advanced nanolithography.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally realize large-area, deep sub-wavelength interference patterns.
- To investigate the role of odd surface plasmon modes in achieving high-resolution interference.
- To demonstrate a cost-effective method for nanoscale fabrication.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing odd surface plasmon modes in a metal/insulator/metal (MIM) structure.
- Employing laser interference lithography to fabricate an exciting grating with 180nm pitch.
- Using aluminum (Al) films and photoresist (PR) for interference pattern generation.
Main Results:
- Achieved interference resist patterns with 45nm half-pitch (λ/8) and 50nm depth over a 20mm x 20mm area.
- Demonstrated higher transversal wave vector and inhibition of tangential electric field components for odd modes.
- Showcased feasibility of achieving resolutions down to 19.5nm by adjusting photoresist thickness.
Conclusions:
- Odd surface plasmon modes in MIM structures facilitate high-resolution, high-contrast interference patterns.
- The developed method offers a cost-effective alternative to electron beam lithography (EBL) and focused ion beam (FIB) for large-area nanoscale fabrication.
- This technique holds potential for scalable nanolithography applications.
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