Optical proximity correction (OPC) in near-field lithography with pixel-based field sectioning time modulation

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Optics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Near-field lithography enables subwavelength feature fabrication.
• Plasmonic ridge nanoapertures generate complex, non-propagating near-field spots.
• Field asymmetry and decay characteristics impact pattern fidelity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the point spread function (PSF) of plasmonic ridge nanoapertures.
• To develop an optical proximity correction (OPC) method for near-field lithography.
• To enhance pattern fidelity for arbitrary subwavelength patterns.

Main Methods:

• Pixel-based optical proximity correction (OPC) to simplify field distribution.
• Formulation of field-sectioning structures using time-modulation and transient PSF convolutions.
• Analysis of pattern geometry and field decay directionality for OPC.

Main Results:

• Improved sharpness of corners and edges in fabricated patterns.
• Reduced line shortening effects in subwavelength features.
• Enhanced pattern fidelity for diverse and complex designs.

Conclusions:

• The proposed OPC method effectively compensates for near-field distortions.
• This approach offers a viable strategy for high-resolution patterning in near-field lithography.
• Optimized pattern design considering field decay improves lithographic outcomes.