Impact of positioning error in double displacement Talbot lithography

"Double" displacement Talbot lithography (D²TL) allows the direct writing of complex periodic patterns, thus removing significant limitations of single exposure displacement Talbot lithography. D²TL is effectively a massively parallel laser writer and can dramatically increase the range of patterns achievable. To improve the robustness and performance of D²TL, for example, to break fundamental optical limits in pitch reduction for advanced materials processing, we have experimentally explored the positioning accuracy of our D²TL platform. We show, via comprehensive image analysis, that the systematic positioning inaccuracies of the D²TL manufacturing platform can be reduced to a negligible level using error compensation. We also demonstrate, through simulating a specific demanding use case, that the residual random error will have an inconsequential effect on the final resist profile. Incorporating our values of the residual error into simulations can inform their fidelity during subsequent experimental realization. Consequently, this paper reveals the viability of the D²TL platform as a low-cost nanolithography tool for mass production of nanophotonic-enhanced devices, plasmonic structures and metamaterials.