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Metasurfaces with Freely Varying Height in the Visible Using Grayscale Lithography
Daniel N Shanks1, Tobias Wenger1, Richard E Muller1
1Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, United States.
Nano Letters
|September 11, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a new fabrication method for dielectric metasurfaces, enabling precise control over feature heights. This advancement allows for independent tuning of phase and dispersion, crucial for advanced optical applications.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Metasurfaces offer advantages over conventional optics but are typically limited to uniform feature heights.
- Conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques restrict the design freedom of metasurfaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a fabrication method for creating dielectric metasurfaces with varying feature heights.
- To demonstrate enhanced control over phase and dispersion in metasurfaces operating at visible wavelengths.
Main Methods:
- Integration of grayscale electron-beam lithography into an atomic layer deposition (ALD)-damascene process.
- Fabrication of dielectric metasurfaces with precisely controlled, varying feature heights.
Main Results:
- Achieved independent control over the phase and dispersion of metasurfaces.
- Observed quasi-periodic oscillations in phase and dispersion due to electric field interactions.
- Demonstrated the utility of height control for tailoring metasurface properties.
Conclusions:
- The novel fabrication technique overcomes limitations of conventional methods for metasurface manufacturing.
- Enhanced control of metasurface properties is beneficial for broadband applications, including retardance correction in telescopes.
