Eulitha A.g.

Francis Clube

Harun Solak

Christian Dais

Maxime Lebugle

Li Wang

Andreas Amrein

A method for forming a surface-relief grating with a desired spatial variation of duty cycle in a layer of photoresist includes: providing a first mask bearing a high-resolution grating of linear features, arranging the first mask at a first distance from a substrate, providing a second mask bearing a variable-transmission grating of opaque and transparent linear features that has a designed spatial variation of duty cycle, arranging the second mask at a distance before the first mask such that the linear features of the variable-transmission grating are orthogonal to the linear features of the high-resolution grating, illuminating the second mask while varying the first distance according to displacement Talbot lithography and also displacing the second mask at an angle to its linear features such that there is substantially no component of modulation with the period of the variable-transmission grating in the energy density distribution that exposes the photoresist.

Method and apparatus for printing a periodic pattern with a varying duty cycle

A method for printing a periodic pattern of linear features into a photosensitive layer which includes providing a mask bearing a pattern of linear features, arranging the substrate parallel to the mask, generating an elongated beam for illuminating the mask with a range of angles of incidence in a plane parallel to the linear features and with a uniform power per incremental distance along the length of the beam except at its ends where the power per incremental distance falls to zero according to first and second profiles over a fall-off distance, and scanning the beam in first and second sub-exposures to print first and second parts of the desired pattern such that the first and second parts overlap by the fall-off distance. The first and second profiles are selected so that their summation across the fall-off distance produces a uniform power per incremental distance.

Methods and systems for printing large periodic patterns by overlapping exposure fields

A method for printing a desired periodic pattern into a photosensitive layer on a substrate includes providing a mask bearing a periodic pattern whose period is a multiple of that of the desired pattern. The substrate is disposed in proximity to the mask, at least one beam is provided for illuminating the mask pattern to generate a transmitted light-field described by a Talbot distance. The layer is exposed to time-integrated intensity distributions in a number of sub-exposures by illuminating the mask pattern with the at least one beam while changing the separation between substrate and mask by at least a certain fraction of, but less than, the Talbot distance. The illumination or the substrate is configured relative to the mask for the different sub-exposures so that the layer is exposed to the same time-integrated intensity distributions that are mutually laterally offset by a certain distance and in a certain direction.

Methods and systems for printing arrays of features

A method forms a pattern of metallic nanofeatures that generates by plasmonic resonance a desired image having a distribution of colors. The method includes providing a substrate having a layer of photosensitive material, exposing the layer to a high-resolution periodic pattern of dose distribution, and determining a low-resolution pattern of dose distribution such that the sum of the low-resolution pattern and the high-resolution periodic pattern of dose distribution is suitable for forming the pattern of metallic nanofeatures. The lateral dimensions of the metallic nano-features have a spatial variation across the pattern that corresponds to the distribution of colors in the desired image. The layer of photosensitive material is exposed to the low-resolution pattern of dose distribution. The layer of photosensitive material is developed to produce a pattern of nanostructures in the developed photosensitive material. The pattern of nanostructures is processed so that the pattern of metallic nanofeatures is formed.

Method for printing colour images

A method for printing a periodic pattern of features into a photosensitive layer includes providing a mask bearing a periodic pattern, providing a substrate bearing the photosensitive layer, and arranging the substrate substantially parallel to the mask. A beam of collimated monochromatic light is formed for illuminating the mask pattern so that the light-field transmitted by the mask forms Talbot image planes separated by a Talbot distance. N sub-exposures of the mask with the beam are performed and the separation between sub-exposures are changed so that the relative separation during the ith sub-exposure with respect to that during the first sub-exposure is given by (m+n/N) times the Talbot distance. The mask pattern is exposed to the same energy density of illumination for each sub-exposure, wherein the period is selected in relation to the wavelength so that only the zeroth and first diffraction orders are transmitted by the mask.

Methods and systems for printing periodic patterns

A method for printing a desired periodic pattern includes providing a mask bearing a pattern of features having a period, providing a substrate bearing a photosensitive layer, arranging the substrate with a separation from the mask, generating collimated light with a wavelength and an intensity, at least the former of which may be temporally varied to deliver a spectral distribution of energy density, illuminating the mask pattern with the light while varying at least its wavelength so as to deliver a spectral distribution of energy density, such that the light-field transmitted by the mask is instantaneously composed of a range of transversal intensity distributions between Talbot planes. The layer is exposed to a time-integrated intensity distribution that prints the desired pattern. The separation, spectral distribution and period are arranged so that the time-integrated intensity distribution corresponds to an average of the range of transversal intensity distributions.

Method and system for printing high-resolution periodic patterns

A method and an apparatus print a pattern of periodic features into a photosensitive layer. The methods includes the steps of: providing a substrate bearing the layer, providing a mask, arranging the substrate such that the mask has a tilt angle with respect to the substrate in a first plane orthogonal thereto, and providing collimated light for illuminating the mask pattern so as to generate a transmitted light-field composed of a range of transversal intensity distributions between Talbot planes separated by a Talbot distance so that the transmitted light-field has an intensity envelope in the first plane. The mask is illuminated with the light while displacing the substrate relative to the mask in a direction parallel to the first plane and to the substrate. The tilt angle and the intensity envelope are arranged so that the layer is exposed to an average of the range of transversal intensity distributions.

System and method for production of nanostructures over large areas

A lithographic method related to Talbot imaging for printing a desired pattern of features that is periodic or quasi-periodic in at least one direction onto a substrate surface, which method includes providing a mask bearing a pattern of mask features, arranging the substrate parallel and in proximity to the mask, providing an illumination source having a central wavelength and a spectral bandwidth, forming from said source an illumination beam with an angular distribution of intensity, arranging the distance of the substrate from the mask and exposing the mask pattern to said beam so that each angular component of illumination exposes the substrate to substantially the entire range of lateral intensity distributions that occur between successive Talbot image planes for the illumination wavelengths, wherein the angular distribution of the beam is designed in conjunction with the pattern of features in the mask and the distance of the substrate from the mask.

Lithographic fabrication of general periodic structures by exposing a photosensitive layer to a range of lateral intensity distributions

A method for printing a periodic pattern having a first symmetry and a first period into a photosensitive layer. The method includes providing a mask bearing a pattern of at least two overlapping sub-patterns which have a second symmetry and a second period, the features of each sub-pattern being formed in a transmissive material, providing a substrate bearing the layer, arranging the mask with a separation from the substrate, providing light having a central wavelength for illuminating the mask to generate a light-field in which light of the central wavelength forms a range of intensity distributions between Talbot planes, illuminating said mask pattern with said light while maintaining the separation or changing it by a distance whereby the photosensitive layer is exposed to an average of the range of intensity distributions, wherein the light transmitted by each sub-pattern is shifted in phase relative to that transmitted by another sub-pattern.

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Windisch, Switzerland

Francis Clube