Fabrication of high aspect ratio and tilted nanostructures using extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray interference lithography

Abstract

We demonstrate the fabrication of metal and dielectric nanostructures using interference lithography with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft x-ray synchrotron radiation down to a 2.5 nm wavelength. These specific wavelengths are chosen because of the industrial relevance for EUV lithography and because they are in the vicinity of the oxygen absorption edge of the high-resolution hydrogen silsesquioxane photoresist, allowing for the exposure of thick layers. We investigate the requirements to fabricate such structures and demonstrate that tall metal nanostructures with aspect ratios up to 7 could be achieved by EUV interference lithography and subsequent electroplating. We use the unique depth-of-focus-free property of interference and achromatic Talbot lithography to fabricate uniformly tilted dielectric nanostructures.