Apparatus and methods for nanolithography using nanoscale optics

• US 20070105240A1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trustees of Boston College (Boston College)
• Original Assignee: Trustees of Boston College (Boston College)
• Inventors: Naughton, Michael, Kempa, Krzysztof, Ren, Zhifeng, Rybczynski, Jakub
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/3
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/22 Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2207/101 Nanooptics
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70275 Multiple projection paths, e.g. array of projection systems, microlens projection systems or tandem projection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70308 Optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for manipulating imaging light, e.g. intensity, wavelength, polarisation, phase or image shift
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70325 Resolution enhancement techniques not otherwise provided for, e.g. darkfield imaging, interfering beams, spatial frequency multiplication, nearfield lenses or solid immersion lenses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/902 Nonbundle fiberscope devices

Abstract

An apparatus and methods for nanolithography using nanoscale optics are disclosed herein. Submicron-scale structures may be obtained using standard photolithography systems with a de-magnifying lens. A de-magnifying lens for use in a standard photolithography system includes a film having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of cylindrical channels containing a dielectric material; and an array of carbon nanotubes penetrating the film through the plurality of cylindrical channels, wherein an image on the top surface of the film is converted into a de-magnified image on the bottom surface of the film by the carbon nanotubes.

Claims

1. A de-magnifying lens for use in a standard photolithography system comprising:

a film having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of cylindrical channels containing a dielectric material; and

an array of carbon nanotubes penetrating and converging through the film through the plurality of cylindrical channels,

wherein an image on the top surface of the film is converted into a de-magnified image on the bottom surface of the film by the carbon nanotubes.

2. The de-magnifying lens of claim 1 wherein each carbon nanotube has a portion that extends beyond the top surface of the film, a portion that is embedded within the film, and a portion that extends beyond the bottom surface of the film.

3. The de-magnifying lens of claim 2 wherein the portion that extends beyond the top surface of the film and the bottom surface of the film act as nano-optical antennas for receiving, transmitting, and re-emitting an optical signal.

4. The de-magnifying lens of claim 3 wherein the nano-optical antenna on the top surface of the film compresses the optical signal into nanoscopic dimensions.

5. The de-magnifying lens of claim 3 wherein the portion that is embedded within the film acts as a nano-coaxial transmission line and converts energy trapped in currents along the nano-optical antenna on the top surface of the film into a manageable signal and allows for propagation of the optical signal with a wavelength exceeding a perpendicular dimension of the carbon nanotube through the nano-coaxial transmission line.

6. The de-magnifying lens of claim 1 wherein each carbon nanotube connects a light-receiving pixel on the top surface of the film with a light-emitting pixel on the bottom surface of the film.

7. The de-magnifying lens of claim 6 wherein light from an optical signal is collected by the receiving pixel on the top surface of the film which excites the nano-optical antenna on the top surface of the film to transmit the light through the nano-coaxial transmission line to the nano-optical antenna on the bottom surface of the film and re-emit the light into the light-emitting pixel.

8. The de-magnifying lens of claim 6 wherein the light-receiving pixels on the top surface of the film are directly mapped to the light-emitting pixels on the bottom surface of the film by direct wiring through the nano-coaxial transmission lines.

9. The de-magnifying lens of claim 6 wherein the light-receiving pixels on the top surface of the film are indirectly mapped to the light-emitting pixels on the bottom surface of the film by scrambled wiring through the nano-coaxial transmission lines.

10. A nanolithography apparatus comprising:

a metallic film having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of cylindrical channels containing a dielectric material; and

an array of nanorods penetrating the metallic film through the plurality of cylindrical channels, the array of nanorods having a protruding portion that extends beyond a surface of the metallic film and an embedded portion that is within the metallic film.

11. The nanolithography apparatus of claim 10 wherein the protruding portion acts as a nano-optical antenna for receiving and transmitting an electromagnetic radiation at a visible frequency.

12. The nanolithography apparatus of claim 11 wherein the nano-optical antenna compresses light into nanoscopic dimensions.

13. The nanolithography apparatus of claim 10 wherein the embedded portion acts as a nano-coaxial transmission line (CTL) for propagation of external radiation with a wavelength exceeding the perpendicular dimension of the nanorod.

14. A method for obtaining a de-magnified image comprising:

coating the surface of a substrate base with a photoresist material;

focusing an optical signal through a system of lenses onto a photomask that contains a projected image;

passing the optical signal through the photomask; and

focusing the optical signal through a de-magnifying lens, the de-magnifying lens comprising a film having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of cylindrical channels containing a dielectric material and an array of carbon nanotubes penetrating and converging through the film through the plurality of cylindrical channels,

wherein an image on the top surface of the film is converted into a de-magnified image on the bottom surface of the film by the carbon nanotubes.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein each carbon nanotube has a portion that extends beyond the top surface of the film, a portion that is embedded within the film, and a portion that extends beyond the bottom surface of the film.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the portion that extends beyond the top surface of the film and the bottom surface of the film act as nano-optical antennas for receiving, transmitting, and re-emitting an optical signal.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the nano-optical antenna on the top surface of the film compresses the optical signal into nanoscopic dimensions.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the portion that is embedded within the film acts as a nano-coaxial transmission line and converts energy trapped in currents along the nano-optical antenna on the top surface of the film into a manageable signal and allows for propagation of the optical signal with a wavelength exceeding a perpendicular dimension of the carbon nanotube through the nano-coaxial transmission line.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein each carbon nanotube connects a light-receiving pixel on the top surface of the film with a light-emitting pixel on the bottom surface of the film.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein light from an optical signal is collected by the receiving pixel on the top surface of the film which excites the nano-optical antenna on the top surface of the film to transmit the light through the nano-coaxial transmission line to the nano-optical antenna on the bottom surface of the film and re-emit the light into the light-emitting pixel.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the light-receiving pixels on the top surface of the film are directly mapped to the light-emitting pixels on the bottom surface of the film by direct wiring through the nano-coaxial transmission lines.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the light-receiving pixels on the top surface of the film are indirectly mapped to the light-emitting pixels on the bottom surface of the film by scrambled wiring through the nano-coaxial transmission lines.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein the de-magnifying lens design assures a geometrical convergence of the nano-coaxial transmission lines on the bottom surface of the film such that an inter-pixel separation l, on the bottom surface of the film is smaller than the inter-pixel separation L on the top surface of the film.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein the de-magnified image created is a sub-micron scale.