Nanoimprint Lithography can be a cost-effective way for fast and accurate replication of nanostructures. Quality and high repeatability are key factors for the technique to be cost effective in the end. In-wafer and wafer-to-wafer variations of the imprinted nanostructures should be minimal while the stamp life should be as long as possible without compromising on quality.
SCIL uses an inorganic sol-gel based resist that is not susceptible to aging and shows low to no haze with only little shrinkage after curing. Furthermore the resist doesn’t require heating or UV light for curing which is very beneficial for quality and repeatability which allows for a superior overlay alignment accuracy. Because of the technique used in combination with the resist and stamp materials it is also possible to directly imprint functional materials without the need of transfer etching into a substrate.
SCIL Nanoimprint solutions not only provides machines and materials but provides a complete solution. With her own application lab and 2 high-volume production machines SCIL helps to optimize the processes from proof of concept up to pilot and high-volume production.
Meta-optic commercialization and manufacturing readiness is an important topic as optics designers begin evaluating meta-surfaces into optics modules. Moxtek has established a volume production line for visible and NIR wavelength meta-optics with a manufacturing readiness level 8. This provides a unique environment to evaluate the uniformity and capabilities of meta-optic manufacturing techniques. With a statistically significant dataset, mild variations in design concept and lens characteristics can be easily highlighted. We will present baseline MTF and efficiency data related to a variety of metalens characteristics. The goal is to highlight unique meta-optic characteristics that impact performance in volume production. Moxtek has manufactured and characterized metalenses in a wide range of wavelengths, lens diameter, and focal lengths.
Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a technology that can deliver cost effective fabrication of patterns from 10’s of microns, down to sub-micron and nano-patterns (<10 nm) on large areas. Currently two application areas are of great interest for NIL. Accurate wafer scale overlay alignment and the reproducibility in replicating patterns with less than 1nm variation on their absolute size. This is important for nanophotonic applications such as augmented reality and metalenses. . In this contribution, we will show advanced overlay data on 200 and 300 mm wafers. A novel high contrast alignment marker set was developed and used to automatically inspect up to 70.000 cross-in-box overlay markers on a 300 mm wafer. The markers are designed to have a high contrast which enables a robust automatic pattern recognition and a ~100 nm measurement accuracy.A 200mm wafer with metalenses and blazed grating metasurface, designed at 532nm wavelength, is used to validate the sensitivity of scatterometry on the imprint mask. These metalenses are produced by imprinting a silica NanoGlass etch mask and subsequent ICP/RIE transfer etch in a niobium-pentoxide layer of 800 nm thickness.
Moxtek has attained the required feature fidelity for visible wavelength metalenses through e-beam lithography based mastering for a Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) and Nb2O5 etching based manufacturing process. An overcoat is also added to the metalenses, which boosts performance and protects against handling damage. Metalens and associated test structure metrology results including MTF, veiling glare, and efficiency will be presented for various designs spanning the visible wavelength range with NA’s varying from 0.02 to 0.71. Collectively, Moxtek has demonstrated volume manufacturing of metalenses for the visible regime, which was made possible by high precision NIL and Etch processes.
Meta-optics have been gaining momentum in the last few years. The meta-atoms for IR range applications are large enough and can be patterned by traditional semiconductor lithography. Making meta-optics in the visible range of 400 to 600nm, the meta-atom structures become too small and the optical lithography falls short. Moxtek has established a manufacturing line enabled by nanoimprint lithography (NIL) that can pattern and build visible range meta-optics. This process has shown proven total efficiency greater than 90% at 532nm wavelength on a baseline over multiple lots. This data set for visible meta-optics, confirms that volume manufacturing of visible wavelength metalens is possible and the patterning barrier has been removed.
AR/VR headsets operating in visible wavelengths require extremely compact and lightweight optics to allow for all day wearable comfort and functionality. This means that visible metalenses would be ideal for this application. Visible metalenses have not been available for volume production until now.
With proven visible metalens production the adaptation into applications such as AR/VR are the next step. At Moxtek, we have an established baseline visible meta-optic process line that provides greater than 90% total efficiency on a lot to lot average.
Moxtek is uniquely positioned to support application development with design validation and production ready nanoimprint masters all processed on high volume tool sets.
Meta-optics have been built in lab settings for years but not on a commercially viable scale. Using electron beam lithography works well in the lab, but this is not an option for volume manufacturing. Patterning subwavelength meta-atom for visible has been just beyond the capabilities of the high-volume deep UV lithography. Due to this patterning barrier, entry into visible meta-optic volume manufacturing has not yet been possible. Moxtek has overcome this barrier and established a volume process line for visible meta-optics utilizing nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Process stability data to qualify the process line for visible meta-optics, confirms that volume manufacturing of metalenses is possible and the patterning barrier has been removed.
Building visible wavelength metalenses presents significant challenges for nanofabrication due to the high aspect ratio features and tight tolerances required for good performance. The requisite phase profiles often impart dramatic changes in nanostructure fill fraction, which are challenging to pattern via optical lithography. One metasurface of interest is a spatially-varying array of nanopillars ranging in diameter from 70nm - 180nm, with gaps between pillars ranging from 180nm - 70nm. To manufacture this and other metastructured devices in volume, Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) becomes a key enabling technology due to its demonstrated scalability and ability to reliably replicate nanostructures with extremely tight tolerances, even with variations in local spacing.
Another requirement for building metasurfaces for visible light applications, is the ability to pattern full wafers with good repeatability in high volume. Moxtek has therefore set up a 200 mm diameter manufacturing demonstration, where high aspect ratio nanopillars of varying diameter are etched from high refractive index material in order to make visible wavelength metalenses. In this work, metalenses designed for green light were fabricated with both a square grid arrangement and with a radially periodic arrangement. The metalenses were also given a protective coating and the focusing performance was characterized. The manufacturing process evaluation has three key components: 1) characterize the processing bias (from design dimensions to final nanostructure dimensions) at various stages; 2) monitor process stability and repeatability using metrology test devices distributed over the wafer; 3) characterize and verify functioning optical devices. Collectively, we have demonstrated volume manufacturing of metalenses for the visible regime, which was made possible by high precision NIL and Etch processes.
Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) has demonstrated its value in manufacturing nanostructures with extremely tight tolerances for the optics industry. Doing NIL process on single samples in the lab has been displayed for a long time in industry and academia. Scaling up from one good sample to full wafer and wafer to wafer uniformity for many wafers in a row, has some obstacles to overcome. In this paper, we discuss the process repeatability of manufacturing nanostructures starting from basic line/space through various other periodic and meta structures. Demonstrating the manufacturing capability using NIL for pattering also includes the other related process steps such as thin films and etching. We discuss key metrology, process control characterization, and process stability which include thin film RI uniformity, master to print replication uniformity, and post etch structural critical dimensions uniformity (CDU). Our NIL process has achieved 1.0nm σ on line widths at 45nm. This precision of replication includes all variation introduced from multiple stamps, wafer to wafer prints, and multiple sites within the wafer. This level of process control at the masking layer needs to be maintained for the finished structure.
We propose a methodology for the mathematical and quantitative characterization of the deviation of rough line/space patterns from their ideal smooth shape to identify defects related to line mass and shape. The methodology is applied in real AFM images of line/space patterns while a modelling framework is elaborated for the generation of rough line/space patterns with controlled top and sidewall roughness and size variations. We also explore the consequences of the proposed methodology in the metrology of LER and its relation to 3D patterns.
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