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Microsphere photolithography (MPL) is an alternative low-cost technique for the large-scale fabrication of periodic structures, such as metasurfaces. This technique utilizes the photonic nanojet generated in the photoresist (PR), by microspheres in near proximity, which are exposed to collimated ultraviolet (UV) flood illumination. In the basic approach, a microsphere array is self-assembled on, or transferred to, the substrate prior to exposure. After exposure, the microspheres are washed away in the development step. The process to recover and clean these microspheres for reuse is complicated. This paper investigates the use of reusable microsphere masks created by fixing the microspheres on a UV transparent support. This is then brought into contact with the photoresist with controlled pressure. There is a trade-off between the quality of the fabricated samples and the wear of the mask determined by the contact pressure. The system is demonstrated using a digital micromirror device (DMD)-based direct-write exposure system to fabricate infrared (IR) metasurfaces. These metasurfaces are characterized and compared to simulation models. Finally, a series of 50 hierarchically patterned IR metasurfaces was fabricated using a single reusable mask. These samples had a <3% coefficient of variance when viewed with a thermal camera. This work shows the potential of mask-based MPL and other contact microlens array-based photolithography techniques for low-cost large-scale fabrication. 

Microsphere photolithography (MPL) has shown promise for the low-cost large-scale manufacturing of infrared (IR) metasurfaces. One challenge of the technique is that the microsphere array needs to be in immediate proximity to the photoresist because of the near-filed effect of the photonic jet. This is typically accomplished by directly transferring the microsphere array onto the photoresist layer. The microspheres are then washed away during the development of the photoresist. While there may be a possibility of recovering, cleaning, and reusing the microspheres, this is not typically done. This work studies the self-assembly of the microspheres on a superstrate which can be reused as a contact mask. The microspheres are fixed to this superstrate to minimize debonding when they are brought into contact with the substrate. IR metasurfaces are fabricated and spectrally characterized. The resonant wavelength of IR metasurfaces is shown to be a good statistical metric for the variation of the patterned surface. The results indicate pressure between the substrate and superstrate is a critical factor in maintaining a minimum gap between the microspheres and photoresist. This work shows a way forward for mask-based microsphere photolithography and provides guidance for future microlens array-based photolithographic techniques.

 

A direct-write configuration of microsphere photolithography (MPL) is investigated for the patterning of IR metasurfaces at large scales. MPL uses a self-assembled hexagonal close-packed array of microspheres as an optical element to generate photonic nanojets within a photoresist layer. The photonic jets can be positioned within the microsphere-defined unit cells by controlling the illumination’s angle of incidence (AOI). This allows the definition of complex antenna elements. A digital micromirror device is used to provide spatial modulation across the microsphere arrays and coordinated with a set of stages providing AOI control. This provides hierarchical patterning at the sub- and super-unit cell levels and is suitable for a range of metasurfaces. The constraints of this approach are analyzed and demonstrated with a polarization-dependent infrared perfect absorber/emitter, which agrees well with modeling.

 

Microsphere photolithography (MPL) is a fabrication technique that combines the ability to self-assemble arrays of microspheres with the ability of a microsphere to focus light to a photonic jet, in order to create highly ordered nanoscale features in photoresist. This paper presents a model of photoresist exposure with the photonic jet, combining a full-wave electromagnetic model of the microsphere/photoresist interaction with the sequential removal of exposed photoresist by the developer. The model is used to predict the dose curves for the MPL process based on the photoresist thickness, illumination conditions, and development time. After experimental validation, the model provides insight into the process including the resolution, sensitivity, and effects of off-normal illumination. This guides the fabrication of sub-100 nm hole/disk arrays using lift-off, and superposition is shown to predict the geometry for split-ring resonators created using multiple exposures. This model will assist synthesizing fabrication parameters to create large area scalable metasurfaces with sensing and energy management applications.