Exploring the potential of Multiphoton Laser Ablation Lithography (MP-LAL) as a reliable technique for sub-50nm patterning

In this work, direct-write, high-resolution multiphoton photolithography using doped random methacrylic co-polymer thin films is demonstrated, using a continuous wave ultraviolet (UV) 375 nm diode laser source. The random copolymers are specifically designed for enhancing resolution and addressing issues arising from laser ablation processes, such as the berm-formation around the created holes in the film, which can be accessed by tuning the polymeric material properties including Tg, surface adhesion etc. The methacrylic copolymer is composed of monomers, each of them especially selected to improve individual properties. The material formulations comprise perylene molecules absorbing at the exposure wavelength where the polymeric matrix is transparent. It was found that if the radiation intensity exceeds a certain threshold, the perylene molecules transfer the absorbed light energy to the acrylate polymer matrix leading to polymer degradation and ablation of the exposed areas. The non-linear nature of the light absorption and energy transfer processes resulted in the creation of holes with critical dimensions well below the used wavelength reaching the sub 50 nm domain. Arrays of holes having various dimensions were fabricated in the laser ablation experiments using a directwrite laser system developed specifically for the purposes of this project.