Metamaterials for enhancement of DUV lithography

The unique properties of metamaterials, namely their negative refractive index, permittivity, and permeability, have gained much recent attention. Research into these materials has led to the realization of a host of applications that may be useful to enhance optical nanolithography, such as a high pass pupil filter based on an induced transmission filter design, or an optical superlens. A large selection of materials has been examined both experimentally and theoretically through wavelength to verify their support of surface plasmons, or lack thereof, in the DUV spectrum via the attenuated total reflection (ATR) method using the Kretschmann configuration. At DUV wavelengths, materials that were previously useful at mid-UV and longer wavelengths no longer act as metamaterials. Composites bound between metallic aluminum and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) exhibit metamaterial behavior, as do other materials such as tin and indium. This provides for real opportunities to explore the potential of the use of such materials for image enhancement with easily obtainable materials at desirable lithographic wavelengths.

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