System for creating nanoscale patterns
US9891536B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 12, 2016 |
| Grant date | Feb 13, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 12, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B7/00
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An super-resolution system for nano-patterning is disclosed, comprising an optical printing head that enables a super-resolution lithographic exposures compatible with conventional optical lithographic processes. The super-resolution exposures are carried out using light directed onto a medium using plasmonic structures, and in particular using plasmonic structures using specially designed super-resolution apertures, of which the “bow-tie” and “C-aperture” are examples. These specially designed apertures create small but bright images in the near-field transmission pattern. A printing head comprising an array of these apertures is held in close proximity to a medium for patterning. In some embodiments, a data processing system is provided to re-interpret the data to be patterned into a set of modulation signals used to drive the multiple individual channels and the multiple exposures.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.