title: Resonant metamaterials for contrast enhancement in optical lithography.
abstract: The transmission through ultra-thin metal films is noticeable and thus limits their potential for the formation of lithographic masks. By sub-wavelength patterning of a metal film with a post structure, a resonant metamaterial is formed, which can effectively suppress the transmission. Measurements as well as calculations identify the width of the metal islands as a critical geometrical feature. Hence, the extraordinarily low transmission effect can be explained by the resonant response of single scatterers known as Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances (LSPR). A potential application of this suppressed transmission effect to thin metal masks in optical lithography is experimentally investigated.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany. sabine.dobmann@mpl.mpg.de
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dobmann
authors.forename: Dzmitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shyroki
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Banzer
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erdmann
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Peschel
mesh_terms: D008027:Light; D008420:Manufactured Materials / Q000032:analysis*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008670:Metals