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Photoplastic near‐field optical probe with sub‐100 nm aperture made by replication from a nanomould
Author(s) -
Kim G. M.,
Kim B. J.,
Ten Have E. S.,
Segerink F.,
Van Hulst N. F.,
Brugger J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2818.2003.01134.x
Subject(s) - microfabrication , materials science , fabrication , wafer , microelectromechanical systems , silicon , nanoscopic scale , nanotechnology , surface micromachining , lithography , optoelectronics , aperture (computer memory) , nanostructure , optics , medicine , alternative medicine , physics , pathology , acoustics
Summary Polymers have the ability to conform to surface contours down to a few nanometres. We studied the filling of transparent epoxy‐type EPON SU‐8 into nanoscale apertures made in a thin metal film as a new method for polymer/metal near‐field optical structures. Mould replica processes combining silicon micromachining with the photo‐curable SU‐8 offer great potential for low‐cost nanostructure fabrication. In addition to offering a route for mass production, the transparent pyramidal probes are expected to improve light transmission thanks to a wider geometry near the aperture. By combining silicon MEMS, mould geometry tuning by oxidation, anti‐adhesion coating by self‐assembled monolayer and mechanical release steps, we propose an advanced method for near‐field optical probe fabrication. The major improvement is the possibility to fabricate nanoscale apertures directly on wafer scale during the microfabrication process and not on free‐standing tips. Optical measurements were performed with the fabricated probes. The full width half maximum after a Gaussian fit of the intensity profile indicates a lateral optical resolution of ≈ 60 nm.