Abstract

3D micro/nanofabrication techniques have recently attracted increased attention due to their promise in a wide range of applications including integrated optics, plasmonics, microbiology, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Similar to 3D fabrication at macro scales, 3D micro/nanofabrication generally requires two fundamental approaches: additive and subtractive processes. Although both additive and subtractive micro/nanofabrication methods are established separately, they have been largely isolated and difficult to be integrated due to either material incompatibilities or significant differences in laser processing parameters. Fabricating advanced devices of complex 3D geometries calls for the use of both additive and subtractive processes. In this work, we successfully integrated an additive (TPP) and a subtractive (MPA) process into a single fs laser direct writing system (Photonic Professional, Nanoscribe GmbH) in which process conditions could be precisely controlled. The integrated fabrication method not only inherits the merits of both TPP and MPA such as writing resolution smaller than the diffraction limit and features with sharp and clean edges, but it also offers the possibility to produce novel device structures which are difficult to be fabricated by either TPP or MPA alone.

© 2015 IEEE