Abstract

We have proposed an application of evanescent light to one-shot layer-by-layer microstereolithography as an exposure energy [1]. A solid immersion lens (SIL) is used as both a high-power imaging tool and a high-refractive-index material for total internal reflection (TIR) (Fig. 1). Under this condition, evanescent light exposure can be performed when light with an incident angle smaller than that critical angle is blocked from reaching the surface. A vertical process resolution, which directly depend on the vertical localization of the evanescent light itself, is expected as the order of 100 nm. Furthermore, an improvement of lateral process resolution can be also expected due to a high-power imaging of SIL. We have experimentally confirmed that a sub-μm-cured-layer-thickness by evanescent light can be achieved (Fig. 2) [2] and that an evanescent light exposing layer can be laminated for layer-by-layer microstereolithography.

© 2016 Japan Society of Applied Physics, Optical Society of America