Tuning Metasurface Dimensions by Soft Nanoimprint Lithography and Reactive Ion Etching

Abstract

Metasurfaces are ultrathin and flat layers of subwavelength nanostructures composed of metallic or high‐refractive‐index materials. They can alter lightwave properties effectively and show significant application potential in various nanophotonic technologies. The subwavelength meta‐atoms are generally carved by electron beam lithography or focused ion beam. It is challenging to produce large‐scale metasurface devices at low cost. Herein, the fabrication of low‐cost and large‐area plasmonic and dielectric metasurfaces through a combination of soft nanoimprint lithography and reactive ion etching is reported and the dimension of meta‐atoms by controlling the etching condition carefully and implementing an iterative imprint and etch process is tuned. Such an approach is effective to alter the metasurface resonances and reproduce new structures with minimum cost for wafer‐scale nanophotonics.

Keywords

• metasurfaces
• nanophotonics
• plasmonics
• reactive ion etching
• soft nanoimprint lithography