Surface plasmon interference nanolithography.

A new nanophotolithography technique based on the interference of surface plasmon waves is proposed and demonstrated by using computer simulations. The wavelengths of the surface plasmon waves at metal and dielectric interfaces can reach the nanometer scale while their frequencies remain in the optical range. As a result, the resolution of this surface plasmon interference nanolithography (SPIN) can go far beyond the free-space diffraction limit of the light. Simulation results show that one-dimensional and two-dimensional periodical structures of 40-100 nm features can be patterned using interfering surface plasmons launched by 1D gratings. Detailed characteristics of SPIN such as field distribution and contrast are also investigated.