Exploiting atomic layer deposition for fabricating sub-10 nm X-ray lenses

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel line-doubling technique using atomic layer deposition to create sub-10 nm X-ray lenses, overcoming limitations of traditional lithography and enabling higher resolution in X-ray microscopy.

Contribution

The study introduces a line-doubling method with atomic layer deposition that achieves feature sizes down to 6.4 nm, extending to a six-fold scheme for improved nanostructure fabrication.

Findings

Achieved sub-10 nm feature sizes with the line-doubling technique.

Demonstrated high efficiency and resolution of fabricated X-ray lenses.

Extended the method to a six-fold scheme for complex nanostructures.

Abstract

Moving towards significantly smaller nanostructures, direct structuring techniques such as electron beam lithography approach fundamental limitations in feature size and aspect ratios. Application of nanostructures like diffractive X-ray lenses requires feature sizes of below 10 nm to enter a new regime in high resolution X-raymicroscopy. As such dimensions are difficult to obtain using conventional electron beam lithography, we pursue a line-doubling approach. We demonstrate that thismethod yields structure sizes as small as 6.4 nm. X-ray lenses fabricated in this way are tested for their efficiency and microscopic resolution. In addition, the line-doubling technique is successfully extended to a six-fold scheme, where each line in a template structure written by electron beam lithography evolves into six metal lines.