Optical disk mastering using optical super resolution effect

Abstract

We propose a new laser lithography technique using the effect of thermal-induced super resolution and demonstrate that the technique can effectively reduce the exposed spot size on the photoresist layer, thus allowing disk mastering toward higher density by using exiting light source and optics. A mask layer, whose nonlinear optical properties result in formation an aperture in high temperature area near to the center of the laser spot, is deposited on the top of the photoresist layer. Usually, the aperture size is much smaller than the laser spot, thus, achieving thermal-induced super resolution. The simulation and experimental results reveal that the line width on the photoresist layer could be shrunk by more than 40%.