Fabrication and testing of a GaP SIL with NA=2.64

A technique for obtaining native (uncrossed illumination/image polarizations) and induced (crossed illumination/ image polarization) using a significant amount of evanescent energy is described for a solid immersion lens (SIL) microscope. Characteristics of native and induced polarization images for different object structures and materials are studied in detail. Experiments are conducted with a NA ¼ 1.48 at ¼ 550 nm microscope. Near-field images are simulated and analyzed with an RCWT approach. Contrast curve versus object spatial frequency calculations are compared with experimental measurements. Dependencies of contrast versus source polarization angles and air gap for native and induced polarization image profiles are evaluated. By using the relationship between induced polarization and topographical structure, an induced polarization image of an alternating phase shift mask (PSM) is converted into a topographical image, which shows very good agreement with atomic force microscope (AFM) measurement. Images of other material structures include a dielectric grating, chrome-on-glass grating, silicon CPU structure, BD-R and BD-ROM.

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“…A higher NA SIL system can be achieved with higher refractive-index SIL, such as GaP [14] or diamond [15].…”

Section: Extension Of the Technique For Higher Namentioning

confidence: 98%

Characteristics of evanescent polarization imaging

Yang

Milster

Zhang

et al. 2010

Journal of Modern Optics

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“…Induced polarization imaging characteristics and a two-step SIL (NA>2) are discussed at the end. [7] …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Hyper-NA imaging with solid-immersion optics and induced polarization imaging

et al. 2010

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Solid immersion lens (SIL) is used in microscopic systems for hyper numerical aperture (NA) imaging. The NA of the SIL microscope can be larger than 2 by using the high refractive index SIL. In this paper, examples of hyper-NA (NA>1.4) imaging are illustrated, including a normal SIL microscope for imaging samples like CPU chips, photomasks which have no cover layer and a special SIL microscope for imaging samples like Blu-Ray optical discs which have cover layer to protect the pattern. In both cases, good contrast images can be achieved by minimizing the system aberration. At the end, characteristics of induced polarization imaging (imaging through crossed polarizers) and a twostep solid immersion lens using Gallium Phosphide (GaP) (NA~2) are discussed.

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Microscope system for Blu-ray disc samples

et al. 2010

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We introduce a microscope system using a solid immersion lens (SIL) to image Blu-ray disc samples without removing the protective cover layer. The aberration caused by the cover layer is minimized with a truncated SIL. A subsurface imaging simulation is achieved by using the rigorous coupled wave theory, partial coherence, vector diffraction, and the Babinet principle. Simulated results are compared with experimental images and atomic force microscopy measurements.

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Fabrication and testing of a GaP SIL with NA=2.64

Cited by 4 publications

References 7 publications

Characteristics of evanescent polarization imaging

Characteristics of evanescent polarization imaging

Hyper-NA imaging with solid-immersion optics and induced polarization imaging

Microscope system for Blu-ray disc samples

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