Azimuthal rotation-controlled nanoinscribing for continuous patterning of period-and shapetunable asymmetric nanogratings

We present an azimuthal-rotation-controlled dynamic nanoinscribing(ARC-DNI)process for continuous and scalable fabrication of asymmetric nanograting structures with tunable periods and shape profiles.A sliced edge of a nanograting mold,which typically has a rectangular grating profile,slides over a polymeric substrate to induce its burrfree plastic deformation into a linear nanopattern.During this continuous nanoinscribing process,the“azimuthal angle,”that is,the angle between the moving direction of the polymeric substrate and the mold’s grating line orientation,can be controlled to tailor the period,geometrical shape,and profile of the inscribed nanopatterns.By modulating the azimuthal angle,along with other important ARC-DNI parameters such as temperature,force,and inscribing speed,we demonstrate that the mold-opening profile and temperature-and time-dependent viscoelastic polymer reflow can be controlled to fabricate asymmetric,blazed,and slanted nanogratings that have diverse geometrical profiles such as trapezoidal,triangular,and parallelogrammatic.Finally,period-and profile-tunable ARC-DNI can be utilized for the practical fabrication of diverse optical devices,as is exemplified by asymmetric diffractive optical elements in this study.

One-step printable platform for high-efficiency metasurfaces down to the deep-ultraviolet region

A single-step printable platform for ultraviolet(UV)metasurfaces is introduced to overcome both the scarcity of low-loss UV materials and manufacturing limitations of high cost and low throughput.By dispersing zirconium dioxide(ZrO_(2))nanoparticles in a UV-curable resin,ZrO_(2)nanoparticle-embedded-resin(nano-PER)is developed as a printable material which has a high refractive index and low extinction coefficient from near-UV to deep-UV.In ZrO_(2)nano-PER,the UV-curable resin enables direct pattern transfer and ZrO_(2)nanoparticles increase the refractive index of the composite while maintaining a large bandgap.With this concept,UV metasurfaces can be fabricated in a single step by nanoimprint lithography.As a proof of concept,UV metaholograms operating in near-UV and deep-UV are experimentally demonstrated with vivid and clear holographic images.The proposed method enables repeat and rapid manufacturing of UV metasurfaces,and thus will bring UV metasurfaces more close to real life.

Emerging low-cost,large-scale photonic platforms with soft lithography and self-assembly

Advancements in micro/nanofabrication have enabled the realization of practical micro/nanoscale photonic devices such as absorbers,solar cells,metalenses,and metaholograms.Although the performance of these photonic devices has been improved by enhancing the design flexibility of structural materials through advanced fabrication methods,achieving large-area and high-throughput fabrication of tiny structural materials remains a challenge.In this aspect,various technologies have been investigated for realizing the mass production of practical devices consisting of micro/nanostructural materials.This review describes the recent advancements in soft lithography,colloidal self-assembly,and block copolymer self-assembly,which are promising methods suitable for commercialization of photonic applications.In addition,we introduce low-cost and large-scale techniques realizing micro/nano devices with specific examples such as display technology and sensors.The inferences presented in this review are expected to function as a guide for promising methods of accelerating the mass production of various sub-wavelength-scale photonic devices.

Nanoimprint lithography for high-throughput fabrication of metasurfaces

Metasurfaces are composed of periodic subwavelength nanostructures and exhibit optical properties that are not found in nature.They have been widely investigated for optical applications such as holograms,wavefront shaping,and structural color printing,however,electron-beam lithography is not suitable to produce large-area metasurfaces because of the high fabrication cost and low productivity.Although alternative optical technologies,such as holographic lithography and plasmonic lithography,can overcome these drawbacks,such methods are still constrained by the optical diffraction limit.To break through this fundamental problem,mechanical nanopatteming processes have been actively studied in many fields,with nanoimprint lithography(NIL)coming to the forefront.Since NIL replicates the nanopattem of the mold regardless of the diffraction limit,NIL can achieve sufficiently high productivity and patterning resolution,giving rise to an explosive development in the fabrication of metasurfaces.In this review,we focus on various NIL technologies for the manufacturing of metasurfaces.First,we briefly describe conventional NIL and then present various NIL methods for the scalable fabrication of metasurfaces.We also discuss recent applications of NIL in the realization of metasurfaces.Finally,we conclude with an outlook on each method and suggest perspectives for future research on the high-throughput fabrication of active metasurfaces.

Optical spin-symmetry breaking for high-efficiency directional helicity-multiplexed metaholograms

Helicity-multiplexed metasurfaces based on symmetric spin–orbit interactions (SOIs) have practical limits because they cannot provide central-symmetric holographic imaging. Asymmetric SOIs can effectively address such limitations, with several exciting applications in various fields ranging from asymmetric data inscription in communications to dual side displays in smart mobile devices. Low-loss dielectric materials provide an excellent platform for realizing such exotic phenomena efficiently. In this paper, we demonstrate an asymmetric SOI-dependent transmission-type metasurface in the visible domain using hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) nanoresonators. The proposed design approach is equipped with an additional degree of freedom in designing bi-directional helicity-multiplexed metasurfaces by breaking the conventional limit imposed by the symmetric SOI in half employment of metasurfaces for one circular handedness. Two on-axis, distinct wavefronts are produced with high transmission efficiencies, demonstrating the concept of asymmetric wavefront generation in two antiparallel directions. Additionally, the CMOS compatibility of a-Si:H makes it a cost-effective alternative to gallium nitride (GaN) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) for visible light. The cost-effective fabrication and simplicity of the proposed design technique provide an excellent candidate for high-efficiency, multifunctional, and chip-integrated demonstration of various phenomena.

Solution-processable electrode-material embedding in dynamically inscribed nanopatterns(SPEEDIN)for continuous fabrication of durable flexible devices

A facile and scalable lithography-free fabrication technique,named solution-processable electrode-material embedding in dynamically inscribed nanopatterns(SPEEDIN),is developed to produce highly durable electronics.SPEEDIN uniquely utilizes a single continuous flow-line manufacturing process comprised of dynamic nanoinscribing and metal nanoparticle solution coating with selective embedding.Nano-and/or micro-trenches are inscribed into arbitrary polymers,and then an Ag nanoparticle solution is dispersed,soft-baked,doctor-bladed,and hard-baked to embed Ag micro-and nanowire structures into the trenches.Compared to lithographically embossed metal structures,the embedded SPEEDIN architectures can achieve higher durability with comparable optical and electrical properties and are robust and power-efficient even under extreme stresses such as scratching and bending.As one tangible application of SPEEDIN,we demonstrate a flexible metal electrode that can operate at 5 V at temperatures up to 300℃even under the influence of harsh external stimuli.SPEEDIN can be applied to the scalable fabrication of diverse flexible devices that are reliable for heavy-duty operation in harsh environments involving high temperatures,mechanical deformations,and chemical hazards.