Interferential lithography of Bragg gratings on hybrid organicinorganic solgel materials
In this work we report on the application of laser interference lithography (LIL) to create periodic features on a photosensitive hybrid organic inorganic (HOI) solgel material based on 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS). To better understand the mechanisms behind the grating formation and optimize the overall process, the chemical changes produced by the laser exposure have been investigated by FTIR spectroscopy. The effects of the development step on the hybrid solgel network have been also discussed, trying to explain the origin of the selective dissolution of the unexposed area. High quality gratings with lines down to 250nm have been realized by LIL, in the Lloyds mirror configuration, and their morphological characterization has been performed by AFM and SEM. The generation of profiles with controlled sinusoidal features on HOI solgel materials could be exploited in different applications such as the realization of plasmonic crystals for sensing applications or as master molds for nanoimprinting lithography.
gratings hybrids solgel interference lithography 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane epoxy