Fabrication of Multi-material 3D Structures by the Integration of Direct Laser Writing and MEMS Stencil Patterning

Abstract

The construction of a complex, 3D optical metamaterial challenges conventional nanofabrication techniques. These metamaterials require patterning of both a deformable mechanical substrate and an optically-active structure with ~200 nm resolution and precision. The soft nature of the deformable mechanical materials often precludes the use of resist-based techniques for patterning. Furthermore, FIB deposition approaches produce metallic structures with considerable disorder and impurities, impairing their optical response. In this paper we discuss a novel solution to this nanofabrication challenge -- the integration of direct laser writing and MEMS stencil patterning. We demonstrate a variety of methods that enable this integration and then show how one can produce optically-active, 3D metamaterials. We present optical characterization data on one of these metamaterials to demonstrate the viability of our nanofabrication approach.