Projecting deep-subwavelength patterns from diffraction-limited masks using metal-dielectric multilayers

We utilize a metal-dielectric multilayer structure to generate deep-subwavelength one-dimensional and two-dimensional periodic patterns with diffraction-limited masks. The working wavelength and the pattern are set by the flexible design of the multilayer structure. This scheme is suitable to be applied to deep-subwavelength photolithography. As an example, we numerically demonstrate pattern periods down to 50 nm under 405 nm light illumination. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.