Rapid sub-diffraction-limit laser micro/nanoprocessing in a threshold material system

We report on sub-diffraction-limit (SDL) micro/nanofabrication via two-photon-absorption (TPA) photopolymerization. SDL spatial resolution was found possible in a threshold system, where materials responded to light excitation with a pronounced threshold behavior. The diffraction limit in this case became just a measure of focal spot size, but did not put any actual restraint to voxel dimensions. Experimentally, lateral spatial resolution down to 120 nm was realized by using high numerical-aperture optics. In addition, we proposed a profile scanning method, by which the fabrication efficiency was significantly increased. The TPA processing time, in the example given here, was reduced by 90%. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.