A simple and low-cost technique called low one-photon absorption (LOPA) direct laser writing (DLW) is demonstrated as an efficient method for structuration of multidimensional submicrostructures. Starting from the diffraction theory of the electromagnetic field distribution of a tightly focused beam, the crucial conditions for LOPA-based DLW are theoretically investigated, and then experimentally demonstrated using a simple optical confocal microscope. Various 1D, 2D, and 3D submicrostructures were successfully fabricated in different materials, such as commercial SU8 photoresist and magnetic nanocomposite. The advantages and drawbacks of this LOPA-based DLW technique were also studied and compared with the conventional two-photon absorption based DLW. Several methods were proposed to overcome the existing problem of the DLW, such as the dose accumulation and shrinkage effect, resulting in uniform structures with a small lattice constant. The LOPA-based DLW technique should be useful for the fabrication of functionalized structures, such as magneto-photonic and plasmon photonic crystals and devices, which could be interesting for numerous applications.
Part of the book: Theoretical Foundations and Application of Photonic Crystals