Open Access
12 August 2024 Study of the fabrication technology on tapered structure in quartz
Wu Liying, Liu Dan, Cheng Xiulan, Quan Xueling, Zhang Wenhao, Ma Ling
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Zero-mode waveguides (ZMWs) are nanostructures that drastically reduce the effective optical observation volume beyond the diffraction limit, thereby permitting the use of higher concentrations of fluorescently tagged molecules for single-molecule studies. This work presents the fabrication technology of quartz plasma etching to create tapered sidewalls for the application in ZMWs, utilizing an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactive ion etching tool. This method involves a meticulously designed two-step etching process to achieve quartz cavities with a minimum sidewall angle of approximately 60 deg. Initially, the process involves altering the photoresist pattern from a vertical to a tapered form, facilitated by the use of CF4/O2/Ar plasma at elevated radio frequency power settings. Subsequently, the quartz material is etched utilizing CF4 based plasma, with the tapered photoresist serving as a mask. This innovative approach allows for the successful transference of the tapered photoresist structure onto the quartz material, culminating in the formation of uniform and symmetrical tapered quartz cavities. Most importantly, the surface roughness (Rq) of the tapered quartz, measured to be around 3 nm, is extremely low and meets the stringent requirements for optical devices.

CC BY: © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.
Wu Liying, Liu Dan, Cheng Xiulan, Quan Xueling, Zhang Wenhao, and Ma Ling "Study of the fabrication technology on tapered structure in quartz," Optical Engineering 63(8), 084103 (12 August 2024). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.63.8.084103
Received: 2 April 2024; Accepted: 22 July 2024; Published: 12 August 2024
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KEYWORDS
Etching

Quartz

Photoresist materials

Fabrication

Argon

Plasma

Scanning electron microscopy

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