Typically, conventional micro-nano fabrication methods are applied to flat surfaces, ensuring precise alignment and resolution at the nanoscale. Nevertheless, when dealing with curved or multi-oriented substrates, the task becomes considerably more intricate, necessitating complex equipment for sample positioning, lithographic alignment, and focusing. This often results in significantly reduced fabrication capabilities compared to standard processes. Recently, our group introduced a straight method to handle micro-structures fabricated by two photon lithography and conformably place them on curved surface target objects by exploiting Van der Walls adhesion of ultra-thin polymeric film used as temporary freestanding support. In this invited lecture, we will review the most recent results of our group with this approach applied to the field of optical meta-surfaces and sensors, highlighting the future directions and the possible extension of the technology to other fields.
The continuously increasing interest in flexible and integrated photonics requires new strategies for device manufacturing on arbitrary complex surfaces and with lowest possible size, respectively. Terahertz (THz) technology can particularly benefit from this approach to implement compact systems for generation, detection and on-demand manipulation of THz radiation. Here we present a novel fabrication method to realize conformable metasurfaces. The flexible and versatile character of polymeric nanomembranes is combined with direct laser writing via two-photon polymerization and metal deposition to develop freestanding ultra-thin quasi-perfect plasmonic absorbers with an unprecedentedly high level of conformability. Moreover, revealing new flexible dielectric materials presenting low absorption and permittivity in the THz range, this work paves the way for the realization of ultra-thin, conformable hybrid or all-dielectric devices enhancing the application of THz technologies, and flexible/integrated photonics in general.
Micro/nano electro-mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) are constantly attracting an increasing attention for their relevant technological applications in fields ranging from biology, medicine, ecology, energy to industry. Most of the performances of micro-nanostructured devices rely on both the design and the intrinsic properties of the constituent materials that are processed at such dimensional scale. For this reason, spatial precision, resolution and reproducibility are crucial factors in the micro-fabrication procedure. 3D direct laser lithography (DLL), based on multiphoton absorption, allows to realize outstanding three-dimensional structures with nanoscale features. This technique has recently emerged as a powerful tool for fabricating 3D micro-patterned surfaces for optics, photonics, as well as for bioinspired cell culture scaffold. We propose a method for a two-step fabrication of micro/nanostructured multicomponent systems to be employed as transductors, by means of the integration of 3D DLL and shadowing effects in metal deposition. A z-axis accelerometer is the proof-of-concept for the validation of the proposed transductor. The former is composed of a cantilever patterned with conductive paths which act as a strain gauge. Mechanical stimulation deforms the cantilever and, accordingly, varies its conductive properties. The fabrication of the conductive components is performed using the vacuum evaporation of gold, a traditional microfabrication technique, and exploiting the shadowing effect due to peculiar microstructures on the cantilever.
Conference Committee Involvement (3)
Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics XVIII
25 January 2025 | San Francisco, California, United States
Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics XVII
28 January 2024 | San Francisco, California, United States
Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics XVI
29 January 2023 | San Francisco, California, United States
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