SBIR Phase I: Double Patterning using Optical Lithography for Fabricating 50 nm Nanostructures on Meter Scale Substrates

The Small Business Innovative Research Phase I project addresses a gap in technology between the lithography of periodic nanostructures, and the manufacturing of low cost nanostructured product with high volume replication. The project will bridge this technology void by extending the current capability of the scanning beam interference lithography tool, the ""Nanoruler"", through the novel technique of Double Patterning. The commercial potential of this capability will be realized in a large area wire-grid polarizer, a specific LCD component that will have significant technical and social impact. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) manufacturers have specifically targeted Nanomanufacturing as a critical need for next generation light management designs. Currently, over 90% of light generated by the display light source is absorbed before it reaches the viewing screen and is wasted as undesirable component heating. LCD researchers have identified wire grid polarizers (WGP) with a 50nm feature size as a low cost way to minimize absorption and recycle this light.