3D alignment of distant patterns with deep-subwavelength precision using metasurfaces.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39402056.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-53219-z and PMC identifier 11473757.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
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Abstract
Measurement of the relative positions of two objects in three dimensions with sub-nanometer precision is essential to fundamental physics experiments and applications such as aligning multi-layer patterns of semiconductor chips. Existing methods, which rely on microscopic imaging and registration of distant patterns, lack the required accuracy and precision for the next generation of three-dimensional (3D) chips. Here we show that 3D misalignment between two distant objects can be measured using metasurface alignment marks, a laser, and a camera with sub-nanometer precision. Through simulations, we demonstrate that the shot noise-limited precisions of the lateral and axial misalignments between the marks are λ<sub>0</sub>/50, 000 and λ<sub>0</sub>/6, 300 (λ<sub>0</sub>: laser's wavelength), respectively. With its high precision and simplicity, the technique enables the next generation of 3D-integrated optical and electronic chips and paves the way for developing cost-effective and compact sensors relying on sub-nanometer displacement measurements.