Diffractive grating recording in chalcogenide thin films

The structuring features of As38S18Se44 chalcogenide (ChG) inorganic glasses were studied using electron beam (EB) lithography. After the EB exposure, ChG thin films are etched in a high-selectivity alkaline amine, with the dissolution rate being linearly proportional to the electron dose. The Gaussian EB intensity profile is well replicated in the shape of individual lines, which allows high-resolution smoothlyshaped nanostructures to be obtained. The height of developed patterns can be controlled through changing the applied electron dose. These features make the proposed technique widely applicable in the fields of photonics and optics. The results obtained would help to better understand the processes occurring in ChG thin films at recording the diffractive gratings, and thus achieve a better profile and surface roughness control.