Colloidal pattern replication through contact photolithography operated in a ‘Talbot–Fabry–Perot’ regime

We describe a method for continuous colloidal pattern replication using contact photolithography. Cr-on-quartz masks are fabricated using colloidal nanosphere lithography and subsequently used as photolithography stamps. Hexagonal pattern arrangements with different dimensions (980, 620 and 480 nm, using colloidal particles with these respective diameters) have been studied. When the mask and the imaged resist layer were in intimate contact, a high fidelity pattern replica was obtained after photolithographic exposure and processing. In turn, the presence of an air gap in between was found to affect the projected image on the photoresist layer, with a strong dependence on the mask feature size and height of the air gap. Pattern replication, inversion and hybridization were achieved for the 980 nm period mask; no hybridization for the 620 nm one; and only pattern replication for the 480 nm one. These results are interpreted in the framework of a 'Talbot-Fabry-Perot' effect. Numerical simulations corroborate the experimental findings, providing insight into the processes involved and highlighting the important parameters affecting the exposure pattern. This approach allows complex subwavelength patterning and is relevant for three-dimensional layer-by-layer printing.