Electron beam writing of epoxy based sol–gel materials

We report the use of an epoxy based hybrid sol-gel material as negative resist for electron beam lithography (EBL). The matrix has been prepared starting from 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane as specific organic-inorganic precursor and the synthesis has been strictly controlled in order to preserve the epoxy ring and to obtain a proper inorganic cross-linking degree. The film has been exposed to an electron beam, inducing the polymerization of the organic part and generating the film hardening. Preliminary results of a resolution test on the synthesized epoxy based sol-gel material, performed with electron beam lithography, are presented. Structures below 300 nm were achieved. The direct nanopatterning of this hybrid sol-gel system simplify the nanofabrication process and can be exploited in the realization of photonic devices. A demonstration has been carried out doping the hybrid films with commercial Rhodamine 6G and reproducing an already tested laser structure.