New laser-based techniques for nanometre lithography and microscopy

Sammanfattning: This thesis describes the development of new laser-based techniques for nanometre lithography and microscopy. The potential of a non-intrusive scanned near-field optical microscope (SNOM) has been investigated. The probe consists of an optically trapped microscopic particle which is scanned in proximity to the object to be studied. Compared with conventional SNOM's, this probe would allow high-resolution imaging of, for example, biological samples where intervening membranes hinder the access of mechanically scanned probes. The resolution, stability and brightness of the system have been investigated experimentally and theoretically. A table-top proximity X-ray lithography system is also described. The system is based on a novel, compact laser-plasma X-ray source which employs a continuous liquid jet for target production. This source exhibits very low debris production, 4p steradian geometrical access and allows practically uninterrupted operation at high repetition rates. High-aspect-ratio sub-100 nm structures have been fabricated by proximity X-ray lithography with the source and a gold patterned silicon nitride membrane mask.