Blazed diffraction gratings fabricated using X-ray lithography: fabrication, modeling and simulation
Abstract Diffraction gratings are used in optical communications devices, spectrographs, optical scanners, monochromators, and in other instances. Diffraction gratings are either transmission or reflection. Reflective gratings are, usually, either ruled or holographic. Blazed gratings (step-echelette or phase gratings) are non-planar gratings. We present the fabrication of blazed diffraction gratings using X-ray lithography. We model, theoretically, the development process of X-ray exposed X-ray sensitive resist material (polymethyl methacrylate), and we establish a simulation algorithm, the ray-tracing algorithm based on the Hamilton–Jacobi equation. Theoretical predictions based on simulation results validate fully the fabricational results.