According to examples, a phase plate may include a transparent substrate and a photopolymer layer attached to the transparent substrate. The photopolymer layer may adjust a backlight via a phase adjustment and focusing. The phase plate may focus a plurality of red, green, and blue components of the backlight onto respective red, green, and blue subpixels of a thin-film-transistor (TFT) layer deposited thereon. A distance between the photopolymer layer of the phase plate and the plurality of red, green, and blue subpixels of the thin-film-transistor (TFT) layer may be in a range from about 200 μm to about 500 μm. In some examples, the phase plate may be part of a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus along with a red, green, blue (RGB) laser to provide backlight; a grating light guide to transmit the backlight; and a liquid crystal display (LCD) layer on the thin-film-transistor (TFT) layer.

A system and method for patterning of a substrate at sub-micron length scales using interference lithography that includes a substrate; a chuck that promotes substrate motion; at least two EM beams; a beam phase controller, wherein the phase controller modifies phases of the EM beams with respect to each other creating an interference pattern; a displacement sensor that measures the substrate displacement; and a feedback control mechanism configured to monitor and synchronize the substrate motion with the interference pattern using the beam phase controller and the displacement sensor.

A method forms a pattern of metallic nanofeatures that generates by plasmonic resonance a desired image having a distribution of colors. The method includes providing a substrate having a layer of photosensitive material, exposing the layer to a high-resolution periodic pattern of dose distribution, and determining a low-resolution pattern of dose distribution such that the sum of the low-resolution pattern and the high-resolution periodic pattern of dose distribution is suitable for forming the pattern of metallic nanofeatures. The lateral dimensions of the metallic nano-features have a spatial variation across the pattern that corresponds to the distribution of colors in the desired image. The layer of photosensitive material is exposed to the low-resolution pattern of dose distribution. The layer of photosensitive material is developed to produce a pattern of nanostructures in the developed photosensitive material. The pattern of nanostructures is processed so that the pattern of metallic nanofeatures is formed.

A method and apparatus for inscribing a Bragg grating in an optical waveguide, comprising: providing electromagnetic radiation from an ultrashort pulse duration laser, wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a pulse duration of less than or equal to 5 picoseconds, and wherein the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation has a characteristic wavelength in the wavelength range from 150 nanometers (nm) to 2.0 microns (.Math.m); providing cylindrical focusing optics corrected for spherical aberration; providing a diffractive optical element that when exposed to the focused ultrashort laser pulse, creates an interference pattern on the optical waveguide, wherein the irradiation step comprises irradiating a surface of the diffractive optical element with the focused electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation incident on the optical waveguide, from the diffractive optical element, being sufficiently intense to cause the permanent change in the index of refraction in the core of the optical waveguide.

A laser interference lithography system with flat-top intensity profile comprises a laser source for emitting a coherent laser beam, a first beam expander for adjusting the coherent laser beam size, a refractive beam shaper for converting a Gaussian intensity profile inherent to the coherent laser beam into a flat-top one and outputting a first collimated laser beam, a second beam expander for receiving the first collimated laser beam and outputting a second collimated laser beam, a sample holder for holding a substrate, and at least one reflector for reflecting the second collimated laser beam to generate a third collimated laser beam. The second and third collimated laser beams are transmitted to the substrate at a predetermined angle to create an interference pattern exposed onto the substrate.

A block copolymer including a first block consisting of a polymer having a repeating structure of a structural unit (u1) containing no silicon atom, and a second block consisting of a polymer having a repeating structure of a structural unit (u2) containing a silicon atom, the second block containing a block (b21) consisting of a polymer having a repeating structure represented by general formula (u2-1), and a block (b22) consisting of a polymer having a repeating structure of a structural unit (u22) containing a silicon atom, and the block (b22) is positioned between the first block and the block (b21) (wherein R.sup.P211 represents an alkyl group, a halogenated alkyl group, a hydrogen atom, or an organic group having a polar group; and R.sup.P212 represents an organic group having a polar group). ##STR00001##

An exposure apparatus may include a laser light source capable of varying a wavelength of a laser beam that is emitted from the laser light source, a mask on which a pattern is formed, the pattern being configured to generate diffracted light by being irradiated with the laser beam, and a controller configured to control, in accordance with a distance between the mask and a substrate, the wavelength of the laser beam that is emitted from the laser light source, wherein the mask is irradiated with the laser beam emitted from the laser light source to perform proximity exposure on a surface of the substrate.

A high-aspect ratio structure production method and an ultrasonic probe production method of the present invention include: forming, in a principal surface of a substrate, a plurality of pores each extending in a direction intersecting the principal surface; plugging, among the plurality of pores, one or more pores formed in a first region; and forming a recess in a second region by a wet etching process. A high-aspect ratio structure includes a grating having a plurality of convex portions, wherein each of the plurality of convex portions is provided with a plugging member plugging a plurality of pores formed therein in a thickness direction of the structure.

The invention relates to a method for forming a structuring at surfaces of components using a laser beam. In the invention, a laser beam is directed onto a diffractive optical element. The diffractive optical element is configured such that the laser beam is split into at least two part beams and the part beams are directed at an angle α with respect to the optical axis of the laser beam onto at least one further optical element which is transparent for the laser radiation. The further optical element(s) has/have a first surface and a second surface which is inclined at an angle to the optical axis of the laser beam at which the beam direction of the part beams is changed by optical refraction. A focusing optical lens is arranged in the optical path of the part beams between the further optical element(s) and a component surface to be processed, and the part beams are focused such that they are incident onto the surface of the component at a common position at an angle of incidence β with respect to the optical axis of the laser beam. The distance d1 between the optical elements is changed to change the interference period.

A compensator for manipulating a radiation beam traveling along an optical path. The compensator includes a fixed support holding a first optical wedge and an adjustable support holding a second optical wedge. The adjustable support includes a base, a stage holding the second optical wedge, first and second flexures, and a drive block. The stage defines a cavity and is movable relative to the base and the fixed support. The first and second flexures couple the stage to the base such that the stage translates along a stage path. The drive block is disposed in the cavity of the stage and is configured to translate along a drive block path perpendicular to the optical path and perpendicular to the stage path. The drive block includes first and second drive bearing surfaces configured to translate the stage in first and second stage directions, respectively, along the stage path.