A novel wavefront modulation approach in the extreme ultraviolet

In recent years, the application of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) technology has been expanding rapidly across various fields, particularly in lithography, nanoscale imaging, and spectroscopy. Metasurfaces, on the other hand, offer a promising route for miniaturized and lightweight optical devices, with the potential to become one of the directions for future EUV device advancements. <br/> <br/> In this study, we present a design for a transmissive phase-type metasurface lens for EUV photolithography. After careful consideration of various materials and pore shapes, we selected molybdenum as the optimal substrate material due to its superior optical properties in the EUV range. Finally, we achieved 2π phase modulation while maintaining high transmittance through a patterned vacuum-guided approach, enabling high-precision wavefront modulation. This choice maximizes the performance and efficiency of the metasurface in the EUV regime. <br/> <br/> Numerical simulations demonstrate that the metasurface lens exhibits excellent optical performance. Our findings contribute to the ongoing exploration of photolithography and hold potential for transforming future EUV technologies, particularly in applications requiring high-precision optical components.