Achieving tip-based down-milling forming of nanograting structures with variable heights through precise control of nano revolving trajectories

Abstract With the advantage of high light intensity due to low scatting, structural colors generated by metallic diffraction nanograting structures, used as a type of diffractive optical element, have shown great potential for application in industrial and scientific research fields such as optical anti-counterfeiting and sensors. Within the visible light wavelength range, the diffraction performance is highly dependent on the height and shape consistencies of the nanograting. However, there is still room for the improvement in the flexible control over structure formation through mechanical nanomachining within this scale. The novelty of this paper lies in proposing a machining strategy for nanograting structures with variable heights through precise regulation of the revolving trajectory using tip-based nano down-milling. It explores how different geometric features of trajectories impact the amount of material deformed into a grating and its distribution shape, referred to as undeformed grating area. By analyzing the forming mechanisms of nanogratings under various trajectories with finite element simulation, the desired undeformed grating area is successfully achieved, which is mainly extruded by the tip flank face to form the right facet of the grating, resulting in a small deformation degree and a high deformation efficiency. Three distinct types of revolving trajectories are filtered out according to five quantitative evaluation indicators for machining performance, namely material plastic deformation, grating profile consistency, grating height consistency, machining forces, and area transforming height, and then are compared in processing nanogratings with different heights. It is obtained that only by regulating the vertical vibration amplitude of the revolving trajectory, the semicircle trajectory with the optimal geometric features has the ability to machine high-quality nanograting structures with a continuous height variation of up to 220 nm in a spacing of 400 nm.