A Maskless Nanopatterning Method Based on Laser Polarization Response

Micro-/nanoscale fabrication of silicon (Si) is instrumental for the electronics, Si-photonics, and photovoltaics industries. While conventional nanofabrication remains unmatched, there is a significant demand for rapid, cost-effective, and maskless approaches for nanostructuring [1]. Here, we report such a method for Si, exploiting laser writing deep inside Si followed by relocating the nanopatterns to the surface. The method eliminates masks, expensive equipment, and significant infrastructure investment, while achieving a resolution of 200 nm (Fig. 1).