Diamond-Enhanced Nanoimprint Lithography for Fabrication of Micro/Nano-Optical Elements

The advancement of micro/nano-optics is essential for next-generation photonic systems, enabling applications in imaging, communication, sensing, and quantum technologies. However, conventional nanofabrication techniques, such as electron-beam and focused ion beam lithography, are constrained by high costs and low throughput. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) offers a scalable alternative but is hindered by template degradation during repeated use, which compromises pattern fidelity and production efficiency. To address these challenges, diamond-enhanced nanoimprint lithography (D-NIL) has emerged as a promising solution. By leveraging diamond’s exceptional mechanical hardness, chemical inertness, high thermal conductivity, and low thermal expansion coefficient, D-NIL significantly extends the template lifetime and enhances the replication accuracy. Herein, we establish D-NIL as a robust platform for fabricating high-performance micro/nano-optical elements, demonstrating successful replication of versatile diffractive, refractive, and reflective components. The diamond template exhibits outstanding durability and stability, outperforming conventional silicon or polymer templates. Our finding confirms D-NIL as an industry-compatible solution for volume production of advanced photonic devices, with promising applications in augmented reality, LiDAR, and quantum photonic circuits and beyond, bridging a critical gap between novel nanofabrication approaches and the mass production of next-generation optical systems.