Optical disk mastering using optical superresolution technique

A new laser lithography technique using the effect of optical superresoluti on can effectively reduce the exposed spot size on a photoresist layer, thu s allowing disk mastering toward higher density using an existing light sou rce and optics. A thin metallic mask layer deposited on the top of the phot oresist layer is used to obtain a "below optical diffraction limit" linewid th on the photoresist layer. The feasibility of the laser lithography techn ique, as evaluated by simulation and experimental results, revealed that th e linewidth on the photoresist layer could be shrunk by more than 50% of th e diffraction limit of the optical system.