Abstract
In the field of microoptics, surface-relief diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are of great interest. Their thin film structure makes it possible to produce and integrate them with other optical components. Recent development in microfabrication technology including electron-beam lithography and binary optics lithography has demonstrated DOEs with blazed/multilevel relief structure. Such relief structure can improve diffraction efficiency of DOEs. Electron-beam lithography has several advantages such as a potential for submicron patterning and flexibility in design and fabrication. In addition, blazed structure can be formed by one process. Binary optics lithography is also attractive because high efficiency DOEs with multilevel structure can be fabricated by semiconductor techniques used in electronic integrated circuits. Typical DOEs with blazed/multilevel structure and their application to micro infrared sensor are demonstrated. Such surface-relief DOEs are expected to be used in various optical systems.
