Focused ion beam lithography applied to photonic and imprinting

In this paper we will discuss the use of the crossbeam ZEISS XB1540 applied to photonic structures and to obtain nano-imprinting templates. Some ID Photonic Crystals (PhC) on silica based optical waveguides are shown as well as the realization of 3D optical structures curved directly on silica and used subsequently as a master for imprinting. Focused ion beam lithography (FIB) is a technique for direct writing of patterns; it means is substantially slow, but its versatility and the combination with other "faster" techniques make it an interesting method to produce prototypes and special devices. The resolution and the perturbation of the samples are perfectly compatible with the photonic applications. In fact, the contamination due to the gallium ion implantation as well as the roughness of the vertical and horizontal surface doesn't affect the performance of the devices shown in this paper.