The Nanoruler 2 is PGL’s state-of-the-art grating patterning tool based on Scanning Beam Interference Lithography (SBIL). This patented technology was originally developed by Dr. Mark Schattenburg at MIT. PGL established the first commercial production system using SBIL to manufacture gratings that can be tailored to meet precise custom designs and specifications.

In the SBIL technique, fringes are exposed on photoresist with small phase-locked beams to pattern substrates on a scanning x-y stage using heterodyne phase reference interferometry to stabilize the fringes. Period repeatability is better than 10 ppb.

SBIL reduces structure defects and produces highly accurate linewidths resulting in excellent diffraction efficiency that is both uniform and repeatable from part-to-part. Gratings as large as 1 meter are possible, or batches of smaller gratings can be written efficiently in a single process step.