Wafer bonding and lithography equipment supplier EV Group and novel nanolithography tools manufacturer SwissLitho AG have announced a joint solution to enable the production of 3D structures down to the single-nanometer scale. Topography image of a nanoimprint stamp of a 3D computer-generated hologram fabricated with the NanoFrazor from SwissLitho. Stamps such as these can be used to replicate 3D structures in high volume using the HERCULES NIL nanoimprint lithography system from EV Group. Courtesy of the EV Group. Initially demonstrated within the "Single Nanometer Manufacturing for Beyond CMOS Devices (SNM)" project funded by the Seventh Framework Program of the European Union, the joint solution involves SwissLitho's novel NanoFrazor thermal scanning probe lithography system to produce master templates with 3D structures for nanoimprint lithography (NIV) and EV Group’s HERCULES NIL system with SmartNIL technology to replicate those structures at high throughput. EV Group and SwissLitho will initially target the joint solution for developing diffractive optical elements and other related optical components that support photonics, data communications, augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) and other applications, with the potential to expand into biotechnology, nanofluidics and other nanotechnology applications. As part of the joint solution, SwissLitho's NanoFrazor system will be used to create imprint masters. Compared to conventional approaches, including electron beam and grayscale lithography, the novel technology has the unique ability to print 3D structures with accuracy. EV Group's HERCULES NIL system will then be used to create working templates for production use, cost-effectively and at high throughput, using the company's proprietary large-area nanoimprint SmartNIL technology. "SwissLitho's NanoFrazor solution is highly complementary to EVG's SmartNIL technology” said Thomas Glinsner, corporate technology director at EV Group. “Together, we can offer a complete NIL solution for photonics and other applications involving 3D structure patterning, providing significant opportunity for both companies to expand our customer base and market reach. Our NILPhotonics Competence Center will be the first point of contact for customers interested in this joint solution, where we will be able to offer feasibility studies, demonstrations and pilot-line production."