Submicron imaging with a planar silver lens

Optical imaging through a thin planar silver layer has been achieved by utilizing near-field lithography techniques. A 120 nm thick silver lens that was placed 60 nm below a patterned mask, imaged the mask’s features onto a photosensitive material located 60 nm below the silver. The entire structure was exposed from above with a mercury lamp. Features sizes as small as 350 nm (at a 700 nm period) were imaged onto the photosensitive material, demonstrating the lensing ability of the planar silver slab.