Effects of process errors on the diffraction characteristics of binary dielectric gratings

Abstract

The effects of fabrication errors on the predicted performance of surface-relief phase gratings are analyzed with a rigorous vector diffraction technique. For binary elements, errors in the dimensions of the profile [depth, linewidth (fill factor), and grating period], as well as errors in the shape of the profile, are investigated. It is shown that the dimension errors do not have a significant effect on grating performance when the grating is designed for either maximum or minimum diffraction efficiency. A trapezoid is used to model the shape error of the profile. For the first time, design rules that significantly reduce the effects of any shape error are presented.