Wafer-Scale All-Dielectric quasi-BIC Metasurfaces: Bridging High-throughput Deep-UV Lithography with Nanophotonic Applications

Abstract

High quality-factor (Q) dielectric metasurfaces operating in the visible to near-infrared range usually require sub-200 nm features, limiting their fabrication to expensive, low-throughput electron beam lithography. Here, we demonstrate wafer-scale metasurfaces fabricated using deep ultraviolet lithography (DUVL), a workhorse technology in the semiconductor industry. Using a radius and depth perturbation technique in a hole array patterned into a silicon nitride slab, we achieve quasi-bound states in the continuum (qBIC) resonances with measured Q-factors of 150. Critically, we introduce DUV exposure dose as a Q-factor engineering parameter and demonstrate how hole depth control circumvents DUVL resolution limits. Despite stochastic nanoscale variations, the fabricated metasurfaces exhibit spatial uniformity, a consequence of the nonlocal nature of the qBIC resonances. Proof of concept refractive index sensing demonstrates 129 nm/RIU sensitivity while maintaining simple CMOS camera-based resonance shift interrogation. This work bridges scalable semiconductor manufacturing with high-performance nanophotonics, establishing a practical pathway for commercializing metasurface-based sensors, on-chip spectrometers, and integrated photonic systems.