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Closing the Gap to E-Beam: The DWL 66+ Now Delivers 200 nm Features and Unrivaled Grayscale

Combination of an array of micro lenses with a diameter of 20 µm, a Fresnel vortex axicon with angles from 22° to 45° and the Heidelberg Instruments logo in 10 µm thick resist.

Today, we’re excited to announce a massive leap forward for our ultimate lithography research tool. The DWL 66+ is now more powerful than ever, featuring two game-changing enhancements that redefine what’s possible with optical lithography.

The 200 nm Frontier: Bridging the Gap to E-Beam

For the most demanding applications in photonics, microelectronics, and quantum devices, achieving the smallest possible feature size is paramount. With the new Write Mode XR, the DWL 66+ now delivers a minimum feature size of 200 nm—the highest resolution of any direct-write laser system on the market.

This breakthrough means you can now:

  • Fabricate finer, more complex structures than ever before.
  • Handle tasks previously exclusive to costly e-beam lithography.
  • Dramatically accelerate your development cycles and optimize your lab’s workflow.

The Power of the Third Dimension: 65,536 Shades of Gray

Modern microfabrication is about more than just 2D patterns. The ability to create complex, smooth, three-dimensional surfaces is critical.

The enhanced DWL 66+ masters this challenge with its professional-grade grayscale capability, now offering an unprecedented 65,536 distinct exposure levels. This incredible precision allows you to fabricate intricate 2.5D topographies, such as micro-lenses or blazed gratings, with outstanding surface quality, even in resists up to 150 µm thick. This is the finesse you need to shape light with micro-optics or engineer complex micro-electronics.

Flexibility for Real-World Research

These new features are built upon the proven flexibility of the DWL 66+ platform. As a maskless system, it enables instant design changes and rapid prototyping, eliminating costly mask-related delays. It handles virtually any substrate—flat, curved, standard, or exotic.

This isn’t just an upgrade; it’s a gateway to new possibilities in optics, photonics, quantum devices, and beyond.

Explore the full potential of the enhanced DWL 66+ on our product page.

Concentric rings with a linewidth of about 200 nm and a pitch of 700 nm in positive photoresist.
DWL 66+ exposure of concentric rings with a linewidth of approximately 200 nm and a pitch of 700 nm in positive photoresist.
Blazed Gratings at various angles from 10 to 70 degrees.
Blazed Gratings at various angles from 10 to 70 degrees.
Artistic fish relief in 60 µm thick resist.
Artistic fish relief in 60 µm thick resist.
Radial comb drive exposed in 80 µm thick mr-DWL resist.
Radial comb drive exposed in 80 µm thick mr-DWL resist.
Pushing the limits with Write Mode XR – lines and spaces with 400 nm pitch.
Pushing the limits with Write Mode XR – lines and spaces with 400 nm pitch.
Isolated line exposed with Write Mode XR in 300 nm thick resist.
Isolated line exposed with Write Mode XR in 300 nm thick resist.
Half of a concave Fresnel lens with 1 mm diameter.
Half of a concave Fresnel lens with 1 mm diameter.
Combination of an array of micro lenses with a diameter of 20 µm, a Frenel Vortex Axicon with angles from 22° to 45° and the Heidelberg Instruments Logo in 10 µm thick resist.
Combination of an array of micro lenses with a diameter of 20 µm, a Frenel Vortex Axicon with angles from 22° to 45° and the Heidelberg Instruments Logo in 10 µm thick resist.
Diffractive Optical Element (DOE) with 2 µm wide pixels in 4 µm thick resist.
Diffractive Optical Element (DOE) with 2 µm wide pixels in 4 µm thick resist.
Concentric rings with a linewidth of about 200 nm and a pitch of 700 nm.
Concentric rings with a linewidth of about 200 nm and a pitch of 700 nm.
Pushing the limits with Write Mode XR – a 100 nm gap between exposed features is achievable with optimized process parameters.
Pushing the limits with Write Mode XR – a 100 nm gap between exposed features is achievable with optimized process parameters.
Fraunhofer logo across a 500 µm high etched side wall with 55° slope.
Fraunhofer logo across a 500 µm high etched side wall with 55° slope. Courtesy of Oliver Haverbeck and Jens Rodenbach, Fraunhofer IMM. Read the associated application note.
225 nm wide and 850 nm high ridges with 2 µm pitch remaining after exposure of the spaces in between.
225 nm wide and 850 nm high ridges with 2 µm pitch remaining after exposure of the spaces in between.

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