Interference of Surface Plasmon Waves and Plasmon Coupled Waveguide Modes for the Patterning of Thin Film

We analyze and propose a thin-film patterning method based on Kretschmann's attenuated total reflection (ATR) configuration where the surface plasmon mode and plasmon coupled waveguide modes coupled into a target photosensitive layer are generated. By analyzing stratified media with the help of extended transfer matrix method, we numerically visualize electromagnetic fields of surface plasmon waves and plasmon coupled waveguide modes. Through the interference of these modes, it is to be shown that our proposed configuration can be used in the optical lithography, especially for the thin-film patterning methods. Feasibility is tested by coating a dielectric layer on the gold layer in the ATR configuration.