API Nanofabrication Uses Nano-imprint Lithography in Manufacturing Common Photonic Devices

API Nanofabrication and Research Corp. (Somerset, NJ) has received U.S. Patent 7,619,816  for structures used for polarization and beam control in optical devices and systems that are commonly used where manipulation of light is desired. Examples of optical devices include lenses, polarizers, optical filters, antireflection films, optical retarders (e.g., waveplates), and beam splitters (e.g., polarizing and non-polarizing beam splitters). Sub-wavelength structures may be used to control properties of optical beams such as polarization. Articles that are sensitive to the polarization of a beam may include sub-wavelength structures.  The structures can be manufactured using nano-imprint lithography, according to inventors Xuegong Deng,  Jian Wang  and Feng Liu.  Photonic components are a market that equals and is expected to exceed the $250 billion dollar semiconductor device market.