Polar coordinate laser writing systems: Error analysis of fabricated DOEs

Diffractive optics is a field where the progress is defined by fabrication technology. Diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are generally planar structures, typically fabricated using X-Y image generators designed for semiconductor industry. However there are some kinds of DOEs for which the polar scanning geometry, where the optic rotates under a writing beam, is more preferable. In some cases polar coordinate machines provide the only practical method of fabricating DOEs with the required accuracy. It is necessary to take into account the DOE specification when choosing the fabrication method. The present paper considers peculiarities of polar coordinate laser systems for large size and high precision DOEs fabrication. The specific error sources for these systems are described and compared with those of X-Y systems. An optimal writing strategy is discussed. The wavefront aberrations of rotationally symmetric DOEs caused by fabrication errors were measured interferometrically. Different types of aberrations were identified and can be referred to certain writing errors. Interferometric measurements of the wavefront errors for binary zone plates with a 64 mm diameter and 0.45 numerical aperture have shown that the wavefront root-mean-square error does not exceed 0.009λ.