Bio-inspired spherical micro-ring metallic meshes and the fabrication using aberration-converged annular lithography

Deploying metallic meshes on windows serves as a critical strategy to protecting inner optoelectronic components (e.g., cameras) from the external electromagnetic interference. Spherical domes offer superior performance compared to conventional planar windows for multi-applications. However, fabricating metallic meshes on spherical substrate presents dual challenges in architecture design and manufacturing methodologies. This study introduces a bio-inspired approach utilizing spiral-distributed micro-ring units, with node positions optimized via genetic algorithms to achieve even spherical meshes distribution. Concurrently, we developed a novel system for spherical lithography. Utilizing this comprehensive and systematic mesh distribution methodology and fabrication device, the challenges of spherical mesh was successfully addressed. The fabricated samples represent the first realization of micro-scaled ring-shaped mesh grids on spherical substrates. Beyond the implementation in transparent electromagnetic interference shielding, the proposed architecture can be applied to metasurface, enabling high-quality reflective layer properties and precise unit-cell spatial arrangement. This contribution extends the research scope of electromagnetic devices to the geometry of spherical surfaces.