Composite patterning devices for soft lithography
First Claim
1. A composite patterning device for generating a pattern on a substrate surface, said device comprising:
- a first polymer layer comprising a three-dimensional relief pattern having at least one contact surface disposed thereon, said first polymer layer having a low Young'"'"'s modulus and having an internal surface opposite said contact surface; and
a second polymer layer having an internal surface and an external surface;
said second polymer layer having a high Young'"'"'s modulus;
wherein said first polymer layer and said second polymer layer are arranged such that a force applied to the external surface of said second polymer layer is transmitted to said first polymer layer;
wherein said composite patterning device is capable of establishing conformal contact between at least a portion of said contact surface of said first polymer layer and said substrate surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides methods, devices and device components for fabricating patterns on substrate surfaces, particularly patterns comprising structures having microsized and/or nanosized features of selected lengths in one, two or three dimensions. The present invention provides composite patterning devices comprising a plurality of polymer layers each having selected mechanical properties, such as Young'"'"'s Modulus and flexural rigidity, selected physical dimensions, such as thickness, surface area and relief pattern dimensions, and selected thermal properties, such as coefficients of thermal expansion, to provide high resolution patterning on a variety of substrate surfaces and surface morphologies.
247 Citations
84 Claims
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1. A composite patterning device for generating a pattern on a substrate surface, said device comprising:
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a first polymer layer comprising a three-dimensional relief pattern having at least one contact surface disposed thereon, said first polymer layer having a low Young'"'"'s modulus and having an internal surface opposite said contact surface; and
a second polymer layer having an internal surface and an external surface;
said second polymer layer having a high Young'"'"'s modulus;
wherein said first polymer layer and said second polymer layer are arranged such that a force applied to the external surface of said second polymer layer is transmitted to said first polymer layer;
wherein said composite patterning device is capable of establishing conformal contact between at least a portion of said contact surface of said first polymer layer and said substrate surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A composite patterning device for generating a pattern on a substrate surface, said device comprising:
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a first layer comprising a three-dimensional relief pattern having at least one contact surface disposed thereon, said first layer having a low Young'"'"'s modulus and having an internal surface opposite said contact surface;
a second layer having an internal surface and an external surface;
said second layer having a high Young'"'"'s modulus; and
a third layer having an internal surface and an external surface;
wherein said first, second and third polymer layers are arranged such that a force applied to the external surface of said third polymer layer is transmitted to said first polymer layer; and
wherein the thicknesses and thermal expansion coefficients of said first and third layers are selected to provide a substantially symmetrical distribution of the coefficients of thermal expansion about the center of said patterning device along a layer alignment axis extending through said patterning device, and wherein said composite patterning device is capable of establishing conformal contact between at least a portion of said contact surface of said first layer and said substrate surface. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62)
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63. A patterning device for generating a pattern on a substrate surface, said device comprising:
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an polymer layer comprising a three-dimensional relief pattern and a base, wherein said three-dimensional relief pattern has at least one contact surface disposed thereon, wherein said base has an external surface positioned opposite to said contact surface, wherein said contact surface is orthogonal to a layer alignment axis extending through said layer, and wherein the Young'"'"'s modulus of said polymer layer varies continuously along said layer alignment axis from a said contact surface to said external surface. wherein said patterning device is capable of establishing conformal contact between at least a portion of said contact surface and said substrate surface. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66)
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67. A method of generating a pattern on a substrate surface, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a composite patterning device comprising;
a first polymer layer comprising a three-dimensional relief pattern having at least one contact surface disposed thereon, said first polymer layer having a low Young'"'"'s modulus and having a internal surface opposite said contact surface; and
a second polymer layer having an internal surface and an external surface;
said second polymer layer having a high Young'"'"'s modulus;
wherein said first polymer layer and said second polymer layer are arranged such that a force applied to the external surface of said second polymer layer is transmitted to said first polymer layer;
depositing a transfer material onto said contact surface of said first polymer layer, thereby generating a layer of transfer material on the contact surface;
contacting said composite patterning device and said substrate surface in a manner establishing conformal contact between at least a portion of said contact surface and said substrate surface, wherein said layer of transfer material is exposed to said substrate surface; and
separating said composite patterning device and said substrate surface, thereby transferring at least a portion of said transfer material to said substrate surface and generating said pattern on said substrate surface. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70)
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71. A method of generating a pattern on a substrate surface, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a composite patterning device comprising;
a first polymer layer comprising a three-dimensional relief pattern having at least one contact surface disposed thereon, said first polymer layer having a low Young'"'"'s modulus and having a internal surface opposite said contact surface; and
a second polymer layer having an internal surface and an external surface;
said second polymer layer having a high Young'"'"'s modulus;
wherein said first polymer layer and said second polymer layer are arranged such that a force applied to the external surface of said second polymer layer is transmitted to said first polymer layer;
contacting said composite patterning device and said substrate surface in a manner establishing conformal contact between at least a portion of said contact surface and said substrate surface, thereby generating a mold comprising the space separating said three-dimensional relief pattern and said substrate surface;
introducing a transfer material into said mold; and
separating said composite patterning device and said substrate surface, thereby generating said pattern on said substrate surface.
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72. A method of generating a pattern on the surface of a substrate comprising a photosensitive material, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a composite patterning device comprising;
a first polymer layer comprising a three-dimensional relief pattern having at least one contact surface disposed thereon, said first polymer layer having a low Young'"'"'s modulus and having a internal surface opposite said contact surface; and
a second polymer layer having an internal surface and an external surface;
said second polymer layer having a high Young'"'"'s modulus;
wherein said first polymer layer and said second polymer layer are arranged such that a force applied to the external surface of said second polymer layer is transmitted to said first polymer layer;
contacting said composite patterning device and said surface of said substrate in a manner establishing conformal contact between at least a portion of said contact surface and said surface of said substrate; and
directing electromagnetic radiation through said composite patterning device and onto said surface of said substrate, thereby generating a pattern of electromagnetic radiation having a selected two-dimensional distribution of intensities on said substrate surface;
wherein interaction of said electromagnetic radiation and said radiation sensitive material generates chemically modified regions of said radiation sensitive material, thereby generating said pattern on said substrate surface. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74)
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75. A method of making a composite patterning device, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a master relief pattern having a selected three-dimensional relief pattern;
contacting said master relief pattern with a prepolymer of a low modulus polymer;
contacting said prepolymer material with an high modulus polymer layer;
polymerizing said prepolymer, thereby generating a low modulus polymer layer in contact with said high modulus polymer layer and in contact with said master relief pattern;
said low modulus polymer layer having a three-dimensional relief pattern; and
separating said low modulus polymer layer from said master relief pattern, thereby making said composite pattering device.
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76. A fiber reinforced composite patterning device for generating a pattern on a substrate surface, said device comprising:
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a first polymer layer comprising a three-dimensional relief pattern having at least one contact surface disposed thereon, said first polymer layer having a low Young'"'"'s modulus and having an internal surface opposite said contact surface; and
a second polymer layer having an internal surface and an external surface;
said second polymer layer comprising an array of fibers in a polymer, wherein said internal surface of said second polymer layer is in contact with said external surface of said first polymer layer;
a third polymer layer having an internal surface and an external surface;
said third polymer layer comprising an mesh of fibers in a polymer, wherein said internal surface of said third polymer layer is in contact with said external surface of said second polymer layer;
a fourth polymer layer having an internal surface and an external surface;
said fourth polymer layer comprising an mesh of fibers in a polymer, wherein said internal surface of said fourth polymer layer is in contact with said external surface of said third polymer layer;
a fifth polymer layer having an internal surface and an external surface;
said fifth polymer layer comprising an array of fibers in a polymer, wherein said internal surface of said fifth polymer layer is in contact with said external surface of said fourth polymer layer;
wherein said composite patterning device is capable of establishing conformal contact between at least a portion of said contact surface of said first polymer layer and said substrate surface.
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77. An alignment system for aligning a conformable patterning device and a substrate, said system comprising:
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said conformable patterning device comprising a first polymer layer having a contact surface with a first alignment element, said first polymer layer having a low Young'"'"'s modulus, said first alignment element comprising either a recessed region or a relief feature;
said substrate having an external surface;
wherein said external surface comprises a second alignment element comprising either a recessed region or a relief feature that is complementary to said first alignment element;
a patterning agent present between said contact surface of said conformable patterning device and said external surface of said substrate;
wherein said contact surface is capable of establishing conformal contact with said external surface such that said first and second alignment features engage. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. A method of aligning a conformable patterning device and a substrate, said method comprising:
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providing said conformable patterning device comprising a first polymer layer having a contact surface with a first alignment element, said first polymer layer having a low Young'"'"'s modulus, said first alignment element comprising either a recessed region or a relief feature;
providing said substrate having an external surface;
wherein said external surface comprises a second alignment element comprising either a recessed region or a relief feature that is complementary to said first alignment element;
providing a patterning agent between said contact surface of said conformable patterning device and said external surface of said substrate; and
establishing conformal contact between said contact surface and said external surface such that said first and second alignment features engage. - View Dependent Claims (84)
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Specification