Compositions and processes for nanoimprinting
First Claim
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1. A method for forming a pattern in a film carried on a substrate, said method comprising:
- obtaining a mold of a material, which mold is hard relative to the film,the film comprising a polymeric composition deformable by said mold at a temperature of less than 200°
C.;
the mold having first and second protruding features spaced apart from each other and a recess formed thereby, the first and second features and the recess having a shape forming a mold pattern and providing at least one mold pattern lateral dimension which is less than 200 nm;
urging the mold into the film under a molding pressure, whereby the thickness of the film under the protruding features of the mold are reduced, thereby forming the mold pattern in the film;
solidifying the mold-deformed film;
removing the mold from the film; and
removing from the film the areas of reduced thickness, thereby exposing portions of the surface of the substrate which underlie the thin region such that the exposed portions of the surface of the substrate substantially replicate the mold pattern and have at least one lateral dimension which is less than 200 nm.
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Abstract
The invention is directed to new nanoimprint resist and thin-film compositions for use in nanoimprinting lithography. The compositions permit economical high-throughput mass production, using nanoimprint processes, of patterns having sub-200 nm, and even sub-50 nm features.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for forming a pattern in a film carried on a substrate, said method comprising:
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obtaining a mold of a material, which mold is hard relative to the film, the film comprising a polymeric composition deformable by said mold at a temperature of less than 200°
C.;the mold having first and second protruding features spaced apart from each other and a recess formed thereby, the first and second features and the recess having a shape forming a mold pattern and providing at least one mold pattern lateral dimension which is less than 200 nm; urging the mold into the film under a molding pressure, whereby the thickness of the film under the protruding features of the mold are reduced, thereby forming the mold pattern in the film; solidifying the mold-deformed film; removing the mold from the film; and removing from the film the areas of reduced thickness, thereby exposing portions of the surface of the substrate which underlie the thin region such that the exposed portions of the surface of the substrate substantially replicate the mold pattern and have at least one lateral dimension which is less than 200 nm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of forming a plurality of structures having at least one dimension less than 200 nm, which comprises the step of imprinting a nanoimprint resist using a mold, said nanoimprint resist comprising a polymeric composition deformable by said mold at a temperature of less than 200°
- C., said polymeric composition capable of retaining said plurality of structures upon removal of said mold.
- View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A thin film, comprising:
a) a nanoimprint resist comprising a polymeric composition deformable by a mold at a temperature of less than 200°
C., said mold being capable of forming a plurality of structures having at least one dimension less than 200 nm, said polymeric composition being capable of retaining said plurality of structures upon removal of said mold.- View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A nanoimprint resist, comprising a polymeric composition deformable by a mold at a temperature of less than 200°
- C., said mold capable of forming a plurality of structures having at least one dimension less than 200 nm, said polymeric composition capable of retaining said plurality of structures upon removal of said mold.
Specification