Conventional lithography has been extended successfully to printing of dense features as small as 20-30 nm, but its
extendibility to still smaller dimensions presents formidable challenges. We have established an exploratory program in UV
nanoimprint lithography that is focused on understanding the materials requirements necessary to make this technology function
as well as photo- and e-beam lithography do.
UV nanoimprint lithography works by curing a resist fluid in contact with a patterned transparent mold, then removing the mold and using the resulting polymer stencil for pattern transfer using conventional etching and deposition techniques. An example of process steps for a silicon-containing nanoimprint resist is shown below.
Our focus is on understanding the basic physics and chemistry of the imprint process, from initial resist dispense to removal of the template after cure, and use that knowledge to design optimum resist materials and interfacial surface treatments.
