Mechanical characteristics of the hard-polydimethylsiloxane for smart lithography

Abstract

This paper is a study about mechanical characteristics of hard-polydimethylsiloxane (h-PDMS), we compared and analyzed physical properties of h-PDMS with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) which in non-photolithography patterning process. As a next generation (or advanced) patterning process, various methods of soft lithography for non-photolithography and low-cost is actively being researched, especially, PDMS uses are increasing with the material which the adhesiveness and formation is superior Recently, there is a report about a new process using h-PDMS that is improved the low Young’s modulus which is a mechanical weak point of PDMS will get good quality for nano-scale patterning. According to changing composition ratio of h-PDMS, we measured the crack density per unit length with radius of curvature, also measured the strain with a radius of curvature when starts creations of crack due to hardness of h-PDMS. With these experiments, we studied that it is possible to control mechanical characteristics of hard-PDMS with composition ratio, we showed possibility of improving at pattern collapse and twist which weak point of PDMS, and also showed that it is possible to fabricate desired hardness of h-PDMS.