UV-based nanoimprinting lithography with a fluorinated flexible stamp

Abstract

A custom-made copolymer of a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) and a hyperbranched polymer (HP) was employed to prepare an UV-based nanoimprinting lithographic (NIL) flexible HPFPE stamp. The properties of the HP afforded the resultant HPFPE resist with low viscosity, suitable surface energy, high Young’s modulus, and enhanced stability. The HPFPE resist also presented excellent properties of antisticking, and durability, no deformation, or distortion after long time usage; therefore, demonstrating an improvement in the NIL pattern transfer fidelity and resolution. By optimizing the UV-based NIL process with this flexible HPFPE stamp, the imprinting results showed near zero residues at the bottom of the resist grooves, and no sticking over a large area. The structure of the HPFPE flexible stamp was transferred intact onto a soft substrate indium tin oxide/polyethylene terephthalate film with good resolution, achieving a 50 nm linewidth and a 200 nm period.