Single-material-based multilayered nanostructures fabrication via reverse thermal nanoimprinting

• Published in: Microelectronic engineering 2011-09, Vol.88 (9), p.2946-2950
• Main Authors: Yew, S.Y., Kustandi, T.S., Low, H.Y., Teng, J.H., Liu, Y.J., Leong, Eunice S.P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Compressing; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electronics; Equations of state, phase equilibria, and phase transitions; Exact sciences and technology; Glass transition temperature; Glass transitions; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Microelectronic fabrication (materials and surfaces technology); Molds; Multilayer; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanoscale pattern formation; Nanostructure; Physics; Polymethyl methacrylates; Reverse nanoimprint; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Specific phase transitions; Surface treatments; Toluene
• ISSN: 0167-9317; 1873-5568
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mee.2011.04.028

We demonstrated a multilayered, residual-free nanostructure by stacking a one-dimensional grating in an orthogonal arrangement via reverse thermal nanoimprinting and reactive ion etching technique using a single material (PMMA). We found that a good pattern transfer with minimal residual layers was mainly determined by four important factors: the concentration of PMMA in toluene solution, the type of fluorosilane used on the mold surface, and the temperature and pressure used in reverse nanoimprinting. The first layer was reverse-nanoimprinted at the temperature of 150 °C, while the subsequent layers were achieved at the onset temperature of the glass transition of PMMA. Experimental results showed that the compression of the bottom layer was inevitable due to a change in mechanical property of the PMMA after repeated reverse nanoimprinting process.