In recent years, the reduction in pattern size is driving the rapid adoption of nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Since nanoimprinting since is contact printing, a higher separation force might damage the master and/or the imprint tool, either of which degrades pattern quality. One of the biggest concerns in NIL utilization is the mold-release characteristic of the master and the resin. Although Optool DSXTM (DAIKIN Ind. Ltd.) is a de facto standard as mold release reagent, there is a problem with its UV-NIL durability. Accordingly, we focused on developing new fluorinated low molecular weight perfluorocompounds to enhance the mold-release characteristic of the resist. This paper reports that resists containing these fluroinated compounds offer improved durability as antistick layers for quartz molds subjected to repeated UV-NIL exposure.
This paper demonstrates formation of surface relief (SR) gratings and crossed SR gratings with molecularly oriented
structure using photo-cross-linkable liquid crystalline copolymer films by means of holographic exposure of 325 nm He-
Cd laser beams combined with linearly polarized (LP) UV light. For the intensity holography using He-Cd laser, SR
gratings were formed after annealing the exposed films, where the molecular migration from the lower to the higherexposed
region occurred. The reorientational part and SR height were dependent on degree of the photoreaction. When
the exposure doses were low, molecular reorientation at the convex region was generated. In contrast, higher exposing
doses resulted in the molecular reorientation at the concave area. The resulting gratings showed polarization sensitivity
for diffraction efficiencies of the probe light beam according to the molecularly reorientation direction. Furthermore,
multi-holographic exposure yielded crossed SR gratings with reoriented structure according the polarization direction of
He-Cd laser beams, which exhibited multi-functional diffractions. Furthermore, when combining the multi-holographic
exposure and the unidirectional LPUV light exposure, crossed SR grating with multi-directionally oriented film structure
was generated., where the whole area was reoriented.
KEYWORDS: Silicon, Polymers, Atomic force microscopy, Semiconducting wafers, Scanning electron microscopy, Surface roughness, Solids, Manufacturing, Digital video discs, Electron beam lithography
Injection molding technology offers the most competitive potential to meet the growing demand for cost-effective
manufacturing of components with micro and nanoscale features due to its far greater production rates than the other
techniques. Since conventional mold tooling materials and techniques are not suitable for sub-micron scale molding,
mature silicon processing technology were evaluated as tooling for these features. Simple pattern geometries of trench
lines were employed to simplify the analysis and all parts were molded using optical grade high-flow polycarbonate.
Replication quality was evaluated in terms of depth ratio (height of molded feature/depth of corresponding tooling
feature) and root-mean-square roughness. Although perfect replication has not been achieved with the given system,
several factors including surface adhesion and feature aspect ratio were found to be critical for replication of
nanoscalefeatures. Of four factors possibly affecting replication, adhesion of the polymer to silicon surface during
ejection was found to be critical and is influenced by processing temperatures, cooling times, tooling mounting systems,
and tooling surface roughness. Trapped of air in tooling trenches, damage to the silicon tooling during molding, and
shrinkage of polymer during cooling may also have contributed to less-than-perfect replication. All factors seem
synergistic and the effects are greater for small feature geometries.
Three-dimensional nanostructure fabrication has been demonstrated by 30 keV Ga+ focused-ion-beam chemical-vapor-deposition (FIB-CVD) using a phenanthrene (C14H10) source as a precursor. Microstructure plastic arts is advocated as a new field using micro-beam technology, presenting one example of micro-wine-glass with 2.75μm external diameter and 12μm height. The deposition film is a diamondlike amorphous carbon. A large Young's modulus that exceeds 600 GPa seems to present great possibilities for various applications. Producing of three-dimensional nanostructure is discussed. Micro-coil, nanoelectrostatic actuator, and nano-space-wiring with 0.1μm dimension are demonstrated as parts of nanomechanical system. Furthermore, nanoinjector and nanomanipulator are also fabricated as a novel nano-tool for manipulation and analysis of subcellular organelles.
Protein motors are enzymes that naturally generate force and move along tracks of protein polymers (actin filaments or microtubules), using energy from the hydrolysis of adenosinetriphosphate (ATP). To harness these protein motors to power nanometer-scale devices, we have investigated effective and non-destructive methods for immobilizing protein motors on surfaces and to arrange the output of these motors, e.g. force and movement, to be in a defined direction. We found polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and NEB-22 to be useful for immobilizing protein motors while retaining their abilities to support the movement of protein polymers. We fabricated various patterns of tracks of PMMA or NEB22 on coverslips and protein motors were introduced and immobilized on the patterns. The trajectories of protein polymers were confined to these tracks. Simple patterns readily biased polymer movement confining it to be unidirectional. Applications of motor proteins in nanometric fine-movement microactuators are now stepping closer to reality.
Injection molding technology is one of the most promising candidates for the economically viable manufacturing of nanoscale parts, but the composition and surface properties of tooling materials become more critical as the size of the molded features decreases. In the study, the effect of novel tooling with micro and nanoscale features was investigated by employing this tooling as inserts for micro injection molding of polycarbonate. Parts molded from etched silicon wafers with pattern depths of 300 nm and widths of 200 to 980 nm showed a significant decrease in replication quality with the size the features, probably because polymer adhered to the tooling surface. Silicon tooling from a different source and titanium-coated gallium arsenide tooling produced higher quality replication. The replication quality from the silicon tooling, however, was constant over 3000 molding cycles and coated gallium arsenide inserts survived the molding pressures; (the uncoated gallium arsenide fractured). These findings suggest that modifications to the insert surfaces will allow for viable tooling for injection molding of plastic parts with nanoscale features.
In exploring the feasibility of fabricating high Tc SNS Josephson junctions with well-defined and clean SN interfaces, have been cleaved epitaxial thin films of Y-Ba-Cu-O and Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O of various crystal orientations in vacuum while the evaporation of a noble metal is taking place. The samples had structures which allowed in situ formation of SNS junctions when the films were cleaved together with substrate with the area of the SN interfaces defined by the revealed cross-sectional edge surfaces of the films. Electrical measurements of the resulting junctions show that oxide/metal interfaces possess contact resistance in the order of 10 to the 9th to 10 to the 8th ohm-sq cm which is at least two orders of magnitude larger than that of similarly made SN interfaces with metallic superconductors. The nature of this interface and the factors influencing and giving rise to the contact resistance are discussed.
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