Flexible imprint template and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a flexible imprint template and a manufacturing method thereof. The flexible imprint template comprises: a flexible substrate; an Invar alloy layer fixed on the flexible substrate by an adhesive; a metal bonding layer arranged on the Invar alloy layer; and a rigid structure layer bonded to the Invar alloy layer by the metal bonding layer, wherein the rigid structure layer has an imprint pattern.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a flexible imprint template and a manufacturing method thereof, and in particular to a flexible imprint template using Invar alloy and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Nanoimprint technology is a low-cost and fast method to obtain replica structures at the nanoscale. It has become the mainstream of imprint technology due to its fast molding, low pressure and good compatibility with traditional semiconductor processes. Nanoimprint can produce nano-pattern structures on a large area in large quantities and repeatedly, and the high-resolution patterns produced have good uniformity and repeatability.

[0003] The imprint template is the core element of nanoimprint technology. Traditional nanoimprint templates are made of quartz. For flexible imprinting, high-hardness quartz materials are not suitable because it is difficult to fit the curved substrate to replicate the pattern. In addition, this high-hardness quartz material is difficult to have a large area of ​​ultra-high flatness, so ultra-high external pressure is required during the UV imprinting process to achieve large-area imprinting. In addition, rigid templates are prone to cracks or breakage, resulting in large-area defects in the imprinting results.

[0004] Flexible imprint templates can overcome the above-mentioned defects of quartz rigid templates. Current flexible imprint templates generally use polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a substrate, and then form a rigid imprint pattern on it. However, due to the poor thermal stability of PET, it is easy to expand or contract with temperature changes during use, resulting in poor repeatability of the imprinted pattern. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present disclosure is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to provide a flexible imprint template with improved stability and good repeatability and a manufacturing method thereof by arranging an Invar alloy layer with a very low thermal expansion coefficient in the flexible imprint template.

[0006] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a flexible imprint template, comprising: a flexible substrate; an Invar alloy layer fixed on the flexible substrate by an adhesive; a metal bonding layer disposed on the Invar alloy layer; and a rigid structural layer bonded to the Invar alloy layer by the metal bonding layer, wherein the rigid structural layer has an imprint pattern thereon.

[0007] In some embodiments, the material of the flexible substrate is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0008] In some embodiments, the thickness of the Invar alloy layer is in the range of 180 um-220 um.

[0009] In some embodiments, the material of the metal bonding layer is one of titanium dioxide TiO2 and aluminum Al, and the metal bonding layer is formed on the Invar alloy layer by sputtering.

[0010] In some embodiments, the metal adhesion layer has a thickness of 10 nm.

[0011] In some embodiments, the material of the rigid structure layer is ultraviolet (UV) photoresist.

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a flexible imprint template, comprising: providing a flexible substrate; fixing an Invar alloy layer on the flexible substrate by using an adhesive; arranging a metal bonding layer on the Invar alloy layer; and arranging a rigid structural layer on the metal bonding layer.

[0013] In some embodiments, the material of the metal bonding layer is one of titanium dioxide TiO2 and aluminum Al, and arranging the metal bonding layer on the Invar alloy layer includes: forming the metal bonding layer on the Invar alloy layer by sputtering.

[0014] In some embodiments, the rigid structural layer has an embossed pattern, and arranging the rigid structural layer on the metal bonding layer includes: coating ultraviolet UV photoresist on the metal bonding layer; replicating the embossed pattern on the silicon-based master mold onto the ultraviolet UV photoresist; and curing the ultraviolet UV photoresist to form the rigid structural layer.

[0015] In some embodiments, the material of the flexible substrate is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0016] In some embodiments, the thickness of the Invar alloy layer is in the range of 180 um-220 um.

[0017] In some embodiments, the metal adhesion layer has a thickness of 10 nm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a flexible imprint template according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 2A An operational flow chart of a method for manufacturing a flexible imprint template according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 2B A process flow chart of a method for manufacturing a flexible imprint template according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 2C Another process flow chart of a method for manufacturing a flexible imprint template according to the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein, but rather, these embodiments are provided for a more thorough and complete understanding of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are only for exemplary purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0023] It should be understood that the various steps described in the method embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. In addition, the method embodiments may include other steps and / or omit certain steps.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a flexible imprint template 100 according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] like Figure 1 The flexible imprint template shown includes a flexible substrate 110 , an Invar layer 120 , a metal adhesion layer 130 , and a rigid structural layer 140 .

[0026] The flexible substrate 110 is a flexible polymer material, and specifically can be any one of epoxy resin, silicone rubber, polycarbonate, and polyester resin. In this embodiment, the flexible substrate 110 is polyethylene terephthalate PET.

[0027] The material of the Invar alloy layer 120 is a low expansion alloy (also known as "Invar"), which is fixed on the flexible substrate 110 by an adhesive. Preferably, the thickness of the Invar alloy layer 120 is in the range of 180um-220um. The Invar alloy layer within this thickness range can not only effectively reduce the thermal expansion of the imprint template, but also take into account the bendability of the flexible imprint template.

[0028] Invar alloy is generally an alloy of metal iron (Fe) and metal nickel (Ni), which has the advantages of small expansion coefficient, high toughness, low thermal conductivity, etc. For example, the expansion coefficient of Invar alloy with a nickel content of 36% can be as low as about 0.877×10 -6 m / m℃, which means that it will not change significantly in the temperature range of -80℃-100℃. In addition, the elongation, cross-sectional shrinkage and impact toughness of Invar alloy are very high, which leads to its wide application in precision instruments, optical measurement and semiconductor manufacturing.

[0029] As mentioned above, in conventional imprint templates, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is generally used as a substrate, and then a rigid imprint pattern is formed on it. However, due to the high thermal expansion coefficient of PET (e.g., up to 59.4×10 -6m / m℃), which is prone to expansion or contraction with temperature changes during use, resulting in poor repeatability of the embossed pattern.

[0030] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the rigid structural layer is not directly arranged on the PET substrate with a high thermal expansion coefficient. Instead, a layer of Invar alloy is first formed on the PET substrate, thereby suppressing deformation caused by temperature changes during use. This can reduce the thermal expansion of the entire imprint template and ensure that a more consistent imprint pattern can be obtained in each imprint process.

[0031] The metal bonding layer 130 is disposed on the Invar alloy layer 120, and the material of the metal bonding layer 130 is one of titanium dioxide TiO2 and aluminum Al. The purpose of providing the metal bonding layer 130 is to improve the adhesion between the Invar alloy layer 120 and the subsequent rigid structure layer. For example, titanium dioxide TiO2 has strong adhesion and is not easy to undergo chemical changes. A titanium dioxide layer can be formed on the Invar alloy layer 120 by sputtering, which can not only provide adhesion for the subsequent rigid structure layer, but also effectively resist oxidation, so that the performance of the imprint template is more stable. Preferably, the thickness of the metal bonding layer 130 is 10nm.

[0032] The rigid structure layer 140 is generally a UV-cured cross-linked product of various organic mixtures, which is bonded to the Invar alloy layer 120 through the metal bonding layer 130. For example, the material of the rigid structure layer 140 can be ultraviolet UV photoresist, which can be first applied to the surface of the metal bonding layer 130, and then the desired pattern can be embossed on the applied photoresist (for example, the pattern on the master template is replicated on the photoresist), and finally the photoresist is cured by ultraviolet radiation to form the rigid structure layer 140. The pattern embossed on the rigid structure layer 140 is called an embossed pattern, which can be any graphic or structure. For example, the embossed pattern can be a nano-strip corresponding to a grating pattern, or can be any nano-pattern with other structures.

[0033] The above-mentioned imprint template can improve the problem of low thermal stability of the traditional imprint template by introducing the Invar alloy layer. In addition, by coating the metal bonding layer with strong chemical stability, it can not only improve the adhesion between the Invar alloy layer and the rigid structure layer, but also effectively resist oxidation, prevent the imprint template from being oxidized and corroded during use, and further improve the chemical stability and service life of the imprint template.

[0034] The flexible imprint template according to the present disclosure has been described above, and a method for manufacturing the flexible imprint template will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Figure 2A An operational flow chart of a method 200 for manufacturing a flexible imprint template according to the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2B A process flow chart of a method for manufacturing a flexible imprint template according to the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2C Another process flow chart of a method for manufacturing a flexible imprint template according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0036] like Figure 2A As shown, the manufacturing method 200 of the flexible imprint template according to the present disclosure includes the following steps: providing a flexible substrate (S110); fixing an Invar alloy layer on the flexible substrate by using an adhesive (S120); arranging a metal bonding layer on the Invar alloy layer (S130); and arranging a rigid structural layer on the metal bonding layer (S140).

[0037] In order to understand the present disclosure more clearly, Figure 2B The above steps are described in detail by referring to the process flow chart of the manufacturing method of the flexible imprint template shown in FIG. Figure 2B The various process flows shown are Figure 2A The various method steps in are one-to-one corresponding. In addition, it should be noted that Figure 2B The various sizes and relative sizes shown are merely schematic and are only used to describe the design and concept of the present disclosure, but are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0038] like Figure 2B As shown, firstly, a flexible substrate 210 is provided in (a). The flexible substrate 210 is generally a flexible polymer material, and specifically can be any one of epoxy resin, silicone rubber, polycarbonate, and polyester resin. In this embodiment, the flexible substrate 210 is polyethylene terephthalate PET.

[0039] Then, in (b), the Invar alloy layer 220 is fixed on the flexible substrate 210 by using an adhesive. The Invar alloy layer 220 is similar to the above Figure 1 The details of the Invar alloy layer 120 are not repeated here. Preferably, the thickness of the Invar alloy layer 220 is in the range of 180um-220um.

[0040] Then, if Figure 2B As shown in (c) of FIG. 1 , a metal bonding layer 230 is disposed on the Invar alloy layer 220. Figure 1 As described above, the material of the metal bonding layer 230 is one of titanium dioxide TiO2 and aluminum Al, and the purpose of providing the metal bonding layer 230 is to improve the adhesion between the Invar alloy layer 320 and the subsequent rigid structure layer.

[0041] Figure 2B(c) in FIG. 2 shows an example of coating metal particles (e.g., titanium dioxide TiO2 particles) on the Invar alloy layer 220 by sputtering. However, it should be understood that the method of forming the metal bonding layer 230 is not limited to the above-mentioned sputtering method, and the above-mentioned metal bonding layer 230 can also be formed by other processes or methods (e.g., physical plating or chemical plating, etc.). For example, titanium dioxide TiO2 has strong adhesion and is not easy to undergo chemical changes. A titanium dioxide layer can be formed on the Invar alloy layer 220 by sputtering, which can not only provide adhesion for the subsequent rigid structure layer, but also effectively resist oxidation, so that the performance of the imprint template is more stable. Preferably, the thickness of the metal bonding layer 230 is 10nm.

[0042] Then, if Figure 2B As shown in (d) in FIG. 1 , a rigid structure layer 240 is arranged on the metal bonding layer 230. The rigid structure layer 240 generally has an embossed pattern (eg, a nano pattern). Figure 2C The specific method of forming the rigid structure layer 240 is described with reference to the process flow chart in FIG. Figure 2C The process flow diagram shown corresponds to Figure 2B The step (d) of disposing the rigid structure layer 240 on the metal bonding layer 230 is a detailed step.

[0043] like Figure 2C As shown, arranging the rigid structure layer 240 on the metal bonding layer 230 includes: first, in (a), coating the ultraviolet photoresist UVR on the metal bonding layer (230); then, in (b)-(c), replicating the embossed pattern on the silicon-based master mold MP onto the ultraviolet photoresist UVR; finally, as shown in (c), after removing the silicon-based master mold MP, the ultraviolet photoresist UVR on which the embossed pattern is replicated is cured by irradiating it with ultraviolet light to form a rigid structure layer (240).

[0044] It should be noted that the embossing pattern on the above-mentioned silicon-based master mold MP is merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art may design other patterns or structures according to actual needs without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, and such modifications also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0045] In addition, it should be noted that although the material of the rigid structural layer shown in the above example is ultraviolet light glue, and it is cured by ultraviolet radiation. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and the material of the rigid structural layer in the present disclosure can be any other medium that can be embossed and cured. For example, a thermosetting material can be selected to form the above rigid structural layer. In the case of selecting a thermosetting material, the thermosetting material can be cured by high pressure and heating after the imprinted pattern is replicated to form the above rigid structural layer.

[0046] The flexible imprint template manufactured by the above method can improve the problem of poor thermal stability of the traditional imprint template due to the introduction of the Invar alloy layer. In addition, by coating the metal bonding layer with strong chemical stability, not only can the adhesion between the Invar alloy layer and the rigid structure layer be improved, thereby enhancing the strength of the flexible imprint template, but also the flexible imprint template can be prevented from being oxidized and corroded during use, which can further improve the chemical stability and service life of the imprint template.

[0047] It should be noted that the above Figure 1 The details and additional technical features of the flexible imprint template described also apply to Figures 2A-2C The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a flexible imprint template of an embodiment, unless otherwise specified herein or clearly inapplicable based on the context.

[0048] In the above description, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the above embodiments are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art should understand that the combination of the constituent elements and processes of the present embodiments can be modified in various ways, and such modifications also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A flexible imprint template, comprising: Flexible substrate; an Invar alloy layer fixed on the flexible substrate by an adhesive, and configured to suppress deformation of the flexible substrate caused by temperature change while ensuring the bendability of the flexible imprint template; a metal bonding layer disposed on the Invar layer; as well as a rigid structural layer bonded to the Invar layer by the metal bonding layer, The rigid structural layer has an embossed pattern, and the thickness of the Invar alloy layer is in the range of 180um-220um.

2. The flexible imprint template according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the flexible substrate is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

3. The flexible imprint template according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the metal bonding layer is one of titanium dioxide TiO2 and aluminum Al, and the metal bonding layer is formed on the Invar alloy layer by sputtering.

4. The flexible imprint template according to claim 3, wherein: The thickness of the metal bonding layer is 10 nm.

5. The flexible imprint template according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the rigid structure layer is ultraviolet UV light glue.

6. A method for manufacturing a flexible imprint template, comprising: providing a flexible substrate; fixing the Invar layer on the flexible substrate by using an adhesive; disposing a metal bonding layer on the Invar layer; as well as Arranging a rigid structural layer on the metal bonding layer, The Invar alloy layer suppresses deformation of the flexible substrate caused by temperature change while ensuring the bendability of the flexible imprint template, and the thickness of the Invar alloy layer is in the range of 180um-220um.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The material of the metal bonding layer is one of titanium dioxide TiO2 and aluminum Al, and arranging the metal bonding layer on the Invar alloy layer comprises: The metal adhesion layer is formed on the Invar alloy layer by sputtering.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The rigid structure layer has an embossed pattern thereon, and the rigid structure layer is arranged on the metal adhesive layer, comprising: Coating ultraviolet light glue on the metal bonding layer; Replicating the embossed pattern on the silicon-based master mold onto the ultraviolet UV photoresist; and The ultraviolet UV photoresist is cured to form the rigid structure layer.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein: The material of the flexible substrate is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein: The thickness of the metal bonding layer is 10 nm.

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