A manufacturing tool for a composite elastomer soft film

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of nano-imprinting, in particular to a production tool for a composite elastomer soft film, which comprises a composite template tool, a PET soft film tool and a master template; the middle part of the PET soft film tool is in an open shape, is used for clamping the PET soft film, and is used for pressing and positioning both ends of the PET soft film through a pressing and positioning assembly; the composite template tool and the PET soft film tool are accurately positioned through a positioning shaft and a positioning groove body; the PET soft film tool is provided with a circular groove and an overflow groove, is used for inputting elastomer glue and removing redundant glue, and is combined with ultraviolet light exposure to form a composite template of a PET-elastomer-fluorine-containing template glue. The application solves the problems of poor adaptability, long production cycle, high demolding risk and complicated operation of the existing template, and improves the imprinting efficiency and the template quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of nanoimprint technology, specifically a tooling for fabricating a composite elastomer soft film. Background Technology

[0002] Nanoimprint composite elastomer templates are the core component of nanoimprint technology, and their performance directly affects pattern resolution, process cost, and mass production feasibility. Based on different materials and structures, templates are mainly divided into polymeric templates (such as polydimethylsiloxane-PDMS, fluorinated polymers) and rigid templates (such as silicon, quartz, and nickel). Rigid stencils are primarily made of quartz / silicon, achieving sub-5nm resolution and boasting a lifespan exceeding 10,000 cycles. They are resistant to high temperatures and chemical corrosion. Rigid stencils (such as nickel) can withstand temperatures above 300°C and strong acid corrosion, making them suitable for semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing and applicable to various scenarios and special processes. However, the main drawback of rigid stencils is their poor substrate compatibility; they are only suitable for flat substrates, and imprinting on curved or flexible materials can easily result in bubbles or structural breakage.

[0003] PDMS materials in polymer templates possess excellent adhesion properties and a low imprinting defect rate. However, their low Young's modulus results in relatively low structural resolution, making it difficult to accurately replicate nanostructures below 200 nm. Furthermore, as a thermosetting material, PDMS has a long fabrication process, making it unsuitable for mass production.

[0004] Fluorinated polymers are widely used as template materials, typically paired with PET films. However, these elastomers are generally quite rigid, resulting in poorer adhesion during imprinting compared to PDMS materials. Furthermore, deformation of the PET film can easily transfer to the fluoride structural layer, causing structural distortion.

[0005] Many conventional template-making fixtures on the market are primarily designed for rigid templates, which limits their applicability. They require flat-bottomed rigid substrates, which can lead to air bubbles or structural breakage when imprinting on curved or flexible surfaces. Furthermore, the use of rigid substrates results in longer production cycles and significantly higher costs, making them particularly expensive for verification process tests. In addition, rigid templates have a higher risk of demolding; rigid separation can easily cause breakage and defects in three-dimensional structures such as high aspect ratio or tilted gratings. Moreover, positioning and clamping flexible molds requires multiple sets of bolts, resulting in cumbersome, slow, and inefficient operations.

[0006] Therefore, in view of the above problems, this technical solution proposes a tooling for manufacturing composite elastomer soft films. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a tooling for manufacturing composite elastomer soft films to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a tooling for manufacturing a composite elastomer soft film, comprising a composite template tooling, a PET soft film tooling, and a master template; the PET soft film tooling is configured with an opening in the middle for clamping the PET soft film; the composite template tooling and the PET soft film tooling are vertically inserted and positioned; the frame of the PET soft film tooling is symmetrically provided with pressure grooves on the left and right sides, and a set of pressure and positioning components is provided on each side for pressing and positioning the two ends of the PET soft film; a positioning shaft is installed on the front and rear end walls of the composite template tooling, and a fastening positioning groove is provided on the top of the PET soft film tooling corresponding to the positioning shaft for precise positioning when the composite template tooling moves toward the PET soft film tooling.

[0009] Preferably, an arc-shaped cover is hinged to one side of the top of the positioning groove, the inner side of the cover has a semi-circular structure with the same diameter as the positioning shaft, and the end of the positioning groove is sealed. A locking pin is installed on one side of the slot cover, and a locking hole is provided on the top of the positioning slot corresponding to the locking pin. The locking pin engages with the locking hole to fix the slot cover.

[0010] Preferably, the pressing and positioning assembly includes pressing plates distributed directly above the pressing groove. The pressing plates press and position the ends of the PET film placed in the pressing groove. Each pressing plate has an integrated lifting structure installed on its side wall away from the center of the PET film tooling for controlling the lifting and lowering of the pressing plate.

[0011] Preferably, the integrated lifting structure includes bolt base blocks symmetrically distributed at both ends on the side wall of the pressure plate. Vertical lifting bolts are threaded inside the bolt base blocks. The bottom end of the lifting bolt moves through the bolt base. One side of the bolt base is positioned on the frame by a fixing rod. A rotating rod is connected to the bottom end of the lifting bolt. One side of the rotating rod is obliquely outward and fixedly connected to a swing rod I by a fixing plate. The other side of the rotating rod is obliquely outward and connected to a swing rod II by a fixing plate. The swing rod I and swing rod II are designed to be inclined in opposite directions. The ends of the swing rod I and swing rod II are respectively rotatably connected to telescopic components by swing shafts. The extension of the telescopic components drives the swing shafts at both ends to control the relative swing of the swing rod I and swing rod II. Thus, under the connection of the fixing plate, the rotating rod fixed to it rotates, controlling the threaded movement of the lifting bolt in the bolt base block, thereby controlling the height adjustment of the bolt base block and the pressure plate fixed to the bolt base block.

[0012] Preferably, multiple parallel arc-shaped pressure bars are installed at the bottom of the pressure plate along the length direction, and the pressure grooves corresponding to the arc-shaped pressure bars are provided with arc-shaped pressure grooves to improve the pressing and fastening force on the PET soft film.

[0013] Preferably, the PET flexible film tooling has a circular groove in the middle, and the inside of the circular groove is used to input the elastomer adhesive to be laid; Multiple overflow grooves are evenly distributed on the circumferential sidewall of the circular groove to remove excess elastomer adhesive during the bonding process, so that the surface of the elastomer is smooth.

[0014] Preferably, the fabrication fixture for a composite elastomer soft film further includes an ultraviolet lamp, which is positioned above the PET soft film fixture for exposing the elastomer adhesive.

[0015] Preferably, the telescopic component is configured as an electric telescopic rod, a hydraulic rod-hydraulic cylinder, or a cylinder-piston rod structure for automatic control of the telescopic component's extension and retraction.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: by using the insertion and positioning design of the composite template tooling and the PET soft film tooling, the adaptability of the template is improved, making it suitable for curved or flexible substrates and reducing the risk of bubbles and structural breakage.

[0017] By adopting an integrated lifting structure for the pressure positioning component, the lifting of the pressure plate can be automatically controlled, which simplifies the clamping operation of the PET soft film (21), improves efficiency, and avoids the cumbersomeness of traditional multi-group bolt fixing.

[0018] The overflow groove design ensures a smooth surface for the elastomer, improving pattern resolution and printing quality.

[0019] This tooling has a compact overall structure, short manufacturing cycle, and low cost, making it particularly suitable for verification process testing and mass production needs. It reduces the risk of demolding and minimizes fracture defects in three-dimensional structures such as high aspect ratio or tilted gratings through precise positioning and holding mechanisms.

[0020] By employing a UV lamp exposure process, curing is rapid and applicable to a variety of elastomer adhesives, such as fluorinated template adhesives, enhancing the durability and application range of the template. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a composite elastomer soft membrane.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the composite template tooling in the fabrication tooling of a composite elastomer soft membrane.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the PET film tooling used in the fabrication of a composite elastomer soft film.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of a PET film tooling used in the fabrication of a composite elastomer soft film.

[0025] Figure 5for Figure 3 A magnified structural diagram of A in the middle.

[0026] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of B in the middle.

[0027] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of C in the middle.

[0028] Figures 8-11 Different states of adhesive sprayed from the adhesive spraying equipment.

[0029] Among them: composite template tooling 1, PET soft film tooling 2, elastomer adhesive 4, ultraviolet lamp 5, mother template 6, positioning shaft 7, positioning groove 8, groove cover 9, locking pin 10, round groove 11, overflow groove 12, locking hole 13, pressure plate 14, pressure groove 15, arc-shaped pressure rod 16, bolt base block 17, lifting bolt 18, bolt base 19, swing block 20, PET soft film 21, frame 22, swing rod I 23, telescopic component 24, swing shaft 25, swing rod II 26. Detailed Implementation

[0030] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0031] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0032] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0034] Please see Figures 1-4 A tooling for manufacturing a composite elastomer soft film includes a composite template tooling 1, a PET soft film tooling 2, and a mother template 6. The mother template 6 is pre-coated with a fluorinated elastomer adhesive. The composite template tooling 1 and the PET soft film tooling 2 are vertically inserted and positioned to manufacture the composite elastomer soft film. The PET soft film tooling 2 has an open center. The frame 22 of the PET soft film tooling 2 has symmetrically opened pressure grooves 15 on the left and right sides. Each side is provided with a set of pressure and positioning components. The pressure and positioning components press and position the two ends of the PET soft film 21 to be manufactured. At the same time, a positioning shaft 7 is installed on the front and rear end walls of the composite template tooling 1. The top of the PET soft film tooling 2 corresponding to the positioning shaft 7 is provided with a fastening positioning groove 8. When the composite template tooling 1 moves toward the PET soft film tooling 2, it is precisely positioned by using the positioning shaft 7 and the positioning groove 8. Specifically, see Figure 4 The top side of the positioning groove 8 is hinged with an arc-shaped groove cover 9. The inner side of the groove cover 9 is provided with a semi-circular structure with the same diameter as the positioning shaft 7. The end of the positioning groove 8 is sealed to prevent the positioning shaft 7 from shifting in the front-back direction. That is, after the positioning shaft 7 is inserted into the positioning groove 8, the groove cover 9 is rotated to tighten the upper side of the positioning shaft 7. Preferably, a locking pin 10 is installed on one side of the slot cover 9, and a locking hole 13 is provided on the top of the positioning slot 8 corresponding to the locking pin 10. The locking pin 10 is engaged with the locking hole 13 to fix the slot cover 9.

[0035] The PET film 21 is pre-cut to the required size according to the manufacturing requirements, and the size should match the opening of the PET film fixture 2. See Figures 3-7The pressing and positioning assembly includes pressing plates 14 distributed directly above the pressing groove 15. The pressing plates 14 press and position the ends of the PET film 21 placed in the pressing groove 15. Each pressing plate 14 has an integrated lifting structure installed on its side wall away from the center of the PET film tooling 2 for controlling the lifting and lowering of the pressing plate 14. The integrated lifting structure is driven by automatic control and includes bolt base blocks 17 symmetrically distributed at both ends on the side wall of the pressing plate 14. Vertical lifting bolts 18 are threaded inside the bolt base blocks 17. The bottom end of the lifting bolt 18 moves through a bolt base 19. One side of the bolt base 19 is positioned on the frame PET film 21 by a fixing rod. At the same time, the bottom end of the lifting bolt 18 is connected to a rotating rod. One side of the rotating rod is obliquely outward and fixedly connected to a swing rod I 23 through a fixing plate. The other side of the rotating rod is obliquely outward and connected to a swing rod I 23 through a fixing plate. The moving rod II 26, the swing rod I 23 and the swing rod II 26 are designed to be inclined in opposite directions. At the same time, the ends of the swing rod I 23 and the swing rod II 26 are rotatably connected to the telescopic member 24 through the swing shaft 25. Both ends of the telescopic member 24 are provided with connecting rods. The connecting rods cooperate with the swing shaft 25 and are rotatably connected to the ends of the swing rod I 23 and the swing rod II 26. That is, the extension of the telescopic member 24 drives the swing shaft 25 at both ends to control the relative swing of the swing rod I 23 and the swing rod II 26. Under the connection of the fixed plate, the rotating rod fixed to it is driven to rotate, thereby controlling the threaded movement of the lifting bolt 18 in the bolt base block 17. At this time, since the lifting bolt 18 is in a static state, the height of the bolt base block 17 and the pressure plate 14 fixed to the bolt base block 17 is adjusted, and the pressure plate 14 is controlled to press or separate the PET soft film 21 on the lower side. The telescopic component 24 can be configured as an electric telescopic rod, a hydraulic rod-hydraulic cylinder, or a cylinder-piston rod, etc. The above structure can realize automatic control of the telescopic component 24 to extend and retract, thereby driving the swing rod I 23 and swing rod II 26 at both ends to swing, thereby adjusting and controlling the height of the bolt base blocks 17 on both sides.

[0036] It is important to note that a set of guide structures (not shown in the figure) is provided on one side of the bolt base block 17. The guide structure is a guide rail set on the frame 22. The guide rail controls the bolt base block 17 to move only in the vertical direction and cannot rotate, thereby maintaining the lifting and lowering of the bolt base block 17. At the same time, the inner side of the bolt base block 17 is provided with a thread that mates with the bolt 18. This thread is equivalent to a nut, which constitutes a screw-nut transmission similar to a lead screw. It is a conventional structure and will not be described in detail here.

[0037] Specifically, multiple parallel arc-shaped pressure bars 16 are installed at the bottom of the pressure plate 14 along the length direction. The pressure groove 15 corresponding to the arc-shaped pressure bar 16 is provided with an arc-shaped pressure groove. That is, with the cooperation of the arc-shaped pressure bar 16 and the arc-shaped pressure groove, the pressure and fastening force on the PET soft film 21 is further improved. In one embodiment of the present invention, a circular groove 11 is provided in the middle of the PET soft film fixture 2, and the inside of the circular groove 11 is used to input the elastomer adhesive 4 to be laid. See Figures 8-11 During the fabrication of the composite elastomer soft film, the PET soft film 21 is clamped inside the PET soft film fixture 2. Then, the composite template fixture 1 is controlled to move toward the PET soft film fixture 2. The PET soft film 21 will gradually adhere to the elastomer adhesive 4 in the circular groove 11. At the same time, multiple overflow grooves 12 are evenly opened on the circumferential sidewall of the circular groove 11. During the bonding process, excess elastomer adhesive 4 will be discharged through the overflow grooves 12, thus making the entire elastomer surface smooth. At the same time, a set of ultraviolet lamps 5 is set above the PET soft film fixture 2. The ultraviolet lamps 5 can be operated by a bracket or by hand. The specific choice depends on the actual situation and will not be described in detail here. After exposure by UV lamp 5, the elastomer formed by elastomer adhesive 4 adheres to the PET soft film 21. Then, the prepared elastomer is bonded to the master template 6 after spin coating with fluorinated elastomer adhesive, and exposure is continued by UV lamp 5 to obtain a composite template of PET-elastomer-fluorinated elastomer adhesive, that is, a three-layer composite elastomer template.

[0038] The working principle of this invention is as follows: the PET soft film 21 is cut into the required size according to the requirements and pre-placed at the opening of the PET soft film tooling 2, while the master template 6 is pre-coated with fluorinated template adhesive.

[0039] Clamping and positioning: The two ends of the PET soft film 21 are clamped by the clamping and positioning assembly. By controlling the extension of the telescopic component 24, the swinging rod I 23 and the swinging rod II 26 drive the lifting bolt 18 to rotate, so that the bolt base block 17 and the pressure plate 14 descend, pressing the end of the PET soft film 21 into the pressure groove 15. The arc-shaped pressure rod 16 cooperates with the arc-shaped pressure groove to enhance the clamping force.

[0040] Composite positioning: Control the composite template tooling 1 to move toward the PET soft film tooling 2, use the positioning shaft 7 to insert into the positioning groove 8, and fix it with the groove cover 9 and the locking pin 10 for precise positioning.

[0041] Adhesive bonding and smoothing: The PET soft film 21 gradually bondes with the elastomer adhesive 4 in the circular groove 11, and excess adhesive is discharged through the overflow groove 12 to ensure that the elastomer surface is smooth.

[0042] Exposure and curing: Use a UV lamp 5 to expose the elastomer adhesive 4 to cure it and adhere it to the PET soft film 21.

[0043] Composite template formation: The cured elastomer is bonded to the master template 6 with spin-coated fluorinated template adhesive, and then exposed to UV lamp 5 again to finally form a three-layer composite elastomer template of PET-elastomer-fluorinated template adhesive.

[0044] Demolding and subsequent processing: After exposure, the tooling is separated and the composite template is obtained for nanoimprinting process.

[0045] It should be understood that in this application, all rotating, sliding, meshing, belt-driven and other moving parts are well lubricated and not prone to slippage or wear, and each part is provided with a corresponding protective shell. However, in the accompanying drawings of this application, the connection state of each moving part is not shown. It should also be understood that all parts in this application are made of metal or plastic materials with suitable strength in the relevant field to ensure that their structural rigidity meets the actual requirements.

[0046] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tooling for fabricating a composite elastomer soft film, characterized in that, The assembly includes a composite template fixture (1), a PET film fixture (2), and a mother template (6). The PET film fixture (2) has an open center for holding the PET film (21). The composite template fixture (1) and the PET film fixture (2) are vertically inserted and positioned. The frame (22) of the PET film fixture (2) has symmetrically opened pressure grooves (15) on both sides. Each side is provided with a set of pressure and positioning components for pressing and positioning the two ends of the PET film (21). A positioning shaft (7) is installed on the front and rear end walls of the composite template fixture (1). The top of the PET film fixture (2) corresponding to the positioning shaft (7) is provided with a fastening positioning groove (8) for precise positioning when the composite template fixture (1) moves toward the PET film fixture (2). The pressing and positioning assembly includes pressing plates (14) distributed directly above the pressing groove (15). The pressing plates (14) press and position the end of the PET soft film (21) placed in the pressing groove (15). Each pressing plate (14) has an integrated lifting structure installed on the side wall away from the center of the PET soft film tooling (2) for controlling the lifting of the pressing plate (14). The integrated lifting structure includes bolt base blocks (17) symmetrically distributed at both ends on the side wall of the pressure plate (14). Vertical lifting bolts (18) are threaded inside the bolt base blocks (17). The bottom end of the lifting bolts (18) moves through a bolt base (19). One side of the bolt base (19) is positioned on the frame (22) by a fixing rod. A rotating rod is connected to the bottom end of the lifting bolts (18). One side of the rotating rod is obliquely outward and fixedly connected to a swing rod I (23) via a fixing plate. The other side of the rotating rod is obliquely outward and connected to a swing rod II (26) via a fixing plate. The swing rod I (23)... 3) The swing rod II (26) is tilted in the opposite direction; the ends of the swing rod I (23) and swing rod II (26) are respectively rotatably connected to the telescopic component (24) through the swing shaft (25). The extension of the telescopic component (24) drives the swing shaft (25) at both ends to control the swing rod I (23) and swing rod II (26) to swing relative to each other. Thus, under the connection of the fixed plate, the rotating rod fixed to it is driven to rotate, and the lifting bolt (18) is controlled to move in the bolt base block (17) threadedly, thereby controlling the bolt base block (17) and the pressure plate (14) fixed to the bolt base block (17) to adjust the height.

2. The tooling for fabricating a composite elastomer soft film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top side of the positioning groove (8) is hinged with an arc-shaped groove cover (9), the inner side of the groove cover (9) is provided with a semi-circular structure, and the diameter is consistent with the positioning shaft (7), and the end of the positioning groove (8) is set to be sealed. A locking pin (10) is installed on one side of the groove cover (9). The top of the positioning groove (8) corresponding to the locking pin (10) is provided with a locking hole (13). The locking pin (10) engages with the locking hole (13) to fix the groove cover (9).

3. The tooling for fabricating a composite elastomer soft film according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom of the pressure plate (14) is equipped with multiple parallel arc-shaped pressure rods (16) along the length direction. The pressure groove (15) corresponding to the arc-shaped pressure rod (16) is provided with an arc-shaped pressure groove inside, which is used to improve the pressure and fastening force on the PET soft film (21).

4. The tooling for fabricating a composite elastomer soft film according to claim 3, characterized in that, The PET soft film fixture (2) has a circular groove (11) in the middle, and the inside of the circular groove (11) is used to input the elastomer adhesive (4) to be used; Multiple overflow grooves (12) are evenly provided on the circumferential sidewall of the circular groove (11) to remove excess elastomer adhesive (4) during the bonding process, so that the surface of the elastomer is flat.

5. The tooling for fabricating a composite elastomer soft film according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes an ultraviolet lamp (5), which is placed above the PET soft film fixture (2) for exposing the elastomer adhesive (4).

6. The tooling for fabricating a composite elastomer soft film according to claim 5, characterized in that, The telescopic component (24) is configured as an electric telescopic rod, a hydraulic rod-hydraulic cylinder or a cylinder-piston rod structure, for automatic control of the telescopic component (24) extension and retraction.

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