Aromatic Divinyl Ether Molding Composition for Residual Layer-Free Imprint Lithography
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current step and flash imprint lithography (SFIL) processes face challenges in producing nanoscale features with high aspect ratios due to residual layer issues, which affect the quality of the imprint mask, and are sensitive to oxygen, have low curing rates, high volatility, high viscosity, and low tensile strength.
Innovation Solution
Aromatic divinyl ethers are used in combination with a photoacid generator and stabilizing/sensitizing agents to form a molding composition that, when exposed to actinic radiation, creates a cured layer with thick and thin regions, allowing for the removal of the residual layer without damaging the imprinted features, and a backfill material is used to expose substrate regions for trench formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a low-viscosity photosensitive molding material is used in SFIL, then the material can be easily molded between template and substrate, but a residual layer remains that must be removed which damages the imprinted features
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the molding material by incorporating specific additives and crosslinking agents that modify the curing behavior. This allows the material to be easily molded in low-viscosity state while achieving complete or near-complete curing that eliminates the residual layer, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of molding and feature integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite molding materials comprising multiple components including photoinitiators, crosslinking agents, and additives work together. This composite formulation enables the material to exhibit both easy moldability and complete curing characteristics, eliminating the need for residual layer removal while preserving imprinted feature integrity
2Ease of manufacture
If current SFIL-R formulations are used, then the process can be implemented, but the formulations have low curing rates, high volatility, high viscosity, and low tensile strength which adversely affect quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes multiple parameters of the SFIL-R formulation simultaneously: adjusting molecular weight distribution to reduce viscosity, selecting photoinitiators for high curing rates, incorporating volatility reducers, and adding tensile strength enhancers. These parameter changes collectively improve all four deficient properties while maintaining process implementability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite formulation strategy where multiple chemical components work synergistically: photoinitiators for rapid curing, crosslinking agents for high tensile strength, volatility reducers to suppress evaporation, and viscosity modifiers. This composite approach resolves all four quality issues simultaneously while preserving the ease of manufacture
3Manufacturing precision
If the residual layer is removed to transfer the imprinted pattern, then the pattern transfer can be achieved, but the shape and size of imprinted features are altered or damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or eliminates the harmful residual layer through complete curing of the molding material. By ensuring full polymerization and crosslinking, the residual layer is converted into a stable, removable structure that can be cleanly removed via oxygen plasma or other selective removal techniques without affecting the cured imprinted features, thus achieving accurate pattern transfer while preserving feature geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary complete curing of the molding material before the removal step. This preliminary action ensures that the imprinted features are fully formed and stabilized with correct shape and size, so that subsequent removal of uncured material does not alter the feature geometry, enabling accurate pattern transfer
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in SFIL-R formulations and processes that are less sensitive to oxygen, have high curing rates, low volatility, low viscosity, and high tensile strength, enabling the creation of high-quality nanoscale features without the need for residual layer removal, thus improving the quality of the imprint mask.
Implementation Method 1
Aromatic divinyl ethers are used in combination with a photoacid generator and stabilizing/sensitizing agents to form a molding composition that, when exposed to actinic radiation, creates a cured layer
Data Source
AI summary
A molding composition and a method of forming a pattern. The method includes forming on a substrate a molding layer of a molding composition of aromatic divinyl ethers; pressing the template into the molding layer, the template having a relief pattern, the molding layer filling voids in the relief pattern, the template not contacting the substrate; exposing the molding layer to actinic radiation, the actinic radiation converting the molding layer to a cured molding layer having thick and thin regions corresponding to the relief pattern; removing the template; filling the thin regions of the relief pattern with a backfill material; removing regions of the molding layer not protected by the backfill material to expose regions of the substrate; forming trenches in the exposed regions of the substrate; and removing any remaining molding layer and backfill material. A transfer layer may be used between the molding layer and the substrate.