Fluorinated Photocurable Composition for Low-Viscosity Imprint Templates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing photocurable compositions for nanoimprint lithography templates are expensive and lack the balance of low viscosity, good spreading behavior, fast curing, releasability, and high mechanical strength required for cost-effective and high-quality patterned molds.
Innovation Solution
A photocurable composition comprising a polymerizable material with a multi-functional fluorine-containing monomer and a second monomer essentially free of fluorine, with a fluorine content of at least 30 wt%, and a viscosity not exceeding 30 mPa·s, which forms a patterned layer with a reduced modulus of at least 1 GPa and a water contact angle of at least 70°.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a photocurable composition uses high fluorine content monomers to improve hydrophobicity and releasability, then the mechanical strength and thermal stability improve, but the viscosity increases making it difficult to achieve low viscosity spreading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical structure parameters of the monomers by introducing fluorinated alkyl chains with specific lengths and branching patterns. This modifies the molecular weight and intermolecular forces, achieving a balance where the composition maintains low viscosity (<30 mPa·s) while incorporating sufficient fluorine content (≥30 wt%) for high mechanical strength after curing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite photocurable system by combining fluorinated monomers (providing strength, hydrophobicity, and releasability) with non-fluorinated monomers (maintaining low viscosity and spreadability). This composite approach allows the cured material to achieve high mechanical strength (reduced modulus ≥1 GPa) while the uncured composition remains flowable with viscosity not exceeding 30 mPa·s.
2Productivity
If the composition is designed for fast curing to improve productivity, then the curing speed increases, but the balance between spreading behavior and mechanical strength becomes difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent selects photoinitiators with specific absorption spectra and quantum yields that enable rapid polymerization upon UV exposure. The monomer composition is designed with functional groups that facilitate fast curing while maintaining low viscosity, allowing the material to spread properly before curing and achieve high curing speeds that improve productivity without sacrificing spreading behavior or mechanical strength.
3Manufacturing precision
If expensive mother masks are used to form templates, then the pattern quality and precision are improved, but the cost of ownership increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops a disposable photocurable composition that can be cured directly on inexpensive substrates to create functional templates. This eliminates the need for expensive, reusable mother masks while maintaining high pattern quality (sub-10 nm resolution). The single-use nature of the cured template reduces contamination risks and simplifies the manufacturing process, significantly lowering the cost of ownership despite the high initial pattern precision.
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
The composition enables the formation of high-quality, cost-effective imprint lithography templates with improved mechanical strength, flexibility, and hydrophobicity, suitable for repeated imprinting cycles, reducing the need for expensive quartz templates.
Implementation Method 1
a photocurable composition can comprise a polymerizable material and at least one photoinitiator
Data Source
AI summary
A photocurable composition can comprising a polymerizable material and at least one photoinitiator, wherein the polymerizable material can comprise at least one first monomer and at least one second monomer, the at least one first monomer including a multi-functional fluorine-containing monomer and the at least one second monomer being essentially free of fluorine; the polymerizable material comprises fluorine in an amount of at least 30 wt % based on the total weight of the polymerizable material; and a viscosity of the photocurable composition is not greater than 30 mPa·s at 23° C. The photocurable composition is suitable for forming an imprint lithography template comprising a backing layer and a patterned layer, wherein that patterned layer may have a reduced modulus of at least 1 GPa and a water contact angle of at least 70°.