Combined nanoimprint and photolithography technique with a hybrid mold

Abstract

Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) has been successfully employed in nanoscale patterning, however, it is known to have limitations in replicating large scale (hundreds of microns and larger) and nanoscale patterns simultaneously. We present a new lithographic technique that integrates photolithography into the NIL patterning process. This technique uses a hybrid mold that has large metal pads embedded in a transparent NIL mold. Such a hybrid mold allows both large and nanoscale patterns to be replicated in one step by a combination of imprinting and photolithography. In addition, this new technique offers the advantages of simplifying residual layer distribution and avoiding NIL failures resulting from insufficient polymer flow, and can also eliminate the oxygen plasmon etching process used in NIL to remove the residual polymers.