Fabrication of metal roller mold with submicrometer feature size using contact printing photolithography technique

Abstract

This paper presents an innovative approach for directly forming surface microstructures at submicrometer scale on the cylindrical surface of a metal roller. This roller can then serve as a roller mold in roller imprinting processes for large-area micro/nanofabrication. In the proposed approach, a novel contact printing method is used to transfer a patterned metal film from a planar soft mold to a thin photoresist (PR) layer coated on the roller surface. The pattern definition capability can easily reach submicrometer scale over a large patterning area. Subsequent ultraviolet light exposure and PR developing processes then form a layer of patterned PR microstructures on the cylindrical surface. Finally, patterned microfeatures are directly formed on the roller's surface by an additive (metal deposition) approach. The overall system design, experimental procedures, and experimental results are systematically discussed.