Micro-print and nano-imprint methods combining laser-drilled screen printing and ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography: a review

Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV) nanoimprint lithography consists of molding–demolding and lithographic etching processes, which enable the shape transfer of molded resist patterns to underlying substrate surfaces. UV nanoimprint lithography has been applied in various fields, including optics, electronics, biology, and energy engineering. An important key to shape transfer through resist masks is to level the thicknesses of thin residual layers. To solve this issue, the region-selective placement of UV-curable droplets on a substrate is effective for leveling the thickness of the residual layer regardless of the differences in mold pattern density. Herein, we developed laser-drilled screen printing that allows the quantitative placement of high-viscosity UV-curable liquids on substrate surfaces via screen printing using a polyimide through-hole stencil mask prepared via ultrashort-pulse laser drilling. This review explains the practical demonstrations of UV nanoimprint lithography involving laser-drilled screen printing: nano/micro fabrication of Au split ring resonators, Au four-terminal electrodes, and silicon line patterns.