Nanofabrication of Nickel Stamp for Replication of Polymer Multilevel Nanolens Arrays via Modified Two-Step Anodization Process

Abstract

In the present study, we propose a novel and low-cost nanofabrication technique for a nickel stamp for mass replication of polymer multilevel nanolens (MLNL) arrays. The present nanofabrication technique consists of a modified two-step anodization process and successive electroforming processes. As the first step in the fabrication of the nickel stamp, an aluminum template with multilevel nanodimple (MLND) arrays on an aluminum substrate was precisely fabricated by a modified two-step anodization, in which the processing condition of the second anodization step was changed. A nickel stamp with MLND arrays for the replication of a polymer substrate with MLNL arrays was achieved by electroforming onto the aluminum template with MLND arrays (a nickel template with MLNL arrays) followed by a second electroforming onto the obtained nickel template with MLNL arrays. The fabricated nickel stamp with MLND arrays was successfully used to replicate the polymer substrates with MLNL arrays via a hot embossing process.