Abstract
The present paper reports on a novel lithographic approach at the nanoscale level, which isbased on scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Theexperimental set-up consists of an atomic force microscope (AFM) operated via softwarespecifically developed for the purpose. In particular, this software allows one to apply apredefined external load for a given lapse of time while monitoring in real-time therelative distance between the tip and the sample as well as the normal and lateralforce during the embossing process. Additionally, we have employed AFM tipssculptured by means of focused ion beam in order to create indenting tools of thedesired shape. Anti-sticking layers can also be used to functionalize the tips if oneneeds to investigate the effects of different treatments on the indentation andde-molding processes. The lithographic capabilities of this set-up are demonstrated on apolystyrene NIL-patterned sample, where imprinted features have been obtainedupon using different normal load values for increasing time intervals, and on athermoplastic polymer film, where the imprint process has been monitored in real-time.
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