Suitability of thin poly(dimethylsiloxane) as an antisticking layer for UV nanoimprinting

Abstract

The antisticking capabilities and durability of thin poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) were compared to a fluorinated antisticking layer (F-ASL) to assess its suitability for use in UV nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL). Typically, UV-NIL is used to fabricate high-throughput, low-cost, high-resolution nanostructure devices. The nanoimprint mold is typically coated with an antisticking layer to ensure easy separation of the mold from the UV nanoimprint resins. This layer must be highly durable to meet the demands of a manufacturing environment, and F-ASL is the standard type used. In PS-b-PDMS block copolymer lithography, the template is coated with a thin layer of PDMS. In this study, we focused on using PDMS as the antisticking layer for nanoimprinting and examined its antisticking capabilities and durability by step and repeat (S&R) UV nanoimprinting. Experimental results showed that the thin PDMS layer functions comparably to the F-ASL as an antisticking layer.