UV nano embossing for polymer nano structures with non-transparent mold insert

Abstract

In recent years, UV nano embossing (or imprinting) process has been widely used for mass replication of nano structures. Most of the UV embossing machines use a UV transparent mold insert (e.g. quartz or glass). However, when a master of nano structures of interest could be realized only in a UV non-transparent mold material, it would be desirable to have a UV embossing machine which could be operated with such a UV non-transparent mold insert. In this regard, we have designed and manufactured a new UV embossing system in such a way that UV non-transparent (e.g., metal or ceramic) mold inserts can also be used as the master for the mass replication of nano structures. For the new UV embossing system, we fabricate several metal mold inserts: a nickel electroformed mold insert having grating nano structures and two AAO (anodic aluminum oxide) mold inserts having dimple nano structures and high-aspect-ratio nanopores. Finally, corresponding nano structures are successfully replicated via the UV nano embossing machine developed in this study.