Novel fluorinated compounds that improve durability of antistick layer for quartz mold

Abstract

In recent years, the reduction in pattern size is driving the rapid adoption of nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Since nanoimprinting since is contact printing, a higher separation force might damage the master and/or the imprint tool, either of which degrades pattern quality. One of the biggest concerns in NIL utilization is the mold-release characteristic of the master and the resin. Although Optool DSX TM (DAIKIN Ind. Ltd.) is a de facto standard as mold release reagent, there is a problem with its UV-NIL durability. Accordingly, we focused on developing new fluorinated low molecular weight perfluorocompounds to enhance the mold-release characteristic of the resist. This paper reports that resists containing these fluroinated compounds offer improved durability as antistick layers for quartz molds subjected to repeated UV-NIL exposure.

Multilength Scale Patterning of Functional Layers by Roll-to-Roll Ultraviolet-Light-Assisted Nanoimprint Lithography

“…In Figure 3d,e, a model for the processes that may occur at the interface during UV-nanoimprinting is depicted. When the resist is in contact with Ar gas, the amphiphilic molecules of the releasing agent (e.g., MD700, as drawn in Figure 3d) form a monolayer at the liquid−gaseous interface, with the hydrophobic tails pointing out into the gas phase 57,58 (Figure 3d left). When a high surface energy NiO x stamp is brought into contact with the liquid resist, the molecules will have no energetic motivation to align at the interface with their nonpolar tails pointing toward NiO x , the monolayer of RA molecules will disappear, and the cured resist will show a similarly high surface energy as the NiO x stamp (Figure 3d middle, right).…”