Silylcarborane acrylate nanoimprint lithography resists

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• UV nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a key technique for high-resolution patterning.
• Developing advanced resist materials with enhanced etch resistance is crucial for NIL.
• Silylcarborane compounds offer unique properties for material applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel silylcarborane acrylate monomer.
• To evaluate its performance as an etch-resistant component in NIL resist formulations.
• To demonstrate its utility in fabricating microelectronic patterns.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of the silylcarborane acrylate monomer.
• Formulation of NIL resists incorporating the monomer (10% by weight).
• Oxygen plasma etching rate measurements.
• Fabrication of metallic interdigitated electrodes using NIL and a lift-off process.

Main Results:

• The silylcarborane acrylate monomer significantly reduced the oxygen plasma etch rate by nearly 50%.
• NIL patterned resist layers exhibited excellent oxygen plasma etch resistance.
• Effective image transfer was achieved to a poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) lift-off layer.
• Metallic interdigitated electrode patterns were successfully fabricated.

Conclusions:

• Silylcarborane-containing resists demonstrate robust performance in NIL.
• The novel monomer enhances etch resistance, facilitating high-resolution patterning.
• This research opens avenues for developing new materials for advanced lithography techniques.