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Fabrication of Nanostructures on a Large-Area Substrate with a Minimized Stitch Error Using the Step-and-Repeat
Yeonjoo Ha1,2, Hyungjun Lim1,2, Hak-Jong Choi1
1Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, 156, Gajeongbuk-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34103, Korea.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 9, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed step-and-repeat nanoimprint lithography (NIL) to create large nanostructured substrates from small stamps. This method overcomes limitations of conventional NIL for mass production of nano-devices.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Manufacturing Engineering
Background:
- Conventional nanoimprint lithography (NIL) requires large stamps for large substrates, limiting mass production.
- Scaling up NIL to large areas presents challenges in stamp fabrication and alignment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a cost-effective method for fabricating nanostructures on large-area substrates using NIL.
- To overcome the limitations of conventional NIL by employing a step-and-repeat approach with small stamps.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a small glass stamp with a 10 mm × 10 mm nano-pillar pattern (600 nm diameter, 400 nm interval, 270 nm height).
- Utilizing a step-and-repeat NIL process, transferring the pattern 25 times onto a 4-inch substrate.
- Implementing a high-precision glass scale and adjusting stamp movement intervals to minimize stitch gaps.
Main Results:
- Successfully transferred nanostructures to a large-area 4-inch substrate using step-and-repeat NIL.
- Identified and addressed the issue of stitch gaps between transferred patterns.
- Minimized stitch spacing to 9.97 mm through precise stamp positioning and movement control.
Conclusions:
- Step-and-repeat NIL with small stamps is a viable method for large-area nanostructure fabrication.
- Precise control over stamp positioning is crucial for minimizing stitch gaps and ensuring pattern uniformity.
- This technique enables efficient mass production of large-area nanostructured substrates for various applications.
