Simulation and experimental study of polymer deformation in nanoimprint lithography

Abstract

A polymer deformation process is studied by numerical simulations and the results are compared with the related experimental results in nanoimprint lithography. The imprint pressures required for successful imprinting and the filling rate into the mold grooves are studied as the aspect ratio of the pattern, initial thickness of the polymer, and the duty ratio of the pattern are changed. The required pressure increases not only for high aspect ratio pattern but also low aspect ratio pattern. Also, the pressure increases when the initial thickness of the polymer decreases to less than about two times that of the groove depth of the mold. These results are explained by the deformation mechanism of the polymer and agree well with the related experimental results. Based on these theoretical and experimental studies, fabrication of a high aspect ratio pattern having 100 nm width and 860 nm height is successfully demonstrated using thick polymer by nanoimprint lithography.