Materials and methods for imprint lithography

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to an imprinting material for imprint lithography that includes the surfactant 3M™ Novec™ Fluorosurfactant FC-4432, and another embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for imprint lithography that uses the imprinting material.

1 . A method of imprint lithography that comprises: 
 depositing an imprinting material on a substrate;    varying release properties associated with an imprint template by contacting a solution including imprinting materials and a polymeric fluorinated surfactant; and    energizing the imprinting materials to cause a solid material to be produced therefrom.    
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein said varying further include providing said solution with a mixture of said imprinting materials and 3M™ Novec™ Fluorosurfactant FC-4432.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  which includes pre-treating the surface of the imprint template to be hydrophilic.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  which includes further pre-treating the surface of the imprint template by applying a composition that includes the surfactant.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the composition is a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and the surfactant.  
     
     
         6 . A method of imprint lithography that comprises: 
 depositing an imprinting material on a substrate;    moving an imprint template towards the substrate so that the imprinting materials coats a surface of the imprint template and a surface of the substrate; and    energizing the imprinting material to cause a solid material to be produced therefrom; and    wherein the imprinting material includes a surfactant having a composition that includes 87% polymeric fluorochemical actives, 7% non-fluorochemical actives, 5% 1-methyl-2-pyrudiinone, and <1% toluene.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the imprinting material includes acryloxymethylpentamethyldisiloxane, isobornyl acrylate, ethylene glycol diacrylate, and 2-hydrozy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the imprinting material includes acryloxymethylpentamethyldisiloxane, isobornyl acrylate, ethylene glycol diacrylate, and 2-hydrozy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the surfactant is <1% of the imprinting material.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the surfactant is <1% of the imprinting material.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6  wherein depositing includes depositing a plurality of droplets upon the substrate.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6  wherein depositing includes spin-coating.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6  which includes pre-treating the surface of the imprint template to be hydrophilic.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein pre-treating includes hydrolyzing.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein hydrolyzing includes forming —OH bonds at the surface of the imprint template.  
     
     
         16 . A method of imprint lithography that comprises: 
 pre-treating a surface of an imprint template to cause it to be hydrophilic;    pre-treating the surface of the imprint template by applying a composition that includes 3M™ Novec™ Fluorosurfactant FC-4432;    depositing an imprinting material on a substrate;    moving an imprint template towards the substrate so that the imprinting materials coats the surface of the imprint template and a surface of the substrate; and    energizing the imprinting material to cause a solid material to be produced therefrom.    
     
     
         17 . An imprinting material for use in imprint lithography that comprises a polymeric fluorinated surfactant.  
     
     
         18 . The imprinting material of  claim 17  wherein said polymeric fluorinated surfactant consists of 3M™ Novec™ Fluorosurfactant FC-4432.  
     
     
         19 . The imprinting material of  claim 17  which further includes a UV photoinitiator.  
     
     
         20 . The imprinting material of  claim 19  which further includes acryloxymethylpentamethyldisiloxane, isobornyl acrylate, ethylene glycol diacrylate, and 2-hydrozy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one.  
     
     
         21 . The imprinting material of  claim 18  wherein 3M™ Novec™ Fluorosurfactant FC-4432 comprises <1% of the material.