Methods for reducing charge effects and separation forces in nanoimprint

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods to reduce release force caused by tribo-charge. The invented mold is termed as MicroE mold and substrate is termed as MicroE substrate. The addition of conductive thin coatings (less than 10 nm and approaching monolayer coating) onto surface of insulating mold or substrate provides a reduction of the separation force caused by tribo-electric charge. The MicroE mold and MicroE substrate are specifically good for a lithographic method that involves contact between mold and substrate, or between mold and thin film carried on substrate, and used for creation and replication of ultra-fine structures (sub-25 nm) as well as millimeter scale. The present invention is particularly but not exclusively applied to any contact lithographic method.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method to reduce tribo-electricity effect between a mold and a resist on a substrate and improve mold separation and/or nanoimprint quality, comprising:
 (a) adding a conducting layer on the mold;   (b) adding a conducing layer on the substrate; and   (c) grounding the conducting layer on the mold and the conducting layer on the substrate,   thereby reducing the tribo-electricity effect between a mold and a resist on a substrate, and/or improving the mold separation and/or nanoimprint quality.