Relief layer and imprint method for making the same

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for forming a relief layer employing a stamp having a stamping surface including a template relief pattern. A solution comprising a siliconoxide compound is sandwiched between a substrate surface and the stamp surface and dried while sandwiched. After removal of the template relief pattern the relief layer obtained has a high inorganic mass content making it robust and directly usable for a number of applications such as semiconductor, optical or micromechanical.

1 . A siliconoxide relief layer employing a stamp having a stamping surface including a template relief pattern, the relief layer made by:
 providing a substrate surface;   providing at least one of the substrate surface and the stamping surface with a siliconoxide compound solution comprising a solvent and a siliconoxide compound for forming the siliconoxide relief layer and having a degree of Si—O—Si cross-linking;   removing the solvent at least partly to leave a partially dried siliconoxide compound layer, wherein the partially dried siliconoxide compound layer has a high concentration of the siliconoxide compound and said siliconoxide compound has a high degree of inorganic Si—O—Si crosslinking;   sandwiching the partially dried siliconoxide compound layer in between the substrate surface and the stamping surface, the partially dried siliconoxide compound layer thereby being molded according to the template relief pattern;   further drying the partially dried siliconoxide compound layer while being sandwiched,—thereby forming a solidified siliconoxide layer, wherein, at least during the sandwiching and further drying operations, said stamp and said stamping surface have sufficient permeability to allow for removal, via the stamp and the stamping surface, of substantially all solvents and substantially all hydrolysis reaction products;   separating the stamping surface from the solidified siliconoxide layer thereby providing the relief layer;   the silicon atoms of the siliconoxide compound consist of silicon atoms chemically bound to four oxygen atoms and silicon atoms being chemically bound to three oxygen atoms and one atom different from oxygen, the chemical bond between the silicon atoms and the one atom different from oxygen being chemically inert during the method.   
     
     
         2 . A relief layer comprising siliconoxide, wherein the relief layer comprises silicon atoms chemically bound to four oxygen atoms and silicon atoms chemically bound to three oxygen atoms and one carbon atom. 
     
     
         3 . The relief layer according to  claim 2 , wherein the molar ratio silicon atoms chemically bound to four oxygen atoms/silicon atoms chemically bound to three oxygen atoms and one carbon atom is at least 2/3. 
     
     
         4 . The relief layer according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbon atom is part of an organic group with which the silicon atom is connected to at least one other silicon atom of the siliconoxide compound, the organic group being chemically bound to the at least one other silicon atom. 
     
     
         5 . The relief layer according to  claim 2 , wherein the carbon atom is part of any one of a methyl-group, an ethyl-group or a propyl-group. 
     
     
         6 . The relief layer according to  claim 2 , wherein the features of the relief layer have a shape conformal to the corresponding complementary feature within the template relief surface. 
     
     
         7 . The relief layer according to  claim 2 , wherein the relief layer comprises relief features with dimensions smaller than 1 micrometer. 
     
     
         8 . The use of a relief layer according to  claim 1  as an etch mask. 
     
     
         9 . The use of a relief layer according to  claim 1  for the manufacture of a device selected from an optical device, a micromechanical device, and a semiconductor device, each having a functional layer incorporating the relief layer.