Substrate pretreatment for reducing fill time in nanoimprint lithography

Abstract

A nanoimprint lithography method includes disposing a pretreatment composition on a substrate to form a pretreatment coating. The pretreatment composition includes a polymerizable component. Discrete imprint resist portions are disposed on the pretreatment coating, with each discrete portion of the imprint resist covering a target area of the substrate. A composite polymerizable coating is formed on the substrate as each discrete portion of the imprint resist spreads beyond its target area. The composite polymerizable coating includes a mixture of the pretreatment composition and the imprint resist. The composite polymerizable coating is contacted with a template, and is polymerized to yield a composite polymeric layer on the substrate. The interfacial surface energy between the pretreatment composition-and air exceeds the interfacial surface energy between the imprint resist and air or between at least a component of the imprint resist and air.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nanoimprint lithography method comprising:
 disposing a pretreatment composition on a substrate to form a pretreatment coating on the substrate, wherein the pretreatment composition comprises a polymerizable component;   disposing discrete portions of imprint resist on the pretreatment coating, each discrete portion of the imprint resist covering a target area of the substrate, wherein the imprint resist is a polymerizable composition;   forming a composite polymerizable coating on the substrate as each discrete portion of the imprint resist spreads beyond its target area, wherein the composite polymerizable coating comprises a mixture of the pretreatment composition and the imprint resist;   contacting the composite polymerizable coating with a nanoimprint lithography template; and   polymerizing the composite polymerizable coating to yield a composite polymeric layer on the substrate,   wherein:
 the interfacial surface energy between the pretreatment composition and air exceeds the interfacial surface energy between the imprint resist and air, 
 the difference between the interfacial surface energy between the pretreatment composition and air and between the imprint resist and air is in a range of 0.5 mN/m to 25 mN/m, 
 the interfacial surface energy between the imprint resist and air is in a range of 20 mN/m to 60 mN/m, and 
 the interfacial surface energy between the pretreatment composition and air is in a range of 30 mN/m to 45 mN/m. 
   
     
     
         2 . The nanoimprint lithography method of  claim 1 , wherein the difference between the interfacial surface energy between the pretreatment composition and air and the interfacial surface energy between the imprint resist and air is in a range of 0.5 mN/m to 15 mN/m or 0.5 mN/m to 7 mN/m. 
     
     
         3 . The nanoimprint lithography method of  claim 2 , wherein the interfacial surface energy between the imprint resist and air is in a range of 28 mN/m to 40 mN/m or 32 mN/m to 35 mN/m. 
     
     
         4 . The nanoimprint lithography method of  claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the pretreatment composition is in a range of 1 cP to 200 cP or 1 cP to 100 cP at 23° C. 
     
     
         5 . The nanoimprint lithography method of  claim 4 , wherein the viscosity of the pretreatment composition is in a range of 1 cP to 50 cP at 23° C. 
     
     
         6 . The nanoimprint lithography method of  claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the imprint resist is in a range of 1 cP to 50 cP or 1 cP to 25 cP at 23° C. 
     
     
         7 . The nanoimprint lithography method of  claim 6 , wherein the viscosity of the imprint resist is in a range of 5 cP to 15 cP at 23 C.°. 
     
     
         8 . The nanoimprint lithography method of  claim 1 , comprising separating the nanoimprint lithography template from the composite polymeric layer. 
     
     
         9 . A method for manufacturing a processed substrate, the method comprising the nanoimprint lithography method of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         10 . The processed substrate formed by the method of  claim 9 . 
     
     
         11 . A method for manufacturing an optical component, the method comprising the nanoimprint lithography method of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         12 . The optical component formed by the method of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         13 . A method for manufacturing a quartz mold replica, the method comprising the nanoimprint lithography method of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         14 . The quartz mold replica formed by the method of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         15 . A kit comprising:
 the pretreatment composition; and   an imprint resist;   wherein the pretreatment composition comprises a polymerizable component, the imprint resist is a polymerizable composition, and the interfacial surface energy between the pretreatment composition and air exceeds the interfacial surface energy between the imprint resist and air.   
     
     
         16 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the interfacial surface energy between the imprint resist and air is in a range of 20 mN/m to 60 mN/m. 
     
     
         17 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the interfacial surface energy between the pretreatment composition and air is in a range of 30 mN/m to 45 mN/m. 
     
     
         18 . A method for pretreating a nanoimprint lithography substrate, the method comprising:
 coating the substrate with a pretreatment composition, wherein the pretreatment composition comprises a polymerizable component and is free of a polymerization initiator.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising disposing discrete portions of an imprint resist on the pretreatment composition, wherein the imprint resist disposed in discrete portions on the pretreatment composition spreads more rapidly than the same imprint resist disposed on the same substrate in the absence of the pretreatment composition. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising contacting the imprint resist with a nanoimprint lithography template when a defined length of time has elapsed between the disposing of the discrete portions of the imprint resist on the pretreatment composition and the contacting of the imprint resist with the nanoimprint lithography template, wherein, upon contacting of the imprint resist with the nanoimprint lithography template, interstitial voids between the discrete portions of the imprint resist disposed on the pretreatment composition are smaller in volume than interstitial voids between the same imprint resist disposed on the same substrate in the absence of the pretreatment composition when the defined length of time has elapsed between the disposing of the discrete portions of the imprint resist on the substrate in the absence of the pretreatment composition.