Methods for creating large-area complex nanopatterns for nanoimprint molds

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide methods that can create large area complex patterns for nanoimprint molds without or with very litter of the use of the charged beam or photon beam direct-writing of nanostructures. Some embodiments of the invention use (i) Fourier nanoimprint patterning (FNP), (ii) edge-guided nanopatterning (EGN), and (iii) nanostructure self-perfection, and their combinations.

1 . A method for creating a complex periodic nanopattern, comprising:
 (a) obtaining a first nanoimprint mold having a pattern that a first Fourier components of the complex nanopattern;   (b) patterning a surface of a daughter mold substrate by (i) imprinting using the first mold in a resist, (ii) transferring the imprinted resist pattern onto the daughter mold to create the first Fourier component on the daughter mold, and (iii) removing the resist;   (c) obtaining a second nanoimprint mold having a pattern that is a second Fourier component of the complex nanopattern;   (d) performing (b) using the second nanoimprint mold; and   (e) optionally, repeating steps (a) to (d), until the final pattern on the daughter mold is substantially similar to the complex nanopattern.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first nanoimprint mold or the second nanoimprint mold has a period of 200 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first nanoimprint mold or the second nanoimprint mold has periodic patterns that are linear periodic grating. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first nanoimprint mold or the second nanoimprint mold has periodic patterns that are periodic arrays of pillars. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein material of the first nanoimprint mold or the second nanoimprint mold is plastic. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein material of the first nanoimprint mold or the second nanoimprint mold is silicon dioxide. 
     
     
         7 . A method for creating a mold of a periodic nanopattern that is superposition of periodic patterns, comprising the steps in sequence:
 (a) obtaining a master nanoimprint mold having a period pattern of a period P;   (b) having a daughter mold substrate for creating a daughter mold;   (c) creating, on a surface of the daughter mold substrate, a first etching masking layer using nanoimprint lithography with the master nanoimprint mold followed by a liftoff;   (d) creating, on the surface of the daughter mold substrate, a second etching masking layer using nanoimprint lithograph with the master nanoimprint mold and a liftoff, wherein during the nanoimprint lithography the periodic pattern on the master nanoimprint mold is, relative to the periodic pattern created in (c), rotated by an angle or shifted by a distance, and wherein the second etching masking layer is superpostioned on the first etching masking mask to form a superposition mask; and   (e) transferring the pattern of the superposition mask onto the daughter mold substrate, by etching the daughter mold substrate, using the superposition mask;   wherein in the nanoimprint lithography of (c) and (d), the mold imprinting into a nanoimprint resist;   wherein in the liftoff of (c) and (d), the masking material is deposited onto the imprinted resist profile and the daughter mold surface that is not covered by the resist, and the imprint resist is, after the evaporation, is removed, removed, which removes the masking material deposited on the resist and keeps the masking the material deposited on the daughter mold surface.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the patterns of the superstructure mask is a periodic structure that has a period that is equal to the period of the master mold. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the patterns of the superstructure mask is a periodic structure that has a period that is larger than the period of the master mold. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises the steps that repeat the steps of (a) to (e) in  claim 7 , wherein the master mold is the daughter mold formed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
 (i) modifying, after step (e), the structures on the daughter mold;   (ii) repeating, after (i) the step (a) to (e), wherein the master mold is the daughter mold formed in (i).   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the period of the master mold has a period of 200 nm. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the periodic patterns of the master mold is linear periodic grating. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the periodic patterns of the master mold is a periodic array of pillars. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the masking material is Cr (chromine). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the mold material is plastic. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the mold material is silicon dioxide. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises a step of self-perfecting. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprise a step of edge patterning.