Molecular Imprints, Inc.

University of Texas System

3m Innovative Properties Company

Canon Nanotechnologies, Inc.

Nicholas A Stacey

Frank Y Xu

Michael Nevin Miller

Michael P C Watts

Ian Matthew McMackin

Ronald D Voisin

Pankaj B Lad

Van Nguyen Truskett

Daniel Babbs

Duane J Voth

Sidlgata V Sreenivasan

Byung-Jin Choi

James Francis Brennan, Iii

James R Bylander

James B Carpenter

Guoping Mao

Anthony William Gatica

Gordon Wiegand

Nanayakkara L D Somasiri

Dale E Elder

Mathew P C Watts

John P Stedman

Michael F Weber

Gerard M Schmid

Alfred Viehbeck

Sharon Mary Simpson

Edward Brian Fletcher

Byung Jin Choi

Alphonsus V Pocius

C Grant Willson

Bryon J Cronk

Carlton Grant Willson

Douglas J Resnick

John B Scheibner

Mahadevan Ganapathisubramanian

David C Wang

Mahadevan GanapathiSubramanian

Christopher J Mackay

Van Xuan Hong Truskett

Hany B Eitouni

Lawrence J Myron

Wesley D Martin

Michael PC Watts

Byung-Jin c/o Molecular Imprints Inc Choi

Ian M Mcmackin

A micro-conformal nanoimprint lithography template includes a backing layer and a nanopatterned layer adhered to the backing layer. The elastic modulus of the backing layer exceeds the elastic modulus of the nanopatterned layer. The micro-conformal nanoimprint lithography template can be used to form a patterned layer from an imprint resist on a substrate, the substrate having a micron-scale defect, such that an excluded distance from an exterior surface of the micron-scale defect to the patterned layer formed by the nanoimprint lithography template is less than a height of the defect. The nanoimprint lithography template can be used to form multiple imprints with no reduction in feature fidelity.

Micro-conformal templates for nanoimprint lithography

The present invention is directed to a material for use in imprint lithography that features a composition having a viscosity associated therewith and including a surfactant, a polymerizable component, and an initiator responsive to a stimuli to vary the viscosity in response thereto, with the composition, in a liquid state, having the viscosity being lower than about 100 centipoises, a vapor pressure of less than about 20 Torr, and in a solid cured state a tensile modulus of greater than about 100 MPa, a break stress of greater than about 3 MPa and an elongation at break of greater than about 2%.

Materials for imprint lithography

The present invention includes a method and a composition to form a layer on a substrate having uniform etch characteristics. To that end, the method includes controlling variations in the characteristics of a solid layer, such etch characteristics over the area of the solid layer as a function of the relative rates of evaporation of the liquid components that comprise the composition from which the solid layer is formed.

Method to provide a layer with uniform etch characteristics

A method for spreading a conformable material between a substrate and a template having a mold. The method comprises positioning the mold to be in superimposition with the substrate defining a volume therebetween. A first sub-portion of the volume is charged with the conformable material through capillary action between the conformable material and one of the mold and the substrate. A second sub-portion of the volume is filled with the conformable material by creating a deformation in the mold.

Bifurcated contact printing technique

The present invention provides a composition and a method of using the same to form a pattern on a substrate using imprint lithography employing dark-field polymerization. To that end, the composition includes a bis vinyl ether component, and an initiator component that produces an acid in response to radiation. The bis vinyl ether component is reactive to the acid and polymerizes in response thereto.

Compositions for dark-field polymerization and method of using the same for imprint lithography processes

The present invention provides a method for separating a mold from solidified imprinting material that includes creating deformation in the template in which the mold is included. The deformation is sufficient to create a returning force that is greater than an adhesion forced between the solidified imprinting material and the mold. For example, the deformation may result from a pressure differential created between the mold and a side of the template disposed opposite to the mold. In this manner, the distortion may be undulations in the template of sufficient magnitude to contact a substrate upon which the solidified imprinting material is disposed.

Technique for separating a mold from solidified imprinting material

A process that enables coplanarization of the structures that have been created in multiple independent etch steps. The various etches are performed independently by selectively exposing only certain patterns to particular etching conditions. After these structures have been created, it is possible that the various structures will exist at different planes/elevations relative to the template surface. The elevations of the various structures may be adjusted independently by selectively exposing 'higher' structures to an anisotropic etch that reduces the overall elevation of the structures, while preserving the structural topography.

Self-aligned process for fabricating imprint templates containing variously etched features

The present invention is directed toward a method of controlling a turbulent flow of a fluid between a substrate and a template, and more specifically, controlling a turbulent flow of a fluid between droplets disposed on a substrate and a template. To that end, the method further comprises the ingression and egression of the fluid through a first and second aperture, and in a further embodiment, a plurality of apertures, to create such a turbulent flow of the fluid.

Method of creating a turbulent flow of fluid between a mold and a substrate

A composition is provided and a method of using the same to form a pattern on a substrate using imprint lithography employing dark-field polymerization is disclosed. The composition includes a polymerizable bisvinylether and an initiator that produces an acid in response to radiation.

The present invention includes a composition to form a layer on a substrate having uniform etch characteristics. To that end, the composition has a plurality of components, a subset of which has substantially similar rates of evaporation for an interval of time.

Composition to provide a layer with uniform etch characteristics

The present invention is directed toward a system for introducing a flow of a fluid between a mold, disposed on a template, and a substrate, the system including, a fluid supply system; and a chuck body having a baffle and first and second apertures, the first and second apertures disposed between the baffle and the template, with the first and second apertures in fluid communication with the fluid supply system to produce a turbulent flow of the fluid between the mold and said substrate.

System for creating a turbulent flow of fluid between a mold and a substrate

The present invention features a method of patterning a substrate that includes forming, on the substrate, a first film having an original pattern that includes a plurality of projections a subset of which extends from a nadir surface terminating in an apex surface defining a height therebetween. A second film is disposed upon the first film and defines a surface spaced-apart from the apex surface of the plurality of projections. A variation in a distance between the apex surface of any one of the plurality of projections and the surface being within a predetermined range. A recorded pattern is transferred onto the substrate that corresponds to the original pattern, within the predetermined range being selected to minimize pattern distortions in the recorded pattern.

Reverse tone patterning on surfaces having planarity perturbations

The present invention features a method of patterning a substrate that includes forming, on the substrate, a multi-layer film with a surface, an etch rate interface and an etch-differential interface. The etch-differential interface is defined between the etch rate interface and the surface. A recorded pattern is transferred onto the substrate defined, in part, by the etch-differential interface.

Patterning substrates employing multi-film layers defining etch-differential interfaces

The present invention provides a method to reduce adhesion between a conformable region on a substrate and a pattern of a mold, which selectively comes into contact with the conformable region. The method features forming a conformable material on the substrate and contacting the conformable material with the surface. A conditioned layer is formed from the conformable material. The conditioned layer has first and second sub-portions, with the first sub-portion being solidified and the second sub-portion having a first affinity for the surface and a second affinity for the first sub-portion. The first affinity is greater than the second affinity. In this fashion, upon separation of the mold from the conditioned layer, a subset of the second sub-portion maintains contact with the mold, thereby reducing the probability that a pattern formed in the conditioned layer becomes compromised. These and other embodiments are described herein.

Method to reduce adhesion between a conformable region and a pattern of a mold

The present invention is directed toward a method for reducing pattern distortions in imprinting layers by reducing gas pockets present in a layer of viscous liquid deposited on a substrate. To that end, the method includes varying a transport of the gases disposed proximate to the viscous liquid. Specifically, the atmosphere proximate to the substrate wherein a pattern is to be recorded is saturated with gases that are either highly soluble, highly diffusive, or both with respect to the viscous liquid being deposited. Additionally, or in lieu of saturating the atmosphere, the pressure of the atmosphere may be reduced.

Single phase fluid imprint lithography method

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Nicholas A Stacey