Molecular Imprints, Inc.

University of Michigan

Canon Nanotechnologies, Inc.

Se Hyun Ahn

Byung-Jin Choi

Frank Y Xu

Lingjie Jay Guo

Sidlgata V Sreenivasan

Michael Nevin Miller

Mahadevan GanapathiSubramanian

Methods and systems are provided for fabricating polymer-based imprint lithography templates having thin metallic or oxide coated patterning surfaces. Such templates show enhanced fluid spreading and filling (even in absence of purging gases), good release properties, and longevity of use. Methods and systems for fabricating oxide coated versions, in particular, can be performed under atmospheric pressure conditions, allowing for lower cost processing and enhanced throughput.

Nano imprinting with reusable polymer template with metallic or oxide coating

Methods and systems are provided for patterning polymerizable material dispensed on flexible substrates or flat substrates using imprint lithography techniques. Template replication methods and systems are also presented where patterns from a master are transferred to flexible substrates to form flexible film templates. Such flexible film templates are then used to pattern large area flat substrates. Contact between the imprint template and substrate can be initiated and propagated by relative translation between the template and the substrate.

Large area imprint lithography

Nanoscale grating structure can be utilized in many practical applications in optics, flat-panel displays and bio-sensors. A Dynamic Nano-Inscribing (Dynamic Nano-Inscribing) technique is disclosed for directly creating large-area, truly continuous nano-grating patterns in a variety of metal or polymer materials with feature size down to sub-50 nm and at very high speed (10 cm/sec). Dynamic Nano-Inscribing is carried out under either ambient temperature or with a brief heating time on the order of ten microseconds, which minimizes damage on UV or thermo-sensitive functional materials.

Dynamic nano-inscribing for continuous and seamless metal and polymer nanogratings

Apparatus and methods for a nano-patterning process to fabricate nanostructures. A roller type mold is used to continuously imprint nanostructures onto a flexible web or a rigid substrate. The process includes a coating and an imprinting module, which rotate the web synchronously. Liquid resist materials are used for imprinting and the patterns are set by thermal or UV curing. The process is used to produce bilayer metal wire-grid polarizers, organic solar cells, and organic light emitting diodes.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Se Hyun Ahn