Tilted metasurface nanostructures,with excellent physical properties and enormous application potential,pose an urgent need for manufacturing methods.Here,electric-field-driven generative-nanoimprinting technique is p...Tilted metasurface nanostructures,with excellent physical properties and enormous application potential,pose an urgent need for manufacturing methods.Here,electric-field-driven generative-nanoimprinting technique is proposed.The electric field applied between the template and the substrate drives the contact,tilting,filling,and holding processes.By accurately controlling the introduced included angle between the flexible template and the substrate,tilted nanostructures with a controllable angle are imprinted onto the substrate,although they are vertical on the template.By flexibly adjusting the electric field intensity and the included angle,large-area uniform-tilted,gradient-tilted,and high-angle-tilted nanostructures are fabricated.In contrast to traditional replication,the morphology of the nanoimprinting structure is extended to customized control.This work provides a cost-effective,efficient,and versatile technology for the fabrication of various large-area tilted metasurface structures.As an illustration,a tilted nanograting with a high coupling efficiency is fabricated and integrated into augmented reality displays,demonstrating superior imaging quality.展开更多
Dislocation dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the effect of template shape on the nanoimprinting of metal layers. To this end, metal thin films are imprinted by a rigid template made of an array of equ...Dislocation dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the effect of template shape on the nanoimprinting of metal layers. To this end, metal thin films are imprinted by a rigid template made of an array of equispaced indenters of various shapes, i.e., rectangular, wedge, and circular. The geometry of the indenters is chosen such that the contact area is approximately the same at the final imprinting depth. Results show that, for all template shapes, the final patterns strongly depend on the dislocation activity, and that each imprint differs from the neighboring ones. Large material pile ups appear between the imprints, such that polishing of the metal layer is suggested for application of the patterns in electronics. Rectangular indenters require the lowest imprinting force and achieve the deepest retained imprints.展开更多
2025 marks the 30th anniversary of nanoimprint lithography(NIL).Since its inception in 1995,and through global efforts over the past three decades,nanoimprint has emerged as the primary alternative to extreme ultravio...2025 marks the 30th anniversary of nanoimprint lithography(NIL).Since its inception in 1995,and through global efforts over the past three decades,nanoimprint has emerged as the primary alternative to extreme ultraviolet(EUV)lithography for deep-nanoscale silicon(Si)electronics.Numerous semiconductor companies have recognized NIL's manufacturing quality and are actively being evaluated for the production of the most advanced semiconductor devices.Nanoimprinting's potential extends beyond silicon chip fabrication and wafer-scale applica-tions.With its high throughput and 3D patterning capabilities,NIL is becoming a key technology for fabricating emerging devices,such as flat optics and augmented reality glasses.This review summarizes the key developments and applications of nanoimprint lithography,with a particular focus on the latest industry advancements in nano-Si device manufacturing and nanophotonics applications.展开更多
Metallic nanowire arrays （NWAs） possess wide application prospects due to their unique property, and the tailoring of NWAs＇ structure and morphology is of importance since it would significantly influence the per- ...Metallic nanowire arrays （NWAs） possess wide application prospects due to their unique property, and the tailoring of NWAs＇ structure and morphology is of importance since it would significantly influence the per- formance of NWAs. In the present work, the morphology and structure evolution of the NWAs prepared by the newly developed die nanoimprinting technique has been investigated in detail. It was found that increasing pro- cessing temperature, time and pressure could increase the length of the nanowires and change the NWAs＇ morphol- ogy from monodispersed form to aggregated form. Increasing processing time and temperature within the supercooled liquid region would promote crystallization, while increasing processing pressure could suppress the crystallization. This work provided important insights into the structure and morphology evolution, and therefore, the tailoring of metallic NWAs prepared by die nanoimprinting through adjusting the process parameters.展开更多
Ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography(UV-NIL)is a versatile and cost-effective technique for the fabrication of micro-and nanostructures by copying master patterns in a planar or a roll-to-roll process through curing of...Ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography(UV-NIL)is a versatile and cost-effective technique for the fabrication of micro-and nanostructures by copying master patterns in a planar or a roll-to-roll process through curing of a liquid UV-sensitive precursor.For applications with a high pattern complexity,new UV-NIL process chains must be specified.Master fabrication is a challenging part of the development and often cannot be accomplished using a single master fabrication technique.Therefore,an approach combining different patterning fabrication techniques is developed here for polymer masters using laser direct writing and photolithography.The polymer masters produced in this way are molded into inverse silicone stamps that are used for roll-to-roll replication into an acrylate formulation.To fit the required roller size for large-area UV-NIL,several submasters with micrometer-sized dot and line gratings and prism arrays,which have been patterned by these different techniques,are assembled to final size of ~200×600 mm^(2) with an absolute precision of better than 50μm.The size of the submasters allows the use of standard laboratory equipment for patterning and direct writing,thus enabling the fabrication of micro-and even nanostructures when electron-beam writing is utilized.In this way,the effort,time,and costs for the fabrication of masters for UV-NIL processes are reduced,enabling further development for particular structures and applications.Using this approach,patterns fabricated with different laboratory tools are finally replicated by UV-NIL in an acrylate formulation,demonstrating the high quality of the whole process chain.展开更多
Thermal nanoimprinting is a fast and versatile method for transferring the anti-reflective properties of subwavelength nanostructures onto the surface of highly reflective substrates, such as chalcogenide glass optica...Thermal nanoimprinting is a fast and versatile method for transferring the anti-reflective properties of subwavelength nanostructures onto the surface of highly reflective substrates, such as chalcogenide glass optical fiber end faces. In this paper, the technique is explored experimentally on a range of different types of commercial and custom-drawn optical fibers to evaluate the influence of geometric design, core/cladding material, and thermo-mechanical properties. Up to32.4% increased transmission and 88.3% total transmission are demonstrated in the 2–4.3 μm band using a mid-infrared(IR) supercontinuum laser.展开更多
The low-dimensional,highly anisotropic geometries,and superior mechanical properties of one-dimensional(1D) nanomaterials allow the exquisite strain engineering with a broad tunability inaccessible to bulk or thin-fil...The low-dimensional,highly anisotropic geometries,and superior mechanical properties of one-dimensional(1D) nanomaterials allow the exquisite strain engineering with a broad tunability inaccessible to bulk or thin-film materials.Such capability enables unprecedented possibilities for probing intriguing physics and materials science in the 1-D limit.Among the techniques for introducing controlled strains in 1D materials,nanoimprinting with embossed substrates attracts increased attention due to its capability to parallelly form nanomaterials into wrinkled structures with controlled periodicities,amplitudes,orientations at large scale with nanoscale resolutions.Here,we systematically investigated the strain-engineered anisotropic optical properties in Te nanowires through introducing a controlled strain field using a resist-free thermally assisted nanoimprinting process.The magnitude of induced strains can be tuned by adjusting the imprinting pressure,the nanowire diameter,and the patterns on the substrates.The observed Raman spectra from the chiral-chain lattice of 1D Te reveal the strong lattice vibration response under the strain.Our results suggest the potential of 1D Te as a promising candidate for flexible electronics,deformable optoelectronics,and wearable sensors.The experimental platform can also enable the exquisite mechanical control in other nanomaterials using substrate-induced,on-demand,and controlled strains.展开更多
Surface nanopatterning of semiconductor optoelectronic devices is a powerful way to improve their quality and performance.However,photoelectric devices’inherent stress sensitivity and inevitable warpage pose a huge c...Surface nanopatterning of semiconductor optoelectronic devices is a powerful way to improve their quality and performance.However,photoelectric devices’inherent stress sensitivity and inevitable warpage pose a huge challenge on fabricating nanostructures large-scale.Electric-driven flexible-roller nanoimprint lithography for nanopatterning the optoelectronic wafer is proposed in this study.The flexible nanoimprint template twining around a roller is continuously released and recovered,controlled by the roller’s simple motion.The electric field applied to the template and substrate provides the driving force.The contact line of the template and the substrate gradually moves with the roller to enable scanning and adapting to the entire warped substrate,under the electric field.In addition,the driving force generated from electric field is applied to the surface of substrate,so that the substrate is free from external pressure.Furthermore,liquid resist completely fills in microcavities on the template by powerful electric field force,to ensure the fidelity of the nanostructures.The proposed nanoimprint technology is validated on the prototype.Finally,nano-grating structures are fabricated on a gallium nitride light-emitting diode chip adopting the solution,achieving polarization of the light source.展开更多
The paper proposes a novel nano-patterning method called electrically induced nanostructuring, where an external electric field, insteadof the external mechanical pressure, is applied to generate an electrohydrody- na...The paper proposes a novel nano-patterning method called electrically induced nanostructuring, where an external electric field, insteadof the external mechanical pressure, is applied to generate an electrohydrody- namic force acting on the polymer-air interface to drive the polymer＇ s flow into the mold cavities. This electri- cally induced nanostrueturing method no longer requires a large mechanical pressure externally applied for actua- ting the polymer filling in the mold cavities, and has been used to successfully fabricate micro/nano pillar arrays of a high aspect ratio （up to 10）, which have been usually considered to be ＂difficult to fabricate＂ by conventional molding or nanoimprinting processes.展开更多
Nanoimprint lithography(NIL) is an emerging micro/nano-patterning technique,which is a high-resolution,high-throughput and yet simple fabrication process.According to International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductor...Nanoimprint lithography(NIL) is an emerging micro/nano-patterning technique,which is a high-resolution,high-throughput and yet simple fabrication process.According to International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductor(ITRS),NIL has emerged as the next generation lithography candidate for the22 nm and 16 nm technological nodes.In this paper,we present an overview of nanoimprint lithography.The classfication,research focus,critical issues,and the future of nanoimprint lithography are intensively elaborated.A pattern as small as 2.4 nm has been demonstrated.Full-wafer nanoimprint lithography has been completed on a 12-inch wafer.Recently,12.5 nm pattern resolution through soft molecular scale nanoimprint lithography has been achieved by EV Group,a leading nanoimprint lithography technology supplier.展开更多
The development of polymeric optical materials with a higher refractive index,transparency in the visible spectrum region and easier processability is increasingly desirable for advanced optical applications such as m...The development of polymeric optical materials with a higher refractive index,transparency in the visible spectrum region and easier processability is increasingly desirable for advanced optical applications such as microlenses,image sensors,and organic light-emitting diodes.Most acrylates have a low refractive index(around 1.50)which does not meet the high perfo rmance requirements of advanced optical materials.In this research,three novel acrylates were synthesized via a facile one-step approach and used to fabricate optical transparent polymers.All of the polymers reveal good optical properties including high transparency(≥90%)in the visible spectrum region and high refractive index values(1.6363)at 550 nm.Moreover,nanostructures of these acrylate polymers with various feature sizes including nanogratings and photonic crystals were successfully fabricated using nanoimprint lithography.These results indicate that these acrylates can be used in a wide range of optical and optoelectronic devices where nanopatterned films with high refractive index and transparency are required.展开更多
The effects of a twin boundary（TB） on the mechanical properties of two types of bicrystal Al thin films during the nanoimprint process are investigated by using molecular dynamics simulations.The results indicate th...The effects of a twin boundary（TB） on the mechanical properties of two types of bicrystal Al thin films during the nanoimprint process are investigated by using molecular dynamics simulations.The results indicate that for the TB direction parallel to the imprinting direction,the yield stress reaches the maximum for the initial dislocation nucleation when the mould directly imprints to the TB,and the yield stress first decreases with the increase of the marker interval and then increases.However,for the TB direction perpendicular to the imprinting direction,the effect of the TB location to the imprinting forces is very small,and the yield stress is greater than that with the TB direction parallel to the imprinting direction.The results also demonstrate that the direction of the slip dislocations and the deformation of the thin film caused by spring-back are different due to various positions and directions of the TB.展开更多
A novel soft polymer template containing a double-layer structure,which includes a thin layer of polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA)used as a pattern layer and a thicker layer of polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)used as a back laye...A novel soft polymer template containing a double-layer structure,which includes a thin layer of polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA)used as a pattern layer and a thicker layer of polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)used as a back layer,was fabricated from a replica molding process.Anodic aluminum oxide(AAO)template was used as the replica mold to be replicated to the polymethylmethacrylate layer by a thermal infiltration process under a vacuum condition.Results indicate that PMMA/PDMS soft templates with different sizes could be easily fabricated from the as-prepared AAO replica mold.The PMMA/PDMS soft templates were then employed to imprint a TiO_2 gel for achieving TiO_2 nano-pore arrays.After the imprinting process,the PDMS layer was firstly peeled off and the PMMA layer was then removed into acetonitrile,which can avoid any demolding problems like damages or distortions.The TiO_2 nano-pore arrays with the crystalline of anatase could be obtained at a heat treatment temperature of 450°C.展开更多
Nanoimprint lithography （NIL） is recognized as one of the most promising candidates for the next generation lithography （NGL） to obtain sub-100 nm patterns because of its simplicity, high-throughput and low-cost. ...Nanoimprint lithography （NIL） is recognized as one of the most promising candidates for the next generation lithography （NGL） to obtain sub-100 nm patterns because of its simplicity, high-throughput and low-cost. While substantial effort has been expending on NIL for producing smaller and smaller feature sizes, considerably less effort has been devoted to the equally important issue—alignment between template and substrate. A homemade prototype nanoimprint lithography tool with a high precision automatic alignment system based on Moiré signals is presented. Coarse and fine pitch gratings are adopted to produce Moiré signals to control macro and micro actuators and enable the substrate to move towards the desired position automatically. Linear motors with 300 mm travel range and 1 μm step resolution are used as macro actuators, and piezoelectric translators with 50 μm travel range and 1 nm step resolution are used as micro actuators. In addition, the prototype provides one translation （z displacement） and two tilting motion（α and β ） to automatically bring uniform intact contact between the template and substrate surfaces by using a flexure stage. As a result, 10 μm coarse alignment accuracy and 20 nm fine alignment accuracy can be achieved. Finally, some results of nanostructures and micro devices such as nanoscale trenches and holes, gratings and microlens array fabricated using the prototype tool are presented, and hot embossing lithography, one typical NIL technology, are depicted by taking nanoscale gratings fabrication as an example.展开更多
Technology roadmaps have been a part of the semiconductor industry for many years.The first roadmap was Moore’s law,which started as an empirical observation that competitive forces then turned into a prediction that...Technology roadmaps have been a part of the semiconductor industry for many years.The first roadmap was Moore’s law,which started as an empirical observation that competitive forces then turned into a prediction that became an industry roadmap.Then the ITRS roadmap was developed and for many years was used by leading edge semiconductor producers to drive new technology they needed.Now there is the IRDS roadmap,which projects semiconductor end user requirements and develops a technology roadmap based on those requirements.The 2017 IRDS roadmap was just released.To prepare the roadmap,we received input from experts around the world.The roadmap predicts that the requirements of high performance logic will drive the development of different device structures in logic chips.Memory technology will also advance but is more focused on cost than high performance logic is.Because of this,there may be a split in the patterning roadmaps for different types of devices.Logic will adopt EUV and its extensions,while flash memory will consider nanoimprint.Directed self-assembly and direct write e-beam are also being developed.DSA has the potential to improve CD uniformity and lower costs.Direct write e-beam promises to make personalization of chips more feasible.DRAM memory will trail logic in critical dimensions and will adopt EUV when it becomes cost effective.The lithography community will both have to make EUV work and overcome the challenges of randomness in CDs and resist performance,while memory will try to make nanoimprint a reliable and low defect method of patterning.Long term,logic is expected to start focusing on 3D architectures in the late 2020’s.This will put a tremendous stress on the yield of patterning processes and on reducing the number of process steps that are required.It will also put more focus on hole type patterns,which will become one of the key patterning challenges in the future.展开更多
To tackle the demoulding and conglutinating problem with the resist and hard mold in the nanoimprint lithography process, a soft mould can be used to demould and reduce the macro or mi- cro mismatch between mould bott...To tackle the demoulding and conglutinating problem with the resist and hard mold in the nanoimprint lithography process, a soft mould can be used to demould and reduce the macro or mi- cro mismatch between mould bottom surface and wafer top surface. In nanoimprint lithography process, a mathematical equation is formulated to demonstrate the relation between the residual re- sist thickness and the pressing force during pressing the mould toward the resist-coated wafer. Based on these analytical studies, a new imprint process, which includes a pre-cure release of the pressing force, was proposed for the high-conformity transfer of nano-patterns from the mould to the wafer. The results of a series of imprint experiments showed that the proposed loading process could meet the requirements for the imprint of different patterns and feature sizes while maintaining a uniform residual resist and non-distorted transfer of nano-patterns from the mould to the resist- coated wafer.展开更多
Soft lithography is a low-cost and convenient method for the forming and manufacturing of micro/ nanostructures compared to the traditional optical lithography. In soft lithography, poly（dimethylsiloxane） （PDMS） s...Soft lithography is a low-cost and convenient method for the forming and manufacturing of micro/ nanostructures compared to the traditional optical lithography. In soft lithography, poly（dimethylsiloxane） （PDMS） stamps with relief structures have been widely used to transfer patterns. The traditional fabrication approach of PDMS stamps is time-consuming since the master has been occupied during the curing process. By adding and repeating fast nanoimprint step, many intermediate polymeric molds can be produced from the master and these molds can then be employed to replicate more PDMS stamps while the time used is close to that of the common way. We demonstrated this idea by three masters which were made by the DEM （Deepetching, Electroforming and Microreplicating） and FIB （Focused Ion Beam） techniques. The photos show that the patterns on the PMDS stamps successfully duplicated patterns on the origin masters.展开更多
This paper proposed a flexible pressure sensor based on poly(dimethylsiloxane) nanostructures film and report an efficient,simple,and low-cost fabrication strategy via soft nanoimprint lithography.The pressure sensor ...This paper proposed a flexible pressure sensor based on poly(dimethylsiloxane) nanostructures film and report an efficient,simple,and low-cost fabrication strategy via soft nanoimprint lithography.The pressure sensor can convert external pressure or mechanical deformation into electrical signal to detect pressure and strain changes based on the coupling of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction.To enhance the performance of the pressure sensor,it consists of sub-500 nm resolution on the surface of elastic poly(dimethylsiloxane) sensitive layer and an indium tin oxide electrode thin film.When the pressure applied on the nanostructures layer,triboelectrostatic charges are induced.In the experiment,it measures up to sensitivity of 0.8 V/kPa at frequency of 5 Hz.This study results in potential applications such as wearable smart devices and skin-attachable diagnostics sensing systems.展开更多
Advanced materials with surface patterning can improve light management in optoelectronic devices.In this work,we employed nanoimprinting lithography(NIL)using a hard polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)mold to fabricate two-di...Advanced materials with surface patterning can improve light management in optoelectronic devices.In this work,we employed nanoimprinting lithography(NIL)using a hard polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)mold to fabricate two-dimensional periodically structured films from cellulose acetate(CA).This periodic structure was selected to scatter the light to increase its optical path.The mold features translated well to the patterned CA films,as shown by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses.The films showed an average peak-to-peak distance of(750±40)nm and an average height of grooves of(130±7)nm.Optical characterization confirmed a high transparency(>90%)in the studied 300–800 nm range.These patterned cellulose films were applied atop dye solar cells to enhance light harvesting and improve device efficiency.The application of these films increased the average short-circuit current density by 17%±3%and efficiency by 18%±2%of the solar devices.Our results underscore that the easy and accessible NIL method can help develop patterned cellulose films for facile light-management patterning for optoelectronic device technologies.展开更多
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52025055 and 52275571)Basic Research Operation Fund of China(No.xzy012024024).
文摘Tilted metasurface nanostructures,with excellent physical properties and enormous application potential,pose an urgent need for manufacturing methods.Here,electric-field-driven generative-nanoimprinting technique is proposed.The electric field applied between the template and the substrate drives the contact,tilting,filling,and holding processes.By accurately controlling the introduced included angle between the flexible template and the substrate,tilted nanostructures with a controllable angle are imprinted onto the substrate,although they are vertical on the template.By flexibly adjusting the electric field intensity and the included angle,large-area uniform-tilted,gradient-tilted,and high-angle-tilted nanostructures are fabricated.In contrast to traditional replication,the morphology of the nanoimprinting structure is extended to customized control.This work provides a cost-effective,efficient,and versatile technology for the fabrication of various large-area tilted metasurface structures.As an illustration,a tilted nanograting with a high coupling efficiency is fabricated and integrated into augmented reality displays,demonstrating superior imaging quality.
基金Project (No VENI 08120) supported by the Dutch National Scientific Foundation NWO and Dutch Technology Foundation STW
文摘Dislocation dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the effect of template shape on the nanoimprinting of metal layers. To this end, metal thin films are imprinted by a rigid template made of an array of equispaced indenters of various shapes, i.e., rectangular, wedge, and circular. The geometry of the indenters is chosen such that the contact area is approximately the same at the final imprinting depth. Results show that, for all template shapes, the final patterns strongly depend on the dislocation activity, and that each imprint differs from the neighboring ones. Large material pile ups appear between the imprints, such that polishing of the metal layer is suggested for application of the patterns in electronics. Rectangular indenters require the lowest imprinting force and achieve the deepest retained imprints.
基金the National Science Foundation for the partial support(NSF-2213684),and LJG acknowledges an Emmett Leith Collegiate Professorship for this writing.
文摘2025 marks the 30th anniversary of nanoimprint lithography(NIL).Since its inception in 1995,and through global efforts over the past three decades,nanoimprint has emerged as the primary alternative to extreme ultraviolet(EUV)lithography for deep-nanoscale silicon(Si)electronics.Numerous semiconductor companies have recognized NIL's manufacturing quality and are actively being evaluated for the production of the most advanced semiconductor devices.Nanoimprinting's potential extends beyond silicon chip fabrication and wafer-scale applica-tions.With its high throughput and 3D patterning capabilities,NIL is becoming a key technology for fabricating emerging devices,such as flat optics and augmented reality glasses.This review summarizes the key developments and applications of nanoimprint lithography,with a particular focus on the latest industry advancements in nano-Si device manufacturing and nanophotonics applications.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （51271095 and 51101090）, and PhD Program Foundation of Ministry of Education of China （20120002110038）.
文摘Metallic nanowire arrays （NWAs） possess wide application prospects due to their unique property, and the tailoring of NWAs＇ structure and morphology is of importance since it would significantly influence the per- formance of NWAs. In the present work, the morphology and structure evolution of the NWAs prepared by the newly developed die nanoimprinting technique has been investigated in detail. It was found that increasing pro- cessing temperature, time and pressure could increase the length of the nanowires and change the NWAs＇ morphol- ogy from monodispersed form to aggregated form. Increasing processing time and temperature within the supercooled liquid region would promote crystallization, while increasing processing pressure could suppress the crystallization. This work provided important insights into the structure and morphology evolution, and therefore, the tailoring of metallic NWAs prepared by die nanoimprinting through adjusting the process parameters.
文摘Ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography(UV-NIL)is a versatile and cost-effective technique for the fabrication of micro-and nanostructures by copying master patterns in a planar or a roll-to-roll process through curing of a liquid UV-sensitive precursor.For applications with a high pattern complexity,new UV-NIL process chains must be specified.Master fabrication is a challenging part of the development and often cannot be accomplished using a single master fabrication technique.Therefore,an approach combining different patterning fabrication techniques is developed here for polymer masters using laser direct writing and photolithography.The polymer masters produced in this way are molded into inverse silicone stamps that are used for roll-to-roll replication into an acrylate formulation.To fit the required roller size for large-area UV-NIL,several submasters with micrometer-sized dot and line gratings and prism arrays,which have been patterned by these different techniques,are assembled to final size of ~200×600 mm^(2) with an absolute precision of better than 50μm.The size of the submasters allows the use of standard laboratory equipment for patterning and direct writing,thus enabling the fabrication of micro-and even nanostructures when electron-beam writing is utilized.In this way,the effort,time,and costs for the fabrication of masters for UV-NIL processes are reduced,enabling further development for particular structures and applications.Using this approach,patterns fabricated with different laboratory tools are finally replicated by UV-NIL in an acrylate formulation,demonstrating the high quality of the whole process chain.
基金supported by the European Commission (Nos. 317803, 722380, and 732968)the Innovation Fund Denmark (No. 4107-00011A)+2 种基金the Danish Maritime Fund (No. 2019-137)the Lundbeck Foundation (No. R276-2018869)the Independent Research Fund Denmark (No. 8022-00091B)。
文摘Thermal nanoimprinting is a fast and versatile method for transferring the anti-reflective properties of subwavelength nanostructures onto the surface of highly reflective substrates, such as chalcogenide glass optical fiber end faces. In this paper, the technique is explored experimentally on a range of different types of commercial and custom-drawn optical fibers to evaluate the influence of geometric design, core/cladding material, and thermo-mechanical properties. Up to32.4% increased transmission and 88.3% total transmission are demonstrated in the 2–4.3 μm band using a mid-infrared(IR) supercontinuum laser.
基金the College of Engineering and School of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University for startup supportpartially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant CMMI-1762698+3 种基金financial assistance from ONR NEPTUNE program National Science Foundation under Grant CMMI-1538360supported by the Louis Beecherl, Jr. Endowment Fundsthe College of Engineering and School of Materials Engineering at Purdue University for startup supportsupported through computational resources provided by the Information Technology department at Purdue University。
文摘The low-dimensional,highly anisotropic geometries,and superior mechanical properties of one-dimensional(1D) nanomaterials allow the exquisite strain engineering with a broad tunability inaccessible to bulk or thin-film materials.Such capability enables unprecedented possibilities for probing intriguing physics and materials science in the 1-D limit.Among the techniques for introducing controlled strains in 1D materials,nanoimprinting with embossed substrates attracts increased attention due to its capability to parallelly form nanomaterials into wrinkled structures with controlled periodicities,amplitudes,orientations at large scale with nanoscale resolutions.Here,we systematically investigated the strain-engineered anisotropic optical properties in Te nanowires through introducing a controlled strain field using a resist-free thermally assisted nanoimprinting process.The magnitude of induced strains can be tuned by adjusting the imprinting pressure,the nanowire diameter,and the patterns on the substrates.The observed Raman spectra from the chiral-chain lattice of 1D Te reveal the strong lattice vibration response under the strain.Our results suggest the potential of 1D Te as a promising candidate for flexible electronics,deformable optoelectronics,and wearable sensors.The experimental platform can also enable the exquisite mechanical control in other nanomaterials using substrate-induced,on-demand,and controlled strains.
基金financed by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52025055 and 5227050783)。
文摘Surface nanopatterning of semiconductor optoelectronic devices is a powerful way to improve their quality and performance.However,photoelectric devices’inherent stress sensitivity and inevitable warpage pose a huge challenge on fabricating nanostructures large-scale.Electric-driven flexible-roller nanoimprint lithography for nanopatterning the optoelectronic wafer is proposed in this study.The flexible nanoimprint template twining around a roller is continuously released and recovered,controlled by the roller’s simple motion.The electric field applied to the template and substrate provides the driving force.The contact line of the template and the substrate gradually moves with the roller to enable scanning and adapting to the entire warped substrate,under the electric field.In addition,the driving force generated from electric field is applied to the surface of substrate,so that the substrate is free from external pressure.Furthermore,liquid resist completely fills in microcavities on the template by powerful electric field force,to ensure the fidelity of the nanostructures.The proposed nanoimprint technology is validated on the prototype.Finally,nano-grating structures are fabricated on a gallium nitride light-emitting diode chip adopting the solution,achieving polarization of the light source.
基金Major Research Plan of NSFC on Nanomanufacturing(No.90923040)National Basic Research Program of China(No.2009CB724202)
文摘The paper proposes a novel nano-patterning method called electrically induced nanostructuring, where an external electric field, insteadof the external mechanical pressure, is applied to generate an electrohydrody- namic force acting on the polymer-air interface to drive the polymer＇ s flow into the mold cavities. This electri- cally induced nanostrueturing method no longer requires a large mechanical pressure externally applied for actua- ting the polymer filling in the mold cavities, and has been used to successfully fabricate micro/nano pillar arrays of a high aspect ratio （up to 10）, which have been usually considered to be ＂difficult to fabricate＂ by conventional molding or nanoimprinting processes.
基金supported by Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai(No.11ZR1432100)Shanghai Postdoctoral Science Foundation(11R21420900)
文摘Nanoimprint lithography(NIL) is an emerging micro/nano-patterning technique,which is a high-resolution,high-throughput and yet simple fabrication process.According to International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductor(ITRS),NIL has emerged as the next generation lithography candidate for the22 nm and 16 nm technological nodes.In this paper,we present an overview of nanoimprint lithography.The classfication,research focus,critical issues,and the future of nanoimprint lithography are intensively elaborated.A pattern as small as 2.4 nm has been demonstrated.Full-wafer nanoimprint lithography has been completed on a 12-inch wafer.Recently,12.5 nm pattern resolution through soft molecular scale nanoimprint lithography has been achieved by EV Group,a leading nanoimprint lithography technology supplier.
基金supported by the Molecular Foundry,Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,which is supported by the Office of Science and Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S.Department of Energy under Contract No.DE-AC02-05CH11231supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51573011)+2 种基金Natural Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20150272)Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materialsthe scholarship support from the program of the China Scholarship Council (No.201706880022) for study at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
文摘The development of polymeric optical materials with a higher refractive index,transparency in the visible spectrum region and easier processability is increasingly desirable for advanced optical applications such as microlenses,image sensors,and organic light-emitting diodes.Most acrylates have a low refractive index(around 1.50)which does not meet the high perfo rmance requirements of advanced optical materials.In this research,three novel acrylates were synthesized via a facile one-step approach and used to fabricate optical transparent polymers.All of the polymers reveal good optical properties including high transparency(≥90%)in the visible spectrum region and high refractive index values(1.6363)at 550 nm.Moreover,nanostructures of these acrylate polymers with various feature sizes including nanogratings and photonic crystals were successfully fabricated using nanoimprint lithography.These results indicate that these acrylates can be used in a wide range of optical and optoelectronic devices where nanopatterned films with high refractive index and transparency are required.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.10902083)the Program for New Century Excellent Talent in University of Ministry of Education of China(Grant No.NCET-12-1046)+1 种基金the Program for New Scientific and Technological Star of Shaanxi Province,China(Grant No.2012KJXX-39)the Program for Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province,China(Grant No.2014JQ1036)
文摘The effects of a twin boundary（TB） on the mechanical properties of two types of bicrystal Al thin films during the nanoimprint process are investigated by using molecular dynamics simulations.The results indicate that for the TB direction parallel to the imprinting direction,the yield stress reaches the maximum for the initial dislocation nucleation when the mould directly imprints to the TB,and the yield stress first decreases with the increase of the marker interval and then increases.However,for the TB direction perpendicular to the imprinting direction,the effect of the TB location to the imprinting forces is very small,and the yield stress is greater than that with the TB direction parallel to the imprinting direction.The results also demonstrate that the direction of the slip dislocations and the deformation of the thin film caused by spring-back are different due to various positions and directions of the TB.
基金supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China through 863-project under grant 2009AA03Z218the Major Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.90923012the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China under grant 200806980023
文摘A novel soft polymer template containing a double-layer structure,which includes a thin layer of polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA)used as a pattern layer and a thicker layer of polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)used as a back layer,was fabricated from a replica molding process.Anodic aluminum oxide(AAO)template was used as the replica mold to be replicated to the polymethylmethacrylate layer by a thermal infiltration process under a vacuum condition.Results indicate that PMMA/PDMS soft templates with different sizes could be easily fabricated from the as-prepared AAO replica mold.The PMMA/PDMS soft templates were then employed to imprint a TiO_2 gel for achieving TiO_2 nano-pore arrays.After the imprinting process,the PDMS layer was firstly peeled off and the PMMA layer was then removed into acetonitrile,which can avoid any demolding problems like damages or distortions.The TiO_2 nano-pore arrays with the crystalline of anatase could be obtained at a heat treatment temperature of 450°C.
基金This project is supported by National Hi-tech Research and Development Program of China (863 Program, No. 2002AA404430)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50475137).
文摘Nanoimprint lithography （NIL） is recognized as one of the most promising candidates for the next generation lithography （NGL） to obtain sub-100 nm patterns because of its simplicity, high-throughput and low-cost. While substantial effort has been expending on NIL for producing smaller and smaller feature sizes, considerably less effort has been devoted to the equally important issue—alignment between template and substrate. A homemade prototype nanoimprint lithography tool with a high precision automatic alignment system based on Moiré signals is presented. Coarse and fine pitch gratings are adopted to produce Moiré signals to control macro and micro actuators and enable the substrate to move towards the desired position automatically. Linear motors with 300 mm travel range and 1 μm step resolution are used as macro actuators, and piezoelectric translators with 50 μm travel range and 1 nm step resolution are used as micro actuators. In addition, the prototype provides one translation （z displacement） and two tilting motion（α and β ） to automatically bring uniform intact contact between the template and substrate surfaces by using a flexure stage. As a result, 10 μm coarse alignment accuracy and 20 nm fine alignment accuracy can be achieved. Finally, some results of nanostructures and micro devices such as nanoscale trenches and holes, gratings and microlens array fabricated using the prototype tool are presented, and hot embossing lithography, one typical NIL technology, are depicted by taking nanoscale gratings fabrication as an example.
文摘Technology roadmaps have been a part of the semiconductor industry for many years.The first roadmap was Moore’s law,which started as an empirical observation that competitive forces then turned into a prediction that became an industry roadmap.Then the ITRS roadmap was developed and for many years was used by leading edge semiconductor producers to drive new technology they needed.Now there is the IRDS roadmap,which projects semiconductor end user requirements and develops a technology roadmap based on those requirements.The 2017 IRDS roadmap was just released.To prepare the roadmap,we received input from experts around the world.The roadmap predicts that the requirements of high performance logic will drive the development of different device structures in logic chips.Memory technology will also advance but is more focused on cost than high performance logic is.Because of this,there may be a split in the patterning roadmaps for different types of devices.Logic will adopt EUV and its extensions,while flash memory will consider nanoimprint.Directed self-assembly and direct write e-beam are also being developed.DSA has the potential to improve CD uniformity and lower costs.Direct write e-beam promises to make personalization of chips more feasible.DRAM memory will trail logic in critical dimensions and will adopt EUV when it becomes cost effective.The lithography community will both have to make EUV work and overcome the challenges of randomness in CDs and resist performance,while memory will try to make nanoimprint a reliable and low defect method of patterning.Long term,logic is expected to start focusing on 3D architectures in the late 2020’s.This will put a tremendous stress on the yield of patterning processes and on reducing the number of process steps that are required.It will also put more focus on hole type patterns,which will become one of the key patterning challenges in the future.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. E05020203) , "863" National Hi-Tech Program(No.2002AA420050) and "973" National Key Basic Research Program ( No. 2003CB716202).
文摘To tackle the demoulding and conglutinating problem with the resist and hard mold in the nanoimprint lithography process, a soft mould can be used to demould and reduce the macro or mi- cro mismatch between mould bottom surface and wafer top surface. In nanoimprint lithography process, a mathematical equation is formulated to demonstrate the relation between the residual re- sist thickness and the pressing force during pressing the mould toward the resist-coated wafer. Based on these analytical studies, a new imprint process, which includes a pre-cure release of the pressing force, was proposed for the high-conformity transfer of nano-patterns from the mould to the wafer. The results of a series of imprint experiments showed that the proposed loading process could meet the requirements for the imprint of different patterns and feature sizes while maintaining a uniform residual resist and non-distorted transfer of nano-patterns from the mould to the resist- coated wafer.
文摘Soft lithography is a low-cost and convenient method for the forming and manufacturing of micro/ nanostructures compared to the traditional optical lithography. In soft lithography, poly（dimethylsiloxane） （PDMS） stamps with relief structures have been widely used to transfer patterns. The traditional fabrication approach of PDMS stamps is time-consuming since the master has been occupied during the curing process. By adding and repeating fast nanoimprint step, many intermediate polymeric molds can be produced from the master and these molds can then be employed to replicate more PDMS stamps while the time used is close to that of the common way. We demonstrated this idea by three masters which were made by the DEM （Deepetching, Electroforming and Microreplicating） and FIB （Focused Ion Beam） techniques. The photos show that the patterns on the PMDS stamps successfully duplicated patterns on the origin masters.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)(Grant number 51703227,C0025053,61605211,61504147,and 61775213)Sichuan Science and Technology Program (Grant number 2019YJ0014)the Instrument Development of Chinese Academy of Sciences,The National R&D Program of China (Grant number 2017YFC0804900),.
文摘This paper proposed a flexible pressure sensor based on poly(dimethylsiloxane) nanostructures film and report an efficient,simple,and low-cost fabrication strategy via soft nanoimprint lithography.The pressure sensor can convert external pressure or mechanical deformation into electrical signal to detect pressure and strain changes based on the coupling of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction.To enhance the performance of the pressure sensor,it consists of sub-500 nm resolution on the surface of elastic poly(dimethylsiloxane) sensitive layer and an indium tin oxide electrode thin film.When the pressure applied on the nanostructures layer,triboelectrostatic charges are induced.In the experiment,it measures up to sensitivity of 0.8 V/kPa at frequency of 5 Hz.This study results in potential applications such as wearable smart devices and skin-attachable diagnostics sensing systems.
基金the Academy of Finland’s Flagship Program under Projects Nos.318890 and 318891(Competence Center for Materials Bioeconomy,FinnCERES).M.E.,J.V.,and K.M.acknowledge the Academy of Finland projects“SUSTAINABLE”and BioEST(Decision numbers 334818,334819,336577,and 336441)for funding.M.E.also thanks the Graduate School of the University of Turku.We acknowledge the use of UTU’s Materials Research Infrastructure(MARI).
文摘Advanced materials with surface patterning can improve light management in optoelectronic devices.In this work,we employed nanoimprinting lithography(NIL)using a hard polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)mold to fabricate two-dimensional periodically structured films from cellulose acetate(CA).This periodic structure was selected to scatter the light to increase its optical path.The mold features translated well to the patterned CA films,as shown by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses.The films showed an average peak-to-peak distance of(750±40)nm and an average height of grooves of(130±7)nm.Optical characterization confirmed a high transparency(>90%)in the studied 300–800 nm range.These patterned cellulose films were applied atop dye solar cells to enhance light harvesting and improve device efficiency.The application of these films increased the average short-circuit current density by 17%±3%and efficiency by 18%±2%of the solar devices.Our results underscore that the easy and accessible NIL method can help develop patterned cellulose films for facile light-management patterning for optoelectronic device technologies.
