Simulations of non-uniform embossing:the effect of asymmetric neighbor cavities on polymer flow during nanoimprint lithography.

Technical Report · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/913532· OSTI ID:913532

Schunk, Peter Randall; King, William P ^[1]; Sun, Amy Cha-Tien; Rowland, Harry D ^[2]

---

1. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
2. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

This paper presents continuum simulations of viscous polymer flow during nanoimprint lithography (NIL) for embossing tools having irregular spacings and sizes. Simulations varied non-uniform embossing tool geometry to distinguish geometric quantities governing cavity filling order, polymer peak deformation, and global mold filling times. A characteristic NIL velocity predicts cavity filling order. In general, small cavities fill more quickly than large cavities, while cavity spacing modulates polymer deformation mode. Individual cavity size, not total filling volume, dominates replication time, with large differences in individual cavity size resulting in non-uniform, squeeze flow filling. High density features can be modeled as a solid indenter in squeeze flow to accurately predict polymer flow and allow for optimization of wafer-scale replication. The present simulations make it possible to design imprint templates capable of distributing pressure evenly across the mold surface and facilitating symmetric polymer flow over large areas to prevent mold deformation and non-uniform residual layer thickness.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 913532
• Report Number(s): SAND2007-4121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
CAVITIES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
FABRICATION
FLOW RATE
Lithography.
MICROELECTRONICS
NANOSTRUCTURES
Nanotechnology.
POLYMERS
Polymers.
VISCOUS FLOW