Figure 2
![NXE:3100 by ASML [2]](profile/Bernhard_Fabel/publication/228713371/figure/fig4/AS:668283367878670@1536342579552/NXE3100-by-ASML-2.jpg)
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![Figure 2: NXE:3100 by ASML [2]](profile/Bernhard_Fabel/publication/228713371/figure/fig4/AS:668283367878670@1536342579552/NXE3100-by-ASML-2_Q320.jpg)
![Figure 4: Spincoater [6]](profile/Bernhard_Fabel/publication/228713371/figure/fig6/AS:668283367858182@1536342579608/Spincoater-6_Q320.jpg)
Nanoimprint lithography is an emerging nanopatterning method, combining nanometer-scale resolution and high throughput. In a top-down approach, a rigid stamp with a surface relief is pressed into a thin film of soft material on a hard substrate. The film is hardened before the stamp is retrieved, and the surface relief is copied into the thin film....
Citations
In order to fabricate polymer-based microstructures with feature sizes on the order of micrometers, we have been developing
a microimprint technology with a fine nickel (Ni) mold instead of a conventional photolithography technique. The Ni mold was
successfully fabricated by electroforming using a positive thick photoresist microstructure patterned on a silicon substrate
as a replication master. The photoresist microstructure with excellent edge quality can be obtained under irradiation with
single wavelength (g line) selected from a high-pressure mercury lamp. In addition, its sidewall angle in the range of 65° to 84° can be controlled
precisely by varying the distance between a photomask and a photoresist surface. On the structured photoresist master, Ni
was electroplated up to a thickness of about 110μm, and then removed from the master. In this process, two-step electroplating
at different current densities was carried out in order to prevent deformation of the photoresist master due to stress generated
in a Ni electrodeposit. With the Ni mold, fine patterns with a width of 10 or 30μm and a depth of 24μm were almost completely
transferred to polymetric materials (PMMA). The geometrical dimensions of the fabricated PMMA microstructures were found to
be only about 10% reduction against the Ni mold.
Polymeric materials possess many attractive properties such as high toughness and recyclability. Some possess excellent biocompatibility, are biodegradable, and can provide various bio-functionalities. Proper combination of functional polymers and biomolecules can offer tailored properties for various biomedical applications. This overview article covers three major sections: Applications of Polymeric Structures and Devices, Nanoscale Polymer Fabrication Technologies, and Conclusions and Future Directions.
