scholarly journals Perfluoropolyether (PFPE) Intermediate Molds for High-Resolution Thermal Nanoimprint Lithography

Nanomaterials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Masciullo ◽  
Agnese Sonato ◽  
Filippo Romanato ◽  
Marco Cecchini
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Nanoimprint Lithography ◽  
Soft Lithography ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Mold Surface ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Silicon Mold ◽  
Thermoplastic Material ◽  
Hard Materials ◽  
Pdms Elastomer

Among soft lithography techniques, Thermal Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) is a high-throughput and low-cost process that can be applied to a broad range of thermoplastic materials. By simply applying the appropriate pressure and temperature combination, it is possible to transfer a pattern from a mold surface to the chosen material. Usually, high-resolution and large-area NIL molds are difficult to fabricate and expensive. Furthermore, they are typically made of silicon or other hard materials such as nickel or quartz for preserving their functionality. Nonetheless, after a large number of imprinting cycles, they undergo degradation and become unusable. In this paper, we introduce and characterize an innovative two-step NIL process based on the use of a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) intermediate mold to replicate sub-100 nm features from a silicon mold to the final thermoplastic material. We compare PFPE elastomeric molds with molds made of the standard polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer, which demonstrates better resolution and fidelity of the replica process. By using PFPE intermediate molds, the nanostructured masters are preserved and the throughput of the process is significantly enhanced.

A New Moiré Grating Fabrication Technique Using Hot Embossing Lithography

2011 ◽  
Vol 83 ◽  
pp. 7-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Jin Tang ◽  
Hui Min Xie ◽  
Jian Guo Zhu ◽  
Peng Wan Chen ◽  
Qing Ming Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nanoimprint Lithography ◽  
Hot Embossing ◽  
Fabrication Technology ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Silicon Mold ◽  
Optical Components ◽  
Grating Fabrication ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Equal Spacing

Moiré grating is a basic optical component, and can be used in various moiré methods. The conventional grating fabrication technology is based on photolithography and holographic interferometry, however, it requires complex optical components and is very difficult to put into practice. In this study, nanoimprint lithography (NIL), or rather, hot embossing lithography (HEL), is proposed for producing high frequency grating. Compared with silicon mold, holographic moiré grating mold costs less and is not easy to break, thus is chosen to be the mold in HEL. Using this mold and the hot embossing system, the grating structure can be transferred to the polymer after HEL process. Through a number of experiments, the process parameters were optimized and gratings were successfully fabricated. The multi-scale morphology of the fabricated gratings was then characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM) and moiré interferometry. The microscale images observed by AFM and SEM show the regulate dots with equal spacing and the macroscale moiré patterns illuminate the excellent qualities of fabricated grating in a large area. The successful experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the grating fabricated by HEL for the moiré measurement.

Change Detection Within Pipeline ROWs: Environmental Change Analysis Using High Resolution Satellite Imagery

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Otto Huisman ◽  
Arash Gharibi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Comparison Method ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
High Resolution Satellite Images

One of the major concerns for pipeline operators is to efficiently monitor the events happening over the pipeline corridor, or right-of-way (ROW). Monitoring of the ROW is an important part of ensuring the safe and efficient transportation of oil and gas. Events occurring within this zone require rapid assessment and, if necessary, mitigation. These events could be physical intrusions such as encroachment from growing settlements, impact of vegetation, pipeline leakage or geo-environmental hazards. Analysis of satellite imagery can provide an efficient and low cost solution to access and quantify change across the ROW. Examining these events over a periodic interval requires implementation of specific methods that can support the on-going monitoring and decision making practices. In this context, satellite remote sensing images can provide a low cost and efficient solution for monitoring the physical and environmental impacts over the ROW of pipeline system. This paper reports on the development of a methodological approach for environmental change analysis using high resolution satellite images that can help decision making in pipeline systems. Analysis results and maps produced during this work provide an insight into landcover change over the study area and expected to support in on-going pipeline management practices. Two methods, Vegetation index differencing and post classification comparison have been implemented to identify change areas in the Taranaki region of the North Island of New Zealand. Vegetation index differencing with NDVI shows increase or decrease of overall vegetation within the study area. Special focus was given on large area increase and decrease with area threshold value above 0.2 hectare. Detailed analysis of change was conducted with post classification comparison method that uses land cover classification results of year 2010 and 2013. An overall change of 10% has been observed throughout the study area with large area change of approximately 5%. Results obtained from post classification comparison method were further analyzed with 6 focus areas and compared with the existing soil data and rainfall data. The methods adopted during this study are expected to provide a base for environmental change analysis in similar pipeline corridors to support decision making.

Fabrication of Large Area, 70 nm Pitch Nanograting Patterns by Nanoimprint Lithography Using Flexible Polymer Stamp

2011 ◽  
Vol 483 ◽  
pp. 48-52
Author(s):  
Fan Tao Meng ◽  
Jin Kui Chu ◽  
Gang Luo ◽  
Zhi Tao Han ◽  
Zhi Wen Wang
Keyword(s):  
Nanoimprint Lithography ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Inorganic Materials ◽  
Attractive Alternative ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Good Shape ◽  
Low Surface Energy ◽  
Flexible Polymer ◽  
Size Uniformity

Flexible polymer stamps are considered as an attractive alternative to rigid, brittle and expensive stamps made of inorganic materials because of their low cost and ease of fabrication. In this paper, we present a nanoimprint process to fabricate large area, high-resolution nanograting patterns using flexible polymer stamp made from fluoropolymer. The flexibility and low surface energy of polymer stamp provide a clean release without fracture or deformation of the stamp and of the replicated nanograting. Large-area, high-density nanograting patterns with good shape homogeneity and size uniformity have been successfully fabricated using the flexible polymer stamp with advantages of its good conformal contact and low adhesion. Using flexible polymer stamps can resolve many serious issues in NIL and therefore can bring it to real industrial applications.

Hologram Images Patterned in Shrink BOPP Film by Large-Area Roller Nanoimprint Lithography

2013 ◽  
Vol 873 ◽  
pp. 503-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Lin Jiang ◽  
Shi Wei Lin ◽  
Wen Kai Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Formation Mechanism ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Nanoimprint Lithography ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Nanometer Scale ◽  
Flexible Substrates ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene ◽  
Oriented Polypropylene ◽  
Lithography Technique

Thermal roller nanoimprint lithography with the ability of larger area micro-to nanometer-scale patterning on flexible substrates possesses the advantages of low cost and high throughput, and is widely being practiced in industry. Hologram images have been successfully embossed in shrink biaxially oriented polypropylene films by the large-area roller nanoimprint lithography technique. The defects which occur during embossing processes have been studied in order to identify the underlying formation mechanism.

High quality diffractive optical elements (DOEs) using SMILE imprint technique

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Drieschner ◽  
Fabian Kloiber ◽  
Marc Hennemeyer ◽  
Jan J. Klein ◽  
Manuel W. Thesen
Keyword(s):  
Soft Lithography ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Diffractive Optical Elements ◽  
Large Area ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Optical Elements ◽  
Uv Curable ◽  
Aspect Ratios

Abstract Augmented reality (AR) enhancing the existing natural environment by overlaying a virtual world is an emerging and growing market and attracts huge commercial interest into optical devices which can be implemented into head-mounted AR equipment. Diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are considered as the most promising candidate to meet the market’s requirements such as compactness, low-cost, and reliability. Hence, they allow building alternatives to large display headsets for virtual reality (VR) by lightweight glasses. Soft lithography replication offers a pathway to the fabrication of large area DOEs with high aspect ratios, multilevel features, and critical dimensions below the diffractive optical limit down to 50 nm also in the scope of mass manufacturing. In combination with tailored UV-curable photopolymers, the fabrication time can be drastically reduced making it very appealing to industrial applications. Here, we illustrate the key features of high efficiency DOEs and how the SMILE (SUSS MicroTec Imprint Lithography Equipment) technique can be used with advanced imprint photopolymers to obtain high quality binary DOEs meeting the market’s requirements providing a very versatile tool to imprint both nano- and microstructures.

scholarly journals TOWARDS AN AUTOMATED FLOOD AREA EXTRACTION FROM HIGH RESOLUTION SATELLITE IMAGES

2020 ◽  
Vol XLIII-B3-2020 ◽  
pp. 97-104
Author(s):  
R. G. C. J. Kapilaratne ◽  
S. Kaneta
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Satellite Images ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Flood Events ◽  
Large Area ◽  
High Resolution Satellite Images ◽  
Catastrophic Impact

Abstract. Flooding is considered as one of the most devastated natural disasters due to its adverse effect on human lives as well as economy. Since more population concentrate towards flood prone areas and frequent occurrence of flood events due to global climate change, there is an urgent need in remote sensing community for faster and reliable inundation mapping technologies to increase the preparedness of population and reduce the catastrophic impact. With the recent advancement in remote sensing technologies and integration capability of deep learning algorithms with remote sensing data makes faster mapping of large area is feasible. Therefore, this study attempted to explore a faster and low cost solution for flood area extraction by integrating convolution neural networks (CNNs) with high resolution (1.5 m) SPOT satellite images. By consider the system requirement as a measure of cost, capabilities (speed and accuracy) of a deeper (ResNet101) and a shallower (MobileNetV2) CNNs on flood mapping were examined and compared. The models were trained and tested with satellite images captured during several flood events occurred in Japan. It is observed from the results that ResNet101 obtained better flood area mapping accuracy than MobileNetV2. Whereas, MobileNetV2 is having much higher capabilities in faster mapping in 0.3 s/km2 with a competitive accuracy and minimal system requirements than ResNet101.

Realization of Mass Production of Microlens Array by Hot Embossing on Silicon Substrate

2010 ◽  
Vol 139-141 ◽  
pp. 1562-1565
Author(s):  
Xi Qiu Fan
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Silicon Substrate ◽  
Mass Production ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microlens Array ◽  
Hot Embossing ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Optical Performance ◽  
Large Area

Tradition lithographic techniques to produce micrlens array are complicated and time consuming. Due to the capability to replicate nanostructures repeatedly in a large area with high resolution and uniformity, hot embossing has been recognized as one of the promising approaches to fabricate microlens array with high throughput and low cost. This paper introduces processes to realize fabricating microlens array in mass production by direct hot embossing on silicon substrate. The mold is fabricated by multi-photolithography and etching steps and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is chosen as the resist. Processes include coating, heating, pressing, etc. Fidelity and optical performance of the embossed microlens array were measured. High fidelity and fine optical performance of the embossed microlens array demonstrate the possibility of hot embossing to fabricate microlens array in mass production.

scholarly journals Large-area patterning of full-color quantum dot arrays beyond 1000 pixels per inch by selective electrophoretic deposition

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinyang Zhao ◽  
Lixuan Chen ◽  
Dongze Li ◽  
Zhiqing Shi ◽  
Pai Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Quantum Dot ◽  
Electrophoretic Deposition ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Solution Processed ◽  
Full Color ◽  
Colloidal Quantum Dot ◽  
Conventional Solution

AbstractColloidal quantum dot (QD) emitters show great promise in the development of next-generation displays. Although various solution-processed techniques have been developed for nanomaterials, high-resolution and uniform patterning technology amicable to manufacturing is still missing. Here, we present large-area, high-resolution, full-color QD patterning utilizing a selective electrophoretic deposition (SEPD) technique. This technique utilizes photolithography combined with SEPD to achieve uniform and fast fabrication, low-cost QD patterning in large-area beyond 1,000 pixels-per-inch. The QD patterns only deposited on selective electrodes with precisely controlled thickness in a large range, which could cater for various optoelectronic devices. The adjustable surface morphology, packing density and refractive index of QD films enable higher efficiency compared to conventional solution-processed methods. We further demonstrate the versatility of our approach to integrate various QDs into large-area arrays of full-color emitting pixels and QLEDs with good performance. The results suggest a manufacture-viable technology for commercialization of QD-based displays.

Imprint Materials for Nanoscale Devices

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 947-951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Stewart ◽  
C. Grant Willson
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Nanoimprint Lithography ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Development Work ◽  
New Materials ◽  
Related Development ◽  
Patterning Technique ◽  
Processing Techniques

AbstractNanoimprint lithography is a potentially low-cost, high-resolution patterning technique, but most of the surrounding development work has been directed toward tool designs and processing techniques. There remains a tremendous opportunity and need to develop new materials for specific nanoimprint applications. This article provides an overview of relevant materials-related development work for nanoimprint lithographic applications. Material requirements for nanoimprint patterning for the sub-45-nm integrated-circuit regime are discussed, along with proposed nanoimprint applications such as imprintable dielectrics, conducting polymers, biocompatible materials, and materials for microfluidic devices. Polymers available for thermal nanoimprint processing and photocurable precursors for ultraviolet-assisted nanoimprint lithography are discussed.

scholarly journals Polycarbonate Masters for Soft Lithography

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1392
Author(s):  
Filippo Amadeo ◽  
Prithviraj Mukherjee ◽  
Hua Gao ◽  
Jian Zhou ◽  
Ian Papautsky
Keyword(s):  
Soft Lithography ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Silicon Substrates ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Aspect Ratios ◽  
Rectangular Channels ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Long Term Preservation

Fabrication of microfluidic devices by soft lithography is by far the most popular approach due to its simplicity and low cost. The approach relies on casting of elastomers, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), on masters fabricated from photoresists on silicon substrates. These masters, however, can be expensive, complicated to fabricate, and fragile. Here we describe an optimized replica molding approach to preserve the original masters by heat molding of polycarbonate (PC) sheets on PDMS molds. The process is faster and simpler than previously reported methods and does not result in a loss of resolution or aspect ratio for the features. The generated PC masters were used to successfully replicate a wide range of microfluidic devices, including rectangular channels with aspect ratios from 0.025 to 7.3, large area spiral channels, and micropost arrays with 5 µm spacing. Moreover, fabrication of rounded features, such as semi-spherical microwells, was possible and easy. Quantitative analysis of the replicated features showed variability of <2%. The approach is low cost, does not require cleanroom setting or hazardous chemicals, and is rapid and simple. The fabricated masters are rigid and survive numerous replication cycles. Moreover, damaged or missing masters can be easily replaced by reproduction from previously cast PDMS replicas. All of these advantages make the PC masters highly desirable for long-term preservation of soft lithography masters for microfluidic devices.

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