Mold Surface Treatment for Imprint Lithography.

Abstract

An adhesion problem is one of the most significant problems in nano imprint lithography. A mold should be released from a resist polymer without adhesion. We investigate a surface coating of a mold by fluorine polymers to reduce surface tension and making it easy to release the mold from the resist polymer. Evaporation of a FEP polymer in vacuum atmosphere and surface treatment for a mold by a silane-coupling agent with perfluoropolyether (PFPE-S) is examined. The releasing characteristics of molds are quantitatively evaluated by a contact angle for a water droplet. Durability of the fluorine polymers is also evaluated by continuous imprinting and the abrasion examinations.