Programmable soft lithography: solvent-assisted nanoscale embossing

摘要

A method of forming a nanoscale pattern on a substrate is provided, wherein the method increases or decreases the spacing of patterns on the substrate relative to a master, while keeping the pattern feature size constant. The method can alternatively reduce the pattern feature size of the substrate relative to a master, while keeping the spacing patterns constant.

主权项

1. A method of forming a master mold, the method comprising:
casting an elastomer against a nanoscale master template surface having a template surface pattern array; removing the cast elastomer from the template surface as an elastomer mold; wetting the elastomer mold with a suspended polymer; contacting the wet elastomer mold with a thermoplastic master mold substrate; removing the contacted substrate from the elastomer mold as a suspended polymer patterned master mold having an initially constant pattern feature size and spacing with respect to pattern features of the template surface pattern array and having a tunable pattern density across a range from 50% less than to 100% greater than the initial pattern density; and manipulating the master mold so as to either increase or decrease the initial pattern density.