Fidelity of soft nano-imprint lithographic replication of polymer masters fabricated by two-photon polymerization

摘要

Using modern laser fabrication techniques such as two-photon polymerisation (2PP), complex 3D and planar structures with the resolutions down to 100 nm can be achieved. Advantages of 2PP can be exploited by combining it with the nano-imprint lithography (NIL). We report on the fabrication of masters by 2PP and its replicas by the soft NIL technique using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). With PDMS stamps, very reproducible replicas of the master can be created. The stamp surface quality can be better than that of the master due to hydrostatic pressure during the stamp fabrication. Putting the stamp under stress allows the fabrication of structures with controllable reduction of the structural dimensions in one direction compared to the original master. Experimental investigations of the shape transfer fidelity and surface roughness of the replicas are presented.