High-throughput step-and-repeat UV-nanoimprint lithography

UV-NIL has shown promise as new disruptive technology to displace photolithography in patterning nano features. This method is attractive because of their high-throughput with easy operation at room temperature and low pressure with low-cost. In this paper, a new UV-NIL process is proposed to apply a large-area stamp to a high-throughput step-and-repeat process at atmospheric conditions, utilizing additive gas pressurization and an elementwise patterned stamp (EPS), which consists of elements separated by channels. With the proposed method, only four imprints were required to press an 8 in. wafer. EPS features measuring 50–80 nm were successfully transferred onto the wafers. The experiments demonstrated that a 5 × 5 in.2. EPS could be used with a step-and-repeat UV-NIL process to imprint 8 in. wafers under atmospheric conditions.