Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080213418 | ALIGN-TRANSFER-IMPRINT SYSTEM FOR IMPRINT LITHOGRPHY - An imprint system for imprint lithography comprises an alignment subsystem and an imprint subsystem. The mask (mold) and the wafer for imprinting (substrate) are align on the alignment subsystem and contacted to each other to form a mask/wafer set. The mask/wafer set is then transferred onto the imprint subsystem while alignment is maintained. The mask/wafer set is then imprinted on the imprint subsystem. During transfer, the mask/wafer set can be held in alignment by surface. The surface adhesion can be enhanced by local pressing, local heating, or both. Alternatively, the mask/wafer set can be held in alignment by clamping. Advantageously, the imprinting is effected by fluid pressure imprinting. | 09-04-2008 |
20080213469 | METHOD AND APPRATUS FOR HIGH DENSITY NANOSTRUCTURES - A method and apparatus for high density nanostructures is provided. The method and apparatus include Nano-compact optical disks, such as nano-compact disks (Nano-CDS). In one embodiment a 400 Gbit/in | 09-04-2008 |
20080217813 | RELEASE SURFACES, PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN NANOIMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - The addition of thin coatings (less than and approaching monomolecular coatings) of persistent release materials comprising preferred compounds of the formula: | 09-11-2008 |
20080217822 | METHOD AND APPARATUS OF ELECTRICAL FIELD ASSISTED IMPRINTING - A method and apparatus for performing nanoimprint lithography. When an electric field is applied between the mold and the substrate, various forces can be generated among molds, substrates, and resists. The electrostatic force between the mold and the substrate can serve as an imprinting pressure to press the structured mold into the conformable resist. In addition, the electric field induces additional wetting forces (electrowetting or dielectrophoresis) in a liquid resist, which can assist the flow and filling of the liquid resist into fine structures. | 09-11-2008 |
20080230947 | Articles Comprising Nanoscale Patterns With Reduced Edge Roughness and Methods of Making Same - In accordance with the invention, an article comprising a nanoscale surface pattern, such as a grating, is provided with a nanoscale patterns of reduced edge and/or sidewall roughness. Smooth featured articles, can be fabricated by nanoimprint lithography using a mold having sloped profile molding features. Another approach uses a mold especially fabricated to provide smooth sidewalls of reduced roughness, and a third approach adds a post-imprint smoothing step. These approaches can be utilized individually or in various combinations to make the novel articles. | 09-25-2008 |
20080248276 | Self-Repair and Enhancement of Nanostructures by Liquification Under Guiding Conditions - In accordance with the invention, the structure ( | 10-09-2008 |
20080277826 | Compositions and processes for nanoimprinting - The invention is directed to new nanoimprint resist and thin-film compositions for use in nanoimprinting lithography. The compositions permit economical high-throughput mass production, using nanoimprint processes, of patterns having sub-200 nm, and even sub-50 nm features. | 11-13-2008 |
20090084492 | MICROSCALE PATTERNING AND ARTICLES FORMED THEREBY - The present invention is directed to a lithographic method and apparatus for creating micrometer sub-micrometer patterns in a thin film coated on a substrate. The invention utilizes the self-formation of periodic, supramolecular pillar arrays ( | 04-02-2009 |
20090115094 | METHODS FOR MAKING CONTINUOUS NANOCHANNELS - This application describes a novel method of fabricating narrow (2-100 nm) width and long (greater than 50 micrometers and preferably 1 centimeter or longer) yet continuous hollow channels that allow flow of fluid or gas, or their combination. It can optimally include RIE pattern transfer or an optional sealing of a top surface over the channel. The invention also includes a novel method for making an imprint mold for imprinting the channel. | 05-07-2009 |
20100009541 | Process for Adjusting the Size and Shape of Nanostructures - In accordance with the invention, a lateral dimension of a microscale device on a substrate is reduced or adjusted by the steps of providing the device with a soft or softened exposed surface; placing a guiding plate adjacent the soft or softened exposed surface; and pressing the guiding plate onto the exposed surface. Under pressure, the soft material flows laterally between the guiding plate and the substrate. Such pressure induced flow can reduce the lateral dimension of line spacing or the size of holes and increase the size of mesas. The same process also can repair defects such as line edge roughness and sloped sidewalls. This process will be referred to herein as pressed self-perfection by liquefaction or P-SPEL. | 01-14-2010 |
20100029508 | NANOCHANNEL ARRAYS AND THEIR PREPARATION AND USE FOR HIGH THROUGHPUT MACROMOLECULAR ANALYSIS - Nanochannel arrays that enable high-throughput macromolecular analysis are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of preparing nanochannel arrays and nanofluidic chips. Methods of analyzing macromolecules, such as entire strands of genomic DNA, are also disclosed, as well as systems for carrying out these methods. | 02-04-2010 |
20100078855 | METHODS FOR FABRICATING LARGE AREA NANOIMPRINT MOLDS - This invention relates to the fabrication of large area nanoimprint molds having complex patterns with minimal or no use of direct-writing, such as electron beam lithography, ion, laser beam, or mechanical beam lithography. This can be accomplished by forming a pattern of simple nanoscale features and converting the simple features into more complex nanoscale features by a process comprising shadow deposition. The process may also include steps of uniform deposition, etching and smoothing depending on the shape of the complex features. | 04-01-2010 |
20100081282 | PROCESS FOR ADJUSTING THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF NANOSTRUCTURES - In accordance with the invention, a lateral dimension of a microscale device on a substrate is reduced or adjusted by the steps of providing the device with a soft or softened exposed surface; placing a guiding plate adjacent the soft or softened exposed surface; and pressing the guiding plate onto the exposed surface. Under pressure, the soft material flows laterally between the guiding plate and the substrate. Such pressure induced flow can reduce the lateral dimension of line spacing or the size of holes and increase the size of mesas. The same process also can repair defects such as line edge roughness and sloped sidewalls. This process will be referred to herein as pressed self-perfection by liquefaction or P-SPEL. | 04-01-2010 |
20100119641 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY WITH IMPROVED SUBSTRATE/MOLD SEPARATION - In imprint lithography, a mold having a pattern of projecting and recessed regions is pressed into a moldable surface on a substrate. The thus-imprinted moldable surface is permitted to at least partially harden to retain the imprint, and the substrate and mold are separated. In accordance with the invention, the substrate is separated from the mold by bending laterally distal regions (regions away from the center toward the edges) of the mold transversely away from the interface and transversely restraining the substrate. The mold can then be easily separated from the substrate by transverse displacement. The separation can be facilitated by providing a mold having a lateral dimension that on at least two sides extends beyond the corresponding lateral dimension of the substrate. Alternatively, the substrate can have a greater lateral extent than the mold, and the mold can be restrained. The distal regions of the substrate can be bent in the transverse direction. Apparatus for effecting such separation is also described. | 05-13-2010 |
20100233309 | RELEASE SURFACES, PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN NANOIMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - The present invention relates to release surfaces, particularly release surfaces with fine features to be replicated, and to lithography which may be used to produce integrated circuits and microdevices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process of using an improved mold or microreplication surface that creates patterns with ultra fine features in a thin film carried on a surface of a substrate. | 09-16-2010 |
20100236705 | Fluidic and Microdevice Apparatus and Methods For Bonding Components Thereof - An improved method of bonding involves using direct fluid pressure to press together the layers to be bonded. Advantageously one or more of the layers are sufficiently flexible to provide wide area contact under the fluid pressure. Fluid pressing can be accomplished by sealing an assembly of layers to be bonded and disposing the assembly in a pressurized chamber. It can also be accomplished by subjecting the assembly to jets of pressurized fluid. The result of this fluid pressing is reduction of voids and enhanced uniformity over an enlarged area. | 09-23-2010 |
20100244324 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR RAPID IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - A mold for imprinting a patterned region by imprint lithography is provided with a peripheral groove around the patterned region. The groove is connected, as by channels through the mold, to a switchable source for gas removal to prevent bubbles and for the application of pressurized gas to separate the mold and substrate. In use, the mold is disposed adjacent the moldable surface and gas is withdrawn from the patterned region through the groove as the mold is pressed toward and into the moldable surface. At or near the end of the imprinting, the process is switched from removal of gas to the application of pressurized gas. The pressurized gas passes through the groove and separates or facilitates separation of the mold and the moldable surface. | 09-30-2010 |
20100247698 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR RAPID IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - A mold for imprinting a patterned region by imprint lithography is provided with a peripheral groove around the patterned region. The groove is connected, as by channels through the mold, to a switchable source for gas removal to prevent bubbles and for the application of pressurized gas to separate the mold and substrate. In use, the mold is disposed adjacent the moldable surface and gas is withdrawn from the patterned region through the groove as the mold is pressed toward and into the moldable surface. At or near the end of the imprinting, the process is switched from removal of gas to the application of pressurized gas. The pressurized gas passes through the groove and separates or facilitates separation of the mold and the moldable surface. | 09-30-2010 |
20100267158 | Electronic Detectors Inside Nanofluidic Channels For Detection, Analysis, and Manipulation of Molecules, Small Particles, and Small Samples of Material - The present invention provides methods and apparatus that can manipulate, detect, and/or analyze single molecules, single small particles or single small samples of matter passing through a nanoscale gap within a nanofluidic channel of a detector. | 10-21-2010 |
20100289184 | Die Imprint By Double Side Force-Balanced Press For Step-And-Repeat Imprint Lithography - In accordance with the invention, step-and-repeat imprint lithography is effected by applying balanced pressing forces from both sides of a substrate. The pressing forces are substantially equal in amplitude and opposite in direction. With the pressing forces thus balanced, the fixture that steps and holds the substrate does not bear the load of imprinting. The balance allows use of a high resolution aligning stage to carry the substrate and to maintain high accuracy of positioning without being shifted by change of load. With this method, sufficient imprint pressure can be used to obtain high quality patterning, a thin and uniform residual layer, and a high fidelity pattern. | 11-18-2010 |
20110042861 | METHODS AND APPARATUS OF FIELD-INDUCED PRESSURE IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An improved method of imprint lithography involves using field-induced pressure from electric or magnetic fields to press a mold onto a substrate having a moldable surface. In essence, the method comprises the steps of providing a substrate having a moldable surface, providing a mold having a molding surface and pressing the molding surface and the moldable surface together by field-induced pressure from electric or magnetic fields to imprint the molding surface onto the moldable surface. The molding surface advantageously comprises a plurality of projecting features of nanoscale extent or separation, but the molding surface can also be a smooth planar surface, as for planarization. The improved method can be practiced without mechanical presses and without sealing the region between the mold and the substrate. | 02-24-2011 |
20110155060 | Method And Apparatus To Apply Surface Release Coating For Imprint Mold - A surface coating apparatus for preparing a work piece having a working surface for imprint lithography, wherein the work piece comprises either a mold or a substrate. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber and a generator to produce chemical reaction radicals for cleaning the working surface. The generator may be located inside said vacuum chamber and connected to an inner surface of said vacuum chamber or external to the vacuum chamber and connected thereto via suitable couplings. A fixture within the vacuum chamber is configured to hold the work piece with the working surface accessible by the chemical reaction radicals, and a means is provided for depositing a molecular layer of surfactant on the working surface inside the vacuum chamber. | 06-30-2011 |
20110180965 | FAST NANOIMPRINTING APPARATUS USING DEFORMALE MOLD - The invention disclosed apparatuses and methods to do nanoimprint lithography using a deformable mold. Generally, the apparatus has a chamber with a transparent section on its top wall, which is capable of vacuuming and pressurizing. The deformable mold fixed firmly onto a hollow mold holder around its full periphery is attached to top inner surface of the chamber and positioned underneath the transparent section. The central area of the mold is freely accessible from underneath through the opening of the mold holder. An enclosed volume referring to mold mini-chamber is formed between the mold/holder and top wall of the chamber. Inside chamber, a stage assembly is installed. A chuck to vacuumly hold a substrate is mounted on top of the stage assembly. At beginning of the imprinting, the substrate with a layer of resist is positioned underneath the mold at a predetermined gap between them. Then, the substrate is moved up to contact with the mold either under vacuum or under atmosphere. The substrate and mold may be pressed further by introducing higher pressure inside the chamber. After consolidating the resist, the substrate is separated from the mold by either direct pull-down enabled by stage movement or deforming the mold enabled by differential pressure between the mold mini-chamber and the bulk volume of the chamber, or mixing of both. | 07-28-2011 |
20140045209 | Structures for Enhancement of Local Electric Field, Light Absorption, Light Radiation, Material Detection and Methods for Making and Using of the Same - Microstructures and nanostructures ( | 02-13-2014 |
20140154668 | Structures for Enhancement of Local Electric Field, Light Absorption, Light Radiation, Material Detection and Methods for Making and Using of the Same. - This disclosure provides, among other things, a nanosensor comprising a substrate and one or a plurality of pillars extending from a surface of the substrate, where the pillars comprise a metallic dot structure, a metal disc, and a metallic back plane. The nanosensor comprises a molecular adhesion layer that covers at least a part of the metallic dot structure, the metal disc, and/or the metallic back plane and a capture agent bound to the molecular adhesion layer. The nanosensor amplifies a light signal from an analyte, when the analyte is specifically bound to the capture agent. | 06-05-2014 |
20140206555 | Nanochannel Arrays and Their Preparation and Use for High Throughput Macromolecular Analysis - Nanochannel arrays that enable high-throughput macromolecular analysis are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of preparing nanochannel arrays and nanofluidic chips. Methods of analyzing macromolecules, such as entire strands of genomic DNA, are also disclosed, as well as systems for carrying out these methods. | 07-24-2014 |
20140239529 | System and Methods For Nano-Scale Manufacturing - A system and method for patterning a substrate includes a mold holding fixture for holding a mold with nanostructures and a substrate holding fixture for holding a substrate having a molding surface, a stage assembly has two or more independent axis movements for moving either the mold or the substrate therein, a contact force sensor sensing a contact force between the mold surface and the molding surface, a chamber for holding the mold and substrate and for the applying of a pressure inside that is higher or lower than atmospheric pressure, a pressure regulator and a manifold for changing the pressure inside the chamber, a door on the chamber housing provides for selectively allowing the substrate and the mold to pass there through, and means to divide the chamber into two fluidly separate sub-chambers. | 08-28-2014 |
20140264989 | METHODS FOR REDUCING CHARGE EFFECTS AND SEPARATION FORCES IN NANOIMPRINT - The present invention relates to methods to reduce release force caused by tribo-charge. The invented mold is termed as MicroE mold and substrate is termed as MicroE substrate. The addition of conductive thin coatings (less than 10 nm and approaching monolayer coating) onto surface of insulating mold or substrate provides a reduction of the separation force caused by tribo-electric charge. The MicroE mold and MicroE substrate are specifically good for a lithographic method that involves contact between mold and substrate, or between mold and thin film carried on substrate, and used for creation and replication of ultra-fine structures (sub-25 nm) as well as millimeter scale. The present invention is particularly but not exclusively applied to any contact lithographic method. | 09-18-2014 |
20140265013 | METHODS FOR CREATING LARGE-AREA COMPLEX NANOPATTERNS FOR NANOIMPRINT MOLDS - Some embodiments of the invention provide methods that can create large area complex patterns for nanoimprint molds without or with very litter of the use of the charged beam or photon beam direct-writing of nanostructures. Some embodiments of the invention use (i) Fourier nanoimprint patterning (FNP), (ii) edge-guided nanopatterning (EGN), and (iii) nanostructure self-perfection, and their combinations. | 09-18-2014 |
20140374621 | Nanostructure device that enhances fluorescence and luminescence - Microstructures and nanostructures ( | 12-25-2014 |
20150069672 | FAST NANOIMPRINTING METHODS USING DEFORMABLE MOLD - Methods for nanoimprint lithography using a deformable mold. Generally, the method includes a deformable mold fixed firmly onto a hollow mold holder around its full periphery is attached to top inner surface of the chamber and positioned underneath the transparent section. The central area of the mold is freely accessible from underneath through the opening of the mold holder. At beginning of the imprinting, the substrate with a layer of resist is positioned underneath the mold at a predetermined gap between them and a substrate is moved up to contact with the mold either under vacuum or under atmosphere. After consolidating the resist, the substrate is separated from the mold by either direct pull-down enabled by stage movement or deforming the mold enabled by differential pressure between the mold mini-chamber and the bulk volume of the chamber, or mixing of both. | 03-12-2015 |