Work

Nanoimprinting and backside ultraviolet lithography for fabricating metal nanostructures with higher aspect ratio

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: This paper introduces an innovative approach to increasing the aspect ratio of metal nanostructures fabricated using nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Although conventional NIL and metal lift-off processes can fabricate metal nanostructures, the achievable aspect ratio is often limited by the inherent constraints of NIL. In this study, we demonstrate that for an ultraviolet (UV) transparent substrate, metal nanostructures patterned via NIL can serve as a photomask. A negative-tone photoresist (PR) layer was then deposited on top of the patterned metal nanostructures. By illuminating the substrate from the backside with UV light and subsequently developing the PR, PR structures complementary and self-aligned to the metal layer were obtained. This enabled a second round of metal deposition and lift-off, thereby increasing the height of the metal structures and enhancing the aspect ratio. Experimentally, we demonstrated that this method can improve the aspect ratio from less than 1.0 to as high as 2.1. This paper also addresses the further developments and potential applications of this technique.

Source: Nanotechnology

DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ad8bcb

Authors: Yu-Chun Ding, Yung-Chun Lee

Institution: National Cheng Kung University

Language: English

Topic: Nanofabrication and Lithography Techniques

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,165

Funder: Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan