Nanoimprint Lithography Materials Development for Semiconductor Device Fabrication

The term nanoimprint lithography (NIL) describes a number of processes used to form nanoscale structures by molding or embossing. Step and flash imprint lithography (S-FIL, a trademark of Molecular Imprints, Inc.) is a variant of NIL that can be performed at room temperature and low pressure. In S-FIL, a low-viscosity liquid imprint material is hardened in a patterned template by exposure to UV light. S-FIL is ideally suited to integrated-circuit device fabrication. Materials development for S-FIL has progressed significantly since its introduction in 1999. We discuss the status of materials development, with specific emphasis on the imprint material and functional materials, template fabrication and release layers, and S-FIL process variations.