Fabrication characteristics of a line-and-space pattern and a dot pattern on a roll mold by using electron-beam lithography

Abstract

Roll-to-roll nanoimprint lithography (RTR-NIL) has received considerable attention because it permits large-area nanopatterning with both high resolution and high throughput. However, the application of RTR-NIL is restricted by difficulties in fabricating nanoscale roll molds. Seamless roll molds are especially desirable, because the presence of seams reduces the yield of the imprinted product. We have previously developed a technique producing seamless molds by direct writing with an electron beam onto a rotating cylindrical substrate. We have now developed a method for fabricating fine patterns on roll molds for RTR-NIL by using electron-beam lithography (EBL) with a positive-type electron-beam resist and an aluminum roll as a substrate, which is rotated in a scanning electron microscope. The electron beam is focused at a single point on the surface of the roll mold and the dot pattern is produced by switching the beam on and off. Dot and line-and-space patterns are obtained by developing the exposed substrate. In this study, we investigate the fabrication characteristics of a line-and-space pattern and a dot pattern by using EBL with a rotating stage. As a result, we produced fine dot patterns with a diameter of less than 70 nm and a fine line-and-space pattern with a width of less than 70 nm.

Keywords

• roll-to-roll nanoimprint
• nanoimprint lithography
• roll mold
• electron-beam lithography
• line-and-space pattern
• dot pattern