Pattern transfer using step&stamp imprint lithography

Industrially efficient lithography process requires high throughput production, wafer scale patterning capable of handling wafers up to 8 inches. Nanoimprint lithography is a new candidate for patterning below 100 nm range. There are two methods to do large area imprinting: Wafer size parallel imprinting or sequential imprinting, mimicking the operation of an optical stepper. The step&stamp imprint lithography is a sequential printing method developed for patterning large areas using a small patterned stamp. A commercial flip chip bonder is used to demonstrate the process. A small silicon stamp with size of 3 x 3mm(2) was used as a mold to create test patterns on a silicon wafer. The stamp was patterned using optical lithography and dry etching, and contained test structures of 5 pm grid patterns. New thermoplastic polymers mr-I 8000, developed for imprint lithography, were used in the experiments.