Laser-assisted direct imprint lithography

Patent Name Laser-Assisted Direct Imprint Lithography Patent Applicant Princeton University Principal Applicant Address United States New Jersey Inventor Stephen Yu Zhou Application (Patent) No. 03806118.X Date of Application 2003.03.17 Certification Date Approval Notice No. 1643650 Validation Announcement Date 2005.07.20 Instruction CD-ROM D0529 Main Classification No. H01L21/00 Classification No. H01L21/00 Division Original Application No. 2002.3.15 US 60/364,653; 2002.5.7 US 10/140, 140 Abstract According to the present invention, the graphic can be Imprint directly on the surface of the solid substrate. In particular, by providing an impression pattern with an impression (20) having a molding surface, the molding surface (21) is placed near or opposite to the surface (25) of the substrate (24) to be imprinted, and the surface of the substrate is irradiated with radiation. To soften or liquefy the surface, the substrate is stamped directly with the desired pattern. The molding surface is pressed into a softened or liquefied surface to directly imprint the substrate. The matrix can be any of a variety of solid state materials, such as semiconductors, metals, or polymers. In a preferred embodiment, the substrate is silicon, the laser is a UV laser, and the stamp is transparent to UV radiation in order to irradiate the silicon workpiece through the transparent stamp. Using this method, the applicant has imprinted a large area pattern directly on silicon with a sub-10 nm resolution for sub-250 ns. The method can also use a flat molded surface for planarizing the substrate. Sovereign Items 1. A method of directly imprinting a stamper pattern on a substrate surface, comprising the steps of: providing a stamper having a mold surface for imprinting a pattern; placing the stamper near a substrate such that the stamped surface is adjacent to the stamper The surface of the substrate is printed; the surface of the substrate is irradiated with radiation to soften or liquefy the surface of the substrate; the molded surface is pressed into the softened or liquefied substrate surface; and the molded surface is removed from the substrate to obtain a substrate imprinted with a pattern of the molded surface. International Application PCT/US2003/008293 2003.3.17 International Publication WO2003/079416 English 2003.9.25 Entering Country Date Patent Agency Beijing Yinlong Intellectual Property Agency Co., Ltd. Agency Address Jing Jing