News Article
AMO and SUSS MicroTec Collborate in Development of Nanoimprinting Using UV‐SCIL
The new technology can be implemented in material and tool processing of LEDs and VCSELs and diffractive and refractive optical elements.
AMO, a private research service provider in the field of nanofabrication, and SUSS MicroTec, a leading supplier of equipment and process solutions for microstructuring in the semiconductor industry and related markets, are working on the development of applications for SCIL (Substrate Conformal Imprint Lithography) with UV curing material.
SUSS MicroTec’s SCIL imprint method for sub‐50 nm structures optimizes standard imprinting processes for wafers up to 6 inch area full‐field imprinting. High resolution nanoimprinting – so far limited to small wafer sizes – can now be successfully applied to large substrates.
Large‐area soft stamps with repeatable sub‐50 nm printing capability do not cause any stamp deformation or even damaging as no contact force is applied and soft, flexible material is used. When used with UV curing materials SCIL is able to combine a high resolution with a high throughput. SCIL can be used with a large variety of well‐known materials that are commonly used in UVnanoimprinting processes.
AMO has provided two key components for this development: the master for large‐area nanostructures and the UV‐curing nanoimprint material AMONIL.
The masters, with a size up to 6 inch, are fabricated at AMO by laser interference lithography and plasma etching in Silicon. They have perfect binary periodic patterns between 180 to 2.500 nm. These holographic gratings are characterized by absolutely seamless patterns and a low defect density on a large area, due to a special fabrication technology.
Hundreds of flexible stamps can be replicated from only one master. With SCIL‐technology the large‐area stamp is brought into contact with the AMONIL resist, which is thereafter cured with UV light. The resist material has already been optimized by AMO for the implementation of Quartz‐ and soft PDMS‐stamps in conventional imprint processes.
The imprint resist material is distributed by AMO with a standard thickness from 100 to 800 nm. Due to the unique sequential contacting and separation technology a distortion‐free replication of the stamp at high throughput is now possible with UV‐SCIL.
By unifying the competences of each partner the UV‐SCIL method from this successful cooperation could be demonstrated on a large scale. AMO´s and SUSS MicroTec´s customers are now offered the master, material and tool process technology for application developments, such as in the field of LED/VCSEL, diffractive and refractive optical elements, pattern magnetic media or functional material as well as printed electronics or RFIDs.
AMO, as a research company, realizes nanofabrication technologies for applications in the field of information technology, biotechnology and photonics. AMO´s services range from the development of lithography technologies, such as UV‐nanoimprint, to processing solutions as part of feasibility studies and even to small batch production. Transfer of technology, based on its own wide set process platform with CMOS‐compatibility, also belongs to AMO´s services.
SUSS MicroTec, is a leading supplier of equipment and process solutions for microstructuring in the semiconductor industry and related markets. In close cooperation with research institutes and industry partners SUSS MicroTec is contributing to the advancement of next-generation technologies such as 3D Integration and nanoimprint lithography as well as key processes for MEMS and LED manufacturing. With a global infrastructure for applications and service SUSS MicroTec supports more than 8,000 installed systems worldwide. SUSS MicroTec is headquartered in Garching near Munich, Germany.
