Mechanical behavior of nano-scale polymeric patterns fabricated by UV-NIL

Abstract

Polymeric patterns are frequently utilized in many fields, including bio-electronic devices, micro/nano electronic devices, MEMS/NEMS, etc. Due to the strong drive to miniaturization of these devices, the CD (critical dimension) of the polymeric patterns decreases more and more. The roles of polymeric patterns are very diverse. Some of them are used as an etch mask during MEMS or semiconductor fabrication process, while others are used as filters or sensor materials due to their biological, optical, chemical, and mechanical properties. In order to be adopted in the commercial devices, it is required that the polymeric patterns have a suitable lifecycle or reliability. The lifecycle or reliability of the polymeric structures is closely related to their mechanical behavior. In this study, we deal with the polymeric patterns which are fabricated by UV Nano Imprint Lithography (UV-NIL). This is an emerging technology for manufacturing nano-scale patterns. The mechanical behavior of the patterns is measured by an AFM indentation technique. Since the CD of the patterns is submicron and the stiffness of them is very low, the conventional nanoindentation techniques can not be easily applied to the patterns. We also propose a novel AFM indentation technique which utilizes a symmetric AFM cantilever.