Abstract: A demolding device for use in an imprint machine, in which a foil is intermittently passed in a feed direction over a press region where a stamp is pressed against the foil for imprinting a surface pattern. The demolding device includes a carrier, a pressing roller mounted in the carrier, and a demolding roller mounted parallel to the pressing roller in the carrier, wherein the carrier is configured to slide over the press region against the feed direction while rolling the foil under the pressing roller and over the demolding roller for detaching the foil from the stamp after imprinting of the pattern.

Abstract: A demolding device for use in an imprint machine, in which machine a foil is intermittently passed in a feed direction over a press region where a stamp is pressed against the foil for imprinting a surface pattern. The demolding device includes a carrier, a pressing roller mounted in the carrier, and a demolding roller mounted parallel to the pressing roller in the carrier, wherein the carrier is configured to slide over the press region against the feed direction while rolling the foil under the pressing roller and over the demolding roller for detaching the foil from the stamp after imprinting of the pattern.

Abstract: The invention to provide curable materials, comprising photo-reactive compounds, in particular, photoinitiators and polymerizable mono- or multifunctional monomers such as acrylates or epoxides. The material may also contain fluoro-surfactants completely or partly terminated by functional groups with the ability to bind covalently to said chemical composition under curing. The curable compositions are either purely acrylate based or a hybrid of different types of monomers such as acrylates, epoxides or vinyl ethers. The polymerizable monomers may cure with the use of different types of photoinitiator, such as free radical photoinitiators or cationic photoinitiators, ultimately forming a hybrid resist comprising interpenetrating networks of different types of monomers e.g. acrylates and epoxides. The acrylate/epoxide hybrid system has showed improved replication properties in terms of high nano-imprint lithography process fidelity, due to increased conversion of acrylates and low shrinkage.

Abstract: The invention provides a modification of a polymer film surface interaction properties. In this process a polymer carrier object is covered by a chemical composition, comprising photo-polymerizable compounds, photo-initiators or catalysts with the ability to initiate polymerization and semi-fluorinated molecules. The so-produced polymer mold contains semi-fluorinated moieties, which are predominantly located on the surface and on the surface near region of the patterned surface. The polymer mold is suitable as a template with modified properties in a nano-imprint lithography process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nano imprint method and to a nano imprint apparatus comprising: a first imprint module, a second imprint module, a storage and a feeder module, wherein; the first imprint module is adapted to imprint a pattern into an intermediate polymer stamp from a template; a second imprint module is adapted to imprint a pattern into a substrate from the intermediate polymer stamp; robot feeder modules are adapted to move the template, intermediate polymer stamp and the substrate from and to storages.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for transferring a pattern from a template (10) having a structured surface to a substrate (12) carrying a surface layer of a radiation polymerisable fluid (14). The apparatus comprises a first main part (101) and a second main part (102) having opposing surfaces (104; 105), means for adjusting a spacing (115) between said main parts, support means (106) for supporting said template and substrate in mutual parallel engagement in said spacing with said structured surface facing said surface layer, a radiation source (110) devised to emit radiation into said spacing. A cavity (115) has a first wall comprising a flexible membrane (113) devised to engage said template or substrate, and means (114; 116) are provided for applying an adjustable overpressure to a medium present in said cavity, whereby an even distribution of force is obtained over the whole of the contact surface between the substrate and the template.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel metal mold having anti-adhesive properties comprising a base metal mold and an anti-adhesive layer comprising a fluorinated alkyl phosphoric acid derivative or a fluorinated alkyl poly-phosphoric acid derivative, including a phosphorous atom and an alkyl chain. The anti-adhesive layer is bonded directly onto a surface of the base metal mold. The base metal mold may be e.g. Nickel, and said fluorinated alkyl phosphoric acid derivative or said fluorinated alkyl poly-phosphoric acid derivative may be selected front the group consisting of phosphonic acids, phosphinic acids, phosphonates and phosphonate salts, phosphinates and phosphinate salts, or their respective oligomers, such that the phosphorous atom is coupled directly to the alkyl chain, such that the phosphorous atom is coupled directly to the alkyl chain.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for transferring a pattern from a template (10) having a structured surface to a substrate (12) carrying a surface layer of a radiation polymerisable fluid (14). The apparatus comprises a first main part (101) and a second main part (102) having opposing surfaces (104;105), means for adjusting a spacing (115) between said main parts, support means (106) for supporting said template and substrate in mutual parallel engagement in said spacing with said structured surface facing said surface layer, a radiation source (110) devised to emit radiation into said spacing. A cavity (115) has a first wall comprising a flexible membrane (113) devised to engage said template or substrate, and means (114;116) are provided for applying an adjustable overpressure to a medium present in said cavity, whereby an even distribution of force is obtained over the whole of the contact surface between the substrate and the template.

Abstract: Method for transferring a pattern from a template (10) having a structured surface (11) to a substrate (12) carrying a surface layer (14) of a material devised to 5 solidify upon exposure to radiation, comprising: arranging said template and substrate mutually parallel in an imprint apparatus, with said structured surface facing said surface layer; heating the template and the substrate to a temperature Tp by means of a heater device (20); and while maintaining said temperature Tp, performing the steps of: pressing the template towards the substrate for imprinting said pattern into said layer; exposing said layer to radiation (19) for solidifying the layer, and—postbaking the layer.

Abstract: A method is provided for transferring a pattern from a template (1) to an object (12) in an imprint process, using a two-step process. The first step includes contacting a pattern of the template surface with a polymer material comprising one or more Cyclic Olefin Copolymers (COCs), to produce a flexible polymer replica having a structured surface with an inverse of the pattern of the template surface. In a second step, after releasing the flexible polymer replica from the template, the inverse pattern of the flexible polymer replica is pressed into a resist layer on a substrate, to imprint a replica of the pattern of the template surface in therein.

Abstract: The electrodeposited Nickel stamp is replicated from a conductive master, e.g. Titanium metallic master instead of a photoresist patterned master. The conductive layer is served as a working electrode in the subsequent electrodepositing of the Nickel metal. After the electroplating, Nickel stamps are obtained by peeling the Nickel metal sheet off the conductive layer of the metallic master. Low adhesion between metallic master and Nickel stamp make it possible to delaminate the Nickel stamp without any defects.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel metal mold having anti-adhesive properties comprising a base metal mold and an anti-adhesive layer comprising a fluorinated alkyl phosphoric acid derivative: or a fluorinated alkyl poly-phosphoric acid derivative, including a phosphorous atom and an alkyl chain. The anti-adhesive layer is bonded directly onto a surface of the base metal mold. The base metal mold may be e.g. Nickel, and said fluorinated alkyl phosphoric acid derivative or said fluorinated alkyl poly-phosphoric acid derivative may be selected front the group consisting of phosphonic acids, phosphinic acids, phosphonates and phosphonate salts, phosphinates and phosphinate salts, or their respective oligomers, such that the phosphorous atom is coupled directly to the alkyl chain, such that the phosphorous atom is coupled directly to the alkyl chain.

Abstract: The invention provides a modification of a polymer film surface interaction properties. In this process a polymer carrier object is covered by a chemical composition, comprising photo-polymerizable compounds, photo-initiators or catalysts with the ability to initiate polymerization and semi-fluorinated molecules. The so-produced polymer mold contains semi-fluorinated moieties, which are predominantly located on the surface and on the surface near region of the patterned surface. The polymer mold is suitable as a template with modified properties in a nano-imprint lithography process.

Abstract: The invention to provide curable materials, comprising photo-reactive compounds, in particular, photoinitiators and polymerizable mono- or multifunctional monomers such as acrylates or epoxides. The material may also contain fluoro-surfactants completely or partly terminated by functional groups with the ability to bind covalently to said chemical composition under curing. The curable compositions are either purely acrylate based or a hybrid of different types of monomers such as acrylates, epoxides or vinyl ethers. The polymerizable monomers may cure with the use of different types of photoinitiator, such as free radical photoinitiators or cationic photoinitiators, ultimately forming a hybrid resist comprising interpenetrating networks of different types of monomers e.g. acrylates and epoxides. The acrylate/epoxide hybrid system has showed improved replication properties in terms of high nano-imprint lithography process fidelity, due to increased conversion of acrylates and low shrinkage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel metal mold having anti-adhesive properties comprising a base metal mold and an anti-adhesive layer comprising a fluorinated alkyl phosphoric acid derivative or a fluorinated alkyl poly-phosphoric acid derivative, including a phosphorous atom and an alkyl chain. The anti-adhesive layer is bonded directly onto a surface of the base metal mold. The base metal mold may be e.g. Nickel, and said fluorinated alkyl phosphoric acid derivative or said fluorinated alkyl poly-phosphoric acid derivative may be selected from the group consisting of phosphonic acids, phosphonic acids, phosphonates and phosphonate salts, phosphonates and phosphonate salts, or their respective oligomers, such that the phosphorous atom is coupled directly to the alkyl chain, such that the phosphorous atom is coupled directly to the alkyl chain.

Abstract: The invention relates to a two-step process for transferring a pattern from a template (1) to a target surface of a substrate, by creating an intermediate flexible polymer stamp (5) from the template in a primary step, and then using the polymer stamp to make an imprint in a radiation-sensitive moldable layer on the target surface in a secondary step. In the secondary step, the process steps of pressing the polymer stamp and the substrate against each other, UV exposure of the moldable layer through the polymer stamp, and postbaking of the radiated moldable layer, are all performed at a control constant temperature, in order to eliminate damages to the pattern created in the moldable layer caused by thermal expansion effects.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for separating two objects attached to each other in a sandwich structure, such as a stamp and a substrate pressed together in an imprint process. The apparatus includes a support structure, carrying first fastening means having a base surface and first gripping means for supporting and holding a first object, second fastening means, positioned opposite to the first fastening means, having second gripping means for holding a second object, and a pulling force mechanism to provide a pulling force at an angle to the normal direction of the base surface for displacing the two fastening means away from each other. Preferably, the second object is gripped at a periphery portion, and the pulling force is angled inwardly from said periphery portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nano imprint method and to a nano imprint apparatus comprising: a first imprint module, a second imprint module, a storage and a feeder module, wherein; the first imprint module is adapted to imprint a pattern into an intermediate polymer stamp from a template; a second imprint module is adapted to imprint a pattern into a substrate from the intermediate polymer stamp; robot feeder modules are adapted to move the template, intermediate polymer stamp and the substrate from and to storages.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method in connection with the lithography of structures on a micro or nanometer scale. A nano-imprinting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention comprises two rotatably mounted rollers for transferring a pattern of micro or nanometer size to the substrate to be patterned. A first rotatably mounted roller has a patterned circumferential surface for transferring a pattern from the first rotatably mounted roller to a deformable substrate by contacting the patterned surface with the substrate. A second rotatably mounted roller has a principally smooth circumferential surface which faces the patterned surface of the first rotatably mounted roller. Furthermore, the second rotatably mounted roller is rotatably coupled with the first rotatably mounted roller for synchronized rotation of the first and second rollers.

Abstract: An improved method for nanoimprint lithography and more specifically for providing a nano-scale pattern on a substrate is disclosed. According to the improvement, a mould (100) and a substrate (115) are provided wherein the substrate (115) is provided with a plurality of coating layers (120, 125, 130) before pressing the mould (100) and substrate (115) together for transferring a pattern from the mould (100) to the substrate (115). According to the invention, the substrate is provided with an uppermost layer (130) having a pure anti-adhesive function.