Abstract: The present invention is directed to a template that features a control surface extending from a periphery of a mold toward a recessed surface of the template forming an oblique angle between a portion of the control surface disposed proximate to the periphery.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method to reduce adhesion between a conformable region on a substrate and a pattern of a mold, which selectively comes into contact with the conformable region. The method features forming a conformable material on the substrate and contacting the conformable material with the surface. A conditioned layer is formed from the conformable material. The conditioned layer has first and second sub-portions, with the first sub-portion being solidified and the second sub-portion having a first affinity for the surface and a second affinity for the first sub-portion. The first affinity is greater than the second affinity. In this fashion, upon separation of the mold from the conditioned layer, a subset of the second sub-portion maintains contact with the mold, thereby reducing the probability that a pattern formed in the conditioned layer becomes compromised.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a template that features a control surface extending from a periphery of a mold toward a recessed surface of the template forming an oblique angle between a portion of the control surface disposed proximate to the periphery.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method that features improved wetting characteristics while allowing preferential adhesion and release characteristics with respect to a substrate and a mold having imprinting material disposed therebetween. The method includes coating a surface of the mold with a volume of surfactant containing solution. The surfactant in the solution includes a hydrophobic component consisting essentially of a plurality of fluorine-containing molecules. The distribution of the plurality of the fluorine atoms in the fluorine-containing molecules, as well as the fluorine-containing molecules throughout the volume provides a desired contact angle with respect to a polymerizable composition disposed on the substrate. The contact angle is in a range of 50° or less.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of controlling a quantity of liquid from extruding from a volumetric gap defined between a mold included in the substrate and a region of the substrate in superimposition therewith that features varying the capillary forces between the liquid and one of the template and the substrate. To that end, the method includes generating capillary forces between the liquid and one of the template and the substrate; and varying a magnitude of the forces to create a gradient of forces.

Abstract: A method of depositing material upon a substrate features filling recesses of a substrate with liquid and removing material present on the substrate, outside of the recesses using fluid, i.e., apply a vacuum of a jet of fluid. To that end, one method of the present invention includes depositing a measure of liquid upon a surface of a substrate having a recess formed therein to ingress into a volume of the recess with a portion of the liquid. A quantity of the liquid is disposed upon regions of the surface proximate to the recess. Thereafter, the quantity of liquid is removed while maintaining the portion within the volume. In this manner, the portion may be transferred onto an additional substrate. More specifically, the portion may be placed in contact with a layer of flowable material and cross-linking therewith by exposing the liquid and the flowable material to actinic radiation.

Abstract: A system for controlling a volume of liquid on a mold that features a body defining a volume with an aperture formed into the body and positioned proximate to the mold. A pump system is in fluid communication with the body, and the aperture and the pump system are established to create a stream of fluid moving between the mold and the volume. In this manner a quantity of fluid is removed while retained upon the mold is a desired portion of the fluid to undertake imprint lithographic processes.

Abstract: The present invention features a method to determine relative spatial parameters between two coordinate systems, which may be a mold and a region of a substrate in which mold is employed to generate a pattern. The method includes sensing relative alignment between the two coordinate systems at multiple points and determines relative spatial parameters therebetween. The relative spatial parameters include a relative area and a relative shape.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and a composition to form a layer on a substrate having uniform etch characteristics. To that end, the method includes controlling variations in the characteristics of a solid layer, such etch characteristics over the area of the solid layer as a function of the relative rates of evaporation of the liquid components that comprise the composition from which the solid layer is formed.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of forming a liquid layer on a substrate that features contacting a template with a volume. The volume is selected to minimize, if not avoid, shedding of the liquid under force of gravity. In this manner, the template may be positioned to be spaced-apart from an adjacent surface upon which the volume of liquid is to be transferred, with the volume being suspended by surface tension with the template.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for dispensing a total volume of liquid on a substrate, the method including, inter alia, disposing a plurality of spaced-apart droplets on a region of the substrate, each having an unit volume associated therewith, with an aggregate volume of the droplets in the region being a function of a volume of a pattern to be formed thereat.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of forming a layer on a substrate, comprising forming a plurality of flowable regions on the substrate, with a first subset of the plurality of flowable regions comprising a first composition and a second subset of the plurality of flowable regions including a second composition differing from the first composition. A surface of the first and second subsets is provided with a desired shape and/or each of the areas of the substrate covered by the flowable regions may be provided with a desired shape. Thereafter, the desired shaped is recorded by solidifying the first and second subsets of the plurality of flowable regions.

Abstract: A method of depositing and sorting micro-scale, nano-scale and molecular-scale objects onto a surface. In particular, the methods can be used to produce arrays of micro- and nanoscale objects on a surface by use of fluidic alignment with surface patterning techniques. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the objects are sorted and/or spatially distributed and arrayed into micro- or nanometer scale geometries with periodicity on a larger area by evaporation (or other means of selective removal of solvent) of liquid containing molecular scale solutes, nanowires, metallic particles, polymeric particles, inorganic particles or composite particles formed from such materials or preferably, such particles may be sorted and deposited from suspensions by continuously creating and evaporating films of the suspension on patterned substrates.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to disposing a diamond-like composition on a template, wherein the diamond-like composition acts as a release layer. The diamond-like composition is substantially transparent to actinic radiation, e.g., ultraviolet (UV) light, and will also have a desired surface energy, wherein the desired surface energy minimizes adhesion between the template and an underlying material disposed on a substrate. The diamond-like composition is characterized with a low surface energy that exhibits desirable release characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a method of controlling a turbulent flow of a fluid between a substrate and a template, and more specifically, controlling a turbulent flow of a fluid between droplets disposed on a substrate and a template. To that end, the method further comprises the ingression and egression of the fluid through a first and second aperture, and in a further embodiment, a plurality of apertures, to create such a turbulent flow of the fluid.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a system for introducing a flow of a fluid between a mold, disposed on a template, and a substrate, the system including, a fluid supply system; and a chuck body having a baffle and first and second apertures, the first and second apertures disposed between the baffle and the template, with the first and second apertures in fluid communication with the fluid supply system to produce a turbulent flow of the fluid between the mold and said substrate.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a method for reducing pattern distortions in imprinting layers by reducing gas pockets present in a layer of viscous liquid deposited on a substrate. To that end, the method includes varying a transport of the gases disposed proximate to the viscous liquid. Specifically, the atmosphere proximate to the substrate wherein a pattern is to be recorded is saturated with gases that are either highly soluble, highly diffusive, or both with respect to the viscous liquid being deposited. Additionally, or in lieu of saturating the atmosphere, the pressure of the atmosphere may be reduced.