Top-down: Nanoimprint Lithographie

Nanoimprint lithography – Nanostructures in basic research and application

Nanostructures by means of nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a new technology that paves the way for the large-scale and cost-effective production of nanostructures. One of the important challenges of nanotechnology is mass production. Small and medium-size companies in particular usually can not finance expensive production systems. Here, nanoimprint lithography offers a cost-effective and flexible possibility for series production.

Principle of Nanoimprint Lithography

With the NIL method, a (nano)structured stamp is moulded and hardened under precisely defined conditions. Afterwards, the stamp and substrate are separated. Now, the transferred nanostructure can either be used directly or process steps can be set with the structured surface. The NANO team of the PROFACTOR Group uses UV-NIL processes for this in which the polymer is hardened by irradiating it with UV light.

The benefits of nanoimprint lithography are mainly the high resolution that is practically only limited by the resolution of the stamp, the high process throughput with simultaneously increasing cost-efficiency, and the tremendous flexibility of the process.  By using NIL, structures can be created that can only otherwise be created with conventional optical lithography methods with a very high technical and financial effort.

We offer our customers the selection and production of nanostructures for their specific applications, UV-NIL process development and optimisation of production systems, development and evaluation of materials for NIL such as polymers for example, materials and products for NIL such as anti-sticking layers for example, as well as the production of work stamps.