New polymer materials for nanoimprinting

We have investigated new aromatic polymers for nanoimprint and subsequent dry etching, namely thermoset and thermoplastic compounds. They were tested in a SiO₂ patterning process under low pressure and high plasma density conditions and feature a selectivity about twice as high as poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA). The imprint behavior is comparable to PMMA and, in particular, the thermoplastic polymers show excellent imprint quality. This was demonstrated by replication of large arrays of lines down to 50 nm width. The thermoset polymers showed excellent dry etch stability and Teflon-like antisticking layers helped to imprint them without sticking.