Abstract
We study the effective resist dispensing in continuous Roll-to-Roll (R2R) nanoimprinting system by using a simple and controlled airbrush coating method. Compared to common spin-coating or drop-casting, airbrushing can better afford the continuous coating operation required in a R2R nanoimprinting system with controlled thickness and uniformity. We use a UV-curable epoxysilsesquioxane (SSQ) and propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA) as a concentration control agent, which are airbrushed for a controlled time over a continuously fed flexible or rigid substrate in a R2R conveyer. The R2R nanoimprinting is successfully conducted with uniform pattern quality. By modulating the airbrushing time and resist concentration, the residual layer thickness (RLT) of R2R-imprinted patterns can be readily controlled for specific uses.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lefebvre, A. H., “Properties of Sprays,” Particle & Particle Systems Characterization, Vol. 6, No. 1-4, pp. 176–186, 1989.
Pham, N. P., Boellaard, E., Burghartz, J. N., and Sarro, P. M., “Photoresist Coating Methods for the Integration of Novel 3-D RF Microstructures,” Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 491–499, 2004.
Pham, N. P., Burghartz, J. N., and Sarro, P. M., “Spray coating of Photoresist for Pattern Transfer on High Topography Surfaces,” Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 691–697, 2005.
Yu, L., Lee, Y. Y., Tay, F. E., and Iliescu, C., “Spray Coating of Photoresist for 3D Microstructures with Different Geometries,” Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 937–942, 2006.
Aleksandrova, M. P., “Improvement of the Electrical Characteristics of Polymer Electroluminescent Structures by using Spray-Coating Technology,” Journal of Coatings Technology and Research, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 157–161, 2012.
Walker, C. E., Xia, Z., Foster, Z. S., Lutz, B. J., and Fan, Z. H., “Investigation of Airbrushing for Fabricating Microelectrodes in Microfluidic Devices,” Electroanalysis, Vol. 20, No. 6, pp. 663–670, 2008.
Abdullah, N., Talib, A. R. A., Saiah, H. R. M., Jaafar, A. A., and Salleh, M. A. M., “Film Thickness Effects on Calibrations of a Narrowband Thermochromic Liquid Crystal,” Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 561–578, 2009.
Okada, M., Iwasa, M., Nakamatsu, K.-I., Kanda, K., Haruyama, Y., and Matsui, S., “Nanoimprinting using Release-Agent-Coated Resins,” Microelectronic Engineering, Vol. 86, No. 4, pp. 673–675, 2009.
Ok, J. G., Youn, H. S., Kwak, M. K., Lee, K.-T., Shin, Y. J., et al., “Continuous and Scalable Fabrication of Flexible Metamaterial Films via Roll-to-Roll Nanoimprint Process for Broadband Plasmonic Infrared Filters,” Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 101, No. 22, pp. 223102, 2012.
Ok, J. G., Park, H. J., Kwak, M. K., Pina-Hernandez, C. A., Ahn, S. H., and Guo, L. J., “Continuous Patterning of Nanogratings by Nanochannel-Guided Lithography on Liquid Resists,” Advanced Materials, Vol. 23, No. 38, pp. 4444–4448, 2011.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
Sungkwan Koo and Sung Ho Lee contributed equally to this work
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Koo, S., Lee, S.H., Kim, J.D. et al. Controlled airbrush coating of polymer resists in Roll-to-Roll nanoimprinting with regimented residual layer thickness. Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf. 17, 943–947 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12541-016-0115-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12541-016-0115-8