Methods and systems for fast imprinting of nanometer scale features in a workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10737434-B2
Application number	US-201815863849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2018
Priority date	Sep 27, 2012
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

The subject matter described herein relates to methods and systems for fast imprinting of nanometer scale features in a workpiece. According to one aspect, a system for producing nanometer scale features in a workpiece is disclosed. The system includes a die having a surface with at least one nanometer scale feature located thereon. A first actuator moves the die with respect to the workpiece such that the at least one nanometer scale feature impacts the workpiece and imprints a corresponding at least one nanometer scale feature in the workpiece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for producing nanometer scale features in a workpiece, the system comprising:
a die having a surface with at least one nanometer scale feature located thereon;
a first actuator for moving the die with respect to the workpiece such that the at least one nanometer scale feature impacts the workpiece and imprints a corresponding at least one nanometer scale feature in the workpiece;
a second actuator for moving the workpiece, wherein the first actuator reciprocatingly moves the die to repeatedly imprint nanometer scale features at different locations in the workpiece, the first actuator is configured to move the die in an elliptical path while the second actuator is moving the workpiece in a direction parallel to the surface of the die to reduce smearing of the at least one nanometer scale feature imprinted in the workpiece.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first actuator operates at a frequency of about 1 kHz to form about 1000 imprints per second in the workpiece.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the die includes at least about 1600 nanometer scale features such that the about 1000 imprints per second forms at least about 1.6 million nanometer scale features per second in the workpiece.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the workpiece comprises a substantially flat surface.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the first actuator comprises a piezoelectric material and a beam, wherein the piezoelectric material is excited to move the beam such that the beam moves at a frequency that is below a resonant frequency of the beam.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the workpiece comprises a sidewall of a substantially cylindrical surface.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first actuator comprises a piezoelectric material and a beam, wherein the piezoelectric material is excited to move the beam at a resonant frequency of the beam in two directions.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the actuator is configured to have at a resonant frequency of about 45 kilohertz in a bending direction and about 50 kilohertz in a longitudinal direction.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the workpiece comprises a mold.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the mold is configured to form an antireflective material.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the antireflective material comprises a cover for a photovoltaic array.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one nanometer scale feature has a dimension that is less than a wavelength of visible light.

13. The system of claim 1 at least one nanometer scale feature includes a dimension that is within a range of about 400 nm to about 600 nm.

Assignees

• Univ North Carolina State

Inventors

• Dow Thomas A
• Zdanowicz Erik
• Sohn Alexander
• Scattergood Ron
• Nowak Jr William John

Classifications

• B29C33/424 Primary

  Moulding surfaces provided with means for marking or patterning (for injection moulding B29C45/372) · CPC title

• H10F77/407

  indirectly associated with the devices · CPC title

• B81C2201/0153

  Imprinting techniques not provided for in B81C2201/0152 · CPC title

• B29K2995/0093

  hydrophobic · CPC title

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title