Imprinting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11213976-B2
Application number	US-201715847150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2017
Priority date	Dec 22, 2016
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

An imprinting apparatus includes a silicon master having a plurality of nanofeatures defined therein. An anti-stick layer coats the silicon master, the anti-stick layer including a molecule having a cyclosiloxane with at least one silane functional group. A method includes forming a master template by: depositing a formulation on a silicon master including a plurality of nanofeatures defined therein, the formulation including a solvent and a molecule having a cyclosiloxane with at least one silane functional group; and curing the formulation, thereby forming an anti-stick layer on the silicon master, the anti-stick layer including the molecule. The method further includes depositing a silicon-based working stamp material on the anti-stick layer of the master template; curing the silicon-based working stamp material to form a working stamp including a negative replica of the plurality of nanofeatures; and releasing the working stamp from the master template.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imprinting apparatus, comprising:
a silicon master including a plurality of nanofeatures defined therein; and
an anti-stick layer conformally coating the plurality of nanofeatures of the silicon master, the anti-stick layer including a molecule having a cyclosiloxane with at least one silane functional group and wherein the molecule is substituted with at least one unsubstituted C 1-6 alkyl group and with at least one C 1-12 alkyl group substituted with an alkoxysilane group.

2. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the molecule is a cyclosiloxane, a cyclotetrasiloxane, a cyclopentasiloxane, or a cyclohexasiloxane.

3. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the molecule is substituted with four unsubstituted C 1-6 alkyl groups and four C 1-12 alkyl groups each substituted with a trialkoxysilane group.

4. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 3 , wherein the unsubstituted C 1-6 alkyl groups are methyl groups.

5. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 3 , wherein the C 1-12 alkyl groups each substituted with the alkoxysilane group are ethyl or propyl groups.

6. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 5 , wherein the C 1-12 alkyl groups each substituted with the alkoxysilane group are ethyl groups.

7. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 3 , wherein the trialkoxysilane group is a trimethoxysilane or triethoxysilane.

8. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 7 , wherein the trialkoxysilane group is the triethoxysilane.

9. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the cyclosiloxane is selected from the group consisting of cyclotetrasiloxane and cyclohexasiloxane.

10. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the silane functional group is an alkyl alkoxysilane.

11. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the alkyl alkoxysilane is ethyl triethoxysilane.

12. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the molecule is:

13. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the anti-stick layer includes a mixture of the molecule in its neat form and an oligomer of the molecule.

14. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a silicon-based working stamp in contact with the anti-stick layer on the silicon master.

15. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the silicon-based working stamp includes polymerized silicon acrylate monomers.

16. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 14 , further comprising a backplane in contact with the working stamp.

17. The imprinting apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the molecule excludes fluorine.

18. A method, comprising:
forming a master template by:
depositing a formulation on a silicon master including a plurality of nanofeatures defined therein, the formulation including a solvent and a molecule having a cyclosiloxane with at least one silane functional group and wherein the molecule is substituted with at least one unsubstituted C 1-6 alkyl group and with at least one C 1-12 alkyl group substituted with an alkoxysilane group; and
curing the formulation, thereby forming an anti-stick layer conformally coating the plurality of nanofeatures of the silicon master, the anti-stick layer including the molecule;

depositing a silicon-based working stamp material on the anti-stick layer of the master template;
curing the silicon-based working stamp material to form a working stamp including a negative replica of the plurality of nanofeatures; and
releasing the working stamp from the master template.

19. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein:
the solvent has a boiling point of less than about 70° C.; and
the molecule is present in the formulation in an amount of at least about 5 wt %.

20. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the solvent is tetrahydrofuran or toluene.

21. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the depositing of the formulation and the depositing of the silicon-based working stamp material each involve spin coating.

22. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the silicon-based working stamp material includes a silicon acrylate monomer.

23. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the molecule is present in the formulation in an amount ranging from about 5 wt % to about 10 wt %.

24. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the released working stamp is at least substantially free of the molecule.

25. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the molecule is:

26. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the molecule excludes fluorine.

27. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the releasing of the working stamp provides a released master template with the anti-stick layer thereon, and further comprising:
depositing a second silicon-based working stamp material on the anti-stick layer of the released master template;
curing the second silicon-based working stamp material to form a second working stamp including a negative replica of the plurality of nanofeatures; and
releasing the second working stamp from the master template.

28. The method as defined in claim 27 , further comprising cleaning the released master template prior to deposition of the second silicon-based working stamp material.

29. A method of using a working stamp, the working stamp having been formed by:
forming a master template by:
depositing a formulation on a silicon master including a plurality of nanofeatures defined therein, the formulation including a solvent and a molecule having a cyclosiloxane with at least one silane functional group and wherein the molecule is substituted with at least one unsubstituted C 1-6 alkyl group and with at least one C 1-12 alkyl group substituted with an alkoxysilane group; and
curing the formulation, thereby forming an anti-stick layer conformally coating the plurality of nanofeatures of the silicon master, the anti-stick layer including the molecule;

depositing a silicon-based working stamp material on the anti-stick layer of the master template;
curing the silicon-based working stamp material to form a working stamp including a negative replica of the plurality of nanofeatures; and
releasing the working stamp from the master template;
wherein the method of using the working stamp comprises:
imprinting the working stamp into an imprint lithography resin on a support; and
curing the resin, thereby forming a sequencing surface having a replication of the plurality of nanofeatures defined therein.

30. The method as defined in claim 29 , wherein the sequencing surface is at least substantially free of the molecule.

31. The method as defined in claim 29 , further comprising grafting amplification primers onto an intermediate structure present in the replication of the plurality of nanofeatures.

32. The method as defined in claim 31 , wherein the intermediate structure is a polymer coating including a recurring unit of Formula (I):

wherein:

Assignees

• Illumina Inc
• Illumina Cambridge Ltd

Inventors

• Richez Alexandre
• Brown Andrew A
• Morrison Julia
• George Wayne N
• Merkel Timothy J
• Zak Audrey Rose

Classifications

• B81C1/0046

  using stamping, e.g. imprinting (nanoimprinting for making etch masks G03F7/0002) · CPC title

• B29C33/3842 Primary

  Manufacturing moulds, e.g. shaping the mould surface by machining · CPC title

• G03F7/0002 Primary

  Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping · CPC title

• C09D4/00

  Coating compositions, e.g. paints, varnishes or lacquers, based on organic non-macromolecular compounds having at least one polymerisable carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bond {; Coating compositions, based on monomers of macromolecular compounds of groups C09D183/00 - C09D183/16} · CPC title

• B29C33/40

  Plastics, e.g. foam or rubber · CPC title