Nano Express
Effective surface oxidation of polymer replica molds for nanoimprint lithography
Author affiliations
Department of Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul, 136-702, South Korea
Citation and License
Nanoscale Research Letters 2012, 7:39 doi:10.1186/1556-276X-7-39
Published: 5 January 2012Abstract
In nanoimprint lithography, a surface oxidation process is needed to produce an effective poly(dimethylsiloxane) coating that can be used as an anti-adhesive surface of template molds. However, the conventional photooxidation technique or acidic oxidative treatment cannot be easily applied to polymer molds with nanostructures since surface etching by UV radiation or strong acids significantly damages the surface nanostructures in a short space of time. In this study, we developed a basic oxidative treatment method and consequently, an effective generation of hydroxyl groups on a nanostructured surface of polymer replica molds. The surface morphologies and water contact angles of the polymer molds indicate that this new method is relatively nondestructive and more efficient than conventional oxidation treatments.
