A trans-scaled nanofabrication using 3D diffuser lithography, metal molding and nano-imprinting

This paper describes our proposal and successful demonstration of a trans-scaled nanofabrication using conventional micro-technologies. In order to achieve this, we first performed '3D diffuser lithography,' which is simply conventional contact microlithography with an optical diffuser sheet, to make submicron-sized nanopatterns on a photoresist mold. We then replicated these patterns onto a nickel mold, thereby successfully fabricating nickel nano-tip arrays 300 nm in diameter without the use of any specially-designed nanopatterning equipment or techniques. Then, the conventional thermal nano-imprinting onto a PMMA target was conducted using the fabricated Ni stamp, producing nano-dot arrays in an area of several hundreds of microns per side, where each dot diameter was 700 nm with 5.8% uniformity. The largest size which can accommodate this method depends on the size of the conventional contact lithography tool, which currently extends to several meters, according to contemporary machinery. The proposed method is cost effective for mass production, and can be applied to various fields of nanoscale applications.