Nanoimprinting and nanoscratching
Nanoimprinting, a 21st century implementation of
Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press, has much to
recommend it. Because large areas can be simultaneously
written, its throughput can be 12 orders of
magnitude higher than for direct-write approaches.
In the example illustrated in figure 3, resist is dispensed
using an ink-jet. (It can also be deposited by
spin coating.) A template, or mold, then shapes the
resist mechanically to create the desired pattern,
which is then transferred to the device layer by etching.
The resolution is limited by the resolution of the
mold, not the photons exposing the resist. Because
the mold is used many times, it can be made by a
slow but high-resolution method. After that, the speed-limiting factor is the brief time it takes to
apply the photoresist