Relief layer and imprint method for making the same

Method for forming a relief layer (216) employing a stamp (206) having a stamping surface (208) including a template relief pattern, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate surface (202);
• providing at least one of the substrate surface (202) and the stamping surface with a siliconoxide compound solution comprising a siliconoxide compound and a solvent;
• removing the solvent at least partly to leave a partially dried siliconoxide compound layer (200);
• sandwiching the partially dried siliconoxide compound layer (200) in between the substrate surface (2020) and the stamping surface (208), the partially dried siliconoxide compound layer (200) thereby being molded according to the template relief pattern;
• further drying the partially dried siliconoxide compound layer while being sandwiched, thereby forming a solidified siliconoxide layer (216);
• separating the stamping surface from the solidified siliconoxide layer thereby providing the relief layer (216);
• the siliconoxide compound solution comprising a siliconoxide compound for forming the siliconoxide relief layer, the silicon atoms of the siliconoxide compound being either silicon atoms chemically bound to four oxygen atoms or silicon atoms being chemically bound to three oxygen atoms and one atom different from oxygen, the chemical bond between the silicon atoms and the one atom different from oxygen being chemically inert during the method.