Desirable wetting and release between an imprint lithography mold and a polymerizable composition

An imprint lithography mold assembly comprising:

• (a) an imprint lithography mold having a surface;
• (b) a quantity of a first surfactant disposed on the surface of the mold;
• (c) an imprint lithography substrate having a surface;
• (d) a first polymerized layer between the surface of the imprint lithography substrate and the surface of the imprint lithography mold on which the quantity of the first surfactant is disposed, wherein the first polymerized layer is formed by polymerizing a first polymerizable composition comprising a bulk material and an additional quantity of the first surfactant in a selected weight ratio;
• and
• (e) a lamella layer between the surface of the imprint lithography mold on which the quantity of the first surfactant is disposed and the first polymerized layer, the lamella layer comprising a portion of the first surfactant disposed on the surface of the imprint lithography mold and a portion of the first surfactant in the first polymerizable composition,
• wherein the first polymerizable composition wets the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the quantity of the first surfactant disposed thereon more readily than a second polymerizable composition wets the surface of the imprint lithography mold having a similar quantity of a second surfactant disposed thereon, such that the first polymerizable composition spreads more rapidly on the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the quantity of the first surfactant disposed thereon than the second polymerizable composition spreads on the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the similar quantity of the second polymerizable composition disposed thereon, the second polymerizable composition comprising the bulk material and an additional quantity of the second surfactant in the selected weight ratio, wherein the second surfactant has the formula:
• where x is an integer in a range of 0 to 6, inclusive;
• and y is an integer in a range of 0 to 15, inclusive, and
• wherein less force is required to separate the first polymerized layer from the surface of the imprint lithography mold with the quantity of the first surfactant disposed thereon than to separate a second polymerized layer from the surface of the imprint lithography mold with the similar quantity of the second surfactant disposed thereon, the second polymerized layer formed by contacting the second polymerizable composition with the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the similar quantity of the second surfactant disposed thereon and polymerizing the second polymerizable composition between the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the similar quantity of the second surfactant disposed thereon and the imprint lithography substrate.

An imprint lithography method comprising:

• (a) disposing a quantity of a first surfactant on a surface of an imprint lithography mold;
• (b) disposing a polymerizable composition a surface of an imprint lithography substrate, wherein the first polymerizable composition comprises a bulk material and an additional quantity of the first surfactant in a selected weight ratio;
• (c) contacting the first polymerizable composition with the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the quantity of the first surfactant disposed thereon;
• and
• (d) polymerizing the first polymerizable composition between the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the quantity of the first surfactant disposed thereon and the surface of the imprint lithography substrate to form a first polymerized layer between the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the quantity of the first surfactant disposed thereon and the surface of the imprint lithography substrate;
• and
• (e) separating the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the quantity of the first surfactant disposed thereon from the first polymerized layer,
• wherein the first polymerizable composition wets the surface of the mold having the quantity of the first surfactant disposed thereon more readily than a second polymerizable composition wets the surface of the mold having a similar quantity of a second surfactant disposed thereon, such that the first polymerizable composition spreads more rapidly on the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the quantity of the first surfactant disposed thereon than the second polymerizable composition spreads on the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the similar quantity of the second polymerizable composition disposed thereon, the second polymerizable composition comprising the bulk material and the second surfactant in the selected weight ratio, wherein the second surfactant has the formula:
• where x is an integer in a range of 0 to 6, inclusive;
• and y is an integer in a range of 0 to 15, inclusive, and
• wherein less force is required to separate the first polymerized layer from the surface of the mold with the quantity of the first surfactant disposed thereon than to separate a second polymerized layer from the surface of the mold with the similar quantity of the second surfactant disposed thereon, the second polymerized layer formed by contacting the second polymerizable composition with the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the similar quantity of the second surfactant disposed thereon and polymerizing the second polymerizable composition between the surface of the imprint lithography mold having the similar quantity of the second surfactant disposed thereon and the imprint lithography substrate.