Aromatic vinyl ether based reverse-tone step and flash imprint lithography

A method, comprising:

• forming on a substrate, a transfer layer of a transfer composition;
• forming on said transfer layer a molding layer of a molding composition, said molding composition comprising one or more aromatic divinyl ethers;
• pressing a surface of a template into said molding layer, said template having a relief pattern on said surface, said molding layer filling voids in said relief pattern, said template not contacting said transfer layer;
• exposing said molding layer to actinic radiation, said actinic radiation converting said molding layer to a cured molding layer having thick and thin regions corresponding to said relief pattern;
• after exposing said molding layer to said actinic radiation, removing said template from said cured molding layer;
• after removing said template, filling said thin regions of said relief pattern with a backfill material;
• removing regions of said molding layer and said transfer layer not protected by said backfill material to expose regions of said substrate;
• forming trenches in said exposed regions of said substrate;
• and
• after said forming said trenches, removing any remaining molding layer, backfill material and transfer layer.

A method, comprising:

• forming a first adhesion layer on a substrate;
• forming on said adhesion layer, a transfer layer of a transfer composition;
• forming a second adhesion layer on said transfer layer;
• forming on said second adhesion layer a molding layer of a molding composition, said molding composition comprising one or more aromatic divinyl ethers;
• pressing a surface of a template into said molding layer, said template having a relief pattern on said surface, said molding layer filling voids in said relief pattern, said template not contacting said transfer layer;
• exposing said molding layer to actinic radiation, said actinic radiation converting said molding layer to a cured molding layer having thick and thin regions corresponding to said relief pattern;
• after exposing said molding layer to said actinic radiation, removing said template from said cured molding layer;
• after removing said template, filling said thin regions of said relief pattern with a backfill material;
• removing regions of said molding layer and said transfer layer not protected by said backfill material to expose regions of said substrate;
• forming trenches in said exposed regions of said substrate;
• after forming said trenches, removing any remaining molding layer, backfill material and transfer layer;
• wherein said transfer composition comprises a thermosetting polymer, a thermoplastic polymer, a polyepoxy polymer, a polyamide polymer, a polyimide polymer, a polyurethane polymer, a polycarbonate polymer, a polyester polymer, poly(vinylbenzoic acid) or combinations thereof;
• wherein said first adhesion layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) or ethylsilicate, ethylorthosilicate, tetraalkoxysilane, aminoethylaminopropyltrialkoxysilane, aminopropyltrialkoxysilane, aminoethyltrialkoxysilane, tetraalkoxytitanate or combinations thereof;
• wherein said second adhesion layer comprises O-(vinyloxybutyl)-H-(triethoxysilylpropyl) -urethane or
• wherein X is a linking group selected from the group consisting of —C(O)O—, —C(O)—, —OC(O)—, —O—C(O)—C(O)—O—, NHC(O)—O—, —O—C(O)—O—, a linear or a branched alkylene having 1 to 7 carbon atoms, a cycloalkylene having 3 to 17 carbon atoms, an alkylcycloalkylene having 4 to 20 acarbon atoms and a cycloalkylalkylene having 4 to 20 carbon atoms,
• wherein each R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6(R1- R6) is independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom and a hydrocarbyl substituent with a primary, a secondary or a tertiary carbon attachment point, said hydrocarbyl group selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aralkyl group, an alkaryl and an aryl group, wherein each alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, alkaryl or aryl group has 1 to 20 carbon atoms and each alkyl group of the aralkyl, or alkaryl groups may be linear, branched or cyclic, and
• wherein any two R1-R6 in the same molecule may be linked to form the at least one carbon ring containing 3 to 8 carbon atoms;
• wherein said aromatic divinyl ethers are selected from the group consisting of
• wherein said molding composition further includes a photoacid generator and a stabilizing/sensitizing agent;
• wherein said stabilizing/sensitizing agent is selected from the group consisting of
• substituted 9-anthracenemethanols, phenothiazine, substituted phenothiazines,
• wherein each R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15 and R16(R7-R16) is independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom and a hydrocarbyl substituent with a primary, a secondary or a tertiary carbon attachment point, said hydrocarbyl group selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkaryl having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and an aryl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms;
• wherein the alkyl groups of the aralkyl and the alkaryl groups may be linear, branched or cyclic;
• and
• wherein any two R7-R15 in the same molecule may be linked to form at least one carbon ring containing 3 to 8 carbon atoms;
• said molding composition further including a fluorinated release agent selected from the group consisting of vinyl 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl ether,
• (R17)(R18)═(R19)OCn(R20)(R21)(D)(R22)(R23)(R24),
• wherein D is a carbon atom, wherein n is 1, wherein R17, R18, R19, R20 and R21 are H, and R22, R23 and R24 are fluorine groups;
• and
• wherein said backfill material is selected from the group consisting of:
• (1) a siloxane polymer, spin-on-glass, spin-on-organo-silicate glass silsesquioxanes having the formulas —(SiO2)n-, a —(R′SiO3/2)n-, —(R′2SiO)n- and —(R″Si2O3)n-, wherein R′ is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, and a cycloalkyl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, and wherein R″ is selected from the group consisting of an alkylene group having 1 to 2 carbon atoms and a cycloalkylene group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, (2) a polymer containing at least 6 percent by weight of silicon, germanium, tin, titanium or other Group IVA/IVB metals, (3) one or more of CH2═CHOCH2Si(CH3)3, CH2═CHOCH2CH2Si(CH3)3, CH2═CHOCH2Si(CH3)2CH2OCH═CH2, CH2═CHOCH2Si(CH3)2OSi(CH3)2CH2OCH═CH2, CH2═CHOCH2CH2Si(CH3)2CH2CH2OCH═CH2, CH(CH3)═CHOCH2Si(CH3)(CH2OCH═CH(CH3))CH2OCH═CH(CH3), CH2═CHOCH2CH2Si(Si(CH3)3)3, other silicon containing vinyl ethers and a photoacid generator;
• and (4) silicon containing acrylates and radical photoinitiator.