Real-Time Shape Evolution of Nanoimprinted Polymer Structures during Thermal Annealing
- 18 July 2006
- journal article
- letter
- Published by American Chemical Society (ACS) in Nano Letters
- Vol. 6 (8) , 1723-1728
- https://doi.org/10.1021/nl061086i
Abstract
The real-time shape evolution of nanoimprinted polymer patterns is measured as a function of annealing time and temperature using critical dimension small-angle X-ray scattering (CD-SAXS). Periodicity, line width, line height, and sidewall angle are reported with nanometer resolution for parallel line/space patterns in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) both below and above the bulk glass transition temperature (TG). Heating these patterns below TG does not produce significant thermal expansion, at least to within the resolution of the measurement. However, above TG the fast rate of loss in pattern size at early times transitions to a reduced rate in longer time regimes. The time-dependent rate of polymer flow from the pattern into the underlying layer, termed pattern “melting”, is consistent with a model of elastic recovery from stresses induced by the molding process.Keywords
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