Study of nanoimprint pattern transfer on hydrogen silsesquioxane

The effects of process parameters on pattern embossing into hydrogen silsesquioxane films and the pattern degradation of hydrogen silsesquioxane were investigated. Methylisobutylketone (MIBK) was used to dilute hydrogen silsesquioxane, and NX-1000 (Nanonex) was used to imprint hydrogen silsesquioxane embossed with a Si grating mold at $25°–180°C$ under $2–2.5MPa$⁠. The imprint results were observed by scanning electron microscopy and correlated to the analysis results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nanoindentation. The FTIR results show that network-type bonding was promoted by dilution with MIBK and increasing baking temperatures from $50°Cto180°C$⁠. High-temperature thermal-cycle heat treatment can promote the formation of network bonds, which make hydrogen silsesquioxane film undergo plastic deformation more easily. In contrast, low-temperature thermal-cycle heat treatment can result in hydrogen silsesquioxane having a highly viscous response and high time-dependent deformation behavior. The diluted hydrogen silsesquioxane film under prebaking at $150°C$ for $3min$ and imprinting at $180°C$ for $2min$ under $2.5MPa$ resulted in a high-fidelity pattern replication without pattern degradation after aging at room temperature for $20days$⁠.