Fabrication of High-Throughput Nano-Imprint Lithography Templates
An imprint lithography template includes a porous material defining a multiplicity of pores with an average pore size of at least about 0.4 nm. The porous material includes silicon and oxygen, and a ratio of Young's modulus (E) to relative density of the porous material with respect to fused silica (ρ porous /ρ fused silica ) is at least about 10:1. A refractive index of the porous material is between about 1.4 and 1.5. The porous material may form an intermediate layer or a cap layer of an imprint lithography template. The template may include a pore seal layer between a porous layer and a cap layer, or a pore seal layer on top of a cap layer.
1 .- 22 . (canceled)
23 . An imprint lithography template comprising:
a first layer;
a second layer, wherein the second layer is a patterned layer of an imprint lithography template; and
two or more intermediate layers positioned between the first layer and the second layer, wherein at least one of the intermediate layers is a porous layer and at least one of the intermediate layers is a stress relief layer configured to reduce a force acting on the porous intermediate layer.
24 . An imprint lithography template comprising:
a first layer;
a second layer, wherein the second layer is a patterned layer of an imprint lithography template; and
an intermediate layer positioned between the first layer and the second layer, wherein the intermediate layer is configured to reduce a force acting on the patterned second layer.
25 . An imprint lithography template comprising:
a first layer;
a second layer; and
an intermediate layer positioned between the first layer and the second layer of the imprint lithography template, wherein the intermediate layer is configured to allow assessment of a thickness of the second layer based on a difference in physical properties between the intermediate layer and the second layer.
24 . The imprint lithography template of claim 23 wherein the relief layer is formed of a material in a compressive state such that a compressive force F C acts on the relief layer.
25 . The imprint lithography template of claim 24 wherein the porous layer is subject to intrinsic forces that produce a tensile force F T acting on the porous layer and the compressive force F C acting on the relief layer substantially neutralizes the tensile force F T acting on the porous layer.
26 . The imprint lithography template of claim 23 wherein the relief layer is formed of a material in a tensile state such that a tensile force F T acts on the relief layer.
27 . The imprint lithography template of claim 26 wherein the porous layer is subject to intrinsic forces that produce a compressive force F C acting on the porous layer and the tensile force F T acting on the relief layer substantially neutralizes the compressive force F C acting on the porous layer.
28 . The imprint lithography template of claim 23 wherein the relief layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of SiN x , SiOxN y , SiC x , SiO x and diamond-like carbon (DLC).
29 . The imprint lithography template of claim 23 wherein the relief layer is permeable to gases selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide.
30 . The imprint lithography template of claim 29 wherein the relief layer is permeable to helium.