Configuring optical layers in imprint lithography processes
An imprint lithography method of configuring an optical layer includes selecting one or more parameters of a nanolayer to be applied to a substrate for changing an effective refractive index of the substrate and imprinting the nanolayer on the substrate to change the effective refractive index of the substrate such that a relative amount of light transmittable through the substrate is changed by a selected amount.
1. An imprint lithography method of configuring optical layers, the imprint lithography method comprising:
forming a first optical layer comprising a first substrate and a nanolayer imprinted directly on the first substrate;
forming a second optical layer comprising a second substrate and a first functional pattern disposed along the second substrate; and
forming a third optical layer comprising a third substrate and a second functional pattern disposed along the third substrate,
wherein imprinting the nanolayer on the first substrate changes the effective refractive index of the substrate such that a relative amount of light transmittable through the first substrate to the second optical layer is changed by a selected amount.
2. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , wherein the relative amount of light is a first relative amount of light, and wherein imprinting the nanolayer on the first substrate to change the effective refractive index of the first substrate comprises changing a second relative amount of light reflected from a surface of the first substrate.
3. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting one or more of a shape, a dimension, and a material formulation of the nanolayer.
4. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , further comprising imprinting a flat nanoimprint on the first substrate.
5. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , further comprising imprinting a featured nanoimprint on the first substrate.
6. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , further comprising imprinting one or more anti-reflective (AR) features on the first substrate.
7. The imprint lithography method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more AR features have a height in a range of about 10 nm to about 300 nm.
8. The imprint lithography method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more AR features have a width in a range of about 10 nm to about 150 nm.
9. The imprint lithography method of claim 7 , further comprising distributing the one or more AR features with a pitch in a range of about 20 nm to about 200 nm.
10. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , further comprising forming pillars on the first substrate.
11. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , further comprising forming holes on the first substrate.
12. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , further comprising forming one or both of continuous gratings and discontinuous gratings on the first substrate.
13. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a functional pattern on a first side of the substrate; and
imprinting the nanolayer along one or both of the first side of the substrate and a second side of the substrate opposite the first side of the substrate.
14. The imprint lithography method of claim 13 , further comprising forming an array of AR features of the nanolayer along a specific direction with respect to the functional pattern.
15. The imprint lithography method of claim 14 , further comprising forming the AR features of the nanolayer on the substrate to change the effective refractive index of the substrate based on a direction of light propagation such that light transmitted through the substrate is changed by the selected amount.
16. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying a film coating to the substrate; and
imprinting the nanolayer atop the film coating.
17. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , further comprising changing the relative amount of light transmittable through the substrate by about 0.5% to about 15%.
18. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , wherein the nanolayer is a first nanolayer, the imprint lithography method further comprising imprinting a second nanolayer atop the first nanolayer.
19. The imprint lithography method of claim 18 , further comprising changing the effective refractive index to a first value based on the first nanolayer and changing the effective refractive index to a second value based on the second nanolayer.
20. The imprint lithography method of claim 1 , wherein the nanolayer imprinted on the first substrate is a first nanolayer, the effective refractive index of the first substrate is a first refractive index, the relative amount of light is a first relative amount of light, and the second optical layer includes a second nanolayer imprinted on the second substrate, the second nanolayer determining a second effective refractive index of the second substrate such that the second nanolayer increases a second relative amount of light transmittable through the second substrate to the third optical layer.
21. The imprint lithography method of claim 20 , wherein the first and second nanolayers are configured such that a final amount of light transmitted through the first and second substrates to the third optical layer is about equal to an amount of light directed from a source to the first nanolayer, minus a first amount of light reflected from the first substrate and minus a second amount of light reflected from the second substrate.