Soft UV-nanoimprint lithography on non-planar surfaces

We report on a simple and effective process that allows direct UV-imprinting of micro- and nanostructures on non-planar surfaces, even at sharp edges such as step surfaces. The key for the process is the use of a thin flexible polymer stamp, which was fabricated by spin-coating poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) on a pre-patterned Si or poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) master and releasing the thin PDMS layer after curing. The thin PDMS stamp was used to conformally mold a UV resist layer coated on various non-planar substrates with different radii of curvature. With this method, we have successfully demonstrated micro- and nanopatterns down to 63 nm on curved surfaces as well as sharp step-like structures. The process so developed will improve the versatility and applicability of molding technologies in many applications that require patterning non-planar substrates, considering that most molding technologies allow for patterning only on planar substrates or surfaces with large curvature radii.