Scientists formulate a novel strategy to predict the lifetime of nanolithography molds through changes in the contact angle of water on the mold surface.
Prof. Jun Taniguch, Tokyo University of Science, Japan11.16.20
Ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography is a powerful method of producing polymer nanostructures by pressing a curable resin onto a mold.
However, there are no convenient methods to determine the lifetime of molds. Now, in a recent study in Japan, scientists develop a simple strategy to reliably predict the durability of mold materials by observing how water droplets make contact with the mold’s surface as it wears out and distorts with use.
Measuring how a drop of water makes contact with the grooves of a nanolithography mold to find out how worn out the mold is. | Photo courtesy: Jun Taniguchi, Tokyo University of Science
Ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) is a manufacturing technique for producing nanostructures using UV-curable resin.
One of its main advantages is its sheer simplicity; UV-NIL essentially consists of pouring a liquid resin over a nanostructured mold, making the resin solidify using
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