Nanoimprint lithography 'rules' created

ATLANTA, April 24 (UPI) -- Georgia Institute of Technology scientists have identified key parameters that predict the outcome of nanoimprint lithography.

The researchers at Georgia Tech and the Sandia National Laboratories used a combination of experimental data and simulations to predict the outcome of the fabrication technique that offers an alternative to traditional lithography in patterning integrated circuits and other small-scale structures into polymers.

The scientists say the results of the three-year study provide a "road map" to guide development of next-generation micron- and nanometer-scale high-resolution imprint manufacturing.

By reducing cost and time, the researchers say the design rules could help make high-volume production of nanotechnology-based products more economically feasible.

"This work provides a rational link between what engineers want to make using nanoimprint lithography and the path for creating them," said William King, a Georgia Tech professor of mechanical engineering. "We have developed manufacturing design rules that will give future users of this technology a predictive tool kit so they'll know what to expect over a broad range of parameters."

The research appears in the Journal of Vacuum Science Technology B and the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering.