SUBMICRON PATTERNING OF POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE RESISTS BY DECAL TRANSFER LITHOGRAPHY

Abstract

This report describes novel techniques for the fabrication of micron- and submicron-sized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) resist patterns on electronic material substrates using decal transfer lithography (DTL). This technique is based on the transfer of PDMS decal patterns via the engineered adhesion and release properties of a compliant PDMS stamp. An important feature of the DTL method is the exceptionally broad spectrum of design rules that it embraces. This procedure is capable of transferring micron to submicron-sized features with high fidelity over large substrate areas and potentially simplifies to a significant degree the requirements for affecting multiple levels of registration. The DTL method offers some potential advantages over other soft-lithographic patterning methods in that it is amenable to transferring resist patterns with both open and closed forms, negative and positive image contrasts, and does so for a wide variety of aspect ratios and a significant range of pattern pitches that can be accommodated without degradation due to mechanical distortions of the pattern transfer tool. The most significant advance embodied in the DTL method, however, is that it offers useful new capabilities for the design and fabrication of advanced planar and 3D microfluidic assemblies and microreactors.