Computational simulation for optimizing the thermal hyperfine patterning process and its experimental verification

Polymer for NanoImprint Lithograph (NIL) process has been developed as well as development of the process and equipment. It is significant to develop the investigation technique of thermal nano-indentation behavior and mechanical properties of polymer to fabricate high quality nanostructure by varying a variety of T(Thermal)-NIL process parameters. Necessity of database construction for material properties dependent on time at the room and elevated temperature has been growing because a NIL process has been widely used in industries. The D/B has been accumulated through many NIL simulation at room temperature. However, D/B construction at high temperature has not been performed. This paper demonstrates computational process for thermal nanoindenation by using ABAQUS to optimize hyper-fine patterning process through thermal nanoindentation. The experimental and numerical results are compared to validate the computational method. Therefore, PMMA was nanoindented under forming conditions which minimize the elastic recover and pile-up. Thermal nanoindentation experiments were conducted at the temperature between 110 and 150°C. Continuous Stiffness Measurement (CSM) was performed during thermal nanoindentation by using a nanoindenter and hot stage. The effect of the maximum indentation depth of 2000 nm on mechanical properties at glass transition temperature of PMMA was investigated.