Direct surface structuring of organometallic resists using nanoimprint lithography

The availability of suitable resist materials is essential for nanoimprint lithography (NIL). In this work, the application of poly(ferrocenylmethylphenylsilane) (PFMPS) as a new type of imprint resist is reported. As PFMPS contains iron and silicon in the main chain, it possesses a very high resistance to reactive ion etching. Polymer patterns formed after imprinting were transferred into silicon substrates owing to the high etch resistivity of PFMPS. The parameters for imprinting, such as polymer molar mass and initial film thickness, were investigated. A decrease in the initial film thickness facilitated the residual layer removal, as well as the pattern transfer. Only upon complete removal of the residual layer with argon plasma did pattern transfer result in aspect ratios up to 4:1 and less surface roughness.