We demonstrate the nanoimprint lithography (NIL) technique with sub 100 nm resolution, on 6 in. Si substrates. The pattern transfer is performed using a specially designed NIL machine optimized to achieve a very high degree of parallelism between stamp and substrate. The stamp is made with the help of electron beam lithography and Ni electroplating achieving features below 100 nm in size. The nanoimprint process is done in a single layer as well as in a multilayer resist scheme with subsequent O2-plasma etching and metal lift-off.

The assembly of strained InAs islands was manipulated through growth on patterned GaAs substrates with chemical beam epitaxy. Conditions were found to selectively place the islands in patterns features but not on surrounding unpatterned fields. Chains of islands having 33 nm minimum periods were formed in trenches, and single or few islands were grown in arrays of holes. When capped with GaAs, the islands behave as quantum dots and are optically active.

Nanoimprint lithography is a promising technique for fabrication of nanometer-sized structures with an eventual throughput capacity similar to UV-lithography based production of integrated circuits. In this article we address the possibility for wafer scale nanoimprint lithography, and the results presented here are all obtained from 2 in. sized substrate and stamp wafers. Our nanoimprint lithography equipment is described and some of its characteristics are discussed. These include ultrafast imprint cycle times of less than 2 min, good temperature monitoring, and control possibility of the substrate temperature. We show complete results after imprint, removal of remaining resist, and liftoff for 2 in. wafers. Furthermore, in this article the relation between polymer sticking to the stamp applied pressure, stamp depth, etc. is studied in detail.