Meghali Chopra

Prior research in the optimization of polymer densification in photo and imprint lithography has employed combinatorial chemistry and modeling approaches. Experimental studies have demonstrated qualitative trends on the impact of binders and bulky side groups on polymer densification. Continuum models for 2D line space pattern have been able to quantify within reasonable error the extent of polymer densification based on feature aspect ratios. Although this approach has been validated by experiments at the micron scale, its applicability to the nanoscale is not known. Furthermore, the impact of polymer densification on geometric features has not yet been explored. This research attempts to challenge the limits of process modeling for the nanosculpting of complex geometric patterns. Nanoshapes under consideration include diamond and cross shapes (Figure 1).

model

Figure 1. Magnitudes of profile displacements for a) diamond wedge and b) cross