Anti‐Sticking Coatings for Imprint Tools Prepared by Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract Anti‐sticking coatings are an integral part of imprint processes since they facilitate an effortless and defect‐free demolding of stamp and imprint. A low surface energy is important for an easy and clean removal of the stamp from the imprint and for enabling a long lifetime of the expensive stamp, whereas conformality of the anti‐sticking coating is important to preserve the designed structure dimensions (aspect ratio, critical dimensions, pitch size, etc.). Within this paper a branched perfluoro polyether acrylate monomer is polymerized for the first time by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) leading to a highly efficient anti‐sticking coating. In appropriate conditions, iCVD can produce thin conformal polymer coatings whose mechanical and chemical stability can be significantly improved by tuning the cross‐linking density. The coating is furthermore grafted by covalent bonds via a self‐assembled monolayer onto the substrate – i.e., the nickel stamp – in order to prevent delamination. As a result, the coating delivers a water contact angle of 109°, more than 80° higher than for the uncoated and cleaned Ni‐sample, i.e. 73% WCA reduction, and more than 50° higher than for the uncleaned Ni sample that is stored at ambient condition (i.e. 46% WCA reduction). Long‐term imprint tests confirm the durability of the anti‐sticking property on the Ni‐stamp.