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Hot Embossing
Hot Embossing is a very versatile replication method which uses high pressure and elevated temperature to transfer the structures from the master into the polymer. It addresses a wide range of applications, from polymer-based lab-on-chip systems, where imprinting is done on thick polymers substrates to the fabrication of sub 50 nm features for bio-sensing or data recording applications, where imprinting is required.
EV Group's Hot Embossing Systems provide the best capabilities for large area imprinting applications. The systems are configured with a universal embossing chamber with top and bottom side heaters, offering high-vacuum and high-contact force capabilities to imprint spin-on polymers as well as polymer substrates.
Individual process steps featured by EV Group:
- Working stamp fabrication
- First print into spin on polymers
- First print into polymer sheets
- Aligned imprint into spin on polymers
- Aligned imprint into polymer sheets
- Double side aligned imprint into polymers
- Automated de-embossing
Please see our related products EVG Hot Embossing Systems and EVG®770 Automated NIL Stepper for detailed information.
Conventional template fabrication methods include mechanical micromachining, laser micromachining and lithographic methods (LIGA, UV-LIGA). EV Group offers the possibility to use soft working stamps materials for hot embossing which exhibits multiple benefits over hard stamps as described below:
- Soft working stamps can be fabricated at low cost, requiring only one precious master to start from
- Rapid fabrication process compared to PDMS stamp technology
- Rapid prototyping possible from lithography masters compared to LIGA processing for µm scale features
- Soft working stamp can be used multiple times for hot embossing, thus stamps are multiplied
- Soft working stamps do not require compliant layers as they are soft by their nature so that large area replication can be easily achieved
- Soft stamps are fully compatible with optical alignment through their transparency (aligned HE from stamp to substrate compared to opaque master)
- Soft stamps can replicate high resolution features for bio sensing applications (< 50 nm) as well as micro fluidic channels (several 100 µm)
Please see our related products EVG Nanoimprint Lithography Systems (UV-NIL, µCP) for detailed information.
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SEM Image of 200 µm hot embossed micro fluidic channels.
Source IMI-NRC.
SEM Image of 20 µm hot embossed micro fluidic channels utilizing polymeric stamps (height 180 µm). Source IMI-NCR.
SEM Image of 50 nm and
100 nm hot embossed meander structures utilizing polymeric stamps. Source EVG.
SEM Image of 50 nm hot embossed liness utilizing polymeric stamps. Source EVG.
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