Microscale patterning and articles formed thereby

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a lithographic method and apparatus for creating micrometer, more particularly sub-micrometer patterns in a thin film coated on a substrate. The present invention utilizes the self-formation of periodic, supramolecular (micrometer scale) pillar arrays in a thin melt to form the patterns. The self-formation was induced by placing a second plate or mask a distance above the polymer film. The pillars bridge the plate and the mask, having a height equal to the plate-mask separation (preferably 2-7 times that of the film's initial thickness). If the surface of the mask has a protruding pattern (e.g., a triangle or rectangle), the pillar array is formed with the edge of the pillar array aligned to the boundary of the mask pattern.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of forming. a pattern on a surface comprising: 
 placing a plate above a surface layer of a material;    maintaining said plate above said surface of said material;    allowing pattern formation to occur via interaction between said plate and said surface layer.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of allowing pattern formation to occur includes rendering said surface deformable.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said material is a polymer.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said polymer is rendered deformable by heating the polymer to the polymer's glass transition temperature.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said material is a thin film deposited on a substrate.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of semiconductors, dielectrics, metals, polymers and combination thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said material is selected from the group consisting of a homoploymer, a copolymer, a polymer blend, a liquid, a liquid polymer, liquid crystals, a semiconductor, a metal, and a dielectric material.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said pattern is comprised of a plurality of pillars.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said plurality of pillars is in a periodic array.  
     
     
         10 . A method for forming a pattern on a surface, comprising the steps of: 
 obtaining a substrate;    depositing a polymer film on the substrate;    placing a mask above the film, said mask having a protruding feature; and    heating the polymer film to thereby form a contact between said film and said protruding feature.    
     
     
         11 . A method of nanolithography comprising the steps of: 
 depositing a material on a substrate;    placing a mask a distance above said material, maintaining said mask above said material, said material and substrate interacting to form a pattern in said material on said substrate.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the material comprises a thermoplastic polymer.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further including heating the material to said material's glass transition temperature.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of semiconductors, dielectrics, metals, polymers and combination thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further including the step of removing said mask after said pattern is formed.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said pattern is comprised of a plurality of pillars.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said plurality of pillars is formed as a periodic array.  
     
     
         18 . A method of forming a relief pattern on a surface of a material composed of: 
 positioning a mask a predetermined distance above the surface of the material; and    altering the surface of the material to a deformable surface, said mask and said deformable surface interacting to form said relief pattern.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said relief pattern has a height of about 10 nm to about 1,000 nm.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said relief pattern has a height of about 50 nm to about 750 nm.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said relief pattern has a height of about 100 nm to about 700 nm.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said surface is altered by heating to a glass transition temperature of said material.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said mask has a pattern formed thereon.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said relief pattern is patterned after said pattern on said mask.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said relief pattern is comprised of a plurality of pillars.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said relief pattern has a height of less than about 1 μm.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 18 , further including the step of cooling said material after said relief pattern is formed.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said predetermined distance is about 2 to about 7 times a thickness of said deformable surface of said material.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said deformable surface thickness is in a range of about 1 nm to about 2,000 nm.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said deformable thickness is in a range of about 5 nm to about 1,000 nm.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said deformable thickness is in a range of about 50 nm to about 500 nm.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said deformable thickness is in a range of about 75 nm to about 250 nm.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said deformable thickness is about 100 nm.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said mask is dielectric.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said material is a viscous liquid.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said material is a polymer.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said polymer is a homopolymer.  
     
     
         38 . A microscale pattern forming assembly comprised of: 
 a substrate;    a material deposited on said substrate; and    a mask positioned a predetermined distance above said material.    
     
     
         39 . The microscale pattern forming assembly of  claim 38 , further including a spacer interposed between said material and said mask to maintain said mask at said predetermined distance.  
     
     
         40 . The microscale pattern forming assembly of  claim 39 , wherein said mask has a protruding pattern formed thereon.  
     
     
         41 . The microscale pattern forming assembly of  claim 38 , wherein said substrate has a higher glass transition temperature than said material.  
     
     
         42 . The microscale pattern forming assembly of  claim 38 , wherein said mask is dielectric.  
     
     
         43 . The microscale pattern forming assembly of  claim 38 , wherein said material is a viscous liquid.  
     
     
         44 . The microscale pattern forming assembly of  claim 38 , wherein said material is a polymer.  
     
     
         45 . The microscale pattern forming assembly of  claim 38 , wherein said mask has a pillar formed from said material in contact therewith.  
     
     
         46 . The microscale pattern forming assembly of  claim 38 , wherein said mask and said material have a plurality of pillars formed there between.  
     
     
         47 . A method of nanolithography comprising: 
 depositing a material on a substrate;    placing a mask a distance above said material, said mask having protrusion patterns formed thereon; and    forming a pattern in the material corresponding to said protrusion patterns, said pattern being a result of an interaction between said protrusion patterns and said material.    
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said protrusion patterns is comprised of a first protrusion pattern and a second protrusion pattern, said first and second protrusion pattern being of different length.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said method is coated with a surface coating.  
     
     
         50 . An article having nanoscale patterning, said article being comprised of a plurality of pillars, said plurality of pillars having a height ranging from above 1 nm to below 1 μm.  
     
     
         51 . The article of  claim 50 , wherein said height is in the range of about 100 nm to about 700 nm.  
     
     
         52 . The article of  claim 50 , wherein said height is in the range of about 250 nm to about 550 nm.  
     
     
         53 . The article of  claim 50 , wherein said pillar has a diameter, said pillar height to pillar diameter ratio being in a range of about 0.1 to about 0.5.  
     
     
         54 . The article of  claim 50 , wherein said plurality of pillars are in a periodic array.  
     
     
         55 . The article of  claim 50 , wherein said plurality of pillars has a period of about 1 μm to about 10 μm.  
     
     
         56 . The article of  claim 50 , which said plurality of pillars has a boundary defined by a pattern on a mask used to form said plurality of patterns.  
     
     
         57 . The article of  claim 50 , wherein said plurality of pillars are connected to form a lithographically-induced self-construction.  
     
     
         58 . The article of  claim 50 , wherein said nanoscale patterning is substantially identical in lateral size as a mask used to form said nanoscale patterning.