Photolithography vs Nanoimprint¶
The two tools at the MPaCT Lab in Flagstaff, Arizona, pattern resist. They do not do the same job. One exposes a mask with ultraviolet light. The other presses a stamp.
Start here: do you already have a chrome mask, or a stamp?
Decision table¶
| Photolithography | Nanoimprint lithography | |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer | UV through a photomask | Mechanical imprint from a stamp |
| What you must bring | Chrome mask, 2 × 2 in to 5 × 5 in | A master or stamp that fits the chamber |
| Feature size | About 0.5–1.0 µm | About 40 nm to >100 µm, master dependent |
| Largest substrate | 100 mm | 120 mm or 210 mm chamber, option dependent |
| Alignment of a second layer | Topside, specified better than 1.0 µm | Not a production overlay system on this desktop tool |
| Instrument at MPaCT | SUSS MJB4 | NIL Technology CNI v3.0 |
Choose by the question¶
"I have a chrome mask for a 100 mm wafer." - MJB4.
"I have a stamp and need copies, including sub-100 nm features." - CNI.
"I only have a CAD file." - Neither. Board-scale maskless work is laser micromachining or conductive-ink printing.
"I need a second layer aligned to the first." - MJB4. Do not treat the CNI as a stepper.
Both tools are listed as expected rather than available on the equipment catalogue. Confirm live status before planning a run.
Frequently asked questions¶
Should I use photolithography or nanoimprint?¶
Use the SUSS MJB4 when you have a chrome photomask and need 0.5 to 1.0 micrometre features on a wafer up to 100 mm. Use the CNI v3.0 when you have a stamp to copy, including features the contact aligner cannot print. Neither writes from a CAD file with no master.
Can nanoimprint replace a mask aligner?¶
Not for a chrome-mask process at micron scale, and not for aligned multilayer lithography of the kind the MJB4 is built for. Nanoimprint copies topography. Photolithography exposes an image. They share a resist step and then diverge.
MPaCT Lab - Building 98E, South Engineering Lab
561 E Pine Knoll Dr, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Phone: 928-523-2343 · Email: mpct.nano@nau.edu