Nm-Scale Diamond-like-Carbon (DLC) Templates for use in Soft Lithography

Abstract

An emerging set of methods known collectively as soft lithography is now being utilised for a large variety of applications including micromolding, microfluidic networks and microcontact printing. In particular stamps and elastomeric elements can be formed by exposure of a polymer to a template. Established lithographic techniques used in the microelectronic industry, such as photolithography, are generally used to fabricate such master templates at the micron scale. In this study we demonstrate the use of Diamond-Like-Carbon (DLC) as a template for producing polymer micro/nano stamps and 3-D polymer structures. Intricate surface relief patterns can be formed on the DLC surface from lithographic techniques by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) operated in the electrical conductivity mode.