Adhesive-Layer-Free and Double-Faced Nanotransfer Lithography for a Flexible Large-Area MetaSurface Hologram

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2020 Jan 8;12(1):1737-1745. doi: 10.1021/acsami.9b14345. Epub 2019 Dec 26.

Abstract

Herein, we develop an adhesive-free double-faced nanotransfer lithography (ADNT) technique based on the surface deformation of flexible substrates under the conditions of temperature and pressure control and thus address the challenge of realizing the mass production of large-area nanodevices in the fields of optics, metasurfaces, and holograms. During ADNT, which is conducted on a flexible polymer substrate above its glass transition temperature in the absence of adhesive materials and chemical bonding agents, nanostructures from the polymer stamp are attached to the deformed polymer substrate. Various silicon masters are employed to prove our method applicable to arbitrary nanopatterns, and diverse Ag and Au nanostructures are deposited on polymer molds to demonstrate the wide scope of useable metals. Finally, ADNT is used to (i) produce a flexible large-area hologram on the defect-free poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) film and (ii) fabricate a metasurface hologram and a color filter on the front and back surfaces of the PMMA film, respectively, to realize dual functionality. Thus, it is concluded that the use of ADNT can decrease the fabrication time and cost of high-density nanodevices and facilitate their commercialization.

Keywords: PMMA film; adhesive-free double-faced nanotransfer lithography; color filter; flexible; large-area hologram; nanopattern; polymer substrate.