Applications of nanoimprint lithography for nanodevices and nanofabrication

This thesis explores the applications of nanoimprint lithography (NIL) and related issues. The applications include nano-electronics, nano-optics and nano-magnetics. These studies are aimed at using NIL as a nano-lithography tool to take advantage of scaling effects, which come into play when feature sizes become smaller than a certain critical physical length. In this manner we can make devices with better performance than those made with conventional lithographies.; In nano-electronics, we present the design, fabrication, and characterization of room-temperature Si single-electron memories using NIL. The devices consist of a narrow channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) and a sub-10-nm storage dot located between the channel and the gate. The memory devices operate at room temperature by charging and discharging one electron into or out of the storage dot.; In nano-optics we present the fabrication of large-area NIL grating molds by interference lithography and NIL. Such molds are essential in the fabrication of nano-optical devices. The molds have periods down to 190 nm with sub-nanometer period control and are uniform over an entire 4-inch wafer. Examples of sub-wavelength optical elements fabricated using these molds are presented.; In nano-magnetics, we present a double-layer NIL process and the fabrication of large area 2-D periodic NIL molds using this process. We also present the fabrication and characterization of large-area quantized magnetic disks (QMDs) with these molds. Every bit of the QMDs spontaneously forms a single domain due to scaling effects in magnetic materials. The QMDs have a recording density limit a few orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional continuous thin film magnetic media.; In all this work, NIL is demonstrated to have high resolution, low cost, high throughput, and the capacity to make real working nano-devices.