Date of Award

12-2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Legacy Department

Materials Science and Engineering

Committee Chair/Advisor

Angstadt, David C

Abstract

This study assesses micro-feature replication at elevated mold temperature and ambient pressure using a variety of polymers. Moldings were made on the surface of stainless steel and silicon wafers containing features as small as 130 nm under isothermal conditions in a heated chamber by allowing polymer to spread over the features at ambient pressure. Feature replication was analyzed via AFM and SEM. Polymer behavior was characterized via melt contact angle and melt viscosity. While feature detail was well replicated, the moldings exhibited poor dimensional accuracy due to shrinkage. In general, polymers with low viscosity and surface tension comparable to the mold material showed better feature replication.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.