textStep and flash imprint lithography (SFIL) is a high resolution, low cost patterning
technique developed at The University of Texas at Austin. Envisioned as an alternative
to conventional photolithographic techniques currently used to pattern semiconductor
substrates, SFIL utilizes photocurable monomers in a micromolding process to replicate
features etched into a transparent template. The elimination of expensive projection
optics and sources required for photolithography offers tremendous potential cost
savings. This dissertation presents an overview of the SFIL process and provides a
description of each process step. Particular attention is paid to development of SFIL
compatible etch processes as well as to the effects of polymerization induced
densification on feature profile. Modeling of polymerization induced feature shrinkage
and simulation of line profiles during etch processing are also presented.Chemical Engineerin