Fabrication of Al2O3 nano-micro patterns by Al2O3 dispersion resin using UV imprint lithography

Abstract

Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) has excellent properties in terms of hardness, abrasion resistance, refractive index, electrical insulation and chemical stability; therefore, it has been used in various optical applications such as for resistance random access memory active layers and nano-micro polishing. In this study, a functional Al2O3 nanoparticle resin with refractive index control was developed and various nano-micro structures were formed using UV-nanoimprint lithography. It is also possible to adjust and measure the desired optical properties by controlling the specifications of the formed Al2O3 structures. It was confirmed that imprinting is possible not only on traditional rigid substrates but also on flexible ones. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy showed that the various Al2O3 nano-micro structures were well formed. The effect of annealing temperature on the phase change and crystallinity was investigated by X-ray diffraction. The hardness and Young's modulus were also measured by using a nanoindenter. The refractive index of Al2O3 dispersion resin composition was examined using an ellipsometer. Moreover, the optical characteristics of each Al2O3 nano-micro structure were measured by UV-visible spectroscopy.