Technology for development of hybrid heating and cooling roll with 600 mm in width easily handling various hot embossing processing conditions and ultrafine pattern formation

 

Client / Market

• Next generation semiconductor requiring fine pattern, display device, bio device, optical communication component and high energy component

 

Necessity of this Technology

• To realize high performance and high density, ultrafine shape processing of several hundred nm to several dozens μm is crucial. However, existing LIGA process or fine mechanical machining are encountering financial, technical limitations that there is a demand for new technology and device that will enable ultrafine shape production (below several dozens μm).
• Compared to low and middle temperature embossing that can treat 300 mm wafer, high temperature embossing has technical difficulties with adding uniform temperature and pressure throughout the entire working area. Press type high temperature embossing can easily add uniform temperature and pressure throughout a small area but has limits in continuously handing a large area.
• UV curing type of roll embossing process requires a vacuum facility and specific resin that reacts to UV. The cost for process design, process maintenance/ production is high.

 

Technical Differentiation

• The technology heats the polymer beyond the glass transition temperature, uses a stamp to stamp fine structure while polymer is soft, and then cools and cures. Ultrafine patterning with a size below micron can be performed.
• It is easy to manufacturer optical components like beam splitter, lens, and hologram and non-reflective substrate, and optical filter. When used for solar cell manufacturing, it can be used for polymer embossing process in the insulator layer or the active layer.
• It can also be widely used for general industry other than hot embossing such as textile and paper manufacturing.
• With heating and cooling function inside the roll, the surface temperature can be adjusted quickly-enables active process design.
• Surface temperature consistency secured for hybrid roll of 600 mm in width for micropattern making on large area (Temperature deviation: ±2℃, Maximum temperature: 250℃) (temperature deviation: ±2℃, Maximum temperature: 250℃)
• The result of experiment with hot embossing device and hybrid roll of 600 mm in width showed pattern density change-based imprint rate of 70% where the material was PMMA and line width was 20 μm.

 

Excellence of Technology

• Hybrid roll was used as a pattern roll and heating roll, and a cooling device was added to improve cooling effect after patterning. By adding a mechanical part to grasp the performance following the contact area of film and roll (for analyzing effect of pre-heating and cooling), a concept of adjusting the contact amount of the film and roll for pre-heating and cooling effect was adopted.
• A sensor part was added to monitor the roll transformation and contact status during pressurization.

 

Current Intellectual Property Right Status

PATENT

• Thermal Variable Type Hot Embossing Device and Method (KR1064492)
• Impact Print Type Hot Embossing Device (KR0999538, JP5604633)
• Temperature Control Method of Roll with Heating and Cooling Function (KR2013- 0058658)
• Press Roller for Consistent Pressurization of Roll-to-Roll Device (KR2013- 0105199)
• Patterning System Using Roll-to-Roll (KR2013-0122058)
• Nip Pressure Monitoring Device and Method for Roll-to-Roll Device (KR1519846)
• Line Type Micro Pattern Sheet Material Forming Device (KR1221830)

KNOW-HOW

• Technology for designing hybrid roll with heating and cooling function
• Hybrid roll-based hot embossing device design technology