Nanostructured origami™ folding of patternable resist for 3D lithography

A new method to fold free standing poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) resist using e-beam exposure is developed and demonstrated. The results prove controllable folding of the patterned PMMA. An explanation of the folding mechanism is proposed based on experimental characterization and theoretical analysis. 3D lithography is achieved by attaching the patterned resist on an adjacent side wall by folding. Patterns are effectively transferred by depositing metal followed by a lift-off process.