Effect of a photo-crosslinkable chemisorbed monolayer on thermal nanoimprinting of a poly(styrene) thin film on a gold substrate

In this study, a photo-crosslinkable chemisorbed monolayer is designed between metal and resist layers to carry out thermal nanoimprinting of a non-polar poly(styrene) (PSt) thin film on a gold surface. The monolayer is composed of a molecule containing a thiol group as a chemisorption site to a gold surface. Benzophenone moiety reacts with a C-H bond in PSt as a photo-cross-linkable unit by UV-exposure. The effect of the photo-crosslinkable chemisorbed monolayer on thermal nanoimprinting of a poly(styrene) thin film on a gold substrate is investigated. The results showed strengthened adhesion of the PSt layer to the gold substrate surface.