Multilayer pattern transfer for plasmonic color filter applications

Contact printing involves transferring a material deposited on a prepatterned mold directly to a substrate with the application of uniform pressure and temperature. This process has traditionally been used to transfer metal layers to act as electrodes or masks for subsequent etch steps. In this work, the authors propose that devices with multiple layers, such as metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures, can be transferred over using similar processing techniques. Using a SiO2 grating mold, the authors demonstrate the transfer of a MIM pattern to a flexible polycarbonate substrate in order to create a thin film, reflective color filter. This method could be optimized for roll-to-roll nanoimprint lithography and could be used to efficiently fabricate large-area structures on various substrates for display applications. (C) 2010 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3511430]