Focused ion beam fabrication of silicon print masters

We investigated a focused ion beam nanofabrication technique as a high-resolution patterning method suitable for nanocontact imprinting. Different ion beam currents, milling times, and dwell times are exploited to optimize focused ion beam milling conditions. Single-pixel lines are milled on a silicon master and replicated on polydimethylsiloxane through replica moulding. The profile of the grooves (the depth-to-width aspect ratio) was found to be depth dependent regardless of the beam current and dwell time. The depth of the line cuts was strongly dependent upon beam current and dwell time at a given dose. This technique holds great promise for mass production of nanostructures due to its simplicity and high reproducibility.