US Patent 11173649 Reducing adhesive failure during nanoimprint lithography demolding

Embodiments relate to a method of fabricating a nano-sized structure in a resin element by nanoimprint lithography (NIL). The method reduces adhesive failure during NIL demolding by inhibiting polymerization at the interface between the resin element and the template. The template includes a polymerization inhibiting compound. The method includes pressing the template onto the resin element (or the resin element onto the template) to form the nano-sized structure in the resin element. The method also including diffusing the polymerization inhibiting compound from the template to the resin element, e.g., by holding them together for a period of time. A layer of the polymerization inhibiting compound is therefore formed at an interface of the template and resin element. The polymerization inhibiting compound inhibits polymerization at the interface. After the diffusion, the resin element is cured. Then the template is removed from the resin element.