SITE-SELECTIVELY MODIFIED MICRO-AND NANOSTRUCTURES AND THE METHODS OF THEIR FABRICATION

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method which can easily and selectively modify specific sites on indentations or protrusions of indentation/protrusion structures fabricated by nano-imprinting. Pressing a mold having indentation/protrusion structures onto a polymer substrate comprising at least two layers of different chemical composition exposes the second layer, which has been covered by the outermost layer, in pillars formed as a result of the pressing. Site-specific chemical modification of the pillars can be achieved by formulating a desired chemical composition for the second layer beforehand, or by chemical modification of the exposed second layer cross-sections in the pillars.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 outlines one embodiment of the process of the present invention for fabricating a layered structure, onto which an indentation/protrusion pattern is transferred.

FIG. 2 outlines another embodiment of the process of present invention for site-selective surface modification of the layered structure, onto which an indentation/protrusion pattern is transferred.

Claims

1. A method for producing a micro- and nano-structure, comprising the steps of: pressing a mold into a substrate, wherein the mold has indentation/protrusion structures on a surface of the mold and the substrate has a layered structure with at least two layers, to deform said at least two layers of the substrate to transfer the indentation/protrusion structures onto a surface of the substrate; andreleasing the mold from the substrate to expose cross-sections of the second layer or below from the outermost surface of the substrate onto indentation/protrusion structures transferred.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the outermost layer of the substrate and the layer exposed by pressing the mold have different chemical or physical properties from each other.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-sections exposed by pressing the mold are selectively subjected to a chemical treatment to produce a chemical environment different from an ambient environment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the substrate has a three-layered structure, and the chemical treatment was carried out for the second layer from the outermost layer of the substrate.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein at least two layers of the cross-sections of the second layer or below from the outermost surface of the substrate are exposed by pressing the mold, and respective cross-sections are subjected to different chemical treatments from each other.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein prescribed layers of the second layer or below from the outermost surface are polymer layers containing a catalyst material for accelerating an electroless plating reaction, and the cross-sections of the catalyst-containing polymer layers exposed by pressing by the mold are electrolessly plated to deposit a metal on cross-sections of the polymer layers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein prescribed layers of the second layer or below from the outermost surface are polymer layers to which chemical substituents are bound, and the method further comprises the step of binding, via the chemical substituents, a protein compound to cross-sections of the chemical substituent-containing polymer layers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein prescribed layers of the second layer or below from the outermost surface are polymer layers to which chemical substituents are bounded, and the method further comprises the step of binding, via the chemical substituents, a biomaterial or fragments thereof to cross-sections of the chemical substituent-containing polymer layers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein prescribed layers of the second layer or below from the outermost surface are polymer layers to which chemical substituents are bounded, and the method further comprises the step of binding, via the chemical substituent, a luminescent material to cross-sections of the chemical substituent-containing polymer layers.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the layer to be chemically treated contains a precursor as a catalyst having a deposition action of nanowires or nanodots.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the layered structure is composed of polymer layers, and said at least two polymer layers of the substrate are deformed by pressing the mold to the substrate at temperatures lower than glass transition points of the polymer layers.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of heating the substrate at a temperature higher than glass transition points of the polymer layers, while keeping the mold pressed after deforming said at least two layers.

13. A method for producing a micro- and nano-structures, comprising the steps of: pressing a mold onto a substrate, wherein the mold has indentation/protrusion structures on a surface of the mold and the substrate is composed of a polymer material having a composition changing in a depth direction, to transfer the indentation/protrusion structures onto a surface of the substrate; andreleasing the mold from the substrate to expose cross-sections having a composition different from that of the outermost surface onto the indentation/protrusion structures transferred.

14. Micro- and nano-structures which have indentation/protrusion structures on a surface of a substrate, wherein the protrusions or indentations have at least two layer structure, cross-sections of which are exposed to the outside, and the outermost layer of the layered structure and at least one layer below the outermost layer have different chemical or physical properties from each other.

15. The micro- and nano-structure of claim 14, wherein at least one layer below the outermost layer contains a material having a catalytic function.

16. The micro- and nano-structures of claim 14, wherein at least one layer below the outermost layer contains chemical substituents capable of being chemically derivatized with a protein compound, a biomaterial or a luminescent material.

17. The micro- and nano-structures of claim 14, wherein the layered structure has a hydrophilic layer and a hydrophobic layer.