Mold and metallization: Nanocontact molding for the fabrication of metal structures

The fabrication of 55-nm CoPt islands utilizing nanocontact molding was investigated. The islands were magnetic and effectively decoupled from each other, as opposed to continuous CoPt films. The Pd-seeded polymeric features were plated with metallic copper through an electroless plating technique. Electroless deposition of copper was accomplished by immersing Pd-seeded films in an aqueous plating solution consisting of copper(II) sulfate, formaldehyde, and sodium hydroxide. Unpatterned, flat, ligamer-embedded films, which had been seeded with Pd were immersed in copper-plating solutions for various periods. A plated sample was dissected with a focused ion beam (FIB) and the resulting cross section was analyzed by SEM. It was observed that the technique combines controllable surface chemistry with an advanced patterning technique that allows for the fabrication of useful metallic structures.