Pore-size reduction protocol for SiN membrane nanopore using the thermal reflow in nanoimprinting for nanobio-based sensing.

Micro- and nano-fabrication methods facilitate the use of nanostructures for the separation of collections of particles and nanobio-based optical and electrochemical sensing. We have presented an easy and simple nanopore size reduction method of a low-stressed silicon nitride (SiN) membrane nanosieve (100×100  μm2) using a nanoimprinting method based on a natural thermal reflow of the contact imprinting polymer, possibly maintaining compatibility with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor integrated circuit processes. The nanopore pattern size of this nanosieve membrane was precisely patterned by a nanoimprinting process using an electron beam patterned silicon master, to about 30-nm diameter. By employing mainly an electron beam resist reflow phenomena after a nanoimprinting process and anisotropic reactive ion etch, the etch holes' size was fabricated to be the same with nanopatterns on the polymer. The contact imprinting master can be used continually for the generation of nanopore patterns simply and easily. It can endure harsh conditions like high temperature up to 800°C, and it is inert to many aggressive and strong chemicals. Also, this would be a low-cost, simple, and easy fabrication method for the precise and reliable size-reduction control of nanopores for mass production of nanobio sensors or chips.