Direct molding of nanopatterned polymeric films: Resolution and errors

The capability of the direct polymer molding method to transfer ordered nanopatterns from a surface-modified silicon template to polymeric materials, such as polystyrene (PS) and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) is investigated by tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). The lateral resolution of the method for both materials is 54 ± 1 nm while the vertical resolution is 56 ± 1 nm and 3 ± 1 nm, for PS and HIPS, respectively. This difference is explained by considering the different nanomechanical properties of the polymers. In contrast, HIPS surfaces are more resistant to the wear induced by the repetitive ‘‘reading’’ of the surface structure with the AFM tip.