Patent ID: 8409488

Claim:
A micro-impression or nano-impression lithographic process for forming a pattern ( 20 ) in relief on a solid mass ( 10 ) of polymeric material for use in micro-devices and nano-devices, the process comprising the steps of: preparing said solid mass ( 10 ) of polymeric material and a die ( 12 ) having a surface region ( 14 ) facing towards said mass ( 10 ) of polymeric material and which reproduces in negative said pattern in relief ( 20 ), heating said surface region of said die ( 12 ) and putting said mass ( 10 ) of polymeric material into contact with the die ( 12 ) in an un-melted state in any temporal sequence in such a way that the parts of said mass ( 10 ) of the polymeric material in contact with said surface region ( 14 ) are subject to softening, and separating said die ( 12 ) from the mass ( 10 ) of polymeric material on the surface of which said pattern in relief ( 20 ) has been formed, wherein the heating of at least part of the die ( 12 ) is obtained by the generation of thermal energy upon dissipation of another form of energy in at least one region ( 16 ) of said die ( 12 ), wherein said surface region ( 16 ) of said die ( 12 ) in which thermal energy is generated remains for less than 25 seconds at a temperature greater than or equal to the glass transition temperature of the polymeric material and wherein said surface region ( 16 ) of the die ( 12 ) in which thermal energy is generated is in the form of a surface layer of the die.