Patent ID: 7141275

Claim:
A method of imprinting a pattern having nanoscale features from a mold into a first metal or semiconductor layer on a substrate, said method comprising: providing said mold; forming a patternable second layer on said substrate, wherein said patternable layer comprises a second metal or alloy having a transition temperature from its solid form to its liquid form that is in the range of 50° to 500° C.; and imprinting said mold into said patternable layer to pattern said patternable layer by heating said patternable layer to its liquid form, impressing said mold into said patternable layer, and cooling said patternable layer to its solid form to thereby form a patterned layer; transferring said pattern from said patterned layer to said first metal or semiconductor layer by either forming said first metal or semiconductor layer on said substrate subsequent to forming said patterned layer and transferring said pattern by a lift-off process or forming said first metal or semiconductor layer on said substrate prior to forming said patterned layer and transferring said pattern by etching, using said patterned layer as an etching mask layer; and removing said patterned layer.