Electrostatic imprint process for glass

In usual thermal imprint process, mold patterns are transferred by applying mechanical pressures at elevated temperatures. We have developed a new imprint process for glass, which utilizes electrostatic force as a driving force for deformation. In the method, high dc voltage is applied between a mold and a glass specimen so that the mold becomes an anode. This method enables glass forming at lower temperatures with smaller mechanical force compared to usual thermal imprint process. In addition, this method is suitable for small patterns less than 1 μm. It is expected that this method realizes large-area and high-efficiency nano-forming process for glass.