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Fine metal structure, process for producing the same, fine metal mold and deviceRelated Patent Categories: Chemistry: Molecular Biology And Microbiology, Measuring Or Testing Process Involving Enzymes Or Micro-organisms; Composition Or Test Strip Therefore; Processes Of Forming Such Composition Or Test Strip, Involving Nucleic AcidFine metal structure, process for producing the same, fine metal mold and device description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070148653, Fine metal structure, process for producing the same, fine metal mold and device. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a fine structure having its surface furnished with microprojections and a process for producing such a structure. The present invention also pertains to the apparatuses and devices using the said fine structure, particularly fine metal molds and nanoimprinters used for nanoimprinting in which resins or inorganic materials are pressure molded, and electrodes, microchips and DNA chips for converting, producing or detecting the materials by making use of an electrochemical reaction. BACKGROUND ART [0002] The conventional fine structures having microprojections on their surfaces and methods of producing such structures are reviewed below. [0003] In a first instance of the conventional fine structures having microprojections on the surface and their production methods, an inorganic material such as silicon, a metal such as nickel or an organic material such as polystyrene or resist is directly worked by a fine working technique such as lithography or anisotropic etching using a mask, and the obtained work is directly used as a structural member of a metal mold or microdevice. (See Patent Document 1). [0004] In a second instance of the conventional fine structures having microprojections on the surface and their production methods, a resin such as polystyrene is pressure molded by using as its mold a fine structure obtained in the same way as in the first instance described above, and the molded product is detached from the mold and utilized as a fine structure. (See Patent Document 2). [0005] In a third instance of the conventional fine structures having microprojections on the surface and their production methods, a fine structure obtained in the same way as in the first instance described above is used as a casting mold, the inside thereof is filled up by electroplating, and the formed plating film is detached from the mold and utilized as a fine structure. (See Patent Document 3). [0006] With reference to the third instance, it is disclosed that in case a high hardness is required for the stamper surface, the stamper is made by electroless plating with NiP alone and the obtained stamper is heat treated at around 400.degree. C. for 4 hours, whereby it is possible to obtain a HV hardness of 1,000 or higher. (See Patent Document 4). Patent Document 1: JP-A-2002-307398 Patent Document 2: U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,905 Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 2633088 Patent Document 4: JP-A-2003-22585 (paragraph [0040]) DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention [0007] The fine structure obtained by the method described in Patent Document 1 is generally of high precision and may have sufficient strength when a metal or silicon is used for the structure. According to this method, however, since the structure is formed directly by fine working which requires a number of steps, the production cost is high and it is hard to apply this method to a process for mass producing the uncostly structure. [0008] The method disclosed in Patent Document 2 is generally called nanoimprinting technology, with which it is possible to produce an object having fine structure by replicating, at low cost, the configuration of the fine structure formed by the first instance method. In this method, however, since the fine structure is produced by pressure molding, the materials usable for the fine structure are limited to those having relatively low strength, so that there is a fear of insufficiency of strength and reliability of the obtained fine structure. Further, when the molded product is released from the mold, the molded product may be deformed, posing the problem on precision of the obtained fine structure. [0009] The method described in Patent Document 3 is a technique called electroforming, which is applied for producing the stamper used for producing digital videodiscs. According to this method, for forming the microprojections with a large aspect ratio, it is necessary to fill up the inside of the mold having a fine and deep hole or trench-like cavity by electroplating. It is, however, difficult to perfectly fill up the fine and deep hole or trench-like cavity without creating defects such as voids or seams in the central portion of the cavity. Further, since the metal articles obtained by electroplating are generally low in strength, this method not only involves a problem on reliability of the obtained fine structure but also has a possibility that when the plating film is detached from the mold after forming the microprojections with a large aspect ratio, the formed microprojections may be damaged. [0010] Patent Document 4 describes a method with which it is possible to increase hardness of the structure, but it gives no concrete disclosure on the techniques for perfectly filling up the fine and deep cavity without forming defects such as voids or seams in the inside of the mold. [0011] As viewed above, it is difficult with the prior art to provide a fine metal structure having on its surface microprojections of high strength, high precision and large aspect ratio, and a method of producing such a fine structure free of defects. [0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a fine metal structure having its surface furnished with microprojections of high strength, high precision and large aspect ratio, and a process for producing such a fine structure free of defects. [0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide the apparatuses and devices with high precision and high reliability, particularly fine metal molds and nanoimprinters used for nanoimprinting in which a resin or an inorganic material is pressure molded, and electrodes, microchips and DNA chips for converting, producing or defecting the materials by means of an electrochemical reaction. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM [0014] The present invention has been made for solving the above problem, and it provides a fine metal structure having its surface furnished with microprojections, characterized in that the microprojections have a thickness or an eqauivalent diameter ranging from 10 nanometers to 10 micrometers and an aspect ratio of greater than 1. The "aspect ratio" referred to herein is a value defined by the ratio (H/D) of the thickness or equivalent diameter (D) of the microprojections to their height (H). The term "equivalent diameter" is used here because the cross section of the microprojections is not always circular but may be oval, polygonal, asymmetric or of other shapes. In the present invention, this term is used for embracing all of these variety of sectional shape of microprojections. Also, in the present invention, "thickness of microprojections" means the length of the portion smaller in thickness in case the cross section of microprojections is of an elongated shape such as rectangular. It is also a feature of the present invention that the microprojections are made of an alloy having a nonmetallic element as an accessory constituent. [0015] The fine metal structure of the present invention is also characterized by its production process in which a molecular electroless plating catalyst is applied to the surface of a substrate having a fine rugged pattern, then electroless plating is carried out to form a metal layer, and this metal layer is detached from the substrate to effect reversal transfer of the rugged pattern. Continue reading about Fine metal structure, process for producing the same, fine metal mold and device... 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