Gradual modification of Nanoimprint Patterns by Oxygen Plasma Treatment

We report on a simple method for inducing physical and chemical property-gradient on nanoimprinted patterns by intensity-regulated plasma treatment under caved sample stage. As for the size gradient, a line pattern having a linewidth of 294.9 nm was etched to have gradually varying width from 277.4 nm to 147.9 nm. Modified pattern was proven to be adaptable to replica stamp for reversal patterning. To investigate the wettability gradient, imprinted nanopatterns were coated with fluoroalkylsilane to increase the hydrophobicity, and the surface was modified to have gradually varying wettability from hydrophobic to hydrophilic (contact angle was ${\sim}160^{\circ}$ to ${\sim}5^{\circ}$ on a single chip). This method is expected to be applicable to the selective adsorption of biological entities and hydrodynamic manipulation of liquid droplets for the pumpless microfluidics.