FINE PATTERNING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF GEL FIRMS DERIVED FROM METHYLTRIETHOXYSILANE AND TETRAETHOXYSILANE

Pregrooves of 1.6 mu m pitch for optical data storage have been emboss ed successfully by pressing a stamper against xCH(3)Si(OC2H5)(3).(100 - x)Si(OC2H5)(4)-derived gel films (60 less than or equal to x less th an or equal to 100 mol%) on glass-disk substrates of 130 mm diameter. When x is <40 mol%, the resultant films are too hard to emboss pattern s uniformly. The shrinkage of the patterns is similar to 4% for all th e films when 60 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 100 mol% , even after heat treatment at 350 degrees C, so that the nearly net n egative shape of the stamper is preserved. The methyl groups in the fi lms decompose at temperatures from 500 degrees to 600 degrees C.