-A-
Areal Density
Also called bit density. The amount of data that can be packed onto a storage medium. Areal densities are generally measured in gigabits per square inch.
-B-
Bit Patterned Media (BPM)
In conventional media, the magnetic recording layer is a thin film of a magnetic alloy, which forms a pattern of nanometer-scale grains which behave as independent magnetic elements. Each recorded bit is made up of many of these random grains. In bit patterned media, the magnetic layer is created as an ordered array of highly uniform islands, typically printed with nanoimprint lithography, each island capable of storing an individual bit.
-C-
CMOS
Complementary metal oxide semiconductor. The most popular and widely use technology for producing semiconductor integrated circuits. The word "complementary" refer to the fact that the typical digital design style with CMOS uses complementary pairs of p-type and n-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) for logic functions.
Cost of Ownership (CoO)
Estimate of all direct and indirect costs associated with an asset or acquisition over its entire life cycle. It is frequently used to financially contrast alternative capital equipment acquisitions by including not only the capital cost but labor, materials, maintenance, uptime, etc.
-D-
Discrete Track Recording (DTR)
DTR technology involves increasing recording density by forming, typically with nanoimprint lithography, a physical, one-dimensional, separation between the tracks on a magnetic disk. This “groove” reduces signal interference between adjacent data tracks, allowing the pitch of the tracks to be shortened.
Discrete Track Media (DTM)
A frequently used synonym for DTR.
-E-
Equipment Front End Module (EFEM)
Equipment Front End Module is a term used to describe semiconductor (and related high volume, automated microelectronic products) automation, and the movement of wafers, masks, magnetic media, or other substrates between ultra-clean storage carriers and/or a variety of processing, measurement and testing systems.
Extreme Ultraviolet Light (EUV)
Wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum generally considered to span from 120 nm down to 10 nm, and often referred to as "soft X-ray". EUV lithography has been considered a potential successor to optical lithography.
-H-
HDD
Hard Disk Drive. A hard disk drive is a non-volatile storage device that stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces.
Haze
A smoky or cloudy film on the surface of the glass or other transparent substrate. In lithography, haze has been found to occur on pellicle films after frequent exposure to deep ultraviolet wavelengths such as 248 or 193nm.
-I-
Imprio®
Molecular Imprints’ family of Step and Repeat lithography systems typically used in semiconductor applications which have stringent overlay requirements.
IntelliJet™ Drop Pattern Generator
IntelliJet is a proprietary inkjet technology used by Molecular Imprints in the J-FIL process. Intellijet deposits picoliter size droplets in a consistent and uniform pattern on a substrate.
Iron Oxide
The most common magnetic constituent of a particulate magnetic coating.
-J-
Jet and Flash™ Imprint Lithography (J-FIL™)
J-FIL is an acronym for Jet and Flash Imprint Lithography, a process conceptually based on the ancient art of embossing and updated for the nano-world. The J-FIL process uses a low viscosity resist and capillary forces to form the nano-features of a mask/template, instead of heat and pressure used by older imprint technologies.
LED
Light Emitting Diode
-M-
Mask
A mask is a traditionally an opaque plate with holes or transparencies that allow light to shine through in a defined pattern. In imprint, the defined pattern is etched into the plate itself, allowing resist to fill the etched areas.
Monomat™
Molecular Imprints’ proprietary low viscosity resist that is dispensed by IntelliJet via a multi-nozzle picoliter inkjet.
Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL)
A low cost, high throughput, high resolution method of fabricating nanometer scale patterns. Patterns are created by mechanical formation of imprint resist and subsequent processes.
Nanometer (nm)
One billionth of a meter, 10-9 m [nm]; terms such as nanoelectronics, nanomachining, nanotechnology, nanofabrication refer to this size scale.
-O-
Orange Peel
Refers to the appearance of an epoxy coated disk with small irregularities in coating thickness resembling, an orange peel texture.
Orientation
A term used to describe the process of aligning the magnetic particles of a particulate media in a specific direction. This is done by applying a strong magnetic field to the revolving disk before hardening the epoxy binder to its final setting.
-P-
Patterned Media
A hard disk drive storage technology that uses individual patterned track or bit features to increase areal density for higher storage capacity.
Perfecta™
Molecular Imprints’ family of mask and template replication systems, where a generally expensive electron beam generated “master” mask is replicated to hundreds or thousands of low cost “working” masks and templates. The TR1100 Template Replication System is the first in the family, with a mask replication system due in 2010.
Photoresist
An chemical material that is applied to a semiconductor (or other patternable substrate) wafer, which is sensitive to light. It is exposed, typically via a mask, which either solubilizes to de-solubilizes the resist, enabling the next stage in the fabrication process, generally etching or deposition. It is then removed, a process called stripping.
Picoliter
One trillionth of a liter.
Pico Jetting
The process of spraying liquid resist in droplets that measure in picoliters.
-R-
RelMat ™
Robust and high performance release materials that facilitate clean separation at the cured resist/mask interface and are critical components of our materials family.
-S-
Sputtering
The process of depositing a target material on the surface of a disk or wafer, via discharge of plasma.
-T-
Tear-Outs
Microscopic removal of cured resist which over-adheres to a mask or template during removal, generally considered a defect.
Template
Glass or silicon object with nanofeatures that is used to faithfully and cost-effectively recreate nanofeatures on a substrate such as a magnetic disk, or other full-sized substrates.
Transpin™
Molecular Imprints’ proprietary spin-coated adhesion layer which improves resist adhesion.
Valmat™
Molecular Imprints’ proprietary vapor coated adhesion layer which improves resist adhesion.
-Z-
Z-head (or Imprint Head)
A one degree of freedom mechanical sub-system providing a mounting structure for the template holding and leveling apparatus, and a motor driven z-axis located perpendicular to the water top service. This sub-system provides the axis of motion used to generate the imprint force.
