Nickel micro-pillar mold produced by pulse and pulse-reverse current electrodeposition for nanoimprint lithography

In this work, we studied the effect of pulse (PC) and pulse-reverse current (PRC) on the microstructure and nanomechanical responses of the individual micro-pillars of electrodeposited nickels. It was found that the PC produced a heterogeneous microstructure consisted of coarser columnar grains and a multitude of nanocrystals, whereas PRC resulted in a homogeneous nano-grain distribution due to disrupted grain growth and facilitated nucleation. The nickel micro-pillar with uniform nanocrystalline texture also exhibited enhanced hardness and plasticity. The micro-patterned metal sheets with a combination of high mechanical strength, good ductility, and flexibility are achievable when PRC is implemented in the electrodeposition program for imprint lithography applications.