Contact angles in a thermal imprint process

In a thermal imprint process, contact angles may evolve in two situations, between the stamp and the polymer, when a cavity remains unfilled, or, in cases where the polymer locally dewets the substrate, between the substrate and the polymer. For two polymers of different polarity, such contact angles are determined experimentally and compared to values calculated from surface energy data. In doing so, the specific temperature dependence of surface energies of a thermoplastic polymer as well as the typical course of an imprint process, where cooling times often exceed the imprint times, are considered. The differences between experimental and theoretical values are critically discussed. The results indicate that the respective adhesive layers govern the surface status of the substrate and the stamp as well.