  We present here a novel resist formulation with active thiol groups at the
surface. The material is UV curable, and can be patterned at the micro- and
nanoscale by UV nanoimprint lithography. The resist formulation development,
its processing, patterning and surface characterization are presented here. In
addition, a possible application, including its use to modify the electrical
properties of graphene devices is shown. The cured material is highly
transparent, intrinsically hydrophilic and can be made more hydrophilic
following a UV-ozone or an O2 plasma activation. We evaluated the
hydrophilicity of the polymer for different polymer formulations and curing
conditions. In addition, a protocol for patterning of the polymer in the micro
and nanoscale by nanoimprinting is given and preliminary etching rates together
with the polymer selectivity are measured. The main characteristic and unique
advantage of the polymer is that it has thiol functional groups at the surface
and in the bulk after curing. These groups allow for direct surface
modifications with thiol-based chemistry e.g., thiol-ene reactions. We prove
the presence of the thiol groups by Raman spectroscopy and perform a thiol-ene
reaction to show the potential of the easy click chemistry. This opens the way
for very straightforward surface chemistry on nanoimprinted polymer samples.
Furthermore, we show how the polymer improves the electrical properties of a
graphene field effect transistor, allowing for optimal performance at ambient
conditions.
