Imprint apparatus and method of manufacturing article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10018909-B2
Application number	US-201314373533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2013
Priority date	Feb 7, 2012
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which performs an imprint process of transferring a pattern onto a substrate, the apparatus comprising a deforming unit configured to deform the pattern surface by applying a force to the mold, an obtaining unit configured to obtain thickness information of the mold, a calculation unit configured to calculate a force to be applied to the mold based on the thickness information of the mold obtained by the obtaining unit, so that the pattern surface has a target shape in the imprint process, and a control unit configured to control the deforming unit to apply the force calculated by the calculation unit to the mold in the imprint process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imprint apparatus which forms a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold having a pattern surface on which a pattern is formed, the apparatus comprising:
an obtaining unit configured to specify the mold to be used to form the pattern of the imprint material on the substrate among a plurality of molds having the same pattern and to obtain thickness information of the specified mold;
a calculation unit configured to calculate a force to be applied to a surface of the specified mold such that the pattern surface is deformed to a convex surface, based on the thickness information of the specified mold obtained by the obtaining unit; and
a deforming unit configured to deform the pattern surface of the specified mold by applying the force calculated by the calculation unit from an outside of the specified mold to the surface such that the pattern surface forms the convex surface that bulges toward the substrate.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a measuring unit configured to measure a thickness of the specified mold,
wherein the obtaining unit obtains the thickness information from the thickness of the specified mold measured by the measuring unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage unit configured to store a correspondence between the plurality of molds and the thickness information of each of the plurality of molds,
wherein the obtaining unit specifies the mold to be used to form the pattern of the imprint material on the substrate among the plurality of molds, and obtains the thickness information of the specified mold based on the correspondence stored in the storage unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the calculation unit calculates, without using an arithmetic expression, the force to be applied to the surface of the specified mold based on a correspondence between the thickness information of the specified mold and the force to be applied to the surface of the specified mold such that the pattern surface is deformed to the convex surface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the surface of the specified mold includes an opposite surface which is opposite to the pattern surface, and
wherein the deforming unit deforms the pattern surface of the specified mold by applying the force calculated by the calculation unit to the opposite surface such that the pattern surface forms the convex surface that bulges toward the substrate.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the surface of the specified mold includes a side surface of the specified mold, and
wherein the deforming unit deforms the pattern surface of the specified mold by applying the force calculated by the calculation unit to the side surface of the specified mold such that the pattern surface forms the convex surface that bulges toward the substrate.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the imprint material on the substrate is cured while the specified mold is brought in contact with the imprint material, and
wherein the specified mold is separated from the cured imprint material on the substrate while the force calculated by the calculation unit is applied to the surface of the specified mold after curing the imprint material.

8. An imprint apparatus which forms a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold having a pattern surface on which a pattern is formed, the apparatus comprising:
a storage unit configured to store a correspondence between a plurality of molds having the same pattern and a force to be applied to a surface of each of the plurality of molds having the same pattern so that the pattern surface is deformed to a convex surface;
an obtaining unit configured to specify a mold to be used to form the pattern of the imprint material on the substrate among the plurality of molds having the same pattern, and obtain a force to be applied to the surface of the specified mold based on the correspondence stored in the storage unit; and
a deforming unit configured to deform the pattern surface by applying the force obtained by the obtaining unit from outside of the specified mold to the surface such that the pattern surface forms the convex surface that bulges toward the substrate.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Arai Tsuyoshi

Classifications

• G11B5/84

  Processes or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing record carriers · CPC title

• B29C43/58 Primary

  Measuring, controlling or regulating {(for bank adjustment in calendering B29C43/245)} · CPC title

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title

• B41L19/00

  Duplicating or printing apparatus or machines for office or other commercial purposes, of special types or for particular purposes and not otherwise provided for (addressographs B41L45/00) · CPC title

• B29C43/00

  Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor {(by liberation of internal stresses B29C61/006)} · CPC title