Imprint apparatus and imprint method, and article manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10105892-B2
Application number	US-201314376334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2013
Priority date	Feb 27, 2012
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

An imprint apparatus is provided with: an application unit; a substrate holding unit including an auxiliary plate; a gas supply unit including multiple supply outlets, which supplies gas to an interstice between a mold and a substrate, in conjunction with movement of a shot region by driving of the substrate holding unit from an application position of the application unit to a pressing position where pressing is conducted, when pressing the mold against an uncured resin applied to the shot region; and a controller which selects a supply outlet to supply the gas so that the supply outlet that supplies the gas among the multiple supply outlets is opposed by either the substrate or the auxiliary plate, while the shot region to which the uncured resin was applied is moved toward the pressing position, and which controls a direction of movement of the shot region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imprint apparatus which molds and cures an uncured resin on a substrate with a mold, and which forms a cured resin pattern on the substrate, the imprint apparatus comprising:
an application unit configured to apply the uncured resin to a shot region on the substrate;
a substrate holding unit configured to hold and move the substrate, the substrate holding unit including an auxiliary plate disposed at a periphery of the substrate and having a surface height aligned with that of the substrate;
a gas supply unit including multiple supply outlets, the gas supply unit being configured to supply a gas to an interstice between the mold and the substrate; and
a controller configured to select a supply outlet, among the multiple supply outlets, to supply the gas so that the selected supply outlet is opposed by either the substrate or the auxiliary plate from when the selected supply outlet initially supplies the gas for the shot region with the uncured resin until the shot region with the uncured resin is moved to a pressing position where pressing of the uncured resin is conducted and to perform control so as to switch supply outlets that supply the gas and a direction of movement of the shot region based on conditions related to a position of the shot region that is subject to the pressing.

2. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the multiple supply outlets include a first supply outlet disposed between an application position of the application unit and the pressing position along the direction of movement of the shot region; and
the conditions relate to a first distance from a trailing edge of the auxiliary plate to the shot region and a second distance from the pressing position where pressing of the uncured resin is conducted to the first supply outlet.

3. The imprint apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform control so as to supply the gas by the first supply outlet when the shot region with the uncured resin is moved to the pressing position, in a case where the first distance is larger than the second distance.

4. The imprint apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform control so as to supply the gas by a second supply outlet among the multiple supply outlets when the shot region with the uncured resin is moved beyond a supply position of the second supply outlet, the direction of movement of the shot region is subsequently reversed, and the shot region is moved to the pressing position, in a case where the first distance is equal to or less than the second distance.

5. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the application unit to apply the uncured resin to a plurality of the shot regions on the substrate, and to cause pressing to be continuously performed on the plurality of shot regions while the gas is supplied to the interstice.

6. An imprint method which molds and cures uncured resin on a substrate with a mold, and which forms a pattern in the cured resin on the substrate, the imprint method comprising:
applying the uncured resin to a shot region on the substrate;
supplying a gas to an interstice between the mold and the substrate, in conjunction with movement of the shot region from a position where the uncured resin was applied to a pressing position where the mold is pressed against the uncured resin that was applied to the shot region; and
selecting a supply outlet that supplies the gas so that either the substrate, or an auxiliary plate disposed at the periphery of the substrate so as to align surface height with the pertinent substrate, opposes the supply outlet that supplies the gas among multiple supply outlets capable of supplying the gas, and the direction of movement of the shot region is controlled.

7. An article manufacturing method, comprising:
forming a imprint material pattern on a substrate using the imprint apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
processing the substrate on which a pattern was formed in the forming.

8. An article manufacturing method, comprising:
forming a imprint material pattern on a substrate using the imprint apparatus according to claim 6 ; and
processing the substrate on which a pattern was formed in the forming.

9. An imprint apparatus which molds and cures an uncured resin on a substrate with a mold, and which forms a cured resin pattern on the substrate, the imprint apparatus comprising:
an application unit configured to apply the uncured resin to a shot region on the substrate;
a substrate holding unit configured to hold and move the substrate, the substrate holding unit including an auxiliary plate disposed at a periphery of the substrate and having a surface height aligned with that of the substrate;
a gas supply unit including multiple supply outlets, the gas supply unit being configured to supply a gas to an interstice between the mold and the substrate; and
a controller configured to select a supply outlet, among the multiple supply outlets, to supply the gas and to control a direction of movement of the shot region based on a relation between a first distance and a second distance, the first distance being a distance from a trailing edge of the auxiliary plate to the shot region, and the second distance being a distance from a pressing position where pressing of the uncured resin is conducted to a first supply outlet,
wherein the multiple supply outlets include the first supply outlet, which is disposed between an application position of the uncured resin and the pressing position, and a second supply outlet disposed on an opposite side of the mold from the first supply outlet.

10. The imprint apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the relation is a magnification relation between the first distance and the second distance.

11. An article manufacturing method, comprising:
forming an imprint material pattern on a substrate using the imprint apparatus according to claim 9 ; and
processing the substrate on which a pattern was formed in the forming.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Nakagawa Kazuki
• Emoto Keiji

Classifications

• B82Y10/00

  Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic · CPC title

• G03F7/0002 Primary

  Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping · CPC title

• B29K2101/00

  Use of unspecified macromolecular compounds as moulding material {(use of unspecified rubbers B29K2021/00)} · CPC title

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title

• B29C39/12 Primary

  Making multilayered or multicoloured articles {(B29C39/021 takes precedence)} · CPC title