Imprint method, imprint apparatus, and article manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11833720-B2
Application number	US-202117239795-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2021
Priority date	May 1, 2020
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

An imprint method of molding an imprint material on a shot region of a substrate using a mold, includes aligning the shot region and the mold in a state where the imprint material and a pattern region of the mold are in contact with each other; and curing the imprint material by irradiating the imprint material with curing light after the aligning. The aligning is controlled so as to include an overlap period during which a period during which deformation light used to deform the shot region is applied to the substrate through the imprint material and a period during which polymerization light used to increase a viscosity of the imprint material is applied to the imprint material overlap each other. The polymerization light to be applied to the imprint material is controlled in accordance with the deformation light to be applied to the imprint material during the overlap period.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imprint method of molding an imprint material on a shot region of a substrate using a mold, the method comprising:
aligning the shot region and the mold in a state where the imprint material and a pattern region of the mold are in contact with each other; and
curing the imprint material by irradiating the imprint material with curing light after the aligning,
wherein the aligning is controlled so as to include an overlap period during which a period during which deformation light used to deform the shot region is applied to the substrate through the imprint material and a period during which polymerization light used to increase a viscosity of the imprint material is applied to the imprint material overlap each other, and
light amount of the polymerization light to be applied to the imprint material is controlled in accordance with light amount of the deformation light to be applied to the imprint material during the overlap period.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
a wavelength band of the curing light and a wavelength band of the deformation light are different from each other.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein
in a case where both the deformation light and the polymerization light are applied to the imprint material, the viscosity of the imprint material is increased more than in a case in which only the polymerization light out of the deformation light and the polymerization light is applied to the imprint material.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
generating deformation control information used to control irradiation of the deformation light to the substrate; and
generating, based on the deformation control information, polymerization control information used to control irradiation of the polymerization light to the imprint material.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein
in the generating the polymerization control information, the polymerization control information is generated by correcting, based on the deformation control information, reference information set in advance to control the polymerization light.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein
an illuminance of the polymerization light to be applied to the imprint material during the overlap period is based on the deformation control information.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein
the overlap period is based on the deformation control information.

8. The method according to claim 4 , wherein
in the generating the polymerization control information, the polymerization control information is generated based on a value obtained in the shot region by averaging light amounts of the deformation light to be applied to the shot region during the overlap period.

9. The method according to claim 4 , wherein
the deformation control information includes information used to control at least one of an illuminance distribution, an irradiation area, and an irradiation time of the deformation light.

10. The method according to claim 4 , wherein
the deformation control information is information used to control a shape of the shot region so as to make an alignment error between the shot region and the pattern region fall within a target accuracy range, and
the polymerization control information is information used to control irradiation of the polymerization light such that the viscosity of the imprint material reaches a target viscosity.

11. An imprint method of molding an imprint material on a shot region of a substrate using a mold, the method comprising:
aligning the shot region and the mold in a state where the imprint material and a pattern region of the mold are in contact with each other; and
curing the imprint material by irradiating the imprint material with curing light after the aligning,
wherein the aligning is controlled so as to include an overlap period during which a period during which deformation light used to deform the shot region is applied to the substrate through the imprint material and a period during which polymerization light used to increase a viscosity of the imprint material is applied to the imprint material overlap each other, and
the polymerization light to be applied to the imprint material is controlled in accordance with the deformation light to be applied to the imprint material during the overlap period, wherein
the period during which the polymerization light is applied to the imprint material includes a period after the overlap period in addition to the overlap period, and
in the period after the overlap period, a first irradiator applies the polymerization light to the imprint material, and in the overlap period, a second irradiator different from the first irradiator applies the polymerization light to the imprint material.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein
the deformation light is applied to the substrate by the second irradiator.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein
a wavelength band of the deformation light and a wavelength band of the polymerization light in the period after the overlap period are different from each other.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein
the curing light is applied to the imprint material by the first irradiator.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein
the polymerization light during the overlap period is applied to the imprint material through a first passing portion of a shutter plate provided in the first irradiator, and the curing light is applied to the imprint material through a second passing portion of the shutter plate.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein
the curing light is applied to the imprint material by the first irradiator.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein
the polymerization light during the overlap period is applied to the imprint material through a first passing portion of a shutter plate provided in the first irradiator, and the curing light is applied to the imprint material through a second passing portion of the shutter plate.

18. An article manufacturing method comprising:
forming a pattern on a substrate following an imprint method defined in claim 1 ; and
processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the forming,
wherein an article is obtained from the substrate having undergone the processing.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Sekiguchi Hiroyuki
• Kobayashi Kenichi

Classifications

• B29C35/0888 Primary

  using transparant moulds · CPC title

• B29C35/0288 Primary

  Controlling heating or curing of polymers during moulding, e.g. by measuring temperatures or properties of the polymer and regulating the process (controlling or regulating chemical, physical or physico- chemical processes in general B01J19/0006) · CPC title

• B29C59/02

  by mechanical means, e.g. pressing {(B29C59/007 takes precedence; embossing expanded porous articles B29C44/5627)} · CPC title

• B29C59/16

  by wave energy or particle radiation {, e.g. infrared heating (B29C59/007 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G03F7/0002 Primary

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