Imprinting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11886110-B2
Application number	US-202117209814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2021
Priority date	Mar 27, 2020
Publication date	Jan 30, 2024
Grant date	Jan 30, 2024

Abstract

An imprinting apparatus includes a silicon master and an anti-stick layer coating the silicon master. The silicon master includes a plurality of features positioned at an average pitch of less than about 425 nm, each of the plurality of features comprises a depression having an opening with its largest opening dimension being less than about 300 nm. The anti-stick layer includes a crosslinked silane polymer network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
applying a formulation on a surface of a silicon master including a plurality of features positioned at an average pitch of less than about 425 nm, each of the plurality of features having a largest opening dimension being less than about 300 nm, the formulation including:
a first silane monomer:

 and
a second silane monomer including a hydrolyzable chloride group, the second silane monomer being present in an amount ranging from 0.001 wt % to less than about 1.4 wt % based on a total weight of silanes present in the formulation; and

curing the applied formulation, thereby forming an anti-stick layer.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second silane monomer is:

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the formulation further includes:
i) a dimer including two bonded units of the first silane monomer;
ii) a trimer including three bonded units of the first silane monomer;
iii) a higher molecular species including more than three bonded units of the first silane monomer;
iv) the first silane monomer having at least one hydrolyzed ethoxy group;

or
v) any combination of i), ii), iii), and iv).

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein curing involves:
an incubation process;
a rinsing process after the incubation process; and
a heating process after the rinsing process.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein the incubation process and the heating processes are independently performed at a temperature ranging from about 20° C. to about 250° C., for a time ranging from about 1 minute to about 30 minutes.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising generating the formulation by:
diluting a neat silane material including the first and second silane monomers in a first solvent to form a precursor solution;
exposing the precursor solution to an aqueous, basic solution to generate an aqueous phase and an organic phase, wherein the organic phase includes the first solvent;
removing the aqueous phase;
removing the first solvent from the organic phase to obtain a purified silane material; and
diluting the purified silane material in a second solvent.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the second solvent is an aprotic solvent that i) solvates the purified silane material and ii) has a boiling point ranging from about 50° C. to about 250° C.

8. The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the purified silane material is present in the formulation in an amount ranging from about 1 wt % to about 20 wt %.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein applying the formulation involves spin coating.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein one of:
the formulation is solvent free; or
the formulation includes from about 1 wt % to about 20 wt % of the first silane monomer.

11. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second silane monomer is present in an amount ranging from about 0.28 wt % to about 1.1 wt % based on the total weight of silanes present in the formulation.

12. A method, comprising:
forming an imprinting apparatus by:
depositing a formulation on a silicon master including a plurality of features positioned at an average pitch of less than about 425 nm, each of the plurality of features having a largest opening dimension of less than about 300 nm, and the formulation including:
a first silane monomer:

 and
a second silane monomer including a hydrolyzable chloride group, the second silane monomer being present in an amount ranging from about 0.001 wt % to less than about 1.4 wt % based on a total weight of silanes present in the formulation; and

curing the formulation, thereby forming an anti-stick layer on the silicon master;

depositing a silicon-based working stamp material on the anti-stick layer of the imprinting apparatus;
curing the silicon-based working stamp material to form a working stamp including a negative replica of the plurality of features; and
releasing the working stamp from the imprinting apparatus.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 , wherein curing the formulation involves:
an incubation process;
a rinsing process after the incubation process; and
a heating process after the rinsing process.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein the incubation and heating processes are independently performed at a temperature ranging from about 20° C. to about 250° C., for a time ranging from about 1 minute to about 30 minutes.

15. The method as defined in claim 12 , wherein the silicon-based working stamp material includes a silicon acrylate monomer.

Assignees

• Illumina Inc

Inventors

• Merkel Timothy J
• Wang Ruibo
• Wright Daniel
• Chan Danny Yuan
• Aiyar Avishek
• Ghonge Tanmay
• Brahma Neil
• Pitera Arthur

Classifications

• G03F7/0002 Primary

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

• B29C59/022

  characterised by the disposition or the configuration, e.g. dimensions, of the embossments or the shaping tools therefor · CPC title

• C09D183/14

  in which at least two but not all the silicon atoms are connected by linkages other than oxygen atoms (C09D183/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03F7/162

  Coating on a rotating support, e.g. using a whirler or a spinner · CPC title

• G03F7/168

  Finishing the coated layer, e.g. drying, baking, soaking · CPC title