Method and apparatus to reduce variation of physical attribute of droplets using performance characteristic of dispensers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11927883-B2
Application number	US-201815942121-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2018
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A performance monitor determines a performance characteristic of a plurality of dispensers receiving fluid from a reservoir. Each of the plurality of dispensers has an actuator that, when actuated, causes the each of the dispensers to generate a droplet of the fluid. A driver generates a drive command to the actuator to adjust a physical attribute of the droplet based on the performance characteristic to satisfy a performance criteria.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a performance monitor configured to determine a performance characteristic of a plurality of dispensers receiving fluid from a reservoir, wherein each of the plurality of dispensers has an actuator that, when actuated, causes the each of the dispensers to generate a droplet of the fluid on a semiconductor substrate in a nanoimprint lithography system; and
a driver configured to generate a drive command to the actuator to adjust a physical attribute of the droplet based on the performance characteristic to satisfy a performance criteria related to uniformity of a residual layer thickness,
wherein the drive command is based on feedback information related to variation of the physical attribute,
wherein the variation includes a variance of values representing the physical attribute,
wherein the driver comprises:
an adjustment storage configured to store an adjustment schedule for adjusting the drive command by translating the performance characteristic into values corresponding to the drive command; and
a command generator configured to generate the drive command based on the performance characteristic and the adjustment schedule,

wherein the performance monitor comprises:
a memory configured to store a usage of the plurality of dispensers; and
a rate calculator configured to calculate the utilization rate of a subset of the plurality of dispensers based on the usage, and

wherein the driver generates the drive command corresponding to the utilization rate calculated by the rate calculator based on a correspondence between the utilization rate and the values corresponding to the drive command.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the performance characteristic includes one of a utilization rate of a subset of the plurality of dispensers and a variation of the physical attribute.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the performance monitor comprises:
an attribute converter configured to convert an input to the physical attribute, the input being from at least one of a user interface and an inspection section that inspects the droplet; and
a variation calculator configured to calculate the variation of the physical attribute.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the performance monitor further comprises:
a comparator configured to compare the variation with a performance threshold.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the physical attribute includes one of a size, a diameter, a volume, and a velocity.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive command specifies a control voltage or current to a control circuit that actuates the actuator.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the performance characteristic is a relative utilization of a first group of dispensers within the plurality of dispensers as compared to a nozzle utilization of nozzles in a second group of dispensers in the plurality of dispensers over a dispense rate.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the driver further comprises:
a look-up table containing the correspondence; and
the command generator is further configured to generate the drive command corresponding to the utilization rate calculated by the rate calculator based on the look-up table.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Burns Steven Wayne
• Simpson Logan L
• Traub Matthew C
• Shackleton Adam
• Longsine Whitney
• Snyder Brent Andrew

Classifications

• G03F7/0002 Primary

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

• B29C43/58

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

• B41J2/04508

  aiming at correcting other parameters · CPC title

• B41J2/04541

  Specific driving circuit · CPC title

• B29C2043/5825

  dimensions or shape, e.g. size, thickness · CPC title