Imprinting method, computer program product and apparatus for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017192350-A1
Application number	US-201515129998-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for contacting a relief stamping surface of a flexible stamp with a receiving surface of a substrate. The method and apparatus can be used in an imprinting method. During the method and with the apparatus, creation or breaking of contact near a contact front (border) of a preformed contact area in which a part of a locally bent relief stamping surface is in contact with the stamp receiving surface, the speed of such creation or breaking is varied for different parts of the flexible stamp such that this contact front moves over the stamp receiving surface with different speed at different locations along a contact front movement trajectory on the stamp receiving surface. This may be used to optimize throughput when using such method and apparatus.

First claim

1 . A method for contacting a relief stamping surface of a flexible stamp to a stamp receiving surface of a substrate within an imprint lithography process, comprising:
holding and manipulating the flexible stamp and the substrate such that when the flexible stamp and the substrate are held, the flexible stamp can be locally bent to create, on a part of the stamp receiving surface, a contact area within which a part of the relief stamping surface is in contact with the stamp receiving surface while a further part of the stamping surface is not in contact with the stamp receiving surface, at least a part of the border of the contact area defining a contact front; contacting the relief stamping surface to the stamp receiving surface to create contact near or at the contact front such that the contact front moves with a movement rate along the stamp receiving surface of the substrate along a movement direction substantially perpendicular to the contact front and away from the contact area; and releasing the relief stamping surface from the stamp receiving surface in a contact area to break contact near or at the contact front such that the contact front moves with a movement rate along the stamp receiving surface of the substrate along the stamp receiving surface of the substrate along a movement direction substantially perpendicular to the contact front and towards the contact area, wherein contact is created or broken such that the movement rate has a first constant value over a first predetermined distance along the movement direction, the first predetermined distance including one of the at least two different locations, wherein contact is created or broken such that the movement rate has a second constant value over a second predetermined distance along the movement direction, the second predetermined distance including the other of the at least two different locations, the first constant value being different from the second constant value, and wherein the first predetermined distance corresponds to a dimension of a first area of the relief stamping surface with a first relief topography and the second predetermined distance corresponds to a dimension of a second area of the relief stamping surface with a second relief topography that is different from the first relief topography.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second predetermined distances are retrieved from a lookup table in which values for the first predetermined distance and the second predetermined are stored.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising
inspecting the relief stamping surface to determine the first area and the second area based on relief topography; deriving from the first area the first predetermined distance and from the second area the second predetermined distance along a direction in which movement of the contact front is to occur.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising curing to allow solidification of a resist layer present on or forming the receiving surface of the substrate while the resist layer is in contact with the relief stamping surface.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the movement direction of contacting and releasing are chosen to be any one of the following: the same, opposite to each other, and making an angle towards each other.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising providing a stamp holder for holding the flexible stamp and a plurality of stamp engaging elements, each of the stamp engaging elements being switchable between a first configuration in which the flexible stamp is attached to the stamp holder and a second configuration in which the stamp is released away from the stamp holder, and wherein the method further comprises:
successively switching stamp engagement elements from the first state to the second state for creating contact or breaking contact.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising providing a stamp holder having a stamp engaging surface and a substrate holder having a substrate engaging surface, wherein the stamp engaging surface and the substrate engaging surface are parallel to each other and distanced from each other with a gap.

8 . (canceled)

9 . A control device for controlling an apparatus for contacting a relief stamping surface of a flexible stamp to a stamp receiving surface of a substrate wherein the control device is configured to cause the apparatus to perform acts comprising:
holding and manipulating the flexible stamp and the substrate such that when the flexible stamp and the substrate are held, the flexible stamp can be locally bent to create, on a part of the stamp receiving surface, a contact area within which a part of the relief stamping surface is in contact with the stamp receiving surface while a further part of the stamping surface is not in contact with the stamp receiving surface, at least a part of the border of the contact area defining a contact front; contacting the relief stamping surface to the stamp receiving surface to create contact near or at the contact front such that the contact front moves with a movement rate along the stamp receiving surface of the substrate along a movement direction substantially perpendicular to the contact front and away from the contact area; and releasing the relief stamping surface from the stamp receiving surface in a contact area to break contact near or at the contact front such that the contact front moves with a movement rate along the stamp receiving surface of the substrate along the stamp receiving surface of the substrate along a movement direction substantially perpendicular to the contact front and towards the contact area, wherein contact is created or broken such that the movement rate has a first constant value over a first predetermined distance along the movement direction, the first predetermined distance including one of the at least two different locations, wherein contact is created or broken such that the movement rate has a second constant value over a second predetermined distance along the movement direction, the second predetermined distance including the other of the at least two different locations, the first constant value being different from the second constant value, and wherein the first predetermined distance corresponds to a dimension of a first area of the relief stamping surface with a first relief topography and the second predetermined distance corresponds to a dimension of a second area of the relief stamping surface with a second relief topography that is different from the first relief topography.

10 . (canceled)

11 . The control device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein, the flexible stamp is bent to create, on a part of the stamp receiving surface, a contact area within which a part of the relief stamping surface is in contact with the stamp receiving surface while a further part of the stamping surface is not in contact with the stamp receiving surface, at least a part of the border between the contact area and the non-contact area defining a contact front.

12 . The control device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a stamp holder for holding the flexible stamp and a plurality of stamp engaging elements, each of the stamp engaging elements being switchable between a first configuration in which the flexible stamp is attached to the stamp holder and a second configuration in which the stamp is released from the stamp holder.

13 . The control device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of stamp engaging elements comprises an aperture for providing an underpressure to attach the fle

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Verschuuren Marcus Antonius
• Van Brakel Remco
• Van De Laar Hubertas Wilhelmus Jacobus Jozef

Classifications

• G03F7/0002 Primary

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

• G03F7/70116

  Off-axis setting using a programmable means, e.g. liquid crystal display [LCD], digital micromirror device [DMD] or pupil facets · CPC title

• G03F7/161

  using a previously coated surface, e.g. by stamping or by transfer lamination · CPC title

• G03F1/84

  Inspecting · CPC title