Imprint apparatus, imprint method, method of manufacturing article, determination method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022324158-A1
Application number	US-202217709885-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2022
Priority date	Apr 8, 2021
Publication date	Oct 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides an imprint apparatus that forms a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, the apparatus comprising: a supplier configured to supply the imprint material as a plurality of droplets onto the substrate; and a controller configured to control the supplier based on information indicating a target arrangement of the imprint material to be supplied as the plurality of droplets onto a predetermined region of the substrate, wherein the plurality of droplets in the target arrangement include a first droplet group including a plurality of first droplet arrays, a second droplet group including a plurality of second droplet arrays, and a third droplet array.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An imprint apparatus that forms a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, the apparatus comprising:
a supplier configured to supply the imprint material as a plurality of droplets onto the substrate; and a controller configured to control the supplier based on information indicating a target arrangement of the imprint material to be supplied as the plurality of droplets onto a predetermined region of the substrate, wherein the plurality of droplets in the target arrangement include
a first droplet group including a plurality of first droplet arrays, each of the plurality of first droplet arrays consisting of droplets arrayed at a first pitch in a first direction along a side of the predetermined region, the plurality of first droplet arrays being arranged at a second pitch in a second direction different from the first direction,
a second droplet group including a plurality of second droplet arrays, each of the plurality of second droplet arrays consisting of droplets arrayed at the first pitch in the first direction, the plurality of second droplet arrays being arranged at the second pitch in the second direction, and
a third droplet array consisting of droplets arrayed at the first pitch in the first direction,
wherein the second droplet group is arranged while being shifted, with respect to the first droplet group, by a first distance in the first direction and by a second distance in the second direction, the first distance being smaller than the first pitch, and the second distance being half the second pitch, and wherein the third droplet array is arranged while being shifted, with respect to a specific droplet array which is the first droplet array closest to the side in the first droplet group, by the first distance in the first direction, and a distance between the specific droplet array and the third droplet array in the second direction is smaller than the second distance.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the third droplet array is arranged at the same position as the specific droplet array in the second direction.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the third droplet array is arranged at a position closer to the side than the specific droplet array in the second direction.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the third droplet array is arranged at a position farther from the side than the specific droplet array in the second direction.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the specific droplet array is arranged so as to be spaced apart from the side by a predetermined distance in the second direction, and the predetermined distance is within a range of ½ to 1 times the second pitch.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the third droplet array is arranged so as to be spaced apart from the side by a distance of at least ¼ the second pitch.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the specific droplet array is arranged so as to be spaced apart from the side by a distance of ¾ the second pitch.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the third droplet array is arranged so as to be spaced apart from the side by a distance of at least ¼ the second pitch.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first distance is half the first pitch.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the second direction is a direction perpendicular to the first direction.

11 . A method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising:
forming a pattern on a substrate by using an imprint apparatus according to claim 1 ; processing the substrate, on which the pattern has been formed, to manufacture the article.

12 . An imprint method of forming a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, the method comprising:
supplying the imprint material onto the substrate based on information indicating a target arrangement of the imprint material to be supplied as a plurality of droplets onto a predetermined region of the substrate; and forming the pattern of the imprint material on the substrate by bringing the mold into contact with the imprint material supplied onto the substrate, wherein the plurality of droplets in the target arrangement include
a first droplet group including a plurality of first droplet arrays, each of the plurality of first droplet arrays consisting of droplets arrayed at a first pitch in a first direction along a side of the predetermined region, the plurality of first droplet arrays being arranged at a second pitch in a second direction different from the first direction,
a second droplet group including a plurality of second droplet arrays, each of the plurality of second droplet arrays consisting of droplets arrayed at the first pitch in the first direction, the plurality of second droplet arrans being arranged at the second pitch in the second direction, and
a third droplet array consisting of droplets arrayed at the first pitch in the first direction,
wherein the second droplet group is arranged while being shifted, with respect to the first droplet group, by a first distance in the first direction and by a second distance in the second direction, the first distance being smaller than the first pitch, and the second distance being half the second pitch, and wherein the third droplet array is arranged while being shifted, with respect to a specific droplet array which is the first droplet array closest to the side in the first droplet group, by the first distance in the first direction, and a distance between the specific droplet array and the third droplet array in the second direction is smaller than the second distance.

13 . A determination method of determining, in order to form a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, a target arrangement of the imprint material to be supplied as a plurality of droplets onto a predetermined region of the substrate, the method comprising
determining the target arrangement such that the plurality of droplets include a first droplet group including a plurality of first droplet arrays, a second droplet group including a plurality of second droplet arrays, and a third droplet array, wherein in the first droplet group, each of the plurality of first droplet arrays consists of droplets arrayed at a first pitch in a first direction along a side of the predetermined region, and the plurality of first droplet arrays are arranged at a second pitch in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein in the second droplet group, each of the plurality of second droplet arrays consists of droplets arrayed at the first pitch in the first direction, and the plurality of second droplet arrays are arranged at the second pitch in the second direction, wherein the third droplet array consists of droplets are arrayed at the first pitch in the first direction, wherein the second droplet group is arranged while being shifted, with respect to the first droplet group, by a first distance in the first direction and by a second distance in the second direction, the first distance being smaller than the first pitch, and the second distance being half the second pitch, and wherein the third droplet array is arranged while being shifted, with respect to a specific droplet array which is the first droplet array closest to the side in the first droplet group, by the first distance in the first direction, and a distance between the specific droplet array and the third droplet array in the second direction is smaller than the second distance.

14 . A non-transitory

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Nishida Toshihiko

Classifications

• G03F7/0002 Primary

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

• G03F7/161

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

• B29L2031/34

  Electrical apparatus, e.g. sparking plugs or parts thereof · CPC title

• B29C31/048

  the material being severed at the dispensing head exit, e.g. as ring, drop or gob, and transported immediately into the mould, e.g. by gravity · CPC title

• B29C59/026 Primary

  of layered or coated substantially flat surfaces · CPC title