Apparatus including a substrate chuck, a dispenser, and a planarization head and methods of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025239471-A1
Application number	US-202519176771-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 11, 2025
Priority date	Dec 21, 2021
Publication date	Jul 24, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus includes a first substrate chuck configured to hold a first substrate, a second substrate chuck configured to hold a second substrate, and a dispenser configured to dispense a formable material onto the first substrate while the first substrate overlies the first substrate chuck and to dispensing the formable material onto the second substrate while the second substrate overlies the second substrate chuck. A method of forming a planarization layer on a substrate can use the apparatus. A method of making an article can include the method of forming the planarization layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a first substrate chuck configured to hold a first substrate; a second substrate chuck configured to hold a second substrate; a dispenser that is part of a dispensing station, configured to dispense a formable material onto the first substrate while the first substrate overlies the first substrate chuck and to dispense the formable material onto the second substrate while the second substrate overlies the second substrate chuck; a first planarization head that is part of a first planarization station, configured to planarize the formable material on the first substrate while the first substrate overlies the first substrate chuck; and a second planarization head that is part of a second planarization station, configured to planarize the formable material on the second substrate while the second substrate overlies the second substrate chuck, wherein the first substrate chuck is configured to move from the dispensing station to the first planarization station, and the second substrate chuck is configured to move from the dispensing station to the second planarization station.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a load station, wherein:
from a top view, the dispensing station is disposed between the loading station and the first planarization head.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a load station, wherein:
from a top view, the first planarization head is disposed between the loading station and the dispensing station.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a dispenser conveyor coupled to the dispenser, wherein:
the first substrate chuck is configured to move along a first axis, the second substrate chuck is configured to move along a second axis, and the dispenser conveyor is configured to move the dispenser along a third axis that is different from each of the first axis and the second axis.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first substrate stage coupled to the first substrate chuck, wherein the first substrate stage is configured to move the first substrate from a first substrate position to a second substrate position; and a second substrate stage coupled to the second substrate chuck, wherein the second substrate stage is configured to move the second substrate from a third substrate position to a fourth substrate position.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a dispenser conveyor coupled to the dispenser, wherein:
the first substrate stage is configured to move the first substrate chuck along a first axis, the second substrate stage is configured to move the second substrate chuck along a second axis, and the dispenser conveyor is configured to move the dispenser along a third axis that is different from each of the first axis and the second axis.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the third axis is within 1 degree of being orthogonal to the first axis or the second axis.

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first substrate chuck is configured to move during dispensing, and the dispenser is configured to remain stationary during dispensing.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first substrate chuck is configured to remain stationary during dispensing, and the dispenser is configured to move during dispensing.

10 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the dispenser has a length and a width, where the length is greater than the width, and the length is oriented along a fourth axis.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the fourth axis is within 1 degree of being orthogonal to the first axis or the second axis.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , where the fourth axis is within 1 degree of being parallel to the first axis or the second axis.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser comprises a plurality of dispensing heads.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a substrate conveyor configured to:
move the first substrate over the first substrate chuck and remove the first substrate from the first substrate chuck, and move the second substrate over the second substrate chuck and remove the second substrate from the second substrate chuck.

15 . A method, comprising:
placing a first substrate on a first substrate chuck; dispensing a formable material onto the first substrate while the first substrate is over the first substrate chuck; contacting the formable material with a first superstrate while the formable material is on the first substrate, and the first substrate is over the first substrate chuck; curing the formable material over the first substrate to form a first planarization layer; placing a second substrate on a second substrate chuck; dispensing the formable material onto the second substrate while the second substrate is over the second substrate chuck; contacting the formable material with a second superstrate while the formable material is on the second substrate, and the second substrate is over the second substrate chuck; and curing the formable material over the second substrate to form a second planarization layer, wherein:
dispensing the formable material onto the first substrate and dispensing the formable material onto the second substrate are performed using a same dispenser that is part of a dispensing station,
contacting the formable material with the first superstrate is performed using a first planarization head that is part of a first planarization station, and
contacting the formable material with the second superstrate is performed using a second planarization head that is part of a second planarization station.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
moving the first substrate along a first axis from a first dispensing station to the first planarization station; moving the second substrate along a second axis from a second dispensing station to the second planarization station; and moving the dispenser along a third axis from the first dispensing station to the second dispensing station.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the third axis is within 1 degree of being orthogonal to the first axis or the second axis.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
curing the formable material over the first substrate comprises exposing the formable material to an actinic radiation while the formable material is in contact with the first substrate and the first superstrate, and the first substrate is over the first substrate chuck, and the method further comprises separating the first superstrate from the formable material after exposing the formable material to the actinic radiation.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein, during dispensing the formable material over the first substrate:
the first substrate moves, and the dispenser remains stationary, or the dispenser moves, and the first substrate remains stationary.

20 . A method of making an article, comprising:
forming the first planarization layer over the first substrate by using the method of claim 15 ; and processing the first substrate to complete formation of the article.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ozturk Ozkan
• Aghili Alireza

Classifications

• H10P95/06 Primary

  Planarisation of inorganic insulating materials · CPC title

• H10P72/0448 Primary

  Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0428

  Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting · CPC title

• H10P14/6536

  by exposure to radiation, e.g. visible light · CPC title

• H10P72/0451 Primary

  Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations · CPC title