Imprint method for an imprint apparatus which transfers a pattern onto a substrate by using a mold

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9921470-B2
Application number	US-201314379766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2012
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which transfers a pattern onto a substrate by using a mold including a first surface with a pattern region where an unevenness pattern is formed, and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the mold including a first pattern group formed between the second surface and a surface of a convex portion in the unevenness pattern, or on the second surface, the apparatus comprising a second pattern group, a detection unit configured to detect a mark group formed by light having passed through the first pattern group and the second pattern group, and a calculation unit configured to calculate a position deviation between the first pattern group and the second pattern group from the mark group detected by the detection unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imprint method for an imprint apparatus which transfers a device pattern onto a substrate by using a mold,
the mold including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface having a pattern region and a peripheral portion which surrounds the pattern region, the pattern region including convex portions and concave portions configuring the device pattern to be transferred onto the substrate, the peripheral portion including alignment marks to be aligned to marks on the substrate,
the method comprising steps of:
detecting an image formed by light from a first measurement pattern of the mold and a second measurement pattern provided in the imprint apparatus;
calculating a distortion of the pattern region based on the image detected in the step of detecting; and
deforming, based on the distortion calculated in the step of calculating, the mold by applying a force to the mold so as to reduce the distortion,

wherein the first measurement pattern is formed between the second surface and lower surfaces of the convex portions, or on the second surface, such that the first measurement pattern includes a portion overlapping with the convex portions and the concave portions of the device pattern when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the first surface.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first measurement pattern includes a first diffraction grating,
the second measurement pattern includes a second diffraction grating which has a grating pitch different from a grating pitch of the first diffraction grating, and receives light from the first diffraction grating, and
the image includes interference fringes formed by light from the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second diffraction grating is placed at a position optically conjugate to the first diffraction grating.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first measurement pattern includes a first diffraction grating,
the second measurement pattern includes a plurality of second diffraction gratings each having different grating pitch from a grating pitch of the first diffraction grating,
in the step of detecting, a plurality of interference fringes formed by light from each of the plurality of second diffraction gratings and the first diffraction grating are detected, and
in the step of calculating, the distortion is calculated based on the plurality of interference fringes detected in the step of detecting.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first measurement pattern is formed by one of a step and a metal film.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first measurement pattern is formed between the first surface and the second surface by ion implantation.

7. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising steps of measuring a position deviation between the alignment marks of the mold and the marks on the substrate, and aligning the mold and the substrate based on the position deviation measured in the step of measuring.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of detecting, the image is detected in a state in which the mold is pressed against the substrate.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the mold includes a mesa portion having a rectangular shape,
the alignment marks includes at least four alignment marks arranged at the four corners of the mesa portion, and
the device pattern to be transferred onto the substrate is arranged inside the at least four alignment marks.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a test mold is used in the step of detecting, and a mold different from the test mold is used in the step of deforming.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first measurement pattern is formed so as not to overlap with the alignment marks in the peripheral portion when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the first surface.

12. A method of manufacturing an article, the method characterized by comprising:
performing forming a pattern of a resin on a substrate using an imprint method for an imprint apparatus which transfers a device pattern onto a substrate by using a mold; and
processing the substrate, on which the forming has been performed, to manufacture the article,
wherein the mold includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface having a pattern region and a peripheral portion which surrounds the pattern region, the pattern region including convex portions and concave portions configuring the device pattern to be transferred onto the substrate, the peripheral portion including alignment marks to be aligned to marks on the substrate,
wherein the method comprises steps of:
detecting an image formed by light from a first measurement pattern of the mold and a second measurement pattern provided in the imprint apparatus;
calculating a distortion of the pattern region based on the image detected in the step of detecting; and
deforming, based on the distortion calculated in the step of calculating, the mold by applying a force to the mold so as to reduce the distortion,

wherein the first measurement pattern is formed between the second surface and lower surfaces of the convex portions, or on the second surface, such that the first measurement pattern includes a portion overlapping with the convex portions and the concave portions of the device pattern when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the first surface.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Shiode Yoshihiro

Classifications

• B29C2059/023

  Microembossing · CPC title

• B29C59/022

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

• B29C59/002

  Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations · CPC title

• G03F9/7084

  Position of mark on substrate, i.e. position in (x, y, z) of mark, e.g. buried or resist covered mark, mark on rearside, at the substrate edge, in the circuit area, latent image mark, marks in plural levels · CPC title

• G03F9/7073

  Alignment marks and their environment (marks specific to masks G03F1/42; marks specific to molds or stamps G03F7/0002; overlay marks G03F7/70633; marks applied to semiconductor devices H10W46/00) · CPC title