JP2011000885A - Device and method of manufacturing stamp for imprint or roll-print lithography - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device and method of manufacturing a stamp for printing, using a vacuum chamber and a rear face support body adsorbing method.SOLUTION: The manufacturing device includes: the vacuum chamber 10 comprising a space connected to a vacuum generating device and opened/closed; a master mold 20 positioned on the lower side of the vacuum chamber 10 and having a mold pattern on the upper face; a rear face support body attachment chuck 30 positioned on the upper side of the vacuum chamber 10 vertically movably and detaching/attaching a rear face support body; and a control part (a) making inside of the vacuum chamber 10 become a vacuum state by the vacuum generating device, (b) moving the rear face support body attachment chuck 30 downwardly with the rear face support body attached to the attachment chuck 30 to attach the rear face support body to the stamp formed on the upper face of the master mold 20 and (c) moving the rear face support body attachment chuck 30 upwardly with the rear face support body detached from the attachment chuck 30 in the vacuum state or the vacuum release state.

Description

  The present invention relates to an imprint or roll-print lithography stamp manufacturing apparatus and method. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing a stamp used in pattern formation by a printing lithography method, and it is possible to manufacture a stamp with excellent performance by improving the manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of a stamp used in a printing process. Thus, a printing stamp manufacturing method and a manufacturing method capable of forming a more excellent fine pattern at the time of forming a fine pattern by a printing process, and realizing a reduction in manufacturing cost and an improvement in productivity by simplifying the process. It relates to the device.

  In general, a micropattern forming process applied to information storage, small sensors, photonic crystals and optical elements, microelectromechanical elements, display elements, displays, and semiconductors is performed by photolithography that forms a micropattern using light. ) Process. However, as the size of LCD (liquid crystal display) substrates increases, the pattern size becomes finer, and the price competitiveness of each field increases, the need for an innovative new concept lithography process has increased. In other words, the existing photolithography process requires exposure, post-exposure bake, development, post-development bake, etching process, cleaning process, etc. every time a pattern is formed, resulting in a long process time and several photo processes. There is a problem that productivity is lowered because the process must be repeated. In addition, as the pattern becomes more miniaturized, it is necessary to switch expensive equipment such as exposure equipment, so the investment cost increases, the price of high-resolution masks soars and efficiency drops, and this problem eventually increases in cost. Was another factor that caused.

  Therefore, imprint and roll-print lithography methods have been proposed as methods for solving such problems. First, imprint lithography is a method that was first invented by Stephen Chou et al. Of Princeton University in the United States to imprint nanoscales on the surface of a relatively strong inorganic or polymer surface. A necessary pattern is prepared in advance, and this is pressed onto another material to form a fine pattern. Specifically, a desired fine pattern is fused with a curable composition coated on a metal film or an organic film using an inorganic material or a polymer stamp, and the pattern is formed by heat curing or photocuring. This is a method of forming, and has advantages for process simplification and fine pattern formation as compared with existing photolithography methods. A stamp plays a role of a conventional mask in such imprint lithography. The role of the stamp in the imprint process is a core part of the imprint process technology, and in order to form a pattern of a desired form, the stamp of the desired form is basically manufactured by performing the imprint process. Pattern formation is possible.

  In addition, roll-printing is a technology that is a further advancement of existing printing technology, and forms a fine pattern using a printing method using a roll on which a pattern is imprinted and a substrate on which a pattern is imprinted on a roll having no pattern. There is a way to do it. In such a roll-printing method, a stamp for transferring each material to the next process is used. Even in the roll-printing method, it is possible to form a pattern with excellent performance on the premise of manufacturing an excellent stamp as in the imprint process.

  Such an imprint and roll-print lithography process is simpler than photolithography, and an exposure process, which is an expensive process, is not necessary, so that the equipment is simple. In addition, the reduction in the number of processes dramatically reduces the clean room space and enables the realization of fine patterns with less expensive equipment than existing processes, so it has excellent price competitiveness. It is presented as an important core technology in alternative methods of future patterning technology.

  Such imprint and roll-print lithography methods can be applied to FED (Field Emission Display), OLED (ElectroLuminescent), PDP (Plasma Display Panel), and Solar cell devices. The manufacturing process is also simplified in the field, and it is expected that the accuracy of the pattern will be ensured even after repeated printing.

  Here, in the imprint and roll-print lithography methods, a fine pattern may be formed by a printing process after creating a stamp instead of a high-resolution mask used when forming a pattern by existing photolithography. it can. A stamp used in such a printing method can be manufactured by various methods. However, the existing stamp manufacturing method has complicated processes and poor productivity, and the physical properties of the stamp such as the flatness of the stamp and the total pitch are not smoothly realized, and there are many restrictions on pattern formation during the printing process.

  For this reason, the development of a new form of imprint and roll-print stamp manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus that solves such problems of the prior art is eagerly desired.

  In order to solve such problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a stamp used for patterning for imprint or roll-print lithography. An object of the present invention is to provide a stamp used in a pattern formation process by printing lithography in the LCD, PDP, OLED, and solar cell industries, thereby improving stamp performance, process improvement, and manufacturing cost. Further, by performing the printing process using the stamp according to the present invention, it is possible to realize further excellent pattern formation.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
A vacuum chamber comprising a space connected to a vacuum generator and opened and closed;
A master mold located at the bottom of the vacuum chamber and having a mold pattern on the upper surface;
A rear support attachment chuck that is positioned on the upper part of the vacuum chamber so as to be vertically movable and removes / attaches the rear support;
(A) The inside of the vacuum chamber is evacuated by the vacuum generator, and (b) the adhesion chuck is moved downward with the rear surface support attached to the rear surface support adhesion chuck. The rear support is attached to a stamp formed on the upper surface of the mold, and (c) the attachment in a state where the rear support is detached from the rear support attachment chuck in the vacuum state or the vacuum is removed. And an imprinting or roll-printing lithography stamp manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a control unit configured to move an operation chuck upward.

The present invention also provides:
(A) A chuck for applying a rear surface support to the upper surface of a master mold located at the lower portion of the vacuum chamber and having a mold pattern on the upper surface, and removing / attaching the rear surface support located at the upper portion of the vacuum chamber. Attaching a back support; and
(B) a step of evacuating the inside of the vacuum chamber with a vacuum generator;
(C) Adhering the rear support to a stamp formed on the upper surface of the master mold by moving the adhesion chuck downward with the rear support attached to the rear support adhesion chuck. Process,
(D) moving the adhesion chuck upward with the rear surface support attached / detached from the rear surface support adhesion chuck with the vacuum state or the vacuum released. A method for producing a stamp for imprint or roll-print lithography is provided.

  According to the imprint or roll-print lithography stamp manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of the present invention, a stamp having excellent physical properties such as flatness, excellent pattern shape, and total pitch as compared with an existing printing stamp. To provide an imprint and roll-print stamp manufacturing method and apparatus capable of manufacturing, minimizing the occurrence of pattern defects during the printing process, improving yield, and improving process efficiency. Thus, an excellent printing process can be performed by supplying a stable stamp to various printing processes.

1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of an imprint or roll-print lithography stamp manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. It is drawing which showed typically the operation example of one Example regarding the stamp manufacturing apparatus for imprint or roll-print lithography of this invention. It is drawing which showed typically the operation example of the other Example regarding the stamp manufacturing apparatus for imprint or roll-print lithography of this invention. It is drawing which showed typically the operation example of the other Example regarding the stamp manufacturing apparatus for imprint or roll-print lithography of this invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The present invention relates to an imprint or roll-print lithography stamp manufacturing apparatus, which is connected to a vacuum generator 2 and includes a vacuum chamber 10 formed by a space that is opened and closed, and a mold pattern located on a lower surface of the vacuum chamber 10. A master mold 20 having an upper surface of the vacuum chamber 10 and a chuck 30 for attaching / removing the rear support (B) to / from the rear support (B), and (a) the vacuum chamber 10. The inside is evacuated by the vacuum generator 2, and (b) the attachment chuck 30 is moved downward with the rear support (B) attached to the rear support attachment chuck 30. The rear support (B) is attached to the stamp (S) formed on the upper surface of the master mold 20, and (c) the vacuum state or Wherein in a state in which the vacuum was released, configured to include a control unit to allow moving said attachment chuck 30 in a state in which desorbed rear support (B) from the rear support attached chuck 30 upward.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a specific example relating to this is connected to a normal vacuum generator composed of a rotary pump, a diffusion pump, or a combination thereof, and (a) in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1 (b), a back support and an opening / closing port through which a material for forming a stamp can enter and exit are provided, or the chamber itself is separated / coupled up and down as shown in FIG. 1 (b). And a vacuum chamber that places the sealed space in a vacuum state by operation of the vacuum generator when the space is closed.

  A master mold 20 having a mold pattern on its upper surface is coupled to the lower portion of the vacuum chamber, as shown in a specific example in FIG. 1, and a rear surface coupled to the rear surface of the stamp is disposed on the upper portion of the vacuum chamber. The rear support attachment chuck 30 for removing / attaching the support is coupled. Here, the rear surface support attachment chuck is coupled to the vacuum chamber so as to be movable up and down, and is moved up and down under the control of a control unit described later.

  The master mold 20 may be an integral mold having a mold pattern on the upper surface, and a predetermined pattern is formed on the master jig (jig) or a desired shape is formed as shown in the figure. It can also be configured in the form of an assembly in which a master is installed.

  The rear support attachment chuck 30 is a chuck that attaches to and removes the rear support that serves as a support by being coupled to a stamp. Various chucks may be used depending on the attachment / detachment method. Electrostatic chucks that are attached and detached using a vacuum or adhesive chucks that are attached and detached using a vacuum suction method are applied to the rear support because less stress is generated on the rear support, and more preferably additional stress on the rear support. It is preferable to use an electrostatic chuck in which the generation is minimized.

  Such a vacuum chamber, a master mold, and an adhesion chuck are controlled by the control unit (a) the inside of the vacuum chamber is evacuated by the vacuum generator, and (b) the rear surface support is adhered to the rear surface support adhesion chuck. In the state, the attachment chuck is moved downward to attach the rear support to the stamp formed on the upper surface of the master mold, and (c) in the vacuum state or in the state where the vacuum is removed, An operation is performed to move the attachment chuck upward with the rear support attached to or detached from the rear support attachment chuck. Specific examples of this are shown in FIGS.

  That is, in a manufacturing apparatus equipped with a vacuum chamber, a master mold, and an adhesion chuck, a stamp (S) and a rear support (B) are formed on each of the master mold and the adhesion chuck, and the vacuum chamber is closed to provide a sealed space. After the vacuum chamber is formed, the inside of the vacuum chamber is evacuated, and the attachment chuck is moved downward with the rear support attached to the rear support attachment chuck. The rear support is attached to a stamp formed on the upper surface of the master mold. Next, (i) in a state where the vacuum state is maintained as it is, the rear support is detached from the rear support attachment chuck and only the attachment chuck is moved upward, or (ii) After releasing the vacuum and bringing the chamber to a normal pressure state, the rear support is detached from the rear support attachment chuck, and only the attachment chuck is moved upward.

  This minimizes the stress applied to the back support in a vacuum and allows the back support and the stamp to be joined so that the bond between them remains evenly and with less additional stress generation. It is possible to maintain the physical properties such as the flatness, the preservation of the pattern shape, the total pitch, and the like, without causing stress.

  In addition to this, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 3 (see FIGS. 2 and 3, the reference numerals are omitted, but the same elements as those in FIG. The stamp manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is positioned on the heating device 40a for heating the master mold 20 or the upper part of the master mold 20, and the master mold 20 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. It further includes a curing device 40a or 40b comprising a light irradiation device 40b for irradiating light of various wavelength bands including (all can be configured as shown in the figure), and after the stamp and the back support are attached A bond is made between them. For this purpose, after the step (c), the control unit (d) operates the curing device 40a or 40b in the vacuum state or in a state in which the vacuum is released, and the stamp (S) and the rear support ( A control step of curing the conjugate during B) can be further included. The curing step can be performed while maintaining the vacuum in the vacuum chamber, or can be performed after the vacuum state is released. Specific examples relating to this are as shown in FIGS.

  In addition, as described above, the vacuum chamber is preferably opened and closed by separating the upper part 4 and the lower part 6 of the vacuum chamber 10 vertically as shown in FIG. 1B and a specific example thereof. Is preferred. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, there is an advantage that each process can be easily performed on the light irradiation side surface of the loading of the back support to the adhesion chuck, the formation of the stamp, and the curing process. In addition, as described above, the chuck for attaching the rear support is an electrostatic chuck, which minimizes the generation of stress during chucking and dechucking, and drives the vacuum chamber and chucks. It is preferable because the driving method is different during driving, so that interference between them can be reduced.

  Further, when the vacuum chamber 10 has a structure in which the upper part 4 and the lower part 6 are separately opened and closed as described above, a specific example is shown in FIG. However, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 are applied to the same elements as those in FIG. 1 depicted in the drawing.) The upper part 4 or the lower part 6 of the vacuum chamber 10 is coupled to a linear motion guide 8. Thus, when the upper part 4 and the lower part 6 are separated, it can be configured to be linearly movable with respect to the opponent. As a result, the entire apparatus can be automated. Alternatively, all of the upper part 4 and the lower part 6 of the vacuum chamber 10 may be coupled to the linear motion guide 8 to move them.

  In addition, the present invention provides an imprint (imprint: particularly when the back support is a poorly flexible material such as glass) or roll-print (especially the back support is a highly flexible material such as a resin film). A method for manufacturing a lithographic stamp. (A) A stamp material is applied to the upper surface of a master mold 20 located at the lower part of the vacuum chamber 10 and having a mold pattern on the upper surface, and the rear support (B) located at the upper part of the vacuum chamber 10 is removed / attached. A step of attaching the rear surface support (B) to the rear surface support adhesion chuck 30 to be performed, (b) a step of evacuating the inside of the vacuum chamber 10 by the vacuum generator 20, and (c) for attaching the rear surface support. With the rear support (B) attached to the chuck 30, the rear support (B) is attached to the stamp (S) formed on the upper surface of the master mold 20 by moving the attachment chuck 30 downward. An adhering step; and (d) in a state where the rear surface support (B) is detached from the rear surface support adhesion chuck 30 in the vacuum state or in a state where the vacuum is removed. The wear chuck 30 including the step of so as to move up.

  That is, in the stamp manufacturing method according to the present invention, a back support is loaded by an adhesion chuck such as an electrostatic chuck or an adhesive chuck, and a mask on which a desired shape is formed is placed in a vacuum chamber using a jig. After applying a stamp material to the mask of the master mold, a vacuum bonding process is performed in a vacuum chamber, and in addition to this, a curing process by heat curing, light curing, or a combination thereof is performed. And a step of separating the manufactured stamp (with the back support bonded thereto) from a master mold comprising a mask and a jig.

  Preferably, as described above, after the step (d), the method may further include (e) a step of curing the stamp combined body to which the rear support is attached in the vacuum state or the vacuum state released. The curing can be performed by light curing, heat curing, or a combination thereof, and the chuck for attaching the rear surface support can be an electrostatic chuck or an adhesive chuck as described above.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the stamp functions as a stamp for imprint and roll-print lithography, preventing stamp shrinkage and distortion, and supporting the stamp to enable it to function as a stamp. The rear support (B) to be placed in the upper vacuum chamber 4 using an electrostatic chuck or an adhesive chuck 30 or the like. At this time, if static electricity or vacuum is applied to the electrostatic chuck and adhesive chuck 30 to support the rear support (B), the rear support (B) is more preferably supported, and the stamp forming process can be performed well. it can.

  Next, a master mold is prepared by installing a master on which a predetermined pattern is formed on a master jig or a desired shape. At this time, by applying a vacuum to the master jig, the master is stably placed on the master jig, and the provided master has a good influence on stamp formation and stamp physical properties. Then, after the stamp material is formed on the master, it is placed on the lower vacuum chamber 6. Alternatively, the stamp material can be formed after a master mold composed of a master jig and a master is installed in the lower vacuum chamber 6.

After performing the above steps, the upper vacuum chamber 4 and the lower vacuum chamber 6 are closed and a vacuum state is established using a vacuum pump. The degree of vacuum at this time can be up to 1 × 10 ⁻⁴ Torr at normal pressure, and more preferably 1 × 10 Torr to 1 × 10 ⁻² Torr. When the desired degree of vacuum is reached, the chuck 30 is lowered and a bonding process with the stamp material (S) formed on the lower vacuum chamber 6 is performed. After the attachment by the chuck 30, the chuck ascending step can be performed in a state where the vacuum is maintained as shown in FIG. 3, or after the vacuum pump is stopped and the vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber is returned to the normal pressure. The chuck 30 can also be raised. At this time, the chuck 30 has to lift only the chuck 30 after completely removing static electricity and adhesive force adhering to the rear support (B), and it is further improved by blowing air or nitrogen. It can also be separated.

  Finally, after removing or moving the upper vacuum chamber 4, a curing process is performed using a light irradiation device 40b including an exposure device and a UV lamp, a heating device 40a including a heater, and the like. After performing the curing step, imprint and roll-print lithography stamps can be produced by separating from a master mold consisting of a master jig and a master.

  Stamps for imprint and roll-print lithography manufactured after performing the above-described processes are subjected to pattern distortion during the printing lithography process due to the flatness of the stamp material, the total pitch, and the formation of an excellent pattern shape. Since the pattern can be formed and the pattern defects can be reduced, the printing process performance can be improved.

  The stamp manufactured by the present invention can be evaluated by performing pattern formation by a printing lithography process, and includes a scanning electron microscope (SEM), an optical microscope (Optical Microscope), an atomic microscope ( This can be confirmed by AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) or the like.

  Hereinafter, preferred examples will be presented for the understanding of the present invention. However, the following examples are merely illustrative of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

Example 1:
First, LCD glass (B) was prepared. The glass was attached to the upper vacuum chamber 4 using an electrostatic chuck 30. Furthermore, a master on which various patterns of 5 to 20 m were engraved was prepared. The master was set on a master jig provided in the lower vacuum chamber 6 to prepare a master mold 20. Thereafter, Sylgard 184A (trade name; sylgard 184A), which is a silicon elastic polymer manufactured by Dow Corning, and Sirgard 184B (trade name; sylgard 184B), which is a curing agent, are thoroughly mixed at a ratio of 10: 1, respectively, and 50 m thick It was applied on the master. Thereafter, the vacuum chamber 10 was closed, and the inside of the chamber was evacuated using a vacuum pump. When the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber reached 1.0 Torr, the electrostatic chuck 30 was lowered to perform the bonding process. After performing the bonding using the electrostatic chuck 30, the vacuum pump was stopped and the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber was brought to a normal pressure state. When the normal pressure state was reached, the operation (chucking) of the electrostatic chuck 30 was released and only the electrostatic chuck 30 was raised, and then the upper vacuum chamber 4 was raised to open the chamber. Thereafter, the heater 40a was heated at 80 ° C. for 1 hour to perform thermosetting. Alternatively, thermosetting can be performed by heating the heater 40a at 80 ° C. for 1 hour while the upper vacuum chamber 4 is closed. Finally, the formed stamp was separated from the master mold 20 to produce an imprint stamp.

Example 2:
A stamp for imprinting was manufactured by performing the same process as in Example 1 except that a photocurable material was used as the stamping material and UV stamping was performed to manufacture the imprinting stamp. .

Example 3:
A roll-printing stamp is obtained by carrying out the same process as in Example 1 except that a roll-printing stamp is produced by carrying out the process using a PET film as the back support (B). Manufactured.

Example 4:
The same steps as in Example 1 were carried out except that a PET film was used as the back support (B) and a photo-curable material was used as the stamp material to produce a roll-printing stamp. Roll-printing stamps were manufactured.

  The stamp manufactured as described above can be evaluated by performing a patterning process. After performing the printing process using the printing material, check the formed stamp and pattern shape, etc. with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), optical microscope (Optical Microscope), etc. And having an excellent pattern shape and physical properties.

  The present invention described above is not limited by the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and various persons skilled in the relevant technical field can make various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the claims. Of course, modifications and changes to the above are also included within the scope of the present invention.

2 Vacuum generator 4 Upper part of vacuum chamber 6 Lower part of vacuum chamber 8 Linear motion guide 10 Vacuum chamber 20 Master mold 30 Rear surface support adhesion chuck 40a Heating device (curing device)
40b Light irradiation device (curing device)
B Back support S Stamp

Claims (8)

A vacuum chamber comprising a space connected to a vacuum generator and opened and closed;
A master mold located at the bottom of the vacuum chamber and having a mold pattern on the upper surface;
A rear support attachment chuck that is positioned on the upper part of the vacuum chamber so as to be vertically movable and removes / attaches the rear support;
(a) The inside of the vacuum chamber is evacuated by the vacuum generator, and (b) the adhesion chuck is moved downward with the rear surface support adhered to the rear surface support adhesion chuck. The rear support is attached to a stamp formed on the upper surface of the mold, and (c) the attachment in a state where the rear support is detached from the rear support attachment chuck with the vacuum state or the vacuum removed. And an imprint or roll-print lithography stamp manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a control unit configured to move the chuck for moving up.   A heating device that heats the master mold, or a curing device that is positioned above the master mold and that irradiates the master mold with light, and the control unit further includes (d) the vacuum state or 2. The stamp manufacturing apparatus for imprint or roll-print lithography according to claim 1, further comprising a control process of operating the curing device to cure the combined stamp and back support in a state where the vacuum is removed.   3. The imprint or roll according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum chamber is opened and closed with an upper portion and a lower portion separated from each other vertically, and the rear surface support attachment chuck is an electrostatic chuck or an adhesive chuck. Stamp production equipment for print lithography.   4. The imprint or roll-print lithography stamp manufacturing according to claim 3, wherein the upper or lower part of the vacuum chamber is coupled to a linear motion guide and moves linearly with respect to the counterpart when the upper and lower parts are separated. apparatus. (A) A chuck for applying a rear surface support to the upper surface of a master mold located at the lower portion of the vacuum chamber and having a mold pattern on the upper surface, and removing / attaching the rear surface support located at the upper portion of the vacuum chamber. Attaching a back support; and
(B) a step of evacuating the inside of the vacuum chamber with a vacuum generator;
(C) Adhering the rear support to a stamp formed on the upper surface of the master mold by moving the adhesion chuck downward with the rear support attached to the rear support adhesion chuck. Process,
And (d) moving the adhesion chuck upward with the rear surface support attached and detached from the rear surface support adhesion chuck in the vacuum state or with the vacuum released. Print or roll-a method of manufacturing a stamp for print lithography.   6. The imprint or roll-print lithography stamp manufacturing according to claim 5, further comprising the step of: (e) curing the stamp combined body to which the rear support is attached in the vacuum state or in the state where the vacuum is released. Method.   The method for producing a stamp for imprint or roll-print lithography according to claim 6, wherein the curing is photocuring or thermosetting.   The imprint or roll-print lithography stamp manufacturing method according to claim 5, wherein the rear surface support attachment chuck is an electrostatic chuck or an adhesive chuck.

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