JP2017055110A - Imprint device and imprint method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate static electricity charging a base material, on which a mold and a material to be molded being brought into contact therewith are placed, effectively by soft X-ray.SOLUTION: An imprint device includes a stage unit 12 having a base material holding section 12B for holding a base material 40, a mold holding section 17 for holding a mold 50 being brought into contact with a material to be molded placed on the base material 40, and a soft X-ray ionizer 18 placed not to overlap the transfer position, in the plan view, and when a gap S is formed between the base material 40 and mold 50 facing each other in the vertical direction, capable of irradiating the gap S with soft X-ray in the horizontal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an imprint apparatus and an imprint method.

  In recent years, a pattern forming technique using an imprint has attracted attention as a pattern forming technique that replaces the photolithography technique. Imprinting is a pattern formation technique in which, for example, a mold having a fine concavo-convex structure is used, and the concavo-convex structure of the mold is transferred to a molding material at an equal magnification.

  For example, imprinting using a photocurable resin composition as a material to be molded is performed as follows. First, droplets of the photocurable resin composition are supplied to the surface of the transfer substrate (base material). Next, the mold having the desired uneven structure and the transfer substrate are positioned in a predetermined state. Thereafter, the mold and the photocurable resin composition are brought into contact with each other, thereby filling the photocurable resin composition into the uneven structure of the mold. In this state, the resin layer is formed by irradiating light from the mold side to cure the photocurable resin composition. Thereafter, the mold and the resin layer are separated (release). Thereby, a pattern structure having a concavo-convex structure in which the concavo-convex structure of the mold is inverted is formed.

  In such imprinting, peeling electrification occurs between the mold and the transfer substrate during release. When the next operation such as substrate unloading is performed in such a charged state, particles present in the periphery may adhere to the mold and the transfer substrate. In this case, if imprinting is continued, the mold may be damaged or the transfer accuracy may be reduced.

  Therefore, in the imprint field, various techniques have been proposed in the past for eliminating static electricity charged in the mold. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an imprint apparatus that performs static elimination of a mold by irradiating an electromagnetic wave from a surface opposite to the pattern forming surface of the mold toward the pattern forming surface. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an imprint apparatus including means for ejecting ionized gas as a charge eliminating means.

JP 2008-260273 A JP 2009-286085 A

  Incidentally, it is known that an effective static elimination effect can be obtained by irradiating soft X-rays in the vicinity of a charged portion. However, soft X-rays are easily absorbed when irradiated on an object, and when applied in the configuration according to Patent Document 1, soft X-rays are absorbed by the mold, and an effective static elimination effect can be obtained. Have difficulty.

  In particular, when a high-definition imprint process is performed, the driving distance of the mold or the substrate tends to be small in order to perform high-precision imprinting. For this reason, the gap between the mold and the base material is very narrow even after release, and it is difficult to make soft X-rays work effectively in this gap.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and static electricity charged on a base material on which a mold and a molding material to be contacted with the mold are placed can be effectively neutralized by soft X-rays. An object is to provide an imprint apparatus and an imprint method.

  The present invention includes a stage unit having a base material holding part for holding a base material, a mold holding part for holding a mold in contact with a molding material disposed on the base material, and a transfer position in plan view. When a gap is formed between the base material and the mold in a state where the base material and the mold face each other in the vertical direction, the softness along the horizontal direction is formed in the gap. An imprint apparatus comprising: a soft X-ray ionizer capable of irradiating X-rays.

  In the imprint apparatus of the present invention, the soft X-ray ionizer is disposed such that an irradiation center axis passing through a center of the soft X-rays irradiated radially from the soft X-ray generation source is along a horizontal direction, and the soft X-ray type The ionizer may be capable of irradiating the gap with soft X-rays on the irradiation center axis.

Further, the imprint apparatus of the present invention includes a stage unit having a base material holding part for holding a base material, a mold holding part for holding a mold in contact with a molding material disposed on the base material, and a mold An imprint apparatus comprising: a soft X-ray ionizer for static elimination; and a soft X-ray sensor for detecting soft X-rays of the soft X-ray ionizer.
In the imprint apparatus of the present invention, the soft X-ray ionizer may be disposed on one side and the soft X-ray sensor may be disposed on the other side across the transfer position in plan view.

  In the imprint apparatus of the present invention, the soft X-ray sensor detects the intensity of soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer, and the imprint apparatus has a predetermined intensity detected by the soft X-ray sensor. A notification means for notifying a warning when the value is equal to or smaller than the value may be further provided.

  The imprint apparatus of the present invention includes a gap formed between the base material and the mold, an irradiation position where the soft X-ray ionizer irradiates soft X-rays along a horizontal direction, and the soft X-ray sensor. Position for automatically adjusting the vertical relative positions of the stage unit, the mold holding unit, the soft X-ray ionizer, and the soft X-ray sensor so that the vertical positions of the detection surfaces are aligned on a horizontal plane. An adjustment mechanism may be further provided.

  The imprint apparatus of the present invention further includes an air flow forming unit that forms an air flow from one side to the other side in the horizontal direction and supplies the air flow to the transfer position, and the soft X-ray ionizer includes the flow direction of the air flow Thus, it may be arranged upstream of the transfer position and downstream of the airflow forming portion.

The imprint apparatus of the present invention may further include one or a plurality of ionizers different from the soft X-ray ionizer.
In the imprint apparatus of the present invention, the soft X-ray ionizer includes a first soft X-ray ionizer and a second soft X-ray ionizer, and the soft X-ray sensor includes a first soft X-ray sensor. And the second soft X-ray sensor, and in a plan view, the first soft X-ray ionizer is disposed on one side and the first soft X-ray sensor is disposed on the other side across the transfer position. The second soft X-ray ionizer is disposed on the other side across the transfer position in a direction along the direction in which the first soft X-ray ionizer and the first soft X-ray sensor are arranged. The second soft X-ray sensor may be disposed on the side.
In this case, in plan view, a third soft X-ray ionizer on one side across the transfer position in a direction intersecting the direction in which the first soft X-ray ionizer and the first soft X-ray sensor are arranged. May be arranged, and the third soft X-ray sensor may be arranged on the other side.

  The present invention also includes a base material holding step for holding the base material on the base material holding portion of the stage unit, a material arranging step for arranging the molding material on the base material, and holding the base material and the mold holding portion. A positioning step for positioning the molded mold so as to face the vertical direction; and by bringing the mold and the base material close to each other, the molding material is developed between the mold and the base material, thereby transferring the transfer layer. A contact step, a curing step for curing the transfer layer, a release step for separating the cured transfer layer and the mold, and a gap between the base material and the mold after the release step. And a static elimination step of irradiating the gap with soft X-rays along the horizontal direction from the soft X-ray ionizer when the gap is formed.

  In the imprinting method of the present invention, the soft X-ray ionizer is disposed such that an irradiation center axis passing through a center of the soft X-rays irradiated radially from the soft X-ray generation source is along a horizontal direction. The soft X-ray on the irradiation central axis may be irradiated to the gap.

  In the imprinting method of the present invention, the vertical position of the soft X-ray ionizer is set so that the soft X-ray ionizer passes through the gap when the soft X-ray ionizer emits soft X-rays in the static elimination step. You may further provide the irradiation position preliminary adjustment process adjusted beforehand.

  The imprint method of the present invention further includes a step of adjusting a vertical position of the soft X-ray ionizer when soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer do not pass through the gap under a predetermined condition. Also good.

The imprint method of the present invention may further include a detection step of detecting soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer using a soft X-ray sensor.
In this case, in plan view, the soft X-ray ionizer may be disposed on one side and the soft X-ray sensor may be disposed on the other side across the transfer position.

  In the imprint method of the present invention, the vertical position of the soft X-ray sensor is adjusted in advance so that the soft X-ray sensor can detect soft X-rays passing through the gap in the detection step. A sensor position preliminary adjustment step may be further provided.

  In the imprint method of the present invention, the sensor position preliminary adjustment step includes positioning the base material and the mold so as to face each other in the vertical direction, and adjusting the same amount as the gap between the base material and the mold. A step of forming a gap, a step of irradiating a laser beam along a horizontal direction so as to pass through the adjustment gap, and a detection surface of the soft X-ray sensor is irradiated with the laser light having passed through the adjustment gap. The step of adjusting the position of the soft X-ray sensor in the vertical direction may be included.

  In the imprint method of the present invention, in the detection step, the soft X-ray intensity from the soft X-ray ionizer is detected by the soft X-ray sensor, and the imprint method is detected by the soft X-ray sensor. A notification step of notifying a warning when the intensity is not more than a predetermined value may be further provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the static electricity charged to the base material which arrange | positions the mold and the to-be-molded material which contacts the said mold can be neutralized effectively with a soft X ray.

It is a side view of the imprint apparatus by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the imprint apparatus by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the imprint method by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view explaining a material arrangement | positioning process among the imprint methods by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view explaining the positioning process among the imprint methods by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view explaining a contact process among the imprint methods by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view explaining the mold release process and the static elimination process by a soft X-ray among the imprint methods by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view explaining a sensor position preliminary adjustment process among imprint methods by a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view explaining the irradiation position preliminary adjustment process among the imprint methods by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the graph explaining the detection process of a soft X-ray among the imprint methods by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the imprint apparatus by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the imprint apparatus by the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the imprint apparatus by the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the imprint apparatus by the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the imprint apparatus by the 6th Embodiment of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The drawings are exemplary and exaggerated for the purpose of explanation and are different from the actual ones. In the following drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  In addition, as used in this specification, the shape and geometric conditions and the degree thereof are specified, for example, terms such as “parallel”, “orthogonal”, “identical”, length and angle values, etc. are strictly Without being bound by meaning, it should be interpreted including the extent to which similar functions can be expected.

(First embodiment)
First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[Imprint device]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing an imprint apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the imprint apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 1, an imprint apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is disposed on a stage surface plate 11 and a stage surface plate 11, holds an imprint base material 40, and is movable in the horizontal direction. A stage unit 12, a support unit 13 disposed above the stage unit 12, a control unit 14 for controlling movement of the stage unit 12, and a display unit 15 for displaying information output from the control unit 14. I have. Although details will be described later, the base material 40 is a flat substrate having a flat surface and a flat back surface. In the present embodiment, the “horizontal direction” means a direction horizontal to the surface of the base material 40. To do.

  A dispenser head 16, a mold holding unit 17, a soft X-ray ionizer 18, and a soft X-ray sensor 19 are respectively attached and fixed to the support unit 13. Among these, the mold holding unit 17 holds the mold 50.

  Further, the imprint apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment has an airflow F directed from one side to the other side in the horizontal direction (in the present embodiment, from the X axis direction minus side in the drawing to the X axis direction plus side). An airflow forming unit 20 is provided. Furthermore, above the mold holding part 17, the irradiation part which irradiates light (for example, ultraviolet light) toward the photocurable resin composition as a molding material supplied on the base material 40 from the dispenser head 16. 21 is provided. In addition, each structural member except the control part 14 and the display part 15 demonstrated above is accommodated in the chamber which is not illustrated. In the drawings used in the following description, the X axis indicates one direction in the horizontal plane, the Z axis indicates the vertical direction, and the Y axis indicates a direction orthogonal to the X axis and the Z axis.

  Hereinafter, each element constituting the imprint apparatus 10 will be further described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the stage unit 12 includes a moving stage 12A that moves in the horizontal direction on the stage surface plate 11, and a substrate holding unit that is provided on the moving stage 12A and holds the substrate 40 for imprinting. (Chuck) 12B. The moving stage 12A moves the base material holding part 12B along the horizontal direction to position the base material 40 at a predetermined position. That is, the base material holding part 12B is driven by the moving stage 12A and can move in the horizontal direction integrally with the moving stage 12A.

  In FIG. 1, the base material holding part 12B of the stage unit 12 is moved below the mold holding part 17, and positioned so that the base material 40 and the mold 50 held by the mold holding part 17 face each other in the vertical direction. However, the stage unit 12 can also be positioned below the dispenser head 16, for example, by moving in the horizontal direction.

  The moving stage 12A in such a stage unit 12 adjusts the position of the substrate 40 in the XY direction, adjusts (corrects) the position in the θ (rotation around the Z axis) direction, and the Z axis of the substrate 40. You may have the function to adjust the position of a direction, and the function to adjust the inclination of the base material 40. FIG. Further, in the present embodiment, the base material holding unit 12B holds the base material 40 using a holding mechanism by suction, but is not limited to this, for example, a holding mechanism by mechanical clamping, a holding mechanism by static electricity, or the like. You may hold | maintain the base material 40 by.

  The substrate 40 for imprinting consists of a flat substrate having a flat surface and a flat back surface. This base material 40 is made of, for example, glass such as quartz glass, silicate glass, calcium fluoride, magnesium fluoride, and acrylic glass, resin such as polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyethylene, or any laminated material thereof. It may be a transparent substrate or the like. Further, as the base material 40, a metal substrate such as nickel, titanium, or aluminum, or a semiconductor substrate such as silicon or gallium nitride, or the like can be used. Such a base material 40 may be, for example, a replica blank for producing a replica of the mold 50 that is a master template. Alternatively, the substrate 40 may be an optical element or a magnetic recording medium. The shape of the base material 40 is not limited to a flat substrate, and a step structure protruding from the periphery may be formed on the surface of the substrate, and the surface of the step structure may be flat. Moreover, the shape of the base material 40 is a shape in which the central portion of the back surface of the substrate is hollowed in the thickness direction so that it can be easily peeled off from the mold 50 by bending, and the thickness of the central portion is thinner than the surroundings. It may be.

  The dispenser head 16 discharges droplets 41 (see FIG. 4 and the like) of a photocurable resin composition as a molding material, for example, by an ink jet method on the substrate 40 held by the substrate holding part 12B. is there. The dispenser head 16 is provided with a drive unit that enables a desired operation of the dispenser head 16, such as horizontal movement, and a resin composition supply unit (both not shown) to the dispenser head 16. In this embodiment, the dispenser head 16, the drive unit, and the resin composition supply unit are controlled by the control unit 14. In addition, without making the dispenser head 16 perform a desired operation, the photocurable resin composition is discharged under the dispenser head 16 while moving the substrate 40 by the moving stage 12A fixed by the substrate holding portion 12B. The photocurable resin composition may be applied to a desired pattern.

  The mold holding part 17 has the concavo-convex structure 51 of the mold 50 when the base material holding part 12B of the stage unit 12 is moved below and the base material 40 and the mold 50 are positioned so as to face each other in the vertical direction. The mold 50 is held with the surface directed toward the stage unit 12. The mold holding unit 17 holds the mold 50 by, for example, a holding mechanism by suction, a holding mechanism by machine clamping, a holding mechanism by static electricity, or the like, and the specific configuration of the holding mechanism is not particularly limited.

  A height control mechanism 31 is attached to the mold holding portion 17 so that the position of the mold 50 in the height direction (Z-axis direction) can be controlled or adjusted. The height control mechanism 31 brings the mold 50 into contact with the photocurable resin composition on the substrate 40 by moving the mold 50 downward. Moreover, the height control mechanism 31 peels (releases) the mold 50 from the photocurable resin composition on the base material 40 by moving the mold 50 upward.

  In FIG. 1, the height control mechanism 31 moves the mold 50 upward, releases the mold 50 from the photocurable resin composition, and separates the photocurable resin composition and the mold 50 from each other. It is shown. Hereinafter, the position of the mold 50 when it is separated from the photocurable resin composition on the base material 40 and is held in a stationary state is referred to as a “release position”, and the photocurable resin composition on the base material 40 is referred to. The position of the mold 50 when in contact with an object is referred to as a “contact position”. Further, in a plan view, the position at which the photocurable resin composition on the base material 40 held on the base material holding part 12B of the stage unit 12 and the mold 50 held by the mold holding part 17 are in contact with each other. This is called “transfer position TP”. In the present embodiment, a region inside the position where the mold holding unit 17 is disposed and where the mold holding unit 17 holds the mold 50 corresponds to the “transfer position TP”.

  The mold 50 has a fine concavo-convex structure 51 formed in a central region on the lower surface thereof. The uneven structure 51 is formed by, for example, an electron beam lithography method. In the present embodiment, the mold 50 is made of a material that transmits light from the irradiation unit 21, for example, quartz glass, silicate glass, calcium fluoride, magnesium fluoride, acrylic glass, or any of these. Made of laminated material. The mold 50 has a pattern surface on which a concavo-convex structure 51 to be transferred to the substrate 40 is formed. In this mold 50, an electron beam resist is applied to the surface of the mold substrate, electron beam drawing is performed on the electron beam resist to form a resist pattern, and the mold substrate is etched using the resist pattern as an etching mask to form a concavo-convex structure. It is manufactured by forming 51. Further, the concavo-convex structure 51 may be formed by a method other than electron beam lithography, and may be formed by, for example, an imprint method.

  Although the concavo-convex structure 51 is schematically shown in the drawing, the height of the convex portion (depth of the concave portion), the pitch, the number, and the arrangement area of the concavo-convex structure 51 (the concave and convex structure 51 with respect to the main surface of the mold 50). Occupied area) and shape (line shape, dot shape (moth eye shape, etc.)) are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set according to the base material to be manufactured. The size of the concavo-convex structure 51 is not particularly limited. For example, the width of the convex portion is 40 nm or less, preferably 10 to 30 nm, and the interval between adjacent convex portions is 40 nm or less, preferably 10 ~ 30 nm. In addition, when the base material 40 is a replica blank for producing a replica template, the mold 50 may be a master template for producing a replica template.

  The irradiation unit 21 irradiates the photocurable resin composition supplied (applied) on the base material 40 with light. In the present embodiment, since the resin composition supplied onto the base material 40 is a photocurable resin composition, the photocurable resin composition is cured by irradiation with light from the irradiation unit 21. The mold holding unit 17 is provided with an opening through which light from the irradiation unit 21 passes.

  As described above, the airflow forming unit 20 is directed from one side to the other side in the horizontal direction, that is, in the X-axis direction (in this embodiment, from the X-axis direction minus side in FIG. 1 to the X-axis direction plus side). The air flow F is formed, and the air flow F is supplied to the transfer position TP. That is, the air flow F is an air flow from the air flow forming unit 20 toward the transfer position TP. More specifically, when the base material holding part 12B of the stage unit 12 is moved below the mold holding part 17 and the base material 40 and the mold 50 are positioned so as to face each other in the vertical direction, the air flow forming part 20 is positioned. An air flow F flowing along the horizontal direction from the side is supplied toward the base material 40 and the mold 50 positioned at the transfer position TP.

  The air flow forming unit 20 is disposed on the opposite side of the dispenser head 16 with respect to the mold holding unit 17 in plan view. The air flow forming unit 20 makes the chamber a good transfer environment excluding the influence of foreign matters such as particles, and may be one that feeds an air flow F made of clean air (clean air), for example. In addition, as clean air, what took in external air may be used, for example, it is preferable to use the external air which passed the filter.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2, in this Embodiment, the dispenser head 16 is arrange | positioned in the flow direction of the airflow F in the downstream (X-axis direction plus side) of the mold holding part 17. As shown in FIG. . Thereby, foreign matter such as particles generated in the dispenser head 16 is prevented from being carried to the mold 50 side by the air flow F, and foreign matter is prevented from adhering to the mold 50. In this specification, “the member A is arranged on the downstream side of the member B in the airflow direction” means that “the part of the member A that is located on the most upstream side in the airflow direction is This means that the member B is disposed on the downstream side relative to the portion located on the most downstream side in the airflow direction.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the mold holding unit 17 and the dispenser head 16 are preferably arranged in a straight line in the flow direction of the air flow F. Thereby, the stage unit 12 moves in a direction going back toward the upstream of the air flow F during each step before the contact step described later, and does not pass below the mold 50. As a result, foreign matters such as particles are prevented from adhering to the mold 50 due to the influence of the stage unit 12.

  The soft X-ray ionizer 18 is an apparatus that irradiates soft X-rays, and is provided for removing static electricity from the mold, in particular, removing static electricity charged in the mold 50 and the substrate 40. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is arranged so as not to overlap the transfer position TP in plan view.

  The soft X-ray ionizer 18 irradiates soft X-rays so as to spread radially from the soft X-ray generation source 18S disposed inside through the irradiation surface. Here, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 in the present embodiment is arranged so that the irradiation center axis L1 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) passing through the center of the soft X-rays irradiated so as to spread radially extends along the horizontal direction. Has been.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is configured so that the gap S is formed when the gap S is formed between the base 40 and the mold 50 in a state where the base 40 and the mold 50 face each other in the vertical direction. Moreover, it is possible to irradiate soft X-rays along the horizontal direction. In other words, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can irradiate soft X-rays along the horizontal direction so as to pass through the gap S. In the present embodiment, the gap S described above is cured by bringing the mold 50 into contact with the photocurable resin composition on the substrate 40 and curing it, and then releasing the mold 50 from the photocurable resin composition. It means a gap formed between the base material 40 and the mold 50 at a “release position” where the conductive resin composition and the mold 50 are separated.

  In order to make it possible to irradiate the above-mentioned gap S with soft X-rays along the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG. 1, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 in the present embodiment is applied to the support portion 13 via the lifting device 18A. It is supported and its vertical position can be adjusted. Thereby, in the imprint apparatus 10, the relative position in the vertical direction of the base material 40, the mold 50, and the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can be adjusted.

  According to the above-described configuration, the position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is adjusted in advance so that the soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 pass through the gap S when the above-described gap S is formed. After the gap S is formed, when the soft X-rays do not pass through the gap S in a desired state, the vertical position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can be adjusted. Thereby, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can irradiate soft X-rays along the horizontal direction so as to pass through the gap S. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 according to the present embodiment has a soft X-ray on the irradiation center axis L1 passing through the gap S, and between the substrate 40 and the mold 50 in plan view. Soft X-rays can be irradiated so as to pass through the approximate center. In addition, the above-mentioned substantially center means the center in the planar view of the base material 40 located in the transfer position TP, and the mold 50, or the vicinity area of the center. Here, the central vicinity region means a region that is positioned closer to the center of the mold 50 than the outer edge of the mold 50 in the radial direction from the center of the mold 50 in plan view. In the present embodiment, the soft X-rays can be irradiated so that the soft X-rays pass through the approximate center between the base material 40 and the mold 50. You may arrange | position so that it may pass the clearance gap S in the position which remove | deviated from the base 40 and the mold 50 from the approximate center.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in this example, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 includes the base material 40 and the mold 50, that is, the upstream side of the transfer position TP and the downstream side of the airflow forming unit 20 in the flow direction of the airflow F. Is arranged. In this case, since the ions generated on the upstream side of the base material 40 and the mold 50 are caused to flow downstream of the air flow F by the air flow F, the mold 50 and the base material 40 can be effectively neutralized.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, when the base 40 and the mold 50 are positioned so as to face each other in the vertical direction, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is Y when viewed along the flow direction of the air flow F. It is arrange | positioned on the plus side of an axial direction, and is arrange | positioned outside the area | region T1 shown with the dashed-two dotted line where the airflow formation part 20, the base material 40, and the mold 50 overlap. In the illustrated example, a region T1 indicates a region where an air flow F from the air flow forming unit 20 toward the transfer position TP exists. The air flow F flows on the flow path set in the range indicated by the region T1 in plan view. That is, in the present embodiment, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is not disposed on the flow path of the airflow F. More specifically, the soft X-ray type ionizer 18 is not disposed in a range through which the airflow F linearly directed from the airflow forming unit 20 to the base material 40 and the mold 50 passes in the above-described flow path. In this case, since the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is prevented from disturbing the flow of the airflow F toward the base material 40 and the mold 50, the effect of removing electricity from the mold 50 and the base material 40 due to the ions generated on the upstream side is reduced. Can be suppressed. Further, since the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is not disposed on the flow path of the air flow F, contamination of the mold 50 and the like can be suppressed even when dust is generated from the soft X-ray ionizer 18.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the imprint apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, a shield that blocks soft X-rays irradiated from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 between the dispenser head 16 and the soft X-ray ionizer 18. A member 33 is arranged. The shielding member 33 may be made of a metal material or a resin material such as vinyl chloride resin. By providing the shielding member 33 as described above, it is possible to prevent a problem that the photocurable resin composition supplied from the dispenser head 16 is deteriorated due to the influence of the soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer 18. .

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the soft X-ray sensor 19 is positioned so that the base material 40 and the mold 50 face each other in the vertical direction, the soft X-ray sensor 19 sandwiches the base material 40 and the mold 50. More specifically, it is located on the opposite side of the linear ionizer 18, specifically, on the negative side in the Y-axis direction in plan view, and faces the soft X-ray ionizer 18 across the substantial center between the base material 40 and the mold 50. Located in position. That is, in the present embodiment, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is disposed on one side and the soft X-ray sensor 19 is disposed on the other side across the transfer position TP in plan view. The soft X-ray sensor 19 detects soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and detects the intensity thereof. Note that the positions of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the soft X-ray sensor 19 in plan view may be adjustable, and the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the soft X-ray sensor 19 are actually imprinted. In doing so, it suffices if it can be arranged at a desired arrangement position. The soft X-ray sensor 19 is preferably arranged so that the soft X-ray irradiation center axis L1 from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 passes through the center of the soft X-ray detection surface. The soft X-ray sensor 19 is disposed so that the central axis L1 of the soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 passes through the center of the detection surface. However, the arrangement of the soft X-ray sensor 19 is not limited to such an arrangement as long as soft X-rays can be properly detected.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the soft X-ray sensor 19 in this Embodiment is supported by the support part 13 via the raising / lowering apparatus 19A, and can adjust the position of the perpendicular direction. Thereby, in the imprint apparatus 10, the relative position in the vertical direction of the base material 40, the mold 50, the soft X-ray ionizer 18, and the soft X-ray sensor 19 can be adjusted.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 14 controls various operations of the stage unit 12, the dispenser head 16, the mold holding unit 17, the soft X-ray ionizer 18, and the display unit 15. Specifically, the control unit 14 can perform control for moving the stage unit 12 and positioning it below the dispenser head 16, and control for positioning the base material 40 and the mold 50 so as to face each other in the vertical direction. It has become. Further, the control unit 14 controls the discharge of the photocurable resin composition onto the base material 40 when the stage unit 12 is positioned below the dispenser head 16, and the base material 40 and the mold 50 in the vertical direction. When positioned so as to face each other, it is possible to control the mold holding portion 17 to be moved up and down by the height control mechanism 31.

  The control unit 14 can also perform control such as switching between soft X-ray irradiation and stop of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and position adjustment of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 by the lifting device 18A. In particular, the control unit 14 outputs the potential of the mold 50 from the potential sensor 34 disposed in the vicinity of the mold 50 in the mold holding unit 17, and when the potential detected by the potential sensor 34 becomes a predetermined value or less, The soft X-ray irradiation by the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is stopped.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the control unit 14 outputs the intensity of the soft X-rays irradiated from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 so as to pass through the gap S from the soft X-ray sensor 19. When the detected intensity is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a warning is notified on the display unit 15. Here, the notification means referred to in the present invention corresponds to the control unit 14 and the display unit 15 that perform processing for notifying a warning as described above.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 14 controls the gap S, the irradiation position where the soft X-ray ionizer 18 irradiates the soft X-ray along the horizontal direction, and the detection surface of the soft X-ray sensor 19. It is also possible to automatically adjust the vertical relative positions of the stage unit 12, the mold holding unit 17, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the soft X-ray sensor 19 so that the respective vertical positions are aligned on a horizontal plane. It has become.

  Specifically, in the present embodiment, in the state in which the gap S is formed, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 irradiates soft X-rays, the soft X-ray intensity is detected by the soft X-ray sensor 19, and the soft X-ray sensor 19 detects the soft X-ray intensity. By adjusting the vertical position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 so that the intensity detected by the X-ray sensor 19 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the gap S, the irradiation position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18, and the soft X-ray ionizer 18 are adjusted. The vertical positions of the detection surfaces of the line sensor 19 can be automatically adjusted so that they are aligned on a horizontal plane. Here, the position adjusting mechanism referred to in the present invention corresponds to a member that can adjust the vertical position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the soft X-ray sensor 19 controlled by the control unit 14 and the control unit 14.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 14 can control the plurality of elements exemplified above. However, the control unit 14 does not necessarily need to control all of them, and is exemplified here. You may be comprised so that control with respect to elements other than an element may be performed.

[Imprint method]
Next, an imprint method for performing imprinting using the above-described imprint apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an imprint method according to the present embodiment, FIGS. 4 to 9 are side views showing steps of the imprint method according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 10 shows an imprint method. It is the figure which showed the graph explaining the detection process of the soft X-ray mentioned later of one process.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, first, the base material 40 is held on the base material holding part 12 </ b> B of the stage unit 12 in an area (load area) (not shown) different from the lower part of the dispenser head 16 and the lower part of the mold holding part 17. Step (base material holding step, S101 in FIG. 3) is performed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4, by moving the stage unit 12, the base material 40 is moved below the dispenser head 16, and light is emitted from the dispenser head 16 to the base material 40 held by the base material holding part 12 </ b> B. The droplets 41 of the curable resin composition are discharged and arranged (material arrangement process, S102 in FIG. 3). In this material arrangement step S102, droplets 41 of the photocurable resin composition are ejected and supplied from the dispenser head 16 to a desired region on the substrate 40 below the dispenser head 16.

  The photocurable resin composition is generally composed of a main agent, an initiator, and a crosslinking agent, and if necessary, a mold release agent for suppressing adhesion to the mold 50 and adhesion to the substrate 40. It contains an adhesive for improving the properties. There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the photocurable resin composition used by this Embodiment, According to the use of the pattern structure manufactured by imprint from a well-known photocurable resin composition, a required characteristic, a physical property, etc. Can be selected as appropriate. Further, the number of droplets 41 of the photocurable resin composition supplied from the dispenser head 16 onto the substrate 40 and the distance between the adjacent droplets 41 are required as the amount of the droplets 41 dropped. It can be set as appropriate based on the total amount of the photocurable resin composition, the wettability of the photocurable resin composition with respect to the substrate 40, the gap between the mold 50 and the substrate 40 in the subsequent contact step, and the like.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the air flow F is formed by the air flow forming unit 20. This prevents volatile components and mist from the droplets 41 discharged from the dispenser head 16 onto the base material 40 from diffusing to the mold 50 side and adhering to the mold 50 or the like.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, by moving the stage unit 12 to the minus side in the X-axis direction, the substrate 40 is moved below the mold 50 held by the mold holding unit 17, and the substrate 40 and the mold 50 are moved. Are positioned so as to face each other in the vertical direction (positioning step, S103 in FIG. 3).

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6, the mold 50 and the base material 40 are brought into close contact with each other, whereby the droplet 41 is developed between the mold 50 and the base material 40 to form the transfer layer 42 (contact). Step, S104 in FIG. In this contact step S104, the mold holding unit 17 is lowered by the height control mechanism 31 and moved to the contact position, and the mold holding unit 17 and the substrate holding unit 12B come close to each other. As a result, the mold 50 and the base material 40 come close to each other, the droplet 41 of the photocurable resin composition is developed between the mold 50 and the base material 40, and the transfer layer 42 is formed.

  Next, light is irradiated with light from the irradiation unit 21 to cure the transfer layer 42. Thereby, the concavo-convex structure 51 of the mold 50 is transferred to the transfer layer 42 (curing step, S105 in FIG. 3). In the curing step S105, light irradiation is performed from the irradiation unit 21 located above the mold holding unit 17 in a state where the mold holding unit 17 is lowered. Thereby, the transfer layer 42 is photocured, and the transfer layer 42 to which the uneven structure 51 of the mold 50 is transferred is obtained.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7, the cured transfer layer 42 and the mold 50 are separated (mold release step, S <b> 106 in FIG. 3). In the release step S106, the mold holding unit 17 is raised by the height control mechanism 31 and moved to the release position, whereby the transfer layer 42 and the mold 50 are separated from each other. Thereby, the transfer layer 42 having an uneven pattern structure is fixed on the substrate 40. Here, a gap S is formed between the substrate 40 and the mold 50.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the soft X-rays along the horizontal direction are irradiated from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 into the gap S (static elimination process, S107 in FIG. 3). Strictly speaking, here, soft X-rays are irradiated from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 so that soft X-rays along the horizontal direction pass between the transfer layer 42 on the substrate 40 and the mold 50. The The mold 50 and the base material 40 may be charged by peeling charging at the time of release. In the static elimination process, the soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 ionize molecules present in the gap S, and the generated ions remove static electricity charged in the mold 50 and the substrate 40. Thereby, it can prevent that a foreign material adheres to the mold 50 and the base material 40. FIG. When such a soft X-ray ionizer 18 is used, dust generation does not occur and stable static elimination performance can be obtained.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the soft X-ray ionizer is disposed before the substrate holding step S101 so that the soft X-rays irradiated along the irradiation central axis L1 pass through the gap S in the static elimination step. The vertical position of 18 is adjusted in advance (irradiation position preliminary adjustment step). Details of this irradiation position preliminary adjustment step will be described later with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the static elimination step S107 is performed after the mold release step S106. However, the timing for starting the static elimination step S107 may be the same as the start of the mold release or in the middle of the mold release. It may be after the mold release is completed.

  When the static elimination process is started, soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 are detected by the soft X-ray sensor 19 (detection process, S108 in FIG. 3). In the detection step, the soft X-ray intensity detected by the soft X-ray sensor 19 is output to the control unit 14. In the present embodiment, the soft X-ray sensor 19 is placed before the substrate holding step S101 so that the soft X-ray sensor 19 can detect the soft X-rays passing through the gap S during the detection step. The position in the vertical direction is adjusted in advance (sensor position preliminary adjustment step). Details of the sensor position preliminary adjustment step will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Next, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the intensity of the soft X-ray detected by the soft X-ray sensor 19 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (determination step, S109 in FIG. 3). Here, when the intensity of the soft X-ray is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit 14 confirms whether or not the potential is equal to or lower than the predetermined value based on the potential detected by the potential sensor 34 (potential confirmation step, (S110 in FIG. 3). When the potential is larger than the predetermined value in the potential confirmation step, the process returns to the detection step S108, and when the potential is lower than the predetermined value, the soft X-ray irradiation by the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is stopped ( The irradiation stop process, S112 in FIG. 3, and the imprint are completed.

  On the other hand, in the determination step S109, when the soft X-ray intensity is smaller than a predetermined value, a warning is notified on the display unit 15 (notification step, S111 in FIG. 3). Thereafter, the control unit 14 stops the soft X-ray irradiation by the soft X-ray ionizer 18 (irradiation stop process, S112 in FIG. 3), and the imprint is completed.

  Here, FIG. 10 shows an example of how the soft X-ray intensity is detected in the detection process. The soft X-ray sensor 19 in the present embodiment detects the soft X-ray intensity as a voltage. In the example of FIG. 10, the state of detection when the gap S is 2 mm is shown. The horizontal axis indicates the amount of deviation of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 (irradiation position) with respect to the middle of the gap S, and the vertical axis indicates the voltage detected according to the intensity of the soft X-ray and the mold 50 charged to a certain voltage. It shows the static elimination time of the mold 50 according to the intensity of the soft X-rays when static elimination is performed so as to step down to a predetermined voltage. On the horizontal axis, the middle of the gap S is the reference point (0), and the larger the deviation from the reference point, the larger the deviation of the irradiation position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 relative to the middle of the gap S. It is shown that. In FIG. 10, the detection intensity (voltage) of the soft X-ray sensor 19 for each deviation amount of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 with respect to the middle of the gap S is connected by a solid line, and the static elimination time of the mold 50 corresponding to the soft X-ray intensity. Are connected by an alternate long and short dash line.

  As shown by the solid line in FIG. 10, when the middle of the gap S matches the irradiation position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18, the intensity (voltage) detected by the soft X-ray sensor 19 becomes the maximum value Vmax. . In this case, as shown by the one-dot chain line, the static elimination time is also the shortest. In contrast, the greater the amount of deviation between the middle of the gap S and the irradiation position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18, the lower the intensity (voltage) detected by the soft X-ray sensor 19 with respect to the maximum value Vmax. Also gets longer. In this example, with the soft X-ray intensity when the deviation amount is 1 mm or more, the static elimination time is abruptly increased, and the static elimination is not effectively performed. Although the example in which the gap S is 2 mm has been described with reference to FIG. 10, the gap S is preferably 5 mm or less, particularly 3 mm or less, depending on the distance between the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the gap S. Such a range is preferable in order to reduce the driving distance of the mold 50 and perform high-precision imprinting.

  In addition, the predetermined value in the above-described determination step S109 is set to, for example, the value of the soft X-ray intensity that can be effectively neutralized. When the soft X-ray intensity is detected as in the example of FIG. 10, for example, a value such as 0.8 × Vmax may be set as the predetermined value in the determination step S109. In order to efficiently perform the power removal by the soft X-ray ionizer 18, it is necessary to accurately aim at the gap S during the soft X-ray irradiation. For this purpose, the mold 50 and the soft X-ray ionizer 18 Are preferably located on the same plane. On the other hand, when the mold 50 and the soft X-ray ionizer 18 are located on the same plane, there arises a problem of interference between the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the stage unit 12. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to install the soft X-ray ionizer 18 outside the movable range of the stage unit 12, that is, outside the movement path. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is disposed at a certain distance from the movable range of the stage unit 12. As a result, when the base unit 40 and the mold 50 are positioned so as to face each other in the vertical direction by the movement of the stage unit 12, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the stage unit 12 are separated by a certain distance. Thus, the soft X-ray ionizer 18, the mold 50, and the gap S are also separated by a certain distance. When the distance from the mold 50 increases, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 has a reduced charge removal capability and increases the difficulty of irradiating the gap S. However, in this embodiment, the soft X-ray sensor 19 is used to reduce the gap. By ensuring the reliable irradiation of soft X-rays to S, the problem of reduction in static elimination ability is solved, and even when the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the mold 50 are separated from each other by a certain distance, it is effective in removing electricity. Can be demonstrated. In the present embodiment, the distance from the center of the gap S in plan view, in other words, from the center of the mold 50 to the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is about 60 cm as an example. In the case of such a distance, even if the gap S is 2 mm, the soft X-ray sensor 19 can be used to ensure reliable irradiation of the soft X-rays to the gap S.

  Next, the irradiation position preliminary adjustment process and the sensor position preliminary adjustment process described above will be described in detail. In the present embodiment, the irradiation position preliminary adjustment step is performed after the sensor position preliminary adjustment step. First, the sensor position preliminary adjustment process will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a side view for explaining the sensor position preliminary adjustment step. In the sensor position preliminary adjustment step in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, first, the base material 40 and the mold 50 are positioned so as to face each other in the vertical direction, and a gap is provided between the base material 40 and the mold 50. An adjustment gap S ′ equivalent to S is formed. Next, laser light is irradiated from the laser light source 60 along the horizontal direction so as to pass through the adjustment gap S ′. Next, the vertical position of the soft X-ray sensor 19 is adjusted so that the laser light that has passed through the adjustment gap S ′ is irradiated onto the detection surface of the soft X-ray sensor 19. Thereby, the soft X-ray sensor 19 is adjusted to a position where the soft X-rays irradiated from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and passing through the gap S can be appropriately detected. Here, by using visible laser light, the position of the soft X-ray sensor 19 can be easily adjusted while viewing the laser irradiation position. The soft X-ray sensors 19 adjusted as described above are aligned on the same horizontal plane as the gap S, and if the irradiation position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 matches the gap S, the soft X-rays are appropriately transmitted. Can be detected. When the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the soft X-ray sensor 19 are adjusted in position by detecting the soft X-ray sensor 19 while irradiating the soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer 18, Even if it is found that the detection intensity is weak and the shift is generated, it is not known which of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the soft X-ray sensor 19 is shifted, and it takes much time to adjust the position. On the other hand, by adjusting the soft X-ray sensor 19 to an appropriate position using the laser beam as described above, the subsequent position adjustment of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can be easily performed.

  In addition, it is preferable to perform a sensor position preliminary adjustment process, after apply | coating a photocurable resin composition to the base material 40, making a photocurable resin composition and the mold 50 contact, and releasing. For example, the sensor position preliminary adjustment step may be performed at the time of the first imprint, may be performed at the time of the conventional imprint (so-called priming) performed before the first imprint, or may be performed at the first imprint. You may perform as an independent process different from printing and priming.

  Subsequently, FIG. 9 shows a side view for explaining the irradiation position preliminary adjustment step. In the irradiation position preliminary adjustment process in the present embodiment, soft X-rays are emitted from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 to the soft X-ray sensor 19 whose position has been adjusted in the sensor position preliminary adjustment process as shown in FIG. Irradiate. Then, the position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 in the vertical direction is adjusted so that the soft X-ray intensity detected by the soft X-ray sensor 19 has a value that can be determined to be sufficient. The above-described value is set to a value such as Vmax shown in FIG. Thus, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can irradiate soft X-rays so as to pass through the gap S when the gap S is formed after the mold release step.

  In the imprint method according to the present embodiment, in the determination step S109, when the soft X-ray intensity is smaller than a predetermined value, a warning is displayed and notified on the display unit 15, and then the soft X-ray ionizer is used. 18 stops soft X-ray irradiation. Instead of such processing, in the determination step S109, when the intensity of the soft X-ray is smaller than a predetermined value, it is determined that the soft X-ray does not pass through the gap S, and the vertical direction of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is determined. The position may be adjusted.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the gap S is formed between the base material 40 and the mold 50 in a state where the base material 40 and the mold 50 face each other in the vertical direction, the soft X-ray type is used. The ionizer 18 can irradiate the gap S with soft X-rays along the horizontal direction. As a result, the soft X-rays can be passed through the gap S that is a region in the vicinity of the base material 40 and the mold 50 to be neutralized without being absorbed by the base material 40 and the mold 50. Therefore, static electricity charged on the mold 50 and the base material 40 can be effectively eliminated by soft X-rays.

  In particular, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is arranged so that the irradiation center axis L1 passing through the center of the soft X-rays irradiated radially from the soft X-ray generation source 18S is along the horizontal direction, and the soft X-ray ionizer 18 on the irradiation center axis L1. Soft X-rays can be irradiated so that the line passes through the gap S. As a result, the soft X-rays efficiently pass through the gap S, so that static elimination can be performed effectively.

  Moreover, the relative position in the vertical direction of the base material 40 and the mold 50 and the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can be adjusted. Specifically, since the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can adjust the vertical position, the relative position in the vertical direction of the base material 40 and the mold 50 and the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can be adjusted. ing. Thereby, the positional relationship between the gap S and the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can be adjusted flexibly. Therefore, for example, even when the position of the gap S is changed by changing the base material 40 or the like, the soft X-rays can be suitably passed through the gap S.

  Further, when the base material 40 and the mold 50 are positioned so as to face each other in the vertical direction, a soft X-ray sensor 19 is provided that is located on the opposite side of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 with the base material 40 and the mold 50 interposed therebetween. It has been. That is, in a plan view, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is disposed on one side and the soft X-ray sensor 19 is disposed on the other side across the transfer position TP. The soft X-ray sensor 19 detects soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer 18. Thereby, based on the detection of the soft X-ray sensor 19, it can be determined whether the soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 are appropriately irradiated. In particular, since the soft X-ray sensor 19 detects the intensity of the soft X-ray, it can accurately determine whether or not the soft X-ray is appropriately irradiated.

  Moreover, since the soft X-ray sensor 19 can adjust the position in the vertical direction, the positional relationship with the gap S can be adjusted flexibly. Thereby, for example, even when the position of the gap S is changed by changing the base material 40 or the like, soft X-rays can be suitably detected.

  Further, a warning is notified when the intensity detected by the soft X-ray sensor 19 is a predetermined value or less. As a result, damage such as damage to the mold 50 due to soft X-rays can be minimized.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, FIG. 11 shows a plan view of an imprint apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in the present embodiment, an ionizer 181 different from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is further provided. In the present embodiment, the ionizer 181 is configured as a soft X-ray ionizer, but it may be of a type that ejects ionized gas. The ionizer 181 is arranged on the opposite side of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 with the base material 40 and the mold 50 in between in the Y-axis direction or in plan view, and irradiates the soft X-rays on the base material 40 and the mold 50 side. It has become.

  The ionizer 181 may be arranged so that the soft X-ray irradiation center axis is along the horizontal direction. In this case, it is preferable that the position in the vertical direction is adjustable, and the position is adjusted to the same position as the position in the vertical direction of the soft X-ray ionizer 18. In the present embodiment, a shielding member 331 is disposed between the ionizer 181 and the dispenser head 16.

  According to the present embodiment as described above, the charge removal effect can be improved. In the present embodiment, one ionizer 181 different from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is provided, but a plurality of additional ionizers may be provided.

(Third embodiment)
Subsequently, FIG. 12 shows a side view of an imprint apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Components similar to those in the first and second embodiments in the present embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in this Embodiment, the gas supply mechanism 100 which supplies a soluble gas and ionizing gas to the base material 40 and the mold 50 which are facing each other in a switchable manner is provided. The gas supply mechanism 100 includes a three-way valve 101 having a first port, a second port, and a third port, a soluble gas tank 102 that is connected to the first port of the three-way valve 101 via a pipe, and stores a soluble gas. An ionizing gas tank 103 connected to the second port of the three-way valve 101 and storing ionizing gas; and a plurality of injection nozzles 104 connected to the third port of the three-way valve 101 via the pipe; have.

The three-way valve 101 allows the first port and the third port to communicate with each other, allows the soluble gas to be ejected from the injection nozzle 104, and allows the second port and the third port to communicate with each other. It is possible to switch between the state in which the gas is ejected. The soluble gas stored in the soluble gas tank 102 is, for example, He, and the ionizable gas stored in the ionizable gas tank 103 is, for example, N ₂ .

  In FIG. 12, the first injection nozzle 104 </ b> A among the plurality of injection nozzles 104 is shown. 104 A of 1st injection nozzles are the upstream of the base material 40 and the mold 50 in the flow direction of the airflow F, and are perpendicular | vertical rather than the irradiation path | route of the soft X-ray along the horizontal direction irradiated from the soft X-ray-type ionizer 18. In FIG. More specifically, the first injection nozzle 104 </ b> A is supported by the mold holding unit 17, and injects gas into the gap between the base material 40 and the mold 50 from a position obliquely above the base material 40 and the mold 50 facing each other. Is arranged.

  In FIG. 12, the second injection nozzle 104 </ b> B among the plurality of injection nozzles 104 is also shown. The second injection nozzle 104B is disposed at a position facing the first injection nozzle 104A with the base material 40 and the mold 50 facing each other in between. Further, the second injection nozzle 104B is also supported by the mold holding unit 17 and arranged so as to inject gas into the gap between the base material 40 and the mold 50 from a position obliquely above the base material 40 and the mold 50 facing each other. Has been.

  In the gas supply mechanism 100 described above, a soluble gas and an ionizable gas can be switched and supplied at an arbitrary timing to the atmosphere inside the imprint apparatus (inside the chamber). Thereby, by supplying a soluble gas before imprinting, the solubility of the residual gas is increased, and the photocurable resin composition to the concavo-convex structure 51 at the time of contact between the photocurable resin composition and the mold 50 is obtained. The filling property of the object can be improved. Further, by supplying the ionizing gas after filling, the static elimination by the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can be performed efficiently. As a result, it is possible to manufacture a pattern structure with fewer filling defects and less adhered foreign matter.

  In the present embodiment, the timing of supplying the soluble gas is preferably before the mold 50 and the photocurable resin composition are brought into contact with each other, and before this contact and the photocurable resin composition from the dispenser head 16 to the substrate 40. It is more preferable that the product is applied, and it is more preferable that the contact is immediately after the start of contact between the mold 50 and the photocurable resin composition. The timing of supplying the ionizing gas is preferably before the mold 50 and the photocurable resin composition are released from the mold, and before the mold release and after the light irradiation (curing step) to the photocurable resin composition. Is more preferable, and it is more preferable that it is immediately after the light irradiation.

  In the present embodiment, the gas supply mechanism 100 includes a plurality of injection nozzles 104, but the gas supply mechanism 100 may include one injection nozzle 104. Moreover, the arrangement position of the injection nozzle 104 is not limited to the aspect of the present embodiment.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, FIG. 13 shows a plan view of an imprint apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Components similar to those in the first to third embodiments in the present embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  In the second embodiment described above, the shielding member 331 disposed between the ionizer 181 and the dispenser head 16 is between the ionizer 181 and the dispenser head 16, and the soft X-ray sensor 19 and the dispenser head. 16 between the two. Instead, in the present embodiment, the shielding member 331 is disposed between the ionizer 181 and the dispenser head 16 and between the ionizer 181 and the soft X-ray sensor 19. Thereby, the shielding member 331 is configured to shield soft X-rays from the ionizer 181 toward the soft X-ray sensor 19 and the dispenser head 16.

  In such an embodiment, the soft X-ray sensor 19 that detects soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer 18 can be prevented from being undesirably affected by the soft X-rays from the ionizer 181.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, FIG. 14 shows a plan view of an imprint apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Components similar to those in the first to third embodiments in the present embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 14, in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a soft X-ray ionizer 18 (hereinafter referred to as a first soft X) is placed on one side across the transfer position TP in plan view. A linear ionizer 18) is disposed, and a soft X-ray sensor 19 (hereinafter, first soft X-ray sensor 19) is disposed on the other side. A second soft X-ray ionizer 18 is disposed on the other side across the transfer position TP in a direction along the direction in which the first soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the first soft X-ray sensor 19 are arranged. A second soft X-ray sensor 19 is disposed on the side. The second soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the second soft X-ray sensor 19 are configured in the same manner as the first soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the first soft X-ray sensor 19 except that the arrangement positions are different.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the first soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the second soft X-ray sensor 19 on one side are arranged adjacent to each other across the transfer position TP, and are integrated. Further, the soft X-ray detection surface of the second soft X-ray sensor 19 is disposed at a position retracted from the soft X-ray irradiation surface of the adjacent first soft X-ray ionizer 18. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the second soft X-ray sensor 19 from being undesirably affected by the soft X-rays from the adjacent first soft X-ray ionizer 18. The second soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the first soft X-ray sensor 19 on the other side across the transfer position TP are configured in the same manner as the first soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the second soft X-ray sensor 19 described above. Have

  In such an embodiment, a plurality of soft X-ray ionizers 18 are provided, so that the charge removal effect can be improved. More specifically, when the mold 50 is released from the base material 40, a situation may occur in which the gap between the center side of the mold 50 and the base material 40 is smaller than the surrounding area. In this case, when there is one soft X-ray ionizer 18, the neutralization effect by the soft X-ray is reduced in the soft X-rays at the portion opposite to the side where the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is disposed with respect to the center of the mold 50. There may be situations where it is lower than the side on which the linear ionizer 18 is disposed. Even in the case where such a situation occurs, in the present embodiment, the neutralization can be performed very efficiently by irradiating soft X-rays from one side and the other side with respect to the center of the mold 50.

(Sixth embodiment)
FIG. 15 is a plan view of an imprint apparatus according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. Components similar to those in the first to third embodiments in the present embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 15, in the present embodiment, similarly to the fifth embodiment, the first soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the second soft X are placed on one side across the transfer position TP in plan view. A line sensor 19 is disposed, and a first soft X-ray sensor 19 and a second soft X-ray ionizer 18 are disposed on the other side. Further, in plan view, in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the first soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the first soft X-ray sensor 19 are arranged (a direction orthogonal in the illustrated example), the transfer position TP is sandwiched between The third soft X-ray ionizer 18 is disposed on the side, the third soft X-ray sensor 19 is disposed on the other side, and the third soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the third soft X-ray sensor 19 are aligned. A fourth soft X-ray ionizer 18 is disposed on the other side, and a fourth soft X-ray sensor 19 is disposed on the other side across the transfer position TP. The third and fourth soft X-ray ionizers 18 and the third and fourth soft X-ray sensors 19 are configured in the same manner as the first soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the first soft X-ray sensor 19 except that the arrangement positions are different. ing.

  In such an embodiment, a plurality of soft X-ray ionizers 18 are provided, so that the charge removal effect can be improved. In the present embodiment, the fourth soft X-ray ionizer 18 and the fourth soft X-ray sensor 19 may be omitted. In the present embodiment, still another soft X-ray ionizer 18 and soft X-ray sensor 19 may be provided.

(Example)
Next, the vertical position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is adjusted and soft X-rays are irradiated so as to pass through the gap S, and the soft X-ray ionizer 18 is softened without adjusting the vertical position. Example 2 in the case of irradiation with X-rays will be described.

  In Example 1, when the position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 in the vertical direction is adjusted by the irradiation position preliminary adjustment process described with reference to FIG. 9 and the gap S is formed after the mold release process, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 was irradiated with soft X-rays. On the other hand, in Example 2, the soft X-ray ionizer 18 was irradiated with soft X-rays with the vertical position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18 roughly aligned with the gap S.

  In these Examples 1 and 2, it was verified to what extent the mold 50 charged to 7000 V would be neutralized so as to be stepped down by soft X-rays. In the case of Example 1, it was confirmed that the potential of the mold 50 after 2 minutes from the start of soft X-ray irradiation became 4000V. On the other hand, in the case of Example 2, it was confirmed that the potential of the mold 50 after 2 minutes from the start of soft X-ray irradiation became 5000V. Furthermore, in the case of Example 1, it was confirmed that the potential of the mold 50 after 2500 minutes from the start of soft X-ray irradiation became 2500V. On the other hand, in the case of Example 2, it was confirmed that the potential of the mold 50 became 4000 V after 5 minutes from the start of soft X-ray irradiation. In Examples 1 and 2, it was confirmed that effective neutralization is possible by appropriately adjusting the position of the soft X-ray ionizer 18.

  As mentioned above, although each embodiment of this invention was described, this invention can add a various change, without being limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Imprint apparatus 12 Stage unit 12A Moving stage 12B Base material holding part 13 Support part 14 Control part 15 Display part 16 Dispenser head 17 Mold holding part 18 Soft X-ray type ionizer 18A Lifting device 18S Soft X-ray generation source 19 Soft X-ray sensor 19A Lifting Device 20 Airflow Forming Unit 21 Irradiation Unit 31 Height Control Mechanism 33 Shielding Member 34 Potential Sensor 40 Base Material 42 Transfer Layer 50 Mold 51 Concave and Concavity Structure 60 Laser Light Source 100 Gas Supply Mechanism 101 Three-way Valve 102 Soluble Gas Tank 103 Ionizing Gas Tank 104 injection nozzle 104A first injection nozzle 104B second injection nozzle 181 ionizer TP transfer position F airflow S gap S ′ adjustment gap

Claims (19)

A stage unit having a substrate holding part for holding the substrate;
A mold holding unit for holding a mold to be brought into contact with a molding material disposed on the substrate;
In a plan view, when the gap is formed between the base material and the mold with the base material and the mold facing each other in a vertical direction, the gap is not overlapped with the transfer position. A soft X-ray ionizer capable of irradiating soft X-rays along the horizontal direction,
An imprint apparatus characterized by that. The soft X-ray ionizer is arranged such that an irradiation center axis passing through the center of the soft X-rays irradiated radially from the soft X-ray generation source is along a horizontal direction, and the soft X-ray ionizer is on the irradiation center axis. The gap can be irradiated with soft X-rays of
The imprint apparatus according to claim 1. A stage unit having a substrate holding part for holding the substrate;
A mold holding unit for holding a mold to be brought into contact with a molding material disposed on the substrate;
A soft X-ray ionizer for static elimination from the mold;
An imprint apparatus comprising: a soft X-ray sensor for detecting soft X-rays of the soft X-ray ionizer. In plan view, the soft X-ray ionizer is arranged on one side with the transfer position in between, and the soft X-ray sensor is arranged on the other side.
The imprint apparatus according to claim 3. The soft X-ray sensor detects the intensity of soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer,
A notification means for notifying a warning when the intensity detected by the soft X-ray sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined value;
The imprint apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein The gap formed between the base material and the mold, the irradiation position where the soft X-ray ionizer irradiates soft X-rays along the horizontal direction, and the vertical direction of each detection surface of the soft X-ray sensor. A position adjustment mechanism that automatically adjusts the relative position in the vertical direction of the stage unit, the mold holding unit, the soft X-ray ionizer, and the soft X-ray sensor so that the positions are aligned on a horizontal plane;
The imprint apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the apparatus is an imprint apparatus. Further comprising an airflow forming portion that forms an airflow from one side to the other in the horizontal direction and supplies the airflow to the transfer position;
The soft X-ray ionizer is disposed on the upstream side of the transfer position and on the downstream side of the airflow forming portion in the airflow direction.
The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an imprint apparatus. One or more ionizers different from the soft X-ray ionizer;
The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an imprint apparatus. The soft X-ray ionizer includes a first soft X-ray ionizer and a second soft X-ray ionizer,
The soft X-ray sensor includes a first soft X-ray sensor and a second soft X-ray sensor,
In plan view, the first soft X-ray ionizer is arranged on one side with the transfer position in between, and the first soft X-ray sensor is arranged on the other side,
The second soft X-ray ionizer is disposed on the other side across the transfer position in a direction along the direction in which the first soft X-ray ionizer and the first soft X-ray sensor are arranged. The imprint apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second soft X-ray sensor is disposed on the imprint apparatus.   In plan view, a third soft X-ray ionizer is disposed on one side across the transfer position in a direction intersecting the direction in which the first soft X-ray ionizer and the first soft X-ray sensor are arranged. The imprint apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a third soft X-ray sensor is disposed on the other side. A substrate holding process for holding the substrate on the substrate holding part of the stage unit;
A material disposing step of disposing a molding material on the substrate;
A positioning step for positioning the base material and the mold held by the mold holding portion so as to face each other in a vertical direction;
Contacting the mold and the base material to expand the molding material between the mold and the base material to form a transfer layer; and
A curing step for curing the transfer layer;
A mold release step of separating the cured transfer layer and the mold;
After the mold release step, when a gap is formed between the base material and the mold, a static elimination step of irradiating the gap with a soft X-ray along the horizontal direction from the soft X-ray ionizer;
An imprint method characterized by comprising: The soft X-ray ionizer is arranged such that an irradiation center axis passing through the center of the soft X-rays irradiated radially from the soft X-ray generation source is along the horizontal direction,
In the static elimination step, the gap is irradiated with soft X-rays on the irradiation central axis.
The imprint method according to claim 11, wherein: Preliminary irradiation position adjustment step for preliminarily adjusting the vertical position of the soft X-ray ionizer so that the soft X-ray ionizer passes through the gap when the soft X-ray ionizer emits soft X-rays in the static elimination step. Further comprising
The imprint method according to claim 11, wherein the imprint method is performed. A step of adjusting a vertical position of the soft X-ray ionizer when soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer do not pass through the gap under a predetermined condition;
The imprint method according to claim 11, wherein the imprint method is performed according to claim 11. A detection step of detecting soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer by a soft X-ray sensor;
The imprint method according to claim 11, wherein the imprint method is performed according to claim 11. In plan view, the soft X-ray ionizer is arranged on one side with the transfer position in between, and the soft X-ray sensor is arranged on the other side.
The imprint method according to claim 15, wherein: A sensor position preliminary adjustment step for adjusting in advance a vertical position of the soft X-ray sensor so that the soft X-ray sensor can detect soft X-rays passing through the gap in the detection step; Prepare
The imprint method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that: The sensor position preliminary adjustment step includes:
Positioning the base material and the mold so as to face each other in the vertical direction, and forming an adjustment gap equivalent to the gap between the base material and the mold;
Irradiating laser light along a horizontal direction so as to pass through the adjustment gap;
Adjusting the vertical position of the soft X-ray sensor so that the laser light that has passed through the adjustment gap is irradiated onto the detection surface of the soft X-ray sensor.
The imprint method according to claim 17, wherein: In the detection step, the soft X-ray sensor detects the intensity of soft X-rays from the soft X-ray ionizer,
A notification step of notifying a warning when the intensity detected by the soft X-ray sensor is a predetermined value or less;
The imprint method according to claim 15, wherein the imprint method is performed.

Images