JP5822597B2 - Imprint apparatus and article manufacturing method using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an imprint apparatus and an article manufacturing method using the same.

  The demand for miniaturization of semiconductor devices has advanced, and in addition to conventional photolithography technology, the mold (mold) and the uncured resin on the substrate are pressed against each other, and the resin pattern corresponding to the fine uneven pattern formed on the mold There is a microfabrication technique for forming a substrate on a substrate. This technique is also called an imprint technique, and can form a fine structure on the order of several nanometers on a substrate. For example, as one of imprint techniques, there is a photocuring method. In this photocuring method, first, an ultraviolet curable resin (imprint resin, photocurable resin) is applied to a shot region (imprint region) on a substrate. Next, this resin (uncured resin) is brought into contact with the mold. Then, the resin pattern is formed on the substrate by irradiating ultraviolet rays to cure the resin and then releasing the mold.

  In the conventional imprint apparatus employing the above technique, when the mold is pressed against the resin on the substrate, bubbles may be mixed into the resin pattern forming portion. When the resin is cured in a state where the bubbles are mixed, a defect is generated in the formed pattern. In order to avoid this pattern defect, Patent Document 1 discloses that the transfer printing plate (mold) is once bent into a convex shape toward the substrate, pressed against the resin on the substrate in this state, and then the mold is flattened. A transfer printer that returns and presses the entire surface of the pattern against the resin is disclosed. According to this printing machine, since the gas existing between the mold and the resin can be pushed out, the bubbles mixed in the resin can be reduced. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for reducing the residual of the bubbles by setting the gap (space) between the mold and the substrate to atmospheric pressure or less.

  Further, in the conventional imprint apparatus, when the mold is released, if the mold is peeled from the entire surface of the cured resin at the same time, a large peeling stress is instantaneously generated at the interface (contact portion) between the mold and the cured resin. Be loaded. This stress can cause distortion of the pattern being formed and can result in pattern defects. On the other hand, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when releasing the mold, the mold is once deformed, and then the mold is suddenly peeled off from the periphery of the pattern forming portion of the cured resin. Avoid the generation of stress.

Japanese Patent No. 44441675 JP 2009-532245 A

  However, when the mold is released, if the mold is deformed and gradually peeled off from the periphery of the cured resin pattern forming portion as in the transfer printer of Patent Document 1, the peeled portion in the uneven pattern of the mold will be The resin pattern forming portion is contacted obliquely. At this time, the resin pattern forming portion is pushed and tilted by the concave / convex pattern of the mold, and stress is generated at the root portion thereof. When this stress becomes larger than the plastic stress of the resin, the resin pattern forming portion does not return to its original shape while being inclined. Furthermore, the mold in the transfer printing machine of Patent Document 1 has a thin uneven pattern so that it can be easily bent. In this case, since the deformation of the mold becomes large when the mold is released, as a result, the defect that the resin pattern as described above is inclined easily occurs.

  Moreover, in the apparatus shown in Patent Document 2, in order to set the gap between the mold and the substrate to be equal to or lower than the atmospheric pressure, a collection port for collecting the gas existing in the gap is provided. In this case, a suction force acts between the mold and the substrate because the gap is equal to or lower than the atmospheric pressure. It can be considered that the suction force and the substrate come into contact with each other before the gas existing in the gap between the mold and the substrate is pushed out at the moment of contact between the mold and the substrate. In such a state, gas is confined in the gap between the mold and the substrate, and the gas causes an unfilled defect in the concave / convex pattern of the mold. Further, the deformation of the mold easily causes a defect in which the resin pattern formed on the substrate is inclined.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and provides an imprint apparatus capable of suppressing the occurrence of defects in the pattern forming portion while reducing bubbles mixed in the resin pattern forming portion. For the purpose.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention is an imprint apparatus for forming a resin pattern on a substrate by bringing an uncured resin on the substrate into contact with the mold, and the mold faces the substrate. The imprint apparatus has a holding part that holds the wall part and an external force on the wall part or the holding part. A mold deformation mechanism that deforms the shape between the central portion of the flat plate portion and the wall portion by acting , the mold deformation mechanism during the mold release operation to separate the mold and the resin from each other, or By applying an external force to the holding portion in the direction from the flat plate portion toward the wall portion, a part of the region between the central portion of the flat plate portion and the wall portion is moved away from the resin on the substrate. It is characterized by being deformed .

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the imprint apparatus which can suppress generation | occurrence | production of the defect of a pattern formation part can be provided, reducing the bubble mixed in the pattern formation part of resin.

It is the schematic which shows the structure of the imprint apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the mold holding apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the mold holding apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the mold holding apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the mode at the time of the conventional imprint operation | movement.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
First, the imprint apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an imprint apparatus according to the present embodiment. This imprinting device is a processing device that transfers mold patterns onto a wafer (on the substrate) that is the substrate to be processed, which is used in the semiconductor device manufacturing process. Device. In each of the following drawings, the Z axis (vertical direction) is taken in parallel with the irradiation axis of the ultraviolet rays with respect to the mold, and the X axis is in the direction in which the wafer moves relative to the mold base, which will be described later, in a plane perpendicular to the Z axis. (Horizontal direction) is taken, and further, the Y axis is taken in the direction perpendicular to the X axis. The imprint apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes an illumination system unit 2, a mold holding device 4, a wafer stage 6, a coating device 7, and a control device 8.

  The illumination system unit 2 is illumination means for irradiating the mold 3 with ultraviolet rays during the imprint process. The illumination system unit 2 includes a light source 20 and an illumination optical system 21 for adjusting ultraviolet light emitted from the light source 20 to light suitable for imprinting. For example, a halogen lamp that generates ultraviolet light can be used as the light source 20. The illumination optical system 21 includes an optical element such as a lens, an aperture (aperture), and a shutter that switches between irradiation and light shielding.

  The mold 3 has a rectangular outer periphery and is a mold in which a predetermined fine pattern 22 (for example, a concavo-convex pattern 3a such as a circuit pattern described later) is formed in a three-dimensional shape. The surface of the fine pattern is processed with high flatness in order to maintain adhesion with the surface of the wafer 5. The material of the mold 3 is a material that can transmit ultraviolet rays, such as quartz glass. Details of the shape of the mold 3 according to this embodiment will be described later.

  The mold holding device 4 is a holding means for holding the mold 3. The mold holding device 4 includes a shape correction mechanism (magnification correction mechanism) 23, a mold base (holding part) 24 that attracts and holds the mold 3 by an attractive force or electrostatic force, and a base (not shown) that drives the mold base 12. A drive mechanism. The shape correction mechanism 23 is a device that corrects the pattern formed on the mold 3 to a desired shape by applying a compressive force to the mold 3 so as to face the region on the side surface of the outer peripheral portion of the mold 3. It consists of a plurality of installed drive mechanisms. The configuration of the shape correction mechanism 23 is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which a tensile force is applied to the mold 3 may be used, or the mold 3 and the mold base 24 may be driven by driving the mold base 24 itself. It is good also as a structure which gives a shearing force to the contact surface. The base drive mechanism is a drive system that drives the mold base 24 in the Z-axis direction to bring the mold 3 into contact with the ultraviolet curable resin applied on the wafer 5. The actuator employed in this drive mechanism is not particularly limited, and a linear motor, an air cylinder, or the like can be employed. In the imprint apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the mold 3 is pressed against the ultraviolet curable resin on the fixed wafer 5. On the contrary, the wafer 5 is pressed against the fixed mold 3. There may be a configuration in which the upper UV curable resin is pressed.

Furthermore, the mold holding device 4 of this embodiment includes a mold deformation mechanism 50 that deforms the shape of the mold 3 in addition to the above-described configuration. FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the mold deformation mechanism 50. FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the dimensions of each part of the mold 3. 2A and the subsequent drawings, the same components as those of the imprint apparatus 1 shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, in particular, the shape of the mold 3 is a box shape having a flat plate portion 3a and a wall portion 3b on the outer peripheral side, and the central portion of the stamping surface of the flat plate portion 3a is as described above. A concavo-convex pattern 3c is formed. In this case, the mold base 24 of the mold holding device 4 has a central portion (inner side) as a space through which ultraviolet rays emitted from the light source 20 of the illumination system unit 2 pass, and the wall 3 b that is the outer peripheral portion of the mold 3. It is assumed that the mold 3 is held by adsorbing a vertical surface (held surface) 3d.

The mold deformation mechanism 50 includes a drive mechanism 51 that is in contact with the region of the side wall 3e that is the side surface of the outer peripheral portion of the wall 3b that forms the mold 3, and that exerts a tensile force outwardly on the region. The drive mechanism 51 is an external force applying means including a suction mechanism, an actuator, and the like, and in order to apply a tensile force to the four side walls 3e of the mold 3, the periphery of the mold 3 fixed to the mold base 24 Multiple units are installed at the same time. Here, in the present embodiment, the region in which the driving mechanism 51 applies a tensile force is the upper portion in the Z direction that approaches the vertical surface 3d side in the side wall 3e. In this region, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2 (a), the reaction force B is applied to the inside of the mold 3 from the wall 3b side toward the central portion side of the flat plate portion 3a with respect to the action of the tensile force A. It is set as the position where the moment M is generated to act and cause desired deformation in the flat plate portion 3a. For example, the moment M fulcrum intermediate position in the Z direction of the wall portion 3b to the height dimension L ₁ (the distance L _1/2 from the stamping surface of the vertical surface 3d or flat plate portion 3a), and the wall portion 3b an intermediate position (distance _L 2/2 from the side wall 3e or opposing inner walls) of the width dimension _{L 2} in the X direction. In this case, the position where the drive mechanism 51 exerts a force A tension, the height distance from the fulcrum of moment M, the center position of the thickness D ₁ of the flat plate portion 3a, i.e., to the working center of the reaction force B It is more efficient to set the position at a distance equivalent to the distance. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2D, in the mold deformation mechanism 50, the driving mechanism 51 can apply a compressive force D to the side wall 3e. In this case, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2D, a reaction force E acts on the inside of the mold 3 from the central portion side of the flat plate portion 3a toward the wall portion 3b side with respect to the action of the compressive force D. and, the moment _{M 3} is generated.

In order to suitably deform the flat plate portion 3a into a desired shape by the mold deforming mechanism 50, in the mold 3, and as thin as possible a thickness dimension D ₁ of the flat plate portion 3a, and the flat plate portion 3a it is desirable to increase as much as possible the distance dimension L ₃ of the inner wall. This is not only advantageous for the deformation of the flat plate portion 3a during the mold release operation, but also during the stamping operation, the flat plate portion 3a is easily deformed into a convex shape toward the wafer 5 side. There is also an effect that mixing is reduced.

  The wafer 5 is a substrate to be processed made of, for example, single crystal silicon, and an ultraviolet curable resin (hereinafter simply referred to as “resin”) serving as a molding portion is applied to the surface to be processed. The wafer stage 6 is a substrate holding means that holds the wafer 5 by vacuum suction and can freely move in the XY plane. The wafer stage 6 includes an auxiliary member (chuck) 25 that directly holds the wafer 5 and an actuator for driving the auxiliary member 25. The wafer stage 6 has not only a precise positioning for pattern superposition, but also a mechanism (not shown) that adjusts the posture of the surface of the wafer 5.

  The coating device (dispenser) 7 is a coating unit that coats an uncured resin on the wafer 5. The coating device 7 includes a storage unit 26 that stores an uncured resin, and a supply port 27 that communicates with the storage unit 26 and applies the uncured resin supplied from the storage unit 26 onto the wafer 5. The resin is a photo-curing resin having a property of being cured by receiving ultraviolet rays, and is appropriately selected depending on the type of semiconductor device to be manufactured.

  The control device 8 is a control unit that controls operations, adjustments, and the like of each component of the imprint apparatus 1. Although not shown, the control device 8 is configured by a computer having a storage unit such as a magnetic storage medium connected to each component of the imprint apparatus 1 by a line, a sequencer, or the like. Perform component control. The control device 8 may be configured integrally with the imprint device 1 or may be installed at a location different from the imprint device 1 and controlled remotely.

  Further, the imprint apparatus 1 includes gas supply apparatuses 35 a to 35 c that supply gas to the gap between the mold 3 and the wafer 5 during the stamping operation. In general, if bubbles remain between the concave-convex pattern 3c formed on the mold 3 and the resin on the wafer 5 during the stamping operation, the pattern formed on the resin may be distorted and defects may occur. Therefore, the gas supply device suppresses the generation of bubbles by supplying a purge gas such as helium or carbon dioxide that is highly soluble in the resin. The gas supply devices 35 a to 35 c include first to third gas supply ports 28 a to 28 c arranged around the mold 3, and the purge gas around the mold 3 is ejected at least immediately before the stamping operation. Increase the concentration as much as possible.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2D, the mold 3 includes an exhaust port (suction port) 81 connected to a decompression mechanism (not shown) around the uneven pattern 3c. The decompression mechanism can effectively suppress the generation of bubbles under an atmospheric pressure environment by decompressing the gap between the mold 3 and the wafer 5 during the stamping operation.

  Further, the imprint apparatus 1 includes an interference measurement length device for measuring the position of the wafer stage 6 and an alignment scope 29 for measuring the position of the alignment mark formed on the wafer 5. The interference measurement length device includes a mirror 30 and an interferometer 31 installed at the end of the wafer stage 6. The control device 8 drives the wafer stage 6 to the target position based on the measurement result by the interference measurement length device. Further, the control device 8 positions the wafer stage 6 based on the position of the alignment mark on the wafer 5 measured by the alignment scope 29. The imprint apparatus 1 includes a surface plate 32, a frame 33, and a vibration isolation device 34. The surface plate 32 supports the entire imprint apparatus 1 and forms a reference plane for the movement of the wafer stage 6. The frame 33 supports various components positioned above the wafer 5. The vibration isolator 34 has a function of reducing transmission of vibration from the floor surface and supports the frame 33.

  Next, imprint processing by the imprint apparatus 1 will be described. First, the control device 8 places the wafer 5 on the wafer stage 6 by a wafer transfer system (not shown), and then places the wafer 5 on the auxiliary member 25 by a vacuum suction means (not shown) configured on the wafer stage 6. To hold. Next, the control device 8 drives the wafer stage 6 as appropriate, and simultaneously acquires the position information of the wafer 5 by sequentially measuring the alignment marks on the wafer 5 by the alignment scope 29. The control device 8 calculates each transfer coordinate from the acquired position information and uses it as a reference for sequential transfer (stamping operation) performed for each predetermined shot (transfer target region) or resin application operation. Next, the control device 8 moves the wafer stage 6 and positions the target shot on the wafer 5 so as to be positioned directly below the resin supply port 27. Thereafter, the coating device 7 applies an appropriate amount of resin (uncured resin) to the target shot from the supply port 27. Next, the control device 8 aligns the stamping surface of the mold 3 with the coating surface on the wafer 5 and corrects the shape of the mold 3 by the shape correction mechanism 23, and then drives the base drive mechanism to drive the wafer 5. The mold 3 is imprinted on the upper resin. Completion of the stamping operation is determined by the control device 8 based on the measurement value of the load sensor installed in the mold holding device 4. During the stamping operation, the resin flows along the uneven pattern 3 c formed on the mold 3. In this state, the illumination system unit 2 irradiates ultraviolet rays from the upper surface of the mold 3, and the resin is cured by the ultraviolet rays transmitted through the mold 3. Then, after the resin is cured, the control device 8 re-drives the base drive mechanism and pulls the mold 3 away from the wafer 5 (mold release operation). As a result, a three-dimensional resin layer that follows the pattern of the mold 3 is formed on the surface of the shot on the wafer 5.

  Next, the operation of the mold holding device 4 of this embodiment will be described. First, a release operation in a conventional imprint apparatus will be described for comparison. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an imprint operation in a conventional imprint apparatus. In particular, FIG. 5A shows an operation in the middle of peeling the mold 102 (uneven pattern 103) from the resin layer 101 formed on the wafer 100 during the mold release operation. Normally, when the mold 102 is pulled away from the wafer 100, the mold 102 receives a force in a direction away from the wafer 100, that is, in the Z-axis upward direction. At the same time, in the region where the concavo-convex pattern 103 and the resin layer 101 are fixed, the mold 102 receives a pulling stress in the direction toward the wafer 100, that is, the Z-axis downward direction. Therefore, in the conventional imprint apparatus, as shown in FIG. 5A, the uneven pattern 103 is gradually formed from the periphery of the resin layer 101 by deforming the mold 102 into a bowl shape that protrudes in the direction toward the wafer 100. To avoid sudden generation of pulling stress.

  FIG. 5B is an enlarged view showing the vicinity of the pattern forming portion in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5B, when the concave / convex pattern 103 is gradually peeled off from the periphery of the resin layer 101, the peeled portion of the concave / convex pattern 103 is in the Z direction (release direction) as the mold 102 is deformed. It tilts diagonally. Due to the inclination of the peeled portion, the pattern forming portion 101a of the resin layer 101 adjacent to the peeled portion is similarly pushed and tilted, and stress is generated at the base portion. If this stress is greater than the plastic stress of the resin, the pattern forming portion 101a will not return to its original position while being tilted.

On the other hand, in the mold holding device 4 of the present embodiment, by adopting the mold deformation mechanism 50, the bubbles mixed in the resin 52 are reduced, and the collapse of the pattern forming portion of the resin 52 is also reduced. . FIG. 2C is a schematic diagram showing the state of the mold 3 during the mold release operation. First, as described above, the imprint apparatus 1 performs the curing operation of the resin 52 by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. Next, the mold holding device 4 performs a mold release operation. Usually, the mold 3 is deformed into a convex shape toward the wafer 5 by receiving a tensile force (a pulling stress) in a direction toward the wafer 5. And At this time, the mold deformation mechanism 50 applies a tensile force A to the mold 3 by the drive mechanism 51. As a result, a reaction force B acts on the flat plate portion 3a of the mold 3 to generate a moment M, and an upward force C in the Z direction acts on the central portion of the flat plate portion 3a. Here, the flat plate portion 3a, as compared with the width L ₂ of the wall portion 3b, the thickness dimension D ₁ is thin, by the action of mutual force the force C and the pull-off stress, the center portion and the wall A part 3 f of the region between the portions 3 b is deformed into a so-called W shape that curves toward the opposite side of the surface of the wafer 5. Then, the mold deformation mechanism 50 appropriately adjusts the magnitude of the tensile force A applied by the drive mechanism 51 by a control device (not shown), and gradually moves the uneven pattern 3 c of the mold 3 from the outer peripheral portion of the resin (cured resin) 52. By pulling them apart, the mold 3 and the resin 52 are relatively retracted. For example, in this case, the mold holding mechanism 4 can suitably perform the mold release operation by deforming the central portion of the flat plate portion 3a by about several to several tens of μm upward in the Z direction. It becomes. In general, since the contact area between the concavo-convex pattern 3c and the resin 52 is large at the start of the mold release operation, a large force is required to separate the mold 3, while the contact area increases as the mold release operation proceeds. And the force when pulling away the mold 3 may be small. Therefore, if the control device controls the tensile force by the drive mechanism 51 based on the change in the contact area between the concave / convex pattern 3c and the resin 52, the concave / convex pattern 3c of the flat plate portion 3a is prevented from being bent suddenly. be able to. In this manner, the mold deformation mechanism 50 suppresses the generation of the separation stress by appropriately adjusting the deformation amount of the mold 3 during the mold release operation, so that the pattern forming portion of the resin 52 is tilted due to the conventional separation stress. Decrease.

Further, in FIG. 2D, the mold deformation mechanism 50 applies a compressive force D to the mold 3 by the drive mechanism 51 during the stamping operation. By this action, the flat plate portion 3a of the mold 3 moment M ₃ is generated reaction force E acts, in the center of the flat plate portion 3a, Z direction downward force F acts. As a result, the concavo-convex pattern 3 c can be pressed against the resin 52 in a state where the mold 3 is bent convexly toward the wafer 5. In addition to the mold deformation mechanism 50, the imprint apparatus 1 includes a pressure adjusting unit (not shown) as a mechanism for deforming the mold 3. This pressure adjusting means adjusts the pressure of the sealed space by making a space area formed by the space existing inside the mold base 24 and the internal space surrounded by the wall 3b of the mold 3 into a sealed space. The mold 3 can be bent in a convex shape toward the wafer 5 by supplying gas to the sealed space and applying pressure. The mold 3 may be bent using both the mold deformation mechanism 50 and the pressure adjusting means. Thereby, even if the gap between the mold 3 and the wafer 5 is set to a lower pressure by the decompression mechanism 80, the gas between the mold 3 and the resin 52 is pushed out to reduce bubbles mixed in the resin 52. Can do.

  Further, the imprint apparatus 1 includes a measuring unit 90 that measures the deformation amount of the flat plate portion 3a. The measuring means 90 measures the amount of deformation of the flat plate portion 3 a during the stamping operation and outputs the measurement result to the mold deformation mechanism 50. When the gap between the mold 3 and the wafer 5 is reduced to an atmospheric pressure or lower by a decompression mechanism (not shown), a suction force acts between the mold 3 and the wafer 5. At this moment when the mold 3 and the wafer 5 come into contact with each other, as shown in FIG. 5C, the suction force is applied between the exhaust port 81 and the wafer 5 before the gas existing in the gap between the mold 3 and the wafer 5 is pushed out. It is possible to come into contact. In such a state, the gas is trapped in the gap between the mold 3 and the wafer 5, so that bubbles mixed in the resin 52 cannot be reduced. Therefore, as described above, the measurement result from the measuring unit 90 is used so that the mold 3 is convex toward the wafer 5 even in an environment where the suction force by the exhaust port 81 is generated during the stamping operation. In addition, the external force applied to the mold 3 by the mold deformation mechanism 50 is adjusted. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the exhaust port 81 and the wafer 5 from contacting each other before the gas present in the gap between the mold 3 and the wafer 5 is pushed out. As described above, a stamping operation in which the gap between the mold 3 and the resin 52 is set to be equal to or lower than the atmospheric pressure is possible, and mixing of bubbles into the resin 52 generated in the gap can be reduced from the atmospheric pressure environment.

  As described above, according to the imprint apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, by adopting the mold deformation mechanism 50 in the mold holding apparatus 4, it is possible to release the mold while reducing the mixing of bubbles into the resin during the stamping operation. The fall of the resin pattern formation part at the time of operation | movement can be reduced.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, an imprint apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a mold holding device 60 that is a characteristic part of the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, the same components as those of the mold holding device 4 shown in FIG. The mold holding device 60 is characterized in that it includes a mold deformation mechanism 61 in which the installation position of the drive mechanism 51 included in the mold deformation mechanism 50 of the first embodiment is changed.

For example, the mold deformation mechanism 61 shown in FIG. 3 (a), the driving mechanism 51a is in a position to exert a tensile force A ₂ in the region of the side surface 24a in the adsorption portion of the mold base 24 to adsorb vertical plane 3d of the mold 3 Be placed. In this case, the fulcrum of the moment M ₂ will be different from the position in the mold deformation mechanism 50 of the first embodiment. However, if the mold 3 and the mold base 24 is long as it is firmly fixed by the suction force, the flat plate portion 3a of the mold 3 the moment M ₂ is generated reaction force B ₂ acts, as in the first embodiment in, the Z direction upward force C ₂ acts on the central portion of the flat plate portion 3a. Similarly, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3 (c), the driving mechanism 51a includes a moment M ₄ is generated acts reaction force E ₂ is that a flat plate portion 3a applying compressive force D ₂ on the side surface 24a , the center portion of the flat plate portion 3a acts Z direction downward force F _2. Therefore, according to the imprint apparatus of this embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained by including the mold holding device 60.

On the other hand, in the mold deformation mechanism 61 shown in FIG. 3 (b), the drive mechanism 51 b is arranged at a position where the compressive force B ₃ is applied to a region facing the flat plate portion 3 a on the side wall 3 e of the mold 3. In this case, by acting directly compressive force B ₃ from the side wall 3e toward the center portion of the flat plate portion 3a, as in the first embodiment, the center portion of the flat plate portion 3a is Z direction upward force C ₃ Works. Similarly, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3 (d), the drive mechanism 51b by acting tensile force E ₃ directly from the side wall 3e toward the center portion of the flat plate portion 3a, as in the first embodiment , the center portion of the flat plate portion 3a acts Z direction downward force F _3. Therefore, the imprint apparatus in this case also has the same effect as that of the first embodiment.

(Third embodiment)
Next, an imprint apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a mold holding device 70 which is a characteristic part of the present embodiment. In FIG. 4, the same components as those of the mold holding device 4 shown in FIG. The mold holding device 70 has a reinforcing member 71 installed in a space region S formed by a space existing inside the mold base 24 and an internal space surrounded by the wall portion 3 b of the mold 3. The mold deformation mechanism 72 is provided. The reinforcing member 71 is formed of a light-transmitting member such as quartz glass, and as shown in FIG. 4, has at least one pressure adjusting channel 71b such that the vent 71a faces the inner surface 3g of the flat plate portion 3a. . In particular, in this embodiment, the position where the air vent 71a is installed is between the center portion of the flat plate portion 3a and the wall portion 3b so that the flat plate portion 3a is deformed into a W shape as in the first embodiment. The position corresponds to the region 3f. The pressure adjustment flow path 71b is connected to a pressure adjustment device (coupling separation means) (not shown) that adjusts the pressure in the space region S. Further, the mold deformation mechanism 72 includes an elastic member 73 connecting the side surface portion 71c of the reinforcing member 71 and the inner side surface 24b of the mold base 24, and a member driving mechanism (not shown) that allows the reinforcing member 71 to move in the Z direction. With.

In this case, at the time of the stamping operation, the mold deforming mechanism 72 supplies the gas into the space region S and pressurizes the surface of the reinforcing member 71 with the mold 3 as shown in FIG. The inner surface is separated from 3 g. On the other hand, at the time of the mold release operation, the mold deformation mechanism 72 exhausts the gas in the space region S through the pressure adjustment channel 71b by the pressure adjustment device as shown in FIG. 4B. At this time, the inside of the space region A is decompressed and the elastic member 73 is deformed, and the reinforcing member 71 is integrally adsorbed (coupled) to the inner surface 3 g of the mold 3. At this time, the reinforcing member 71 only needs to be coupled to the vicinity of the region 3f of the inner surface 3g of the mold 3, and the center portion of the inner surface g is preferably not coupled. Next, the reinforcing member 71, the mold 3 by an unillustrated member driving mechanism that drives the Z direction upward, the flat plate portion 3a Z direction upward force C ₄ acts. Therefore, according to the imprint apparatus of this embodiment, by providing the reinforcing member 71, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, since it is necessary for the reinforcing member 71 to transmit ultraviolet rays at the center, the whole is formed of a light transmissive member. For example, only a part overlapping the irradiation region is formed of a light transmissive member. Or a through-hole etc. may be provided in the ultraviolet-ray passage part of the reinforcement member 71. Further, the mold holding device 70 includes a second member driving mechanism that is different from the member driving mechanism, and may drive the second member driving mechanism with a delay or a slower speed than the member driving mechanism. Good.

(Product manufacturing method)
A method for manufacturing a device (semiconductor integrated circuit element, liquid crystal display element, etc.) as an article includes a step of forming a pattern on a substrate (wafer, glass plate, film-like substrate) using the above-described imprint apparatus. Furthermore, the manufacturing method may include a step of etching the substrate on which the pattern is formed. In the case of manufacturing other articles such as patterned media (recording media) and optical elements, the manufacturing method may include other processes for processing a substrate on which a pattern is formed instead of etching. The method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article as compared with the conventional method.

  As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment, A various deformation | transformation and change are possible within the range of the summary.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration of the mold deformation mechanism included in the mold holding device is different from the configuration of the shape correction mechanism (magnification correction mechanism) 23. However, if the configuration of the shape correction mechanism 23 can be the same as that of the mold deformation mechanism described above, the mold deformation mechanism of the present embodiment and the shape correction mechanism 23 can be the same. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Imprint apparatus 3 Mold 3a Flat plate part 3b Wall part 3c Irregular pattern 3d Vertical surface 4 Mold holding apparatus 5 Wafer 24 Mold base 50 Mold deformation mechanism 52 Resin

Claims (10)

An imprint apparatus for forming a resin pattern on the substrate by bringing an uncured resin on the substrate into contact with the mold,
The mold has a flat plate portion having a concavo-convex pattern formed on the side facing the substrate, and a wall portion located on the outer peripheral side,
The imprint apparatus includes:
A holding portion for holding the wall portion ;
A mold deformation mechanism that deforms a shape between a central portion of the flat plate portion and the wall portion by applying an external force to the wall portion or the holding portion ;
The mold deformation mechanism causes the external force to act on the wall portion or the holding portion in a direction from the flat plate portion toward the wall portion during a mold release operation for separating the mold and the resin from each other. The imprint apparatus is characterized in that a part of a region between a central portion of the flat plate portion and the wall portion is deformed in a direction in which the mold is separated from the resin on the substrate . The region in which the external force is applied in the holding portion causes a reaction force to act on the inside of the mold between the wall portion and the central portion of the flat plate portion with respect to the action of the external force. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the imprint apparatus is a position where a moment causing deformation is generated. The mold deformation mechanism, the uneven pattern and the time stamp operation of contacting the uncured resin, the wall, or against the holding portion, the action of the external force in a direction toward said plate from said wall portion it is, imprinting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that deforming the flat plate portion in a convex shape toward the side of the surface of the substrate. The imprint apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an external force applying unit for a region of the side wall of the wall portion facing the flat plate portion. Pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pressure on the surface of the flat plate portion opposite to the surface on which the concave / convex pattern is formed,
The imprint apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the pressure adjusting unit is controlled to increase the pressure during the stamping operation. The mold includes a suction port around the uneven pattern,
The imprint apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a space between the concave-convex pattern and the uncured resin is decompressed during the stamping operation. An imprint apparatus for forming a resin pattern on the substrate by bringing an uncured resin on the substrate into contact with the mold,
The mold has a flat plate portion having a concavo-convex pattern formed on the side facing the substrate, and a wall portion located on the outer peripheral side,
The imprint apparatus includes:
A holding portion for holding the wall portion;
A mold deformation mechanism that deforms the shape between the center portion of the flat plate portion and the wall portion by applying an external force to the wall portion or the holding portion;
Measuring means for measuring the deformation amount of the mold,
The mold deformation mechanism applies the external force in a direction from the wall portion toward the flat plate portion with respect to the wall portion or the side wall of the holding portion during a stamping operation in which the uneven pattern and the uncured resin are brought into contact with each other. By acting, the plate portion of the mold is deformed into a convex shape toward the surface of the substrate,
An imprint apparatus characterized in that, during the stamping operation, the space between the concave-convex pattern and the uncured resin is decompressed and the mold deformation mechanism is controlled based on the output of the measuring means. The imprint apparatus, for correcting the shape of the pattern of the mold, the different from the mold deformation mechanism, in according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a shape correction mechanism Printing device. Forming a resin pattern on a substrate using the imprint apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
Processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed in the step;
A method for producing an article comprising: An imprint method for forming a pattern on a substrate,
A step of facing a mold having a flat plate portion on which a concavo-convex pattern is formed and a wall portion located on an outer peripheral portion to the substrate;
A step of supplying the uncured resin on the substrate,
A contact step of bringing the uncured resin supplied on the substrate into contact with the uneven pattern of the mold;
A curing step of curing the uncured resin;
A mold release step for separating the resin cured in the curing step and the uneven pattern of the mold,
Oite to as prior KiHanare type Engineering, the wall, or to the holding unit, by the action of the external force in the direction toward the wall portion from said plate, said by tensile force at the time of the release some of the region between the central portion of the flat plate portion so as to reduce the bending deformation of the mold of the concavo-convex pattern and the wall portion, and a benzalkonium deformed in a direction in which the mold is separated from the resin on the substrate A characteristic imprint method.

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