JP6540848B2 - Template for nanoimprint - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a template for nanoimprinting and a method of manufacturing a structure using the same.

  Attention has been focused on nanoimprint technology as a microfabrication technology. The nanoimprint technology uses a nanoimprint template (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a template), which is a mold member having a fine uneven pattern formed on the surface of a substrate, and transfers the uneven pattern to a workpiece. Is a pattern formation technology to transfer

  In Patent Document 1, in order to improve the production yield and production efficiency of the nanoimprint process, a hollow portion is formed in the central portion of the substrate, and the central portion is thinned with respect to the peripheral portion, and the thickness varies. Templates have been proposed. In this template, it is possible to contact the material to be transferred from the center of the pattern area by curving the central part, and to contact the pattern material to be transferred with the pattern area of the template while discharging the gas toward the peripheral part. Then, after the pattern area is brought into contact with the material to be transferred, the material to be transferred is cured, and the template is released from the material to be transferred, thereby patterning the material to be transferred. Usually, this template is also curved at the center during mold release. The pattern area is then arranged to include the most curved position of the template.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-536591

  Problems with the above-described conventional template will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 18 shows a release process of separating the conventional template from the cured material to be transferred. In general, tensile stress tends to concentrate on the template and / or the material to be transferred at the start and end positions of release. Therefore, the possibility of breakage or deformation of the template and / or the transferred material located at the stress concentration point is increased. When an attempt is made to release the conventional template 1000 from the structure 2100 formed on the transfer material 2000, the area thinned by the depressions is bent. Then, the mold release progresses gradually from the peripheral portion of the template 1000, and the mold release end position becomes the most bending position G of the template 1000. However, in the template 1000, since the most bent position G 'exists in the pattern area, there is a possibility that a defect may be generated in the pattern area which the defect is not likely to occur.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is a main object of the present invention to provide a nanoimprinting template capable of suppressing the occurrence of defects in a pattern region to be transferred and a method of manufacturing a structure using the same. I assume.

A nanoimprinting template according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a base and a base having a convex structure projecting from the first side of the base, a concavo-convex pattern to be transferred located on the convex structure, and A template for nanoimprinting, comprising: an alignment mark disposed on the convex structure adjacent to the concavo-convex pattern; and a recess located on a second side opposite to the first side of the base, A first region defined by the recess, a second region which is present around the first region and whose thickness of the base is larger than any portion of the first region; An alignment element which is a part of the first area, the pattern area including the uneven pattern, and a part of the first area and disposed outside the pattern area and including the alignment mark And the convex structure portion is smaller than the first region, and the maximum bending portion which is the most bending portion of the first region is outside the pattern region, and the alignment mark region is to superposition on the maximum deflection unit, the maximum deflection unit is characterized sites der Rukoto identified by measuring the flatness of the first region.

  As another aspect, the bottom of the recess may be a flat surface.

  In a method of manufacturing a structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, a process of preparing the template for nanoimprinting described above, a process of preparing a transfer substrate, a process of supplying a material to be transferred to the transfer substrate, and Arranging the nanoimprint template and the transfer substrate in an opposing manner, curving the first region of the nanoimprint template so as to be convex toward the first side, and the nanoimprint template After the step of bringing the template for nanoimprinting into contact with the material to be transferred by reducing the distance from the transfer substrate, and bringing the template for nanoimprinting and the material to be transferred into contact, the second step of the nanoimprint template Flattening the first region, curing the material to be transferred, and the first region While the curved in a convex shape to the first side, wherein the a step of detaching the nanoimprint template from the transfer material.

  According to the present invention, the occurrence of defects in the pattern area to be transferred can be suppressed.

It is a top view of a template concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a sectional view of a template concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a sectional view of a template concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a sectional view of a template concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of a template concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of a template concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of a template concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of a template concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the mode of propagation of the contact boundary line of the template and receiving material which arise by mold release. It is a schematic diagram explaining the relationship between a peeling direction and an uneven | corrugated pattern. It is a schematic diagram explaining the manufacturing method of the structure using the template which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of a template concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a sectional view of a template concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining an example of an alignment mark. It is a schematic diagram explaining the manufacturing method of the structure using the template which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the positional relationship of the alignment mark by the side of a template, and the alignment mark by the side of a transfer base material. It is a flowchart figure explaining the manufacturing method of the structure using the template concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the problem of a prior art.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be carried out in many different modes, and is not construed as being limited to the description of the embodiments shown below. Note that in the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same portions or portions having similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof may be omitted. Also, for convenience of explanation, it should be noted that the explanation is carried out with the scale etc. changed as compared to the actual.
First Embodiment
A template for nanoimprinting according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the template 100 includes a first region 110, a second region 120 existing around the first region 110, and a pattern that is included in and is a part of the first region 110. And an area 130. The first region 110 is a flexible region having an arbitrary shape and in which the substrate is thinner than the second region 120. On the other hand, the second region 120 is a fixed region in which the base material is thicker than the first region 110. The most flexing portion of the first region 110 is shown as a maximum flexure G. The maximum bending portion G is located outside the pattern area 130. Only one pattern area may exist in the first area as shown in the drawing, and the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of pattern areas may exist. Although the outer shape of the template 100 is shown as a rectangle, it is not limited to this and may have any shape such as a circle.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line II of FIG. FIG. 2A is an example of a template. The template 100 has a base 101, a desired concavo-convex pattern 131 located on the first side 1a of the base 101, and a recess located on the second side 1b opposite the first side 1a of the base 101 And 111. The recess 111 makes the thickness of the base of the first region 110 smaller than that of the second region 120. The first region 110 is defined by the plan view shape of the bottom of the recess 111, and the thickness of the base is substantially constant. In addition, that the thickness of a base material is substantially constant means that 100x (maximum thickness-minimum thickness) / (maximum thickness) is less than 10 (%). The pattern area 130 is a partial area of the first area 110 and is an area including the concavo-convex pattern 131. The concavo-convex pattern 131 may be composed of only the main pattern or a mixture of the main pattern and the dummy pattern, but it should be transferred for the purpose of transferring the shape to the object at equal magnification. It is a pattern. It is assumed that the concavo-convex pattern 131 does not include an auxiliary pattern in which the shape is transferred to the object at equal magnification but the transfer is not related. That is, it means that an auxiliary pattern or the like may be present at or near the maximum bending portion G. As auxiliary patterns, for example, alignment marks for alignment at the time of transfer, patterns for accommodating excess transfer target material, and labyrinth patterns for delaying propagation of transfer target material can be mentioned.

  The material of the base material 101 is, for example, a glass such as quartz or soda lime glass or borosilicate glass, a semiconductor such as silicon, gallium arsenide or gallium nitride, a metal substrate, or a composite substrate made of any combination of these materials It may be. When the template is used for photoimprinting, the substrate is made of a light transmitting substrate, and typically quartz can be used. The recessed portion 111 can be formed by processing such as polishing, grinding, and etching from the second side on such a base material. The thickness of the base material of the first region 110 is, in particular, as long as the first region can be curved so as to be convex toward the first side by pressurizing with a fluid or the like from the second side as described later There is no restriction | limiting, For example, it can set suitably in 300 micrometers-2 mm. The thickness of the base of the second region 120 is not particularly limited as long as it is larger than the thickness of the base of the first region 110, and can be appropriately set, for example, in the range of 500 μm to 10 mm.

  FIG. 2 (B) is an example of a template, and the form of the base material 101 is different from that of FIG. 2 (A). The base material 101 has a base portion 101a and a convex structure portion 101b protruding from the first side 1a of the base portion 101a, and is called a so-called mesa structure. The concavo-convex pattern 131 is located on the convex structure portion 101 b. Although the example in which the level | step difference by the convex structure part 101b is 1 step was shown in FIG. 2 (B), multiple steps may be sufficient. Further, although the convex structure portion 101 b is illustrated so as to substantially overlap the first region 110, the convex structure portion 101 b may be smaller or larger than the first region 110.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the form of the base 101 is different from that of FIG. The opening of the recess 111 is expanded toward the second side 1 b. In this case, the first area 110 is an area defined by the plan view shape of the bottom of the recess 111.

  Here, the maximum bending portion G is a portion specified by measuring the flatness using a flatness measurement apparatus FlatMaster-Mask 300 (manufactured by Corning Tropel). Depending on the form of the first region 110, the maximum bending portion G may be point-like, linear or planar. When the thickness of the base material of the first region 110 is substantially constant, the center of gravity of the figure defined by the outline of the first region 110 is determined by calculation, and the center of gravity is determined by the maximum bending portion G It may be defined. In addition, it is preferable that the space | interval of the uneven | corrugated pattern contained in the pattern area | region 130 and the largest bending part G and the closest, and the largest bending part G is 5 mm or more. The maximum bending portion G in the present invention is a portion corresponding to either the portion measured and specified or the portion specified by calculation.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention. The thickness of the base in the first region is not limited to be substantially constant in the plane of the base 101 as described above, and the base may have portions with different thicknesses. By changing the thickness of the substrate in the first area, the position of the maximum bending portion G can be controlled independently of the element of the shape of the first area. Thereby, the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the pattern area 130 in the base material 101 can be improved.

  The portion where the first region and the second region are connected can be regarded as a fixed end formed by connecting the first region displaced relative to the second region. Then, as shown in FIG. 4A, the first region of the base portion 101a of the base 101a extends from the first fixed end 112a toward the second fixed end 112b facing the first fixed end 112a. The thickness gradually increases. In this case, the maximum bending portion G is located closer to the first fixed end 112 a having a small thickness and high flexibility. If the pattern area 130 is disposed so as to exclude the maximum bending portion G, the arrangement of the pattern area is not limited. When the arrangement position of the pattern area can be selected, the pattern area can be arranged closer to the first fixed end 112 a side or the second fixed end 112 b side. In this case, preferably, by setting the pattern area 130 to the first fixed end 112 a side, the pattern area is easily deformed, and filling of the material to be transferred into the concavo-convex pattern or hardened transferred material from the concavo-convex pattern Can be easily pulled out. Not limited to the illustration, the thickness of the base portion 101a of the base in the first region may be changed stepwise.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, in the first region, the thickness of the base portion 101a of the base gradually decreases from the first fixed end 112a and the second fixed end 112b toward the center. In other words, the recess 111 is in the shape of a so-called mortar. The position of the maximum bending portion G can be controlled by changing the position at which the thickness of the base portion 101 a of the base in the first region is the smallest. Not limited to the illustration, the thickness of the base portion 101a of the base in the first region may be changed stepwise.

  As shown in FIG. 4C, in the first region, the thickness of the base portion 101a of the substrate gradually increases from the first fixed end 112a and the second fixed end 112b toward the center. In other words, the depression 111 is in the shape of a so-called piece. The position of the maximum bending portion G can be controlled by changing the position where the thickness of the base portion 101a of the base material in the first region is the largest. Not limited to the illustration, the thickness of the base portion 101a of the base in the first region may be changed stepwise.

  5 to 8 are plan views of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention. The first region 110 can have any shape, but as shown in FIGS. 5-8, even if it is a geometrical shape selected from the group of circle, ellipse, rectangle, trapezoid, rhombus, triangle Good. By changing the shape of the first region, the position of the maximum bending portion G can be controlled independently of the thickness of the substrate in the first region. Thereby, the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the pattern area 130 in the base material 101 can be improved. Although the following description is based on the premise that the thickness of the base in the first region is substantially constant, the present invention is not limited to this and the thickness of the base may be changed.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the first area 110 is circular. If the first area 110 is circular, the largest deflection G corresponds to the center of the circle. The maximum bending portion G exists outside the pattern area 130. The pattern area 130 may be arranged in an island shape in the first area (see FIG. 5A) or may be arranged annularly so as to remove the maximum bending portion G (see FIG. 5B). ). FIG. 6 is a plan view of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the first region 110 is elliptical. If the first region 110 is elliptical, the largest deflection G corresponds to the center of the ellipse. The maximum bending portion G exists outside the pattern area 130.

  When releasing uniformly from the outer periphery, if the first region 110 is circular or elliptical, the contact boundary between the template and the material to be transferred is concentric circular or centered on the maximum bending position G. It occurs in an elliptical shape, and the mold release proceeds toward the maximum bending position G. Since the contact boundary line between the template and the material to be transferred which is generated by the mold release propagates in a concentric circular or elliptical shape not including the corner, a dot-shaped uneven pattern such as a circle or a rectangle exists in the pattern area In this case, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of abrupt stress in the uneven pattern.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the first region 110 is rectangular. When the first region 110 is rectangular, the maximum bending portion G corresponds to the intersection (centroid) of the diagonals of the rectangle. The maximum bending portion G exists outside the pattern area 130.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 8A, the first region 110 has a trapezoidal shape. The maximum bending portion G corresponds to the center of gravity of the trapezoid. In FIG. 8B, the first region 110 has a triangular shape. The maximum bending portion G corresponds to the center of gravity of the triangle. In FIG. 8C, the first region 110 has a rhombus shape. The maximum bending portion G corresponds to the center of gravity of the rhombus. In the above example, the maximum bending portion G exists outside the pattern area 130.

  A trapezoid whose long side is on the side of the first fixed end 112a, a triangle whose apex angle of the first region 110 faces the side of the second fixed end 112b, or a pair of apex angles on the side of the first fixed end 112a The rhombus located on the side of the second fixed end 112 b is a figure in which the ease of bending of the first region gradually changes when mold release is started from the side of the first fixed end 112 a. According to such a figure, since the pliability of the first region gradually changes, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a sharp stress.

  In particular, the first region has a shape in which at least one side is formed by a straight line such that the contact boundary between the template and the material to be transferred becomes straight when release from one side starts, and It is particularly preferable to configure such that the flexibility of the area 1 has such a shape that decreases in a partial area or the entire area as it goes away from one side constituted by a straight line. For example, the embodiments shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B are particularly preferable examples in the above case.

  FIG. 9 schematically shows the state of the propagation of the contact boundary between the template and the material to be transferred which is caused by the mold release in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 (A) and 8 (B). The dotted lines in the figure represent the position of the contact boundary line at a certain time in a contour-like manner. The direction orthogonal to the contact boundary can be considered to be parallel to the peeling direction. When mold release is performed in one direction from one side (the first fixed end side) to an opposite side or an opposing vertex (the second fixed end) so as to be orthogonal to the side, the mold is substantially parallel to the side where mold release starts. Contact boundaries occur, and then the contact boundaries advance towards the maximum deflection G. When the outline of the pattern area is substantially parallel to the contact boundary, the contact between the contact boundary and the pattern area is not point contact but line contact, so that a large tensile stress is generated in the uneven pattern which is to be peeled off Can be suppressed and release can be performed stably.

FIG. 10 schematically shows a preferred arrangement of the concavo-convex pattern in the peeling direction. When the concavo-convex pattern of the pattern area 130 includes a linear pattern, it is preferable that the extending direction of the linear pattern and the peeling direction be substantially the same. By making the peeling direction and the extending direction of the linear pattern substantially coincide with each other, the linear pattern and the material to be transferred can be smoothly pulled apart, so that defects generated at the time of mold release can be reduced. In addition, that the direction in which the linear pattern extends and the peeling direction substantially coincide with each other means that the angle between the directions is within 5 °.
Second Embodiment
A method of manufacturing a structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention using the template 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating a method of manufacturing a structure using a template according to an embodiment of the present invention. Below, the case where it applies to the pattern formation by the optical imprint method is demonstrated. The present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to known imprinting methods such as heat.
(1) Step of Preparing Template and Transfer Substrate (1-a) Template Preparation Step A light transmitting template 100 is prepared. The template 100 is prepared, for example, by preparing a base made of quartz in which a recess is formed, and forming a convex structure on the first side of the base by wet etching or the like to produce a mesa structure, and this convex structure A resist is formed thereon, and the resist is patterned by electron beam or light lithography or lithography using a master template to form a mask pattern, and the substrate can be etched through the mask pattern.
(1-b) Substrate Preparation Step A transfer substrate 500 is prepared. The material of the transfer substrate may be substantially the same as the material that can be used for the template. The transfer substrate 500 may have a structure formed in advance. The thickness of the transfer substrate can be set in consideration of the shape of the concavo-convex pattern, the material strength, the handling aptitude, and the like. Also, the outer shape of the transfer substrate 500 may be the same as or different from that of the template 100. When the concavo-convex pattern of the template is transferred to the transfer substrate by the step-and-repeat method, the transfer substrate 500 is usually larger than the template 100.
(2) Transfer step (2-a) Transfer material supplying step (see FIG. 11A)
The material to be transferred M is supplied to the transfer substrate 500. The material to be transferred M is a photocurable resin. As a method of supplying the material to be transferred, for example, a spin coating method, a spray method, an ink jet method or the like can be used, and the ink jet method is more preferably used. One or more droplets of the material to be transferred M are formed on the transfer substrate 500 by an inkjet method.
(2-b) Template contacting step (see FIG. 11 (B))
The template 100 and the transfer base material 500 are made to face each other, a fluid is introduced from the second side of the template 100 to the recess, and the first region is curved so as to be convex toward the first side. The first region is brought into contact with the curved template 100 and the material to be transferred M.
(2-c) Transfer material forming step (see FIG. 11C)
The introduction of fluid into the recess is stopped and the curvature of the first region is unwound and flattened. In a state where the material to be transferred has fluidity, alignment between the template 100 and the transfer substrate 500 is performed as necessary. In addition, if necessary, stress is applied from the side of the template with an actuator or the like to perform magnification correction or the like. Then, in a state in which the material to be transferred M is interposed between the transfer substrate 500 and the template 100, the material to be transferred M is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light. Thereby, the material to be transferred M is molded.
(2-d) Release step (see FIG. 11D)
After curing the material to be transferred M, release of the template 100 from the material to be transferred M is performed. Thus, the structure 510 can be formed on the transfer substrate 500. Since the first region is formed in a thin-walled shape and has flexibility, mold release proceeds from the outer peripheral portion when the template 100 is pulled up, and finally the maximum bending portion G separates from the structure 510. When the template 100 is used, the occurrence of defects occurring in the pattern area to be transferred can be suppressed because the maximum bending portion G is outside the pattern area. Based on the structure 510, a replica template, a semiconductor device, a magnetic recording medium, and the like can be manufactured.

The mold release is performed in one direction from the first fixed end toward the second fixed end according to conditions such as the shape of the first region and the thickness distribution of the base in the first region. May be For example, a plurality of actuators attached to the template and the chuck of the transfer substrate can be controlled to allow the mold release to proceed in one direction.
Third Embodiment
A nanoimprinting template according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. 12 is a plan view of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the template 200 includes a first region 110, a second region 120 existing around the first region 110, a pattern region 130 which is a part of the first region, and a pattern And an alignment mark area 140 disposed outside the area 130. The pattern area 130 may be disposed in an island shape so as to exclude the maximum bending portion G and the alignment mark area 140, or may be disposed in an annular shape. The alignment mark area 140 overlaps with or exists in the vicinity of the maximum bending portion G. In addition, that the alignment mark area | region 140 exists in the vicinity of the largest bending part G means that the space | interval of the alignment mark closest to the largest bending part G and the largest bending part G is less than 1 mm.

  13 is a cross-sectional view of a template according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the template 200 includes a substrate 101, a desired concavo-convex pattern 131 located on the first side 1 a of the substrate 101, an alignment mark 141 disposed adjacent to the concavo-convex pattern 131, and a base And a recess 111 located on the second side 1b opposite to the first side 1a of the material 101.

  As the alignment mark 141, for example, one having one or more structural bodies in the shape of a ring, a rectangle, a cross, etc. or a periodic structure such as a diffraction grating can be mentioned. For example, the alignment mark 141 may be set to have a dimension, depth, or the like larger than the concavo-convex pattern 131, and may be configured to delay the filling speed of the material to be transferred than the concavo-convex pattern 131. Thereby, even if the concavo-convex pattern 131 is filled with the material to be transferred, the marks can be visually recognized because the material to be transferred is not completely filled in the alignment mark 141. Further, since the surface of the alignment mark 141 is formed at the same height position as the surface of the concavo-convex pattern 131, the alignment accuracy can be improved.

The alignment marks are generally arranged at the peripheral portion of the template, but in the template according to an embodiment of the present invention, the alignment marks are arranged at the maximum bending portion G and in the vicinity thereof. When the first region 100 of the template 200 is curved, the amount of displacement to the first side is large at the maximum bending portion G and the vicinity thereof, but the amount of displacement in the surface direction is small compared to the other portions. It can be said that it is a site where If this property is used, it can be inferred that a considerable amount of positional deviation occurs at other parts if the positional deviation at a part where the positional deviation is small is equal to or greater than a predetermined allowable value. By using the alignment mark on the template side and the alignment mark on the transfer substrate side as described above, manufacturing control at the time of mold release can be performed. Details will be described later.
Fourth Embodiment
A method of manufacturing a structure according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention using the template 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. Below, the case where it applies to the pattern formation by the optical imprint method is demonstrated. The present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to known imprinting methods such as heat.
(1) Step of Preparing Template and Transfer Substrate (1-a) Template Preparation Step In S11, a light transmitting template 200 is prepared. The template 200 is prepared, for example, by preparing a base material made of quartz in which a recessed portion is formed, and forming a convex structure portion on the first side of the base material by wet etching or the like to produce a mesa structure. A resist is formed thereon, and the resist is patterned by electron beam or light lithography or lithography using a master template to form a mask pattern, and the substrate can be etched through the mask pattern. The alignment mark 141 on the template 200 side can be produced by etching in the same step as the concavo-convex pattern or in another step. As shown in FIG. 14A, the alignment mark 141 on the template 200 side is, for example, an annular pattern.
(1-b) Base Material Preparation Step In S11, a transfer base material 500 is prepared. The material of the transfer substrate may be substantially the same as the material that can be used for the template. The alignment mark 541 on the transfer substrate 500 side can be produced by etching the transfer substrate. As shown in FIG. 14B, the alignment mark 541 on the transfer base 500 side is, for example, a rectangular pattern that fits within the alignment mark 141. In addition, the outer shape of the transfer substrate 500 may be the same as or different from that of the template 200. When the concavo-convex pattern of the template is transferred to the transfer substrate by the step-and-repeat method, the transfer substrate 500 is usually larger than the template 200.
(2) Transfer Step (2-a) Transferred Material Supply Step In S12, the transferred material M is supplied to the transfer substrate 500. The material to be transferred M is a photocurable resin. As a method of supplying the material to be transferred, for example, a spin coating method, a spray method, an ink jet method or the like can be used, and the ink jet method is more preferably used. One or more droplets of the material to be transferred M are formed on the transfer substrate 500 by an inkjet method.
(2-b) Template contacting step (see FIG. 15A)
In S13, the template 200 and the transfer base material 500 are made to face each other, and a fluid is introduced from the second side of the template 200 to the recess to curve the first region so as to be convex toward the first side. The first region is brought into contact with the curved template 200 and the material to be transferred M.
(2-c) Alignment step (see FIG. 15B)
The introduction of fluid into the recess is stopped, the curved state of the first region is unfolded and flattened, and the template 200 and the transfer substrate 500 are aligned. In S14, the alignment mark 141 on the template side and the alignment mark 541 on the transfer substrate side are imaged by the imaging unit 600 such as a camera, and information on the positional relationship between the two patterns is acquired.

In S15, the amount of positional deviation between the alignment mark 141 and the alignment mark 541 is measured. As shown in FIG. 16A, when the alignment mark 541 fits in the alignment mark 141 and the centers of both patterns substantially coincide with each other, it can be determined that the alignment between the template 200 and the transfer base material 500 is satisfactorily performed. . On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 16B, when it is confirmed that the center C1 of the alignment mark 141 and the center C2 of the alignment mark 541 are misaligned, alignment between the template 200 and the transfer base material 500 is performed. It can be judged that is not well done. In this case, the template 200 is moved relative to the transfer substrate 500 in the planar direction to adjust to the state shown in FIG.
(2-d) Transfer material forming step (see FIG. 15C)
After the alignment is completed in S16, in a state in which the material to be transferred M is interposed between the transfer substrate 500 and the template 100, the material to be transferred M is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light. Thereby, the material to be transferred M is molded.

After ultraviolet irradiation, the imaging unit 600 may be disposed at a position where the alignment marks 141 and 541 can be visually recognized again, and information on the positional relationship between the two patterns may be acquired. If the alignment state before curing is maintained after curing of the material to be transferred, the relationship shown in FIG. 16A is satisfied even after curing. However, if the alignment state before curing is not maintained after curing of the material to be transferred, a relationship as shown in FIG. 16B may be taken. If the positional deviation amount between the center C1 of the alignment mark 141 and the center C2 of the alignment mark 541 is larger than a predetermined allowable value, the structure 510 may be determined as a defective at this point.
(2-e) Release step (see FIG. 15D)
After curing the material to be transferred M, in step S17, the template 200 is separated from the material to be transferred M while the imaging unit 600 visually recognizes the alignment marks 141 and 541. During release, if twisting or rubbing occurs in one or both of the template and the transfer substrate unintentionally, the structure 510 may be deformed or broken in some cases. The alignment marks 141 and 541 overlap the maximum bending portion G or are arranged in the vicinity thereof. The displacement of the first region in the maximum bending portion G is limited to the direction perpendicular to the transfer substrate 500 and is less likely to occur in the direction horizontal to the transfer substrate 500. By utilizing this, by visually recognizing the alignment marks 141 and 541 during the progress of mold release, whether or not the template and the transfer base material are unintentionally twisted or rubbed based on the positional deviation of both patterns. It can be judged.

  The positional deviation amount obtained by the imaging unit 600 is compared with a predetermined allowable value in S18. The predetermined allowable value is set in advance according to the presence or absence of the defect or the degree of the defect theoretically or experimentally on the relationship between the displacement amount of the alignment mark 141 or 541 and the defect. By comparing the positional displacement amount with a predetermined allowable value, it is possible to infer the state of the structure 510 when a certain positional displacement amount occurs. In S19-1, when the positional deviation amount between the center C1 of the alignment mark 141 and the center C2 of the alignment mark 541 is equal to or less than a predetermined allowable value, it is determined as a non-defective product. Conversely, if the value is larger than the predetermined allowable value, the structure 510 is determined as a defective product in S19-2.

  Thus, the structure 510 can be formed on the transfer substrate 500. Since the first region is formed in a thin-walled shape and has flexibility, mold release proceeds from the outer peripheral portion when the template 200 is pulled up, and finally, the maximum bending portion G separates from the structure 510. When the template 200 is used, it is possible to avoid stress concentration in the pattern area because the maximum bending portion G is outside the pattern area. This can suppress the occurrence of defects in the pattern area to be transferred. Based on the structure 510, a replica template, a semiconductor device, a magnetic recording medium, and the like can be manufactured.

  The mold release may be performed from the entire periphery of the outer periphery toward the inside depending on conditions such as the shape of the first region and the thickness distribution of the base material in the first region. It may be carried out in one direction from the fixed end side to the second fixed end side. For example, a plurality of actuators attached to the template and the chuck of the transfer substrate can be controlled to allow the mold release to proceed in one direction.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100, 200 ... template, 101 ... base material, 101a ... base, 101b ... convex structure part, 110 ... 1st area | region, 111 ... hollow part, 112a ... 1st fixed end, 112b ... 2nd fixed end, 120 ... Second area 130: pattern area 131: unevenness pattern 140: alignment mark area 141: alignment mark 500: transfer base material 510: structure 541: alignment mark 600: imaging section 1000: conventional Template, 2000 ... Transfer base material, 2100 ... Structure

Claims (3)

A base material and a base material having a convex structure projecting from the first side of the base, a concavo-convex pattern to be transferred located on the convex structure, and the convex structure disposed adjacent to the concavo-convex pattern A nanoimprint template, comprising: the alignment mark; and a recess located on a second side opposite to the first side of the base,
A first area defined by the recess;
A second area which is present around the first area and which has a thickness greater than any portion of the first area;
A pattern area which is a part of the first area and includes the concavo-convex pattern;
An alignment mark area which is a part of the first area and which is disposed outside the pattern area and which includes the alignment mark;
The convex structure portion is smaller than the first region,
The largest bending portion which is the most bending portion of the first area is outside the pattern area,
The alignment mark area, and heavy tatami to the maximum deflection unit,
The maximum deflection unit, the Ru sites der identified by measuring the flatness of the first region, the template nanoimprint.   The template for nanoimprinting according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the recess is a flat surface. Preparing the nanoimprinting template according to claim 1 or 2;
Preparing a transfer substrate;
Supplying a material to be transferred to the transfer substrate;
Placing the nanoimprint template and the transfer substrate in opposition;
Curving the first region of the template for nanoimprinting to be convex toward the first side;
Bringing the nanoimprint template into contact with the nanoimprint template and the material to be transferred by reducing the distance between the nanoimprint template and the transfer substrate;
Planarizing the first region of the nanoimprinting template after contacting the nanoimprinting template with the material to be transferred;
Curing the material to be transferred
And b. Pulling the nanoimprinting template away from the material to be transferred while curving the first region so as to be convex toward the first side.

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