JP7147447B2 - RESIN MOLD AND OPTICAL ELEMENT MANUFACTURING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a resin mold and a method for manufacturing an optical element using the same.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a microfabrication technology has been developed for transferring a fine structure on a mold to a workpiece made of resin, metal, or the like, and is attracting attention.
In this imprinting technique, an original mold in which a pattern to be transferred is formed in advance is pressed against a material to be transferred, such as a liquid resin on a base material, and cured while being irradiated with light. It is a method of transferring a pattern of a mold to a material to be transferred by pressing it against the material. Fine concave-convex patterns range from those on the nanoscale of 10 nm to those on the order of 100 μm, and are used in various fields such as semiconductor materials, electronic/optical devices, recording media, biotechnology, environment, and micromachines. .

On the other hand, in recent years, display devices such as liquid crystal display devices and light-emitting display devices are desired to have a larger area and higher performance. 2. Description of the Related Art Display devices use various optical elements having a fine structure in which a fine concave-convex pattern is transferred to the surface thereof. Therefore, there is a demand for a technique for forming a large-area fine concavo-convex pattern.

However, a mold with a nano-order fine uneven pattern on its surface is very expensive because it takes time to form the pattern, and in many cases, only a small-area master can be produced due to restrictions on manufacturing methods and equipment.
Therefore, a method has been proposed to enable large-area imprinting by repeatedly performing imprinting using a small-area mold while shifting the position of the mold so that the processing regions do not overlap (step-and-repeat method). ).

However, according to the conventional method of repeatedly imprinting while shifting the position of the mold so that the processed regions do not overlap, there is a portion where no pattern is formed between the transferred patterns, and the pattern is not formed. There is a problem that the unformed joint portion may not satisfy the desired performance.

Therefore, in Patent Document 1, in order to eliminate joint portions where no pattern is formed, as a method for manufacturing a fine structure pattern aggregate that can join a plurality of basic fine structure patterns with high accuracy, a flat base material is disclosed. A first step of supplying a photocurable resin dropwise onto the photocurable resin, a second step of pressing the microstructure mold against the photocurable resin to spread it, and irradiating the photocurable resin with light and exposing it to hardening forming a basic fine structure pattern, comprising: a third step of forming a circular basic fine structure pattern; and a fourth step of mold release movement of releasing the fine structure mold from the basic fine structure pattern and lifting it up. A method for manufacturing a fine structure pattern assembly by repeating unit steps a plurality of times, wherein when forming a new basic fine structure pattern adjacent to the already formed basic fine structure pattern, the already formed A method for manufacturing a fine structure pattern assembly is described, characterized in that the outer periphery of the new basic fine structure pattern is formed such that the outer periphery of the new basic fine structure pattern partially overlaps with the outer periphery of the already formed basic fine structure pattern. It is

JP 2013-161997 A

However, according to the technique of Patent Document 1, as described in FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1 (FIG. 20 of this specification), the concave-convex pattern 102 transferred next to the already transferred concave-convex pattern portion 101 As a result, at the joint between 101 and 102, a step of about the height of the convex portion of the concave/convex pattern or more is formed. When such a resin mold having a step of about the height of the convex portion or more at the joint is applied to imprint patterning on an etching resist film, for example, as will be described in detail later, the resist of the material to be transferred will be affected. In the same way, the uneven pattern having steps is transferred to form an uneven pattern including concave portions with high bottoms and convex portions with low tops. When etching the residual film in the recessed portions of the resist, if the residual film in the recessed portions that are raised by the resist is etched, the uneven pattern itself, which is relatively lowered due to the run-on, is etched. There is a problem that it will be lost.

On the other hand, in the step-and-repeat method described above, in order to eliminate joints where no pattern is formed, the mold is arranged so as to overlap the end of the pattern previously formed by the mold, and the next pattern is formed. In this case, the protrusions of the previously formed pattern overlap with the protrusions of the mold, resulting in regions that cannot be shaped sufficiently. A continuous seam is generated along the uneven pattern, and a plurality of streaks are generated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the uneven pattern, resulting in a moire-like pattern. Optical properties may become unstable.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and enables patterns formed by small-area molds to be connected to each other, suppresses steps at the joints of the small-area molds, and enables continuous joints. An object of the present invention is to provide a resin mold that suppresses the occurrence of defects such as streaks and has excellent appearance and optical characteristics, and a method for manufacturing an optical element using the resin mold.

One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a support and a resin layer having a concavo-convex pattern formed on the support, and the concavo-convex pattern is formed by connecting two or more pattern areas having the same pattern shape. The pattern area has a pattern shape in which two or more linear protrusions extending in a predetermined direction are repeatedly arranged in parallel, and any pattern area included in the uneven pattern the first pattern area and the second pattern area are the two adjacent pattern areas selected in 1, the first pattern area and the second pattern area overlap at the boundary, and In the overlapping area at the boundary, the linear protrusions included in the second pattern area are at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view with respect to the linear protrusions included in the first pattern area. To provide a resin mold tilted to form a

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a resin mold, wherein a width of a portion where the first pattern area and the second pattern area overlap is 1 to 5 μm.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in a plan view, in each pattern area included in the uneven pattern, the direction in which the linear protrusions included in the pattern area extend is approximately the direction in which the pattern areas are connected. To provide a resin mold arranged vertically.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in plan view, each pattern area included in the uneven pattern has a rectangular shape whose vertices may be rounded, and the pattern areas are linear in the direction in which they are connected. One of the vertices of the rectangular shape is aligned on a common reference line that extends to the reference line, is inclined in the same direction with respect to the reference line, and the acute angle between the reference line and one side of the pattern area exceeds 0° and is 1 To provide a resin mold arranged so as to incline at an angle of less than °.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a resin mold, wherein the maximum width of the gap between the reference line and the pattern area is greater than 0 mm and equal to or less than 1 mm in plan view.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of linear projections formed in the portion where the first pattern area and the second pattern area overlap each other have height differences between the tops of the projections and recesses. Provided is a resin mold that is smaller than the height from the bottom of the concave portion of the pattern to the top of the linear convex portion.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing an optical element using the resin mold of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the optical element is any one selected from the group consisting of a wire grid polarizer, an antireflection plate, a light diffusion plate, a light collecting plate, a contact prevention plate, an optical diffraction grating, a light guide plate, and a hologram. Provided is a method for manufacturing an optical element, which is an element of

The embodiments of the present disclosure make it possible to connect patterns formed by small-area molds, suppress steps at the joints of small-area molds, and prevent the occurrence of defects such as continuous joints and streaks. It is possible to provide a resin mold that is suppressed and has excellent appearance and optical properties, and a method for manufacturing an optical element using the resin mold.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a resin mold of the present disclosure, where (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view and (b) is a schematic plan view. In FIG. 2, the second linear projection 53-2 is tilted at an angle θ of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view with respect to the first linear projection 53-1. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged portion A in FIG. 1 when the mold 10 is placed at the position where the uneven pattern is formed in the pattern area 52-2 of No. 2. FIG. FIG. 3 shows an overlap in which the second linear projection 53-2 is inclined at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view with respect to the first linear projection 53-1. 5 is a scanning electron micrograph of the surface of the resin mold 100 around the area 55. FIG. FIG. 4 is a scanning electron micrograph in which a portion of FIG. 3 is enlarged. 5 shows the surface of the resin mold 100 in which the angle formed by the first linear projections 53-1 and the second linear projections 53-2 in the overlapping region 55 is approximately 0° in plan view. is a scanning electron micrograph. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the mold rides on the hardened first linear protrusions 53-1 in the first pattern area 52-1 when forming the uneven pattern in the second pattern area 52-2. It is a figure shown typically. FIG. 7 shows the uneven pattern of the second pattern area 52-2 so that the second linear protrusion 53-2 is inclined by 1° or more in plan view with respect to the first linear protrusion 53-1. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged overlap region 55 when the mold 10 is placed at the forming position; FIG. 8 shows the surface of the resin mold 100 around the overlapping region 55 where the second linear projections 53-2 are arranged at an angle of 1° or more in plan view with respect to the first linear projections 53-1. is a scanning electron micrograph. FIG. 9 is an enlarged schematic view of the schematic view shown in FIG. 7 including the second pattern area 52-2 side. FIG. 10 shows the overlapping region 55 and its peripheral region when the shift angle θ is 1° (a), θ=5° (b), and θ=10° (c). 4 is a scanning electron micrograph of the surface of the resin mold 100. FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing that each rectangular pattern area included in the concave-convex pattern is continuously arranged while being inclined in the same direction at an angle with respect to the reference line. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining step (1) of the present disclosure, where (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view and (b) is a schematic plan view. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating step (2) of the present disclosure, where (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view and (b) is a schematic plan view. 14A and 14B are diagrams for explaining the step (3) of the present disclosure, where (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view and (b) is a schematic plan view. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining step (4) of the present disclosure, where (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view and (b) is a schematic plan view. 16A and 16B are diagrams for explaining the step (5) of the present disclosure, where (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view and (b) is a schematic plan view. 17A and 17B are diagrams illustrating a case where step (4) of the present disclosure is repeated, where (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view and (b) is a schematic plan view. 18A and 18B are diagrams illustrating a case where step (5) of the present disclosure is repeated, where (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view and (b) is a schematic plan view. FIG. 19(a) is a schematic diagram showing that each rectangular pattern area included in the concave-convex pattern is continuously arranged without being inclined with respect to the reference line, and FIGS. 19(b) and 19(c). [FIG. 2] is a schematic diagram showing a state in which rectangular pattern areas included in a concave-convex pattern are continuously arranged in a state of being irregularly inclined with respect to a reference line; FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a superimposed state of the basic fine structure patterns obtained by the embodiment of the prior art (Patent Document 1).

Hereinafter, the resin mold and the method for manufacturing an optical element according to the present disclosure will be described in detail.
In addition, the terms such as "parallel", "perpendicular", "same" and the like, length and angle values, etc. that specify shapes and geometric conditions and their degrees used in this specification are strictly It shall be interpreted to include the extent to which similar functions can be expected without being bound by the meaning.
Further, in this specification, (meth)acryl represents each of acrylic and methacrylic, (meth)acrylate represents each of acrylate and methacrylate, and (meth)acryloyl represents each of acryloyl and methacryloyl. show.

I. Resin mold The resin mold of the present disclosure has a support and a resin layer having an uneven pattern formed on the support, and the uneven pattern is two or more patterns having the same pattern shape. The pattern area has a pattern shape in which two or more linear protrusions extending in a predetermined direction are repeatedly arranged in parallel, and the pattern area included in the uneven pattern. When two arbitrarily selected adjacent pattern areas are defined as a first pattern area and a second pattern area, the first pattern area and the second pattern area overlap at the boundary. and, in the overlapping area at the boundary portion, the linear protrusions included in the second pattern area are more than 0° and 1° in plan view with respect to the linear protrusions included in the first pattern area. It is a plastic mold that is tilted at an angle of less than .

An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings attached to this specification, for the convenience of illustration and ease of understanding, the scale and the ratio of vertical and horizontal dimensions are changed and exaggerated from those of the real thing.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a resin mold of the present disclosure, FIG. 1(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic plan view. A resin mold 100 of the present disclosure has a resin layer 50 having an uneven pattern 51 on a support 1, as shown in FIG. 1(a). The uneven pattern 51 is formed by repeatedly arranging two or more pattern areas 52 . . . 52 having the same pattern shape. Each of the pattern areas 52 . . . 52, as shown in FIG. 1(a), has a pattern shape in which a plurality of linear projections 53 extending in a predetermined direction are repeatedly arranged in parallel. Pattern areas 52 . . . 52 are arranged continuously in the surface direction of the support 1. The recesses formed between the linear protrusions 53 in the pattern areas 52 . . . 52 are hereinafter referred to as linear recesses 54 .

In the uneven pattern 51 shown in FIG. 1(a), two adjacent pattern areas arbitrarily selected from the pattern areas 52 . . . 52 are defined as a first pattern area 52-1 and a second pattern area 52-2. . The first pattern area 52 - 1 and the second pattern area 52 - 2 share a boundary with each other to form an overlap region 55 . That is, the first pattern area 52-1 and the second pattern area 52-2 partially overlap each other at their boundaries. In the following description, a boundary part means an area including a boundary between one pattern area and a pattern area adjacent to this pattern area and its vicinity.
Hereinafter, the linear protrusions 53 included in the first pattern area 52-1 will be referred to as first linear protrusions 53-1, and the linear protrusions 53 included in the second pattern area 52-2 will be referred to as second pattern areas 53-1. 2 linear convex portion 53-2. Further, hereinafter, the concave portion included in the first pattern area 52-1 formed between the first linear convex portions 53-1 is referred to as the first linear concave portion 54-1, and the second linear concave portion 54-1 is referred to as the second linear concave portion 54-1. A recess included in the second pattern area 52-2 formed between the shaped protrusions 53-2 is referred to as a second linear recess 54-2.

FIG. 2 shows a process of forming an uneven pattern in the first pattern area 52-1 and then forming an uneven pattern in the second pattern area 52-2 when making the resin mold 100 shown in FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing part A in FIG. 1, that is, a part of an overlapping region 55 when the mold 10 is arranged at the position where the concave-convex pattern is to be formed in the second pattern area 52-2.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 53-1 indicates the first linear protrusion of the uneven pattern 51 formed in the first pattern area 52-1, and reference numeral 10a indicates the second pattern area 52-2. The projections of the mold arranged at the positions for forming the projections and depressions pattern are shown. Therefore, the portion indicated by reference numeral 10a in FIG. 2 is a portion that becomes the second linear concave portion 54-2 in FIG. This is the portion that becomes the second linear convex portion 53-2 in .
As shown in FIG. 2, in the overlapping region 55 of the first pattern area 52-1 and the second pattern area 52-2, the second linear protrusions 53-1 are aligned with respect to the first linear protrusions 53-1. 53-2 (the region sandwiched between the protrusions 10a of the mold in FIG. 2) is inclined at an angle θ of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view when the surface of the resin layer 50 is viewed from above. ing.

Thus, in the overlap region 55, the second linear projection 53-2 is inclined at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view with respect to the first linear projection 53-1. 2, a portion B where the mold protrusion 10a (second linear recess 54-2) overlaps with the first linear protrusion 53-1, and a mold protrusion 10a ( A portion C where the second linear recess 54-2) fits into the first linear recess 54-1 alternately occurs.
In FIG. 3, the second linear convex portion 53-2 is arranged at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view with respect to the first linear convex portion 53-1. A scanning electron micrograph of the surface of the resin mold 100 around the region 55 is shown.

As shown in the photograph of FIG. 3, on the surface of the resin mold 100, a short-line connection mark (joint) 56B is generated corresponding to the portion B in FIG. FIG. 4(a) is a photographic view obtained by enlarging a portion 56B in the photographic view of FIG.
The portion B in FIG. 2 shows the formation position of the uneven pattern when the uneven pattern is formed in the second pattern area 52-2 after the uneven pattern is formed in the first pattern area 52-1 as described above. The convex portion 10a of the mold 10 placed in the first pattern area 52-1 overlaps the convex portion 53-1 of the uneven pattern previously formed, as shown in FIG. 4A (enlarged photograph). As shown in the above, the convex portions of the previously formed concave-convex pattern are shaped lower than a predetermined height, or the shape of the convex portions is not maintained, and part of the previously formed concave-convex pattern disappears. In the resulting resin mold 100, the irregular shape of the boundary appears as a relatively conspicuous short-line connection trace 56B.

As shown in the photograph of FIG. 3, on the surface of the resin mold 100, corresponding to the portion C in FIG. A portion (hereinafter referred to as a seamless portion) 56C having substantially the same pattern shape is generated. FIG. 4(b) is a photographic view in which a portion 56C in the photographic view of FIG. 3 is enlarged and captured.
Part C in FIG. 2 shows that, as described above, after the uneven pattern is formed in the first pattern area 52-1, the second pattern is formed when the uneven pattern shape is formed in the second pattern area 52-2. The protrusions 10a of the mold 10 arranged at the formation positions of the concave-convex pattern in the area 52-2 are fitted into the concave portions 54-1 of the concave-convex pattern previously formed in the first pattern area 52-1, and the mold 10 is formed. The recesses fit into the protrusions 53-1 of the relief pattern previously formed in the first pattern area 52-1. Therefore, the shape of the previously formed uneven pattern is maintained. As a result, in the portion 56C in FIG. 3, as shown in FIG. 4B, a pattern shape substantially similar to the uneven pattern of the first pattern area 52-1 or the second pattern area 52-2 is formed. , the resulting resin mold 100 appears as a seamless portion 56C in which the irregular shape of the boundary is suppressed.

As described above, in the resin mold 100 of the present disclosure, in the overlapping region 55 at the boundary, the second linear projection 53-2 is located at the first linear projection 53-1 in plan view. By tilting at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° at , a dotted-line transition portion in which short-line connection traces 56B and seamless portions 56C alternately appear along the overlap region 55. occurs (see FIG. 3). Here, the transitional portion means a portion of the boundary between two adjacent pattern areas that has become apparent in a state where it is possible to visually confirm that it is an overlapping area.
As a result, for example, as shown in the photographic view of FIG. It is possible to obtain a resin mold 100 that is difficult to distinguish from the second pattern area 52-2 and has excellent appearance and optical characteristics.
In the photograph of FIG. 5, in the overlap region 55, the angle formed by the first linear projection 53-1 and the second linear projection 53-2 (hereinafter referred to as the deviation angle) is is a photographic view of the surface of the resin mold 100 at approximately 0° at , and the continuous linear transition portion J1 appearing in the overlap region 55 corresponds to the uneven pattern shape of the second pattern area 52-2. When forming the second pattern area 52-2, the convex part 10a of the mold 10 overlaps and rides on the first linear convex part 53-1 cured in the first pattern area 52-1. Among them, the mold 10 is not pushed into the region R adjacent to the first pattern region 52-1, and a region having no uneven pattern is generated, and this portion appears as a continuous linear transition portion J1. (see FIG. 6).

As shown in FIG. 7, in the overlapping region 55, when the second linear protrusion 53-2 is inclined by 1° or more with respect to the first linear protrusion 53-1 in plan view (deviation angle θ≧1°), and after forming the concave-convex pattern shape in the first pattern area 52-1, when forming the concave-convex pattern in the second pattern area 52-2, the projections 10a of the mold 10 and the first In the portion where the linear convex portion 53-1 overlaps (the portion indicated by D in FIG. 7) and its surrounding area, as indicated by 56D in the photograph of FIG. A streak (connection trace) extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the extending direction of the linear protrusions 53-2 is generated.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 7 including the side of the second pattern area 52-2. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 53-1 indicates the first linear convex portion of the concave-convex pattern 51 formed in the first pattern area 52-1, and reference numeral 10a indicates the second linear convex portion in the second pattern area 52-2. The projections of the mold arranged at the positions for forming the projections and depressions pattern are shown. Therefore, the portion indicated by reference numeral 10a in FIG. 9 is the portion that becomes the second linear concave portion 54-2 in FIG. This is the portion that becomes the second linear convex portion 53-2 in .

As shown in FIG. 9, in the overlap region 55, the protrusions 10a of the mold 10 overlap the protrusions (the first linear protrusions 53-1) of the protrusions and recesses pattern previously formed in the first pattern area 52-1. 1) and a portion E where the convex portion 10a of the mold 10 is fitted into the first linear concave portion 54-1 are alternately generated. Of these, in the overlapping portion D, as described with reference to FIG. As a result, in the resin mold 100 obtained after cooling, the uneven shape of the boundary appears as a conspicuous connection trace. In addition, in a region D' where the overlapping portion D is extended toward the second pattern section 52-2 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the extending direction of the first linear projection 53-1, the mold 10 The concave-convex pattern is not sufficiently pushed into the thermoplastic resin layer, resulting in a region where the concave-convex pattern shape is not sufficiently formed. Therefore, in the resin mold 100 after cooling, the overlapping portion D between the first linear convex portion 53-1 and the convex portion 10a of the mold 10, and the overlapping portion D are located on the second pattern area 52-2 side. In the region D' extended to the left, as indicated by reference numeral 56D in the photographic view of FIG. occurs, and an appearance similar to moire appears on the surface of the resin mold 100 after cooling. Note that the region D' shown in FIG. 9 attenuates and finally disappears as the distance from the overlapping region 55 increases. 7 and 9 corresponds to the area indicated by 56E in the photograph of FIG. A concave-convex pattern shape including convex portions is generated. However, in the region indicated by reference numeral 56E, the distortion of the uneven shape is greater than that of the seamless portion formed when the deviation angle θ is 0°<θ<1°.

In the overlapping region 55, the occurrence period of the streak increases as the angle θ (deviation angle θ) formed between the first linear protrusion 53-1 and the second linear protrusion 53-2 increases. do. 10(a) to 10(c) show the deviation angle θ when θ=1° (FIG. 10(a)), θ=5° (FIG. 10(b)), and θ=10°. It is a scanning electron micrograph of the surface of the resin mold 100 in the overlapping region 55 and its peripheral region in each of (FIG. 10(c)). When θ=1°, the streak generation cycle L is 9.5 μm, but when θ=5°, the streak generation cycle L is 1.2 μm, and when θ=10°, the streak generation cycle L is 0.7 .mu.m, and as .theta. increases, the frequency of occurrence of streaks tends to become shorter and the frequency of occurrence of streaks per unit area tends to increase.
In the overlapped region at the boundary, the linear projections included in the second pattern area are 0.01° or more and 0.99° or less in plan view with respect to the linear projections included in the first pattern area. is preferably inclined at an angle of , more preferably at an angle of 0.10 ° or more and 0.90 ° or less, and at an angle of 0.15 ° or more and 0.85 ° or less Tilting is even more preferable.

In plan view, each pattern area included in the uneven pattern is arranged such that the direction in which the linear protrusions included in the pattern area extend is substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the pattern areas are connected. is preferred. If the direction in which the linear protrusions extend and the direction in which the pattern areas are connected have such a relationship, defects such as continuous seams and streaks may occur in the overlapped area at the boundary. becomes easier. As described above, in the region, the linear protrusions included in the second pattern area are inclined at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° with respect to the linear protrusions included in the first pattern area. It is possible to effectively suppress the occurrence of such defects.
From the viewpoint of suppressing the occurrence of defects, the "substantially perpendicular" direction here may be a direction in which a certain portion or more of each linear protrusion in two adjacent pattern areas overlaps. The direction “substantially perpendicular” to the direction in which the pattern areas are connected may be, for example, a direction forming an angle of 60° to 120° with the direction in which the pattern areas are connected, or a direction in which the pattern areas are connected. The direction may form an angle of 70° to 110° with respect to the pattern area, or the direction may form an angle of 80° to 100° with respect to the direction in which the pattern areas are contiguous.

At the boundary, the width of the overlapping region 55, which is the overlapping region of the first pattern region 52-1 and the second pattern region 52-2, is preferably 1 to 5 μm. When the width of the overlapping region 55 exceeds 5 μm, even if the transition portion generated along the overlapping region 55 is in the form of a so-called dotted line, the portion of the short-line connection trace 56B becomes conspicuous enough to be visually identified. The appearance is inferior. On the other hand, if the width of the overlapping region 55 is less than 1 μm, high accuracy is required in determining the position of the mold in the method of manufacturing the resin mold, which will be described later. becomes. More preferably, the width of the overlapping region 55 is 1 to 3 μm.

The plurality of linear protrusions 53 formed in the overlap region 55 at the boundary preferably have a height difference smaller than the height from the bottom of the recess to the top of the protrusion of the uneven pattern. .

In a plan view, each pattern area included in the concave-convex pattern has a rectangular shape whose vertices may be rounded, and is above a common reference line linearly extending in the direction in which the pattern areas are connected. so that one of the vertices of the rectangular shape coincides with the reference line, is inclined in the same direction with respect to the reference line, and the acute angle formed by the reference line and one side of the pattern area is more than 0° and less than 1°. It is preferably arranged.
FIG. 19(a) is a schematic diagram showing how each rectangular pattern area included in the concave-convex pattern is continuously arranged without being inclined with respect to the reference line. 19(a) to (c) and FIGS. 11(a) and (b), for convenience of explanation, a concavo-convex pattern including three pattern areas is taken as an example, and the shape of each pattern area is A square with a side of l, which may be rounded.
In the case of FIG. 19(a), each pattern area is arranged without gaps. In this case, the length L _A of the obtained concavo-convex pattern in the continuous arrangement direction is 3l. Therefore, the area of the entire concavo-convex pattern (hereinafter sometimes referred to as effective area) is as wide as ^3l2 . However, in the case of such an arrangement, as described above, there is a problem that defects such as continuous seams and streaks are likely to occur. In addition, it is difficult to precisely arrange such pattern areas by machine, and there is a problem that it is not practical especially from the point of view of forming uneven patterns having a large area.

FIG. 11(a) is a schematic diagram showing that each rectangular pattern area included in the concave-convex pattern is continuously arranged in a state of being inclined in the same direction at an angle with respect to the reference line. 11(a) and (b), and FIGS. 19(b) and (c), for convenience of explanation, the relationship between the inclinations of the linear protrusions in the adjacent pattern areas is not illustrated, and only each Shall indicate the angle of inclination of the pattern area.
As shown in FIG. 11(a), in this case, each pattern area 52 is in contact with the reference line 60 at one point and inclined in the same direction. In the present disclosure, a reference line means a common line that extends linearly in the direction in which pattern areas are connected, and on which one of the vertices of a rectangular shape coincides. All of the acute angles θ ₁ to θ ₃ in FIG. 11(a) are angles exceeding 0° and less than 1°. The acute angles θ ₁ to θ ₃ may be the same angle or different angles, depending on the extending direction of the linear projections in each pattern area. However, as described above, it is necessary for adjacent pattern areas to form an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view between the linear protrusions included therein. From this point of view, the angles of adjacent pattern areas with respect to the reference line may be different from each other.
The angle θ shown in FIG. 2 described above only defines the relationship between the linear protrusions of adjacent pattern areas. Even if the angle θ shown in FIG. 2 is applied to the linear projections of adjacent pattern areas, the extending directions of the linear projections do not always align in the same direction between the separated pattern areas. On the other hand, by arranging the pattern areas as shown in FIG. 11A, it is possible to define the inclination of all the contiguous pattern areas. It is possible to minimize misalignment in the extending direction of the part. In addition, since the degree of inclination as shown in FIG. A mold is obtained.

The acute angle between the reference line and one side of the pattern area is preferably 0.01° or more and 0.99° or less, more preferably 0.10° or more and 0.90° or less in plan view. More preferably, the angle is 0.15° or more and 0.85° or less.

In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 11(a), it is important that the pattern areas are slanted in the same direction with respect to the reference line. By slanting the pattern area in the same direction with respect to the reference line, it is possible to secure a large area of the concave-convex pattern (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an effective area).
For example, in the case of FIG. 11(a), if the overlapped portion between the pattern areas is regarded as a minute area, the length L1 in the continuous direction of the concavo-convex pattern obtained is given by the following formula ( _I ).
Formula (I)
L ₁ = (l/cos θ ₁ )+(l/cos θ ₂ )+(l/cos θ ₃ )
≈ l [{1 + (1/2) θ ₀ ² } + {1 + (1/2) θ ₀ ² } + {1 + (1/2) θ ₀ ² }] (∵ θ ₁ to θ ₃ ≈ θ ₀ , θ ₀ is minute)
= l {3 + (3/2) θ ₀ ² }
As in the above, if θ ₁ to θ ₃ ≈θ ₀ and θ ₀ is very small, then the height (perpendicular to the connecting direction) H ₁ of the resulting concavo-convex pattern is H ₁ ≈l·cos θ ₀ +l • sin θ ₀ ≈ l{1+θ ₀ −(1/2) θ ₀ ² }.
Therefore, the effective area in the case of FIG. 11(a) is L ₁ ·H ₁ ≈l ² {3+3θ ₀ +(3/2)θ ³ }.

On the other hand, FIGS. 19B and 19C are schematic diagrams showing how the rectangular pattern areas included in the concave-convex pattern are continuously arranged in a state of being irregularly inclined with respect to the reference line. be. Of these, in the uneven pattern shown in FIG. 19B, two of the three pattern areas are inclined in the same direction at an angle to the reference line, and only one pattern area is arranged parallel to the reference line. there is In this case, the length LB in the direction in which the concavo-convex pattern obtained is arranged is shorter than L1 by _l ·sin θ ₃ , as is clear from a comparison between FIG. 19( _b ) and FIG. 11(a). Therefore, the length _LB is as shown in formula (II) below.
Formula (II)
L _B =(l/cos θ ₁ )+(l/cos θ ₂ )+(l/cos θ ₃ )−l·sin θ ₃
≈l[{1+(1/2)θ ₀ ² }+{1+(1/2)θ ₀ ² }+{1+(1/2)θ ₀ ² }−θ ₀ ](∵ θ ₁ to θ ₂ ≈ θ ₀ , θ ₀ are minute)
=l(3−θ ₀ +(3/2)θ ₀ ² )
The height (the length perpendicular to the connecting direction) H _B of the obtained concavo-convex pattern is l{1+θ ₀ −(1/2)θ ₀ ² }, similar to H ₁ .
Therefore, the effective area in the case of FIG. 19(b) is L _B ·H _B ≈l ² (3+2θ ₀ −θ ₀ ² )<L ₁ ·H ₁ .

In the uneven pattern shown in FIG. 19(c), two pattern areas are inclined in the same direction at an angle with respect to the reference line, and only one pattern area is in a different direction from the other pattern areas with respect to the reference line. placed at an angle to the In this case, the length LC in the continuous arrangement direction of the obtained concavo _- convex pattern is shorter than L1 by 2l·sin θ3 _, as is clear from a comparison between FIG. 19( _c ) and FIG. 11(a). Therefore, length LC is as shown in the following _formula (III).
Formula (III)
L _C =(l/cos θ ₁ )+(l/cos θ ₂ )+(l/cos θ ₃ )−2l·sin θ ₃
≈l[{1+(1/2)θ ₀ ² }+{1+(1/2)θ ₀ ² }+{1+(1/2)θ ₀ ² }−2θ ₀ ](∵ θ ₁ to θ ₃ ≈ θ ₀ , θ ₀ are minute)
=l{3-2θ ₀ +(3/2)θ ₀ ² }
The height (the length perpendicular to the connecting direction) H _C of the obtained concavo-convex pattern is l{1+θ ₀ −(1/2)θ ₀ ² }, similar to H ₁ .
Therefore, the effective area in the case of FIG. 19(c) is L _C ·H _C ≈l ² (3+θ ₀ −2θ ₀ ² )<L ₁ ·H ₁ .

Thus, according to the approximation calculation results, each pattern area is larger than the effective area in the case where each pattern area is continuously arranged in a state of being irregularly inclined with respect to the reference line (FIGS. 19B and 19C). The effective area is larger in the case where the pattern areas form an angle with respect to the reference line and are continuously arranged in a state of being inclined in the same direction (FIG. 11(a)). This means that when the pattern areas are inclined in the same direction, the overlapping area between the adjacent pattern areas can be reduced, and as a result, a wider effective area can be secured.

As described above, each pattern area preferably has a rectangular shape in order to increase the area of the concave-convex pattern and to facilitate formation of the concave-convex pattern without gaps. The shape of the pattern area may be square or rectangular, preferably square.
The rectangular shape of each pattern area may have rounded vertices. Here, the cases where the vertices are rounded include the cases where the vertices of the rectangular shape of the pattern area are actually rounded, and the locations of the vertices of the rectangular shape of the pattern area are difficult to distinguish and specify. case is also included. FIG. 11(b) is a modified example of the present disclosure, in which each rectangular pattern area with rounded vertices included in the uneven pattern tilts in the same direction at an angle with respect to the reference line. It is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the . FIG. 11(b) is similar to FIG. 11(a) except for the shape of the pattern area. By arranging the pattern areas 52a with rounded vertices as well in the same direction with respect to the reference line, it is possible to increase the area of the concave-convex pattern. However, as is clear from the fact that H2 shown in _FIG . 11B is shorter _than H1 shown in FIG. The area (L ₂ ·H ₂ ) is smaller than the area (L ₁ ·H ₁ ) of the uneven pattern shown in FIG. 11(a). Thus, the effective area when adopting a rectangular shape with rounded vertices is generally smaller than the effective area when adopting a rectangular shape with non-rounded vertices.
From the viewpoint of securing a wider effective area and forming a concave-convex pattern without gaps, it is preferable that 80% or more of the length of one side of each side of the rectangular shape of the pattern area is a straight line, and the length of one side is It is more preferable that 90% or more of is a straight line, and it is further preferable that 95% or more of the length of one side is a straight line. Further, it is particularly preferable to employ a rectangular shape with non-rounded vertices as the shape of the pattern area.

In plan view, the maximum width of the gap between the reference line and the pattern area is preferably more than 0 mm and 1 mm or less, more preferably 0.01 mm or more and 0.99 mm or less, and 0.10 mm or more. It is more preferably 0.90 mm or less. If the maximum width exceeds 1 mm, when pattern areas are formed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the continuous direction for the purpose of extending the uneven pattern in two-dimensional directions, it is difficult to seamlessly connect the entire uneven pattern. may occur.

The length of one side of the pattern area in the present disclosure can be appropriately selected according to the desired shape and area of the pattern area. The length of one side of the pattern area may be, for example, 1 μm to 1 m, 1 mm to 50 cm, or 1 cm to 10 cm. The length of one side of each pattern area may be equal or different.
The area of the pattern area in the present disclosure is not particularly limited. The area of the pattern area may be, for example, 1 μm ² to 1 m ² , 1 mm ² to 0.1 m ² , 1 cm ² to 100 cm ² . The area of each pattern area may be equal or different.
The area of the resin mold of the present disclosure is not particularly limited as long as there is no problem in satisfying the above conditions. The area of the resin mold may be, for example, 1 mm ² to 100 m ² , 10 mm ² to 10 m ² , or 1 cm ² to 1 m ² .
The number of pattern areas included in the resin mold of the present disclosure is not particularly limited as long as there is no problem in satisfying the above conditions. The number of pattern areas included in the resin mold can be appropriately selected in accordance with the desired properties and area of the resin mold, the area of the pattern areas, and the like. The number of pattern areas included in the resin mold may be, for example, 2 to 10,000,000, 5 to 10,000, or 10 to 100.

The method for manufacturing the resin mold of the present disclosure is not particularly limited. The resin mold of the present disclosure can be manufactured, for example, based on the following embodiments.
An embodiment of the method for producing a resin mold according to the present disclosure includes a step (1) of preparing a substrate for forming an uneven pattern having a thermoplastic resin layer on a support;
A step (2) of transferring the uneven pattern of the mold to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer by pressing the mold while the thermoplastic resin layer is heated to a predetermined shaping temperature;
By cooling the thermoplastic resin layer while the mold is pressed, two or more linear projections extending in a predetermined direction are repeatedly arranged in parallel on a part of the thermoplastic resin layer. a step (3) of forming a region (X) having an uneven pattern having a pattern shape;
In the thermoplastic resin layer of the substrate for forming a concave-convex pattern on which the concave-convex pattern has been formed by cooling, at least the region (Y) where the concave-convex pattern is to be formed next in the region where the concave-convex pattern is not yet formed, and the concave-convex pattern already formed. The region (Y) where the concave-convex pattern is to be formed next and a portion (X') of the side adjacent to the region (X) are partially heated to a predetermined shaping temperature, and the region The uneven pattern of the mold is inclined at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view with respect to the linear protrusions of the uneven pattern of (X) and is connected to the uneven pattern of the region (X). a step (4) of transferring the concave-convex pattern of the mold to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer by overlapping the mold on a part of the region (X) and pressing the mold;
and a step (5) of further enlarging a region (X) having an uneven pattern in a part of the thermoplastic resin layer by cooling the thermoplastic resin layer while the mold is pressed. ,
A method for manufacturing a resin mold in which steps (4) to (5) may be repeated.
The resin mold manufactured by the resin mold manufacturing method of the present disclosure may partially contain a material different from the resin material, and the support of the uneven pattern forming substrate may be peeled off. It's okay to be there.

An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings attached to this specification, for the convenience of illustration and ease of understanding, the scale and the ratio of vertical and horizontal dimensions are changed and exaggerated from those of the real thing.
12 to 16 are process diagrams showing an example of the resin mold manufacturing method of the present disclosure.
In the method of manufacturing the resin mold 100 of the present disclosure, first, as shown in FIG. 12, a substrate 3 for forming an uneven pattern having a thermoplastic resin layer 2 on a support 1 is prepared (step (1)). .
Next, as shown in FIG. 13, while the thermoplastic resin layer 2 is heated 11 to a predetermined shaping temperature by a heating device 11', the mold 10 is pressed 12 using a pressing device 12'. , the uneven pattern of the mold 10 is transferred to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer 2 (step (2)).
Next, as shown in FIG. 14, by cooling the thermoplastic resin layer while the mold is pressed, two or more portions extending in a predetermined direction are formed in a part of the thermoplastic resin layer. A region (X) having an uneven pattern having a pattern shape in which linear protrusions 53-1 are repeatedly arranged in parallel is formed (step (3)). In addition, FIG. 14B shows a case where the mold 10 is peeled off after cooling the thermoplastic resin layer in order to clearly show the area (X) having the uneven pattern.
Next, as shown in FIG. 15(a), a part of the thermoplastic resin layer 2 centering on the area where the uneven pattern is to be formed next is partially heated. Specifically, among the portions included in the thermoplastic resin layer 2, at least the region (Y) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next in the region where the uneven pattern is not yet formed, and the region (Y) where the uneven pattern is already formed. Partial heating 11 is applied to a region (Y) of (X) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next and a portion (X') of the adjacent side. By the partial heating 11, part of the area (X) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next and the area (X) which already has the uneven pattern, adjacent to the area (Y) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next. The thermoplastic resin layer (X′) softens and becomes uncured or semi-cured. In this state, a reversal pattern corresponding to the linear projections 53-1 of the projections-and-recesses pattern of the region (X), that is, the linear projections formed in the region X, of the mold 10 is formed. The uneven pattern having a shape is superimposed on a part of the region (X) so as to be inclined at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view and connected to the uneven pattern 25 of the region (X). By applying pressure 12 to the mold 10 using a pressure device 12', the uneven pattern of the mold 10 is transferred to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer 2 (step (4)).
Next, as shown in FIG. 16, by cooling 13 the thermoplastic resin layer 2 while the mold 10 is pressed, the thermoplastic resin layer 2 further has an uneven pattern 25. Enlarging the region (X) (step (5)). In addition, FIG. 16B shows a case where the mold 10 is peeled off after cooling the thermoplastic resin layer in order to clearly show the area (X) having the uneven pattern.
Then, the steps (4) to (5) may be repeated.

17 and 18 are process diagrams showing an example of the method of manufacturing a resin mold according to the present disclosure, and following FIG. 16, further show the case where the steps (4) and (5) are repeated.
Subsequently to FIG. 16, as shown in FIG. 17, the thermoplastic resin layer 2 of the uneven pattern forming substrate 3 on which the uneven pattern 25 is formed is partially heated around the area where the uneven pattern is to be formed next. . Specifically, among the portions included in the thermoplastic resin layer 2, at least the region (Y) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next among the regions where the uneven pattern is not yet formed, and the region (Y) where the uneven pattern is already formed. Partial heating 11 is applied to a region (Y) of (X) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next and a portion (X') of the adjacent side. By the partial heating 11, of the area (Y) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next and the area (X) which already has the uneven pattern, the side adjacent to the area (Y) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next. A part (X') of the thermoplastic resin layer softens and becomes uncured or semi-cured. In this state, a reversal pattern corresponding to the linear projections 53-1 of the projections-and-recesses pattern of the region (X), that is, the linear projections formed in the region X, of the mold 10 is formed. The uneven pattern having a shape is superimposed on a part of the region (X) so as to be inclined at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view and connected to the uneven pattern 25 of the region (X). By applying pressure 12 to the mold 10 using a pressure device 12', the uneven pattern of the mold 10 is transferred to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer 2 (step (4)).
Next, as shown in FIG. 18, by cooling 13 the thermoplastic resin layer 2 while the mold 10 is pressed, a region having an uneven pattern is formed in a part of the thermoplastic resin layer 2. (X) is enlarged (step (5)). Note that FIG. 18B shows the case where the mold 10 is peeled off after cooling the thermoplastic resin layer in order to clearly show the area (X) having the uneven pattern.

In the method for manufacturing a resin mold of the present disclosure, a thermoplastic resin layer formed in advance as a layer is used as a material to be transferred for forming an uneven pattern. A region (X) having a concavo-convex pattern having a pattern shape in which two or more linear convex portions extending in a predetermined direction are repeatedly arranged in parallel is formed in a part of the resin layer.
Next, in a state where a portion of the thermoplastic resin layer on which the concave-convex pattern is formed, centering on the region where the concave-convex pattern is to be formed next, is partially heated to a predetermined shaping temperature, the lines of the concave-convex pattern in the region (X) are heated. With respect to the convex portion 53-1, the linear concave/convex pattern of the mold 10, that is, the concave/convex pattern having a reversed pattern shape corresponding to the linear convex portion formed in the region X is formed at an angle of more than 0° in plan view. A portion (X') of the area (X) on the side adjacent to the uneven pattern formation scheduled area (Y) so as to be inclined at an angle of less than 1° and connected to the uneven pattern of the area (X). By pressing the mold over a part of the region (X) including at least a part of and thermally transferring the pattern, no pattern is formed between the transferred patterns. , It is possible to connect patterns by a small area mold, and since the part (X') of the overlapping part of the area (X) has thermoplasticity, the pattern is overwritten and the small area Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a resin mold in which the level difference generated at the portion (joint) where the pattern areas are connected is suppressed or has no level difference.
In addition, a concave-convex pattern having a reverse pattern shape corresponding to the linear convex-concave pattern of the mold 10, i. is inclined at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view, and at least part of the portion (X') of the region (X) on the side adjacent to the uneven pattern formation planned region (Y) In the resin mold obtained by overlapping and pressing the mold on a part of the region (X) and thermally transferring the pattern, short-line connection traces 56B and seamless portions 56C alternately appear in the resin mold obtained. Also, a resin mold can be obtained in which an overlapping region 55 having a dotted transition is formed between the pattern area formed by the area (X) and the adjacent pattern area. For this reason, the first pattern area 52-1 and the second pattern area 52-2 are more dense than if, for example, a continuous linear transition J1 (see FIG. 5) occurs along the overlap region 55. A resin mold 100 having excellent appearance and optical characteristics can be obtained.
Further, the linear projections 53-1 of the projections 53-1 of the projections-recesses pattern of the region (X) are inclined at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view. Therefore, compared with the case of arranging at 0°, the arrangement position of the mold can be easily determined, and the above-described resin mold can be manufactured with high accuracy.
Further, the mold may be thermally transferred so as to be connected to the uneven pattern by being superimposed on a part of the uneven pattern which is not partially heated and is in a solidified state. In the present disclosure, a thermoplastic resin layer that is formed in advance as a layer is used. Therefore, unlike the case where the photocurable resin is dropped and the mold is pressed and spread as in Patent Document 1, the mold is formed into a solidified uneven pattern. Even if the concave-convex pattern is transferred by overlapping the layers, it is possible to prevent the resin from running over the overlapped portion and causing a level difference equal to or larger than the height of the convex portion at the joint portion. As a result, a resin mold is manufactured in which no pattern is formed between the transferred patterns, and steps at the portions where the small pattern areas are connected are suppressed or have no steps. can do.
Each step of the method for manufacturing the resin mold will be described in detail below.

1. Step (1)
Step (1) is a step of preparing a substrate for forming an uneven pattern having a thermoplastic resin layer on a support.

The support used in the concave-convex pattern forming substrate of the present disclosure is not particularly limited as long as it has a function of supporting the thermoplastic resin layer, and can be appropriately selected according to the application of the resin mold. good.
The support may be, for example, a transparent support or an opaque support, and is not particularly limited. Examples of materials for the transparent support include acetylcellulose resins such as triacetylcellulose, polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene naphthalate, olefin resins such as polyethylene and polymethylpentene, and (meth)acrylic resins. , polyurethane resin, polyamide resin, polyimide resin, polyether sulfone, polycarbonate, polysulfone, polyether, polyether ketone, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, cycloolefin polymer, cycloolefin copolymer, soda glass, potash Glasses such as glass, non-alkali glass, and lead glass, ceramics such as lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT), and transparent inorganic materials such as quartz and fluorite can be used. Examples of the material for the opaque support include paper, fabric, wood, ceramics, metal, stone, and a composite obtained by laminating or mixing two or more of these containing colorants such as pigments and dyes as necessary. Composite materials and composite materials of these and the material of the transparent support are included.
The support may be either a sheet or a film, and may be any of those that can be rolled up, those that do not bend enough to be rolled up but bend when a load is applied, and those that do not bend completely. good too. The thickness of the support can be appropriately selected depending on the application, and is not particularly limited, but is usually in the range of about 10 μm to 1000 μm.

The term "thermoplasticity" as used in the present disclosure refers to the property of being softened and moldable by heating, and then solidified by cooling.
The thermoplastic resin layer used in the present disclosure forms a layer in a solid state at room temperature (23 ° C.), and is softened by heating to transfer the uneven pattern, which can be transferred to room temperature (23 ° C.). Any layer can be appropriately selected and used as long as it can retain the shape of the uneven pattern by cooling and can be softened again by reheating to transfer the uneven pattern.

From the viewpoint of handling and storage at room temperature, the thermoplastic resin layer preferably has a softening temperature of 40° C. or higher, more preferably 50° C. or higher. On the other hand, if the softening temperature is too high, there is a risk of damage to the already-transferred portion or damage to the support during the transfer of the concave-convex pattern. is preferred.
The softening temperature of the thermoplastic resin layer can be measured according to JIS K7196:2012 using a TMA (thermo-mechanical analysis) device.
Examples of the resin that forms the thermoplastic resin layer include thermoplastic resins, thermosetting resins, and photocurable resins. Specific examples include poly(meth)acrylic resins and polyester resins. , polyolefin resin, polyurethane resin, polyamide resin, polycarbonate resin, epoxy resin, oxetane resin, phenol resin, cellulose resin, diallyl phthalate resin, silicone resin, polyarylate resin, polyacetal resin and mixtures thereof.

Moreover, the thermoplastic resin layer may further contain other components such as a release agent and an organometallic coupling agent.
The fact that the thermoplastic resin layer contains a release agent suppresses the removal of the resin when the mold pressed against the thermoplastic resin layer is removed, and the mold can be used continuously for a long period of time. Therefore, it is preferable.

As the mold release agent, conventionally known mold release agents, for example, solid waxes such as polyethylene wax, amide wax, and Teflon powder (Teflon is a registered trademark), fluorine-based and phosphate ester-based surfactants, silicones, and the like are all available. Available.
Especially preferred is a silicone-based mold release agent, and it is also possible to increase the contact angle of water to 90° or more. Examples of silicone-based release agents include polysiloxane, modified silicone oil, polysiloxane containing trimethylsiloxysilicate, and silicone-based acrylic resin.
Modified silicone oil is obtained by modifying the side chain and / or end of polysiloxane, such as amino-modified, epoxy-modified, carboxyl-modified, carbinol-modified, (meth) acrylic-modified, mercapto-modified, phenol-modified, polyether-modified , methylstyryl-modified, alkyl-modified, and fluorine-modified. A single polysiloxane molecule can be subjected to more than one of the modification methods described above.
As the silicone-based acrylic resin, (meth)acryloyl-modified silicone oil or an acrylic resin obtained by copolymerizing or grafting a silicon-containing monomer is used.
The above silicone release agents may be added singly or in combination of two or more.

Further, the thermoplastic resin layer may contain an organometallic coupling agent in order to increase the heat resistance and strength of the surface structure having the fine uneven pattern. As the organometallic coupling agent, for example, various conventionally known coupling agents such as silane coupling agents, titanium coupling agents, zirconium coupling agents, aluminum coupling agents and tin coupling agents can be used.

The thermoplastic resin layer is generally formed by preparing a coating liquid from a thermoplastic resin layer-forming composition using a diluent solvent, and then applying the coating liquid to form a film. Acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, cyclohexanone, benzene, toluene, xylene, chlorobenzene, tetrahydrofuran, methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, methyl cellosolve acetate, ethyl cellosolve acetate, ethyl acetate, 1,4- Dioxane, 1,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane, chloroform, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, etc., or by dissolving or dispersing in a mixed solvent thereof to prepare a composition for forming a thermoplastic resin layer in a state of a coating liquid. can be done. The blending amount of each material as described above may be appropriately adjusted. The coating liquid is usually adjusted so that the solid content concentration is about 10 to 50% by weight.

The composition for forming a thermoplastic resin layer in the state of the coating liquid is uniformly coated on the surface of the support, and the coated film of the thermoplastic resin composition after coating is appropriately heated as necessary, A thermoplastic resin layer is formed by removing (drying) the diluting solvent.
As the coating method, any method can be used as long as it can form a film having a desired thickness with high accuracy, and it may be selected as appropriate. For example, gravure coating method, reverse coating method, knife coating method, dip coating method, spray coating method, air knife coating method, spin coating method, roll coating method, printing method, immersion pick-up method, curtain coating method, die coating method, casting method, bar coat method, extrusion coat method, and the like.

Prior to applying the thermoplastic resin layer to the support, other layers such as a conventionally known release layer, pressure-sensitive or heat-sensitive adhesive layer, etc. may be formed on the support, if desired.

As described above, a substrate for forming a concavo-convex pattern having a thermoplastic resin layer on a support can be prepared.

The thickness of the thermoplastic resin layer after drying may be appropriately adjusted according to the uneven pattern to be formed and the application, and is not particularly limited.
The thickness of the thermoplastic resin layer is, for example, 50 nm or more and 100 μm or less, and further 100 nm or more and 2 μm or less.

The indentation hardness of the thermoplastic resin layer (uncured state) after drying at the predetermined shaping temperature by the nanoindenter is determined by the indentation hardness at the predetermined shaping temperature by the nanoindenter of the concave-convex pattern of the mold described later. It is preferably smaller than the hardness.
The indentation hardness of the thermoplastic resin layer (uncured state) formed by drying at the predetermined shaping temperature by the nanoindenter is specifically, for example, the above-mentioned predetermined by the nanoindenter of the uneven pattern of the mold. It is preferably 20% or less, more preferably 10% or less, of the indentation hardness at the shaping temperature.
The predetermined shaping temperature here is the temperature at which the thermoplastic resin layer is heated in the step of transferring the uneven pattern.
The indentation hardness by a nanoindenter can be measured, for example, by using a microindentation tester (eg, TI950 Triboindenter (manufactured by HYSITRON)), using a Berkovich indenter, and indenting with a load of 100 μN.

In addition, since the surface of the thermoplastic resin layer (uncured state) is pressed against and peeled off from the mold in the uncured state during the process, it is preferable that the surface tackiness is low or not. Part-Section 1: Test General (Conditions and Methods) In 4.3.5 Evaluation b) semi-cured and dried or c) cured and dried is preferred.
In the evaluation of 4.3.5 above, when the drying time specified in the product specification has passed, the degree of drying is examined by one of the following methods.
a) Dry to the touch A state in which the center of the coated surface is lightly touched with a fingertip and the fingertip is not stained.
b) Semi-cured and dried A state in which the center of the coated surface is rubbed lightly with a fingertip to leave no scratches on the coated surface.
c) Curing and drying The center of the coating surface is firmly held between the thumb and forefinger, and the coating surface is not dented by fingerprints, the movement of the coating film is not felt, and the center of the coating surface is rapidly and repeatedly rubbed with the fingertips. and no scratches on the painted surface.

2. Step (2)
The step (2) is a step of transferring the concavo-convex pattern of the mold to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer by pressing the mold while the thermoplastic resin layer is heated to a predetermined shaping temperature. be.

The shaping temperature of the thermoplastic resin layer, that is, the temperature to be heated when the uneven pattern of the mold is transferred to the thermoplastic resin layer must be equal to or higher than the softening temperature of the thermoplastic resin layer. It is preferably 10° C. or more higher than the softening temperature of the thermoplastic resin layer. Specifically, the temperature for heating the thermoplastic resin layer is preferably 60° C. or higher, more preferably 70° C. or higher.
On the other hand, if the heating temperature is too high, the thermoplastic resin layer may deteriorate, so the heating temperature is preferably 150° C. or less.

As a method for heating the thermoplastic resin layer to a predetermined shaping temperature, for example, the thermoplastic resin layer is heated using a heating device such as a hot plate, a heating wire, a lamp, an oven, a microwave, or an infrared radiation device. can be exemplified.
Alternatively, a method of heating a mold to be described later and pressing the mold while the thermoplastic resin layer is heated to a predetermined shaping temperature by using the heated mold can also be used.
Furthermore, as another method, the pressing part of a pressing device such as a pressing roll to be described later is heated to a high temperature, and the mold and the thermoplastic resin layer are pressed and heated at the same time to transfer the uneven pattern. There is a method in which the process atmosphere in the step of forming is set to a high temperature, and the entire apparatus is set to a shaping temperature for transfer.

For the small-area mold used in step (2), a mold having a reverse pattern of the desired concave-convex pattern of the large-area resin mold to be manufactured is prepared on the surface. The mold is made of light transmissive materials such as glass, quartz, MoSi, PMMA, polycarbonate resin and other light transmissive resins, transparent metal deposition films, flexible films such as polydimethylsiloxane, and photocurable films using photocurable resins. ceramic materials, deposited films, magnetic films, reflective films, metal substrates such as Ni, Cu, Cr, CrxOyNz, and Fe, SiC, silicone, silicon nitride, polysilicone, silicon oxide, amorphous silicone It may be made of a non-light transmissive material such as.
From the viewpoint of productivity, the mold used in the step (2) is, for example, a resin intermediate plate formed by a nanoimprint method using a photocurable resin from an original plate made of synthetic quartz or the like. preferable.

The pattern of the original plate can be formed according to the desired processing accuracy by, for example, photolithography, electron beam lithography, or the like. The size of the concavo-convex pattern of the original plate is not particularly limited, but in the present disclosure, a pattern size of 100 nm or less can also be used.

The mold may be peeled off at any timing after step (3) and before step (4), which will be described later.

After transfer, the mold may be surface-treated with a release agent or the like before use in order to improve releasability from the thermoplastic resin layer or the concave-convex pattern of the resin mold of the present disclosure. The release agent is specifically a silicone-based or fluorine-based silane coupling agent, for example, trade name OPTOOL DSX (Daikin Industries), trade name Novec EGC-1720 (Sumitomo 3M), trade name Durasurf HD-1100 (Harves ), trade name Durasurf HD-2100 (Harves), (3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)trimethoxysilane (Gelest).

The pressure for pressing the mold may be appropriately selected so that the concave-convex pattern of the mold can be transferred to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer.
Examples of the device for pressing the mold include a direct press transfer method in which the mold and the pattern forming substrate face each other in parallel and pressure is applied to the entire surface of the mold, and a roller method in which the mold is pressure-bonded with a pressure roller.

3. Step (3)
In the step (3), two or more linear protrusions extending in a predetermined direction are formed on a part of the thermoplastic resin layer by cooling the thermoplastic resin layer while the mold is pressed. is a step of forming a region (X) having an uneven pattern having a pattern shape in which is repeatedly arranged in parallel.

In step (3), when cooling the thermoplastic resin layer, as shown in FIG. 14(a), the cooling is performed while the mold is pressed. By cooling the thermoplastic resin layer in a state where the mold is pressed, the concavo-convex pattern transferred to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer is solidified as it is. Therefore, even if the mold is subsequently peeled off, the transferred concave-convex pattern is maintained, and the region (X) having a desired desired concave-convex pattern can be formed.
When the thermoplastic resin layer is cooled while the mold is pressed, it is not necessary to apply the same pressure to the mold as the pressure applied during pattern transfer. It is sufficient that the mold and the thermoplastic resin layer are cooled in an integrated state to such an extent that the shape is maintained.

The temperature for cooling the thermoplastic resin layer may be lower than the softening temperature of the thermoplastic resin layer, but the heating may be stopped and the layer may be naturally cooled to room temperature. Alternatively, in order to shorten the cooling time, a cooling device or mechanism such as a Peltier device or a cooling pipe may be used.

4. Step (4)
In the step (4), the thermoplastic resin layer of the uneven pattern forming substrate on which the uneven pattern is formed is partially heated to a predetermined shaping temperature, and the above-described This is a step of transferring the uneven pattern of the mold to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer by overlapping the uneven pattern of the mold on a part of the region (X) and pressing the mold.

By partially heating the thermoplastic resin layer of the uneven pattern forming substrate on which the uneven pattern is formed, the uneven pattern formation scheduled area (Y) and the area (X) are adjacent to the uneven pattern formation scheduled area (Y). A portion of the side (X') is softened and deformable.
The following method can be exemplified as a method for bringing the thermoplastic resin layer of the uneven pattern forming substrate on which the uneven pattern is formed in step (4) into a state of being partially heated to a predetermined shaping temperature. First, as shown in FIG. 15( a ), at least a region (Y) where a concave-convex pattern is to be formed next, and a region (Y) where a concave-convex pattern is to be formed next, among the regions where the concave-convex pattern is not yet formed, of the thermoplastic resin layer already have a concave-convex pattern. Partial heating 11 is applied to a portion (X') of the region (X) adjacent to the region (Y) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next. The dashed-dotted line in FIG. 15(a) indicates the boundary between the partially heated region and the non-heated region. By the partial heating 11, the area (Y) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next and the area (X) having the uneven pattern, the side adjacent to the area (Y) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next. A part (X') of the thermoplastic resin layer softens and becomes uncured or semi-cured.

The mold is pressed while overlapping a part of the region (X) so as to be connected to the uneven pattern. At least a portion of the portion (X') on the side adjacent to the concave/convex pattern formation planned region (Y) is included. The region (X) has an uneven pattern and is a portion having thermoplasticity. The mold is superimposed on at least a part of the portion (X') of the region (X) adjacent to the uneven pattern forming region (Y), and the pattern of the mold is thermally transferred to achieve a small area. It is possible to connect patterns formed by small-area molds without generating a portion where no pattern is formed between the patterns transferred by the mold, and the portion (X) of the overlapping portion of the region (X) Since X') has thermoplasticity, a step formed in a portion where small pattern areas are connected while the pattern is overwritten is suppressed.

Further, in step (4), the linear concave-convex pattern of the mold 10, that is, the concave-convex pattern having a reverse pattern shape corresponding to the linear convex formed in the region X is formed on the concave-convex pattern of the region (X). A portion (X′) of the region (X) on the side adjacent to the concave/convex pattern formation planned region (Y) by tilting at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view with respect to the linear convex portion ) is superimposed on at least a part of the mold and pressed.
In step (4), each pattern area included in the concave-convex pattern preferably has a rectangular shape whose vertices may be rounded in a plan view, and the direction in which the pattern areas are connected is preferable. One of the vertices of the rectangular shape is aligned on a common reference line that extends linearly in the direction of the reference line, is inclined in the same direction with respect to the reference line, and the acute angle between the reference line and one side of the pattern area is 0° and less than 1°.

2 used in the description of the resin mold 100 corresponds to an enlarged view of the surface of the region (X') of the thermoplastic resin layer 2 shown in FIG. ') corresponds to the projections of the concave-convex pattern previously formed, and reference numeral 10a corresponds to the linear projections of the mold 10 shown in FIG.

As described above, the linear uneven pattern of the mold 10 is inclined at an angle of more than 0° and less than 1° in plan view with respect to the linear protrusions of the uneven pattern in the region (X), and the portion ( By overlapping the mold on at least a part of (X'), as shown in FIG. B and a portion C where the convex portion 10a of the mold 10 is fitted into the concave portion 54-1 of the uneven pattern formed in the portion (X') are alternately generated.
Among these, in the portion B, the convex portion 10a of the mold 10 overlaps the convex portion 53-1 of the concave-convex pattern formed in the portion (X′), and the convex portion 53-1 of the concave-convex pattern formed in the portion (X′) The portion is shaped lower than a predetermined height, or the shape of the convex portion is not maintained. Also, in the portion C, the convex portions 10a of the mold 10 are fitted into the concave portions 54-1 of the uneven pattern formed in the portion (X′), and the concave portions of the mold 10 are formed in the portion (X′). The shape of the uneven pattern formed in the portion (X') is maintained because it fits into the convex portion 53-1 of the uneven pattern.

In the present disclosure, a thermoplastic resin layer that is formed in advance as a layer is used. Therefore, unlike the case where a photocurable resin is dropped and the mold is pressed and spread as in Patent Document 1, the uneven pattern obtained after cooling is different. Even if the molds are overlapped and transferred, the resin is prevented from running over the overlapped parts (joints) and causing a level difference of about the height of the convex part or more, and as a result, the small area pattern areas are connected. It is possible to manufacture a resin mold in which stepped portions are suppressed or have no stepped portions. Furthermore, since the next pattern is transferred by overwriting the part where the pattern is formed once, there is no part where no pattern is formed between the patterns transferred by the small area mold. Patterns can be connected together.
It is preferable that the width of the overlapped part of the concave-convex pattern is equal to or greater than one cycle of the repeated pattern in the concave-convex pattern of the mold. Although the length of one cycle of the repeating pattern in the concave-convex pattern of the mold may be appropriately adjusted, it is preferably 1 μm or more in view of the process steps.

Further, the width of the mold 10 overlapping part of the region (X) is preferably 1 to 5 μm. When the overlapping width of the molds 10 exceeds 5 μm, in the obtained resin mold 100, even if the transition portion generated along the overlapping region 55 is a so-called dotted line shape, the short line connection marks 56B are visually discernible. The more it is used, the more conspicuous it becomes, and the less it looks. On the other hand, if the overlapping width of the molds 10 is less than 1 μm, a high degree of accuracy is required to determine the placement position of the molds 10, and the process (4) is troublesome.

As a device or mechanism for adjusting the position of the mold so that it is connected to the uneven pattern, and preferably so that each pattern area included in the uneven pattern is inclined at the predetermined angle in the same direction with respect to the reference line, conventionally, A known position adjusting device or mechanism may be used as appropriate.

The mold and the method of pressing the mold in step (4) may be the same as the method described in step (2).

5. Step (5)
The step (5) is a step of cooling the thermoplastic resin layer while the mold is pressure-bonded, thereby further expanding the area (X) having the uneven pattern in a part of the thermoplastic resin layer. be.

The method for cooling the thermoplastic resin layer may be the same as the method described in the step (3).
By cooling the thermoplastic resin layer together with the mold, the concavo-convex pattern transferred to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer in step (4) is solidified as it is, so that the region (X) having the desired concavo-convex pattern can be expanded.

In order to produce a large-area resin mold using a small-area mold, the steps (4) and (5) may be repeated.

After cooling, a portion B (see FIG. 2) where the convex portion 10a of the mold 10 overlaps the convex portion 53-1 of the uneven pattern formed in the portion (X′) is formed on the surface of the resin mold 100 in the form of a short line. A portion C (see FIG. 2) appears as a connection mark 56B (see FIG. 4A), and the convex portion 10a of the mold 10 is fitted into the concave portion 54-1 of the uneven pattern formed in the portion (X′). ) appears on the surface of the resin mold 100 as a seamless portion 56C (see FIG. 4B). Therefore, in the obtained resin mold 100, it is possible to obtain the resin mold 100 having the overlap region 55 in which the short-line connection traces 56B and the seamless portions 56C alternately appear and the dotted-line transition portion is visualized.

In the resin mold 100 manufactured by the manufacturing method described above, the area having the uneven pattern formed in step (3) (see FIG. 14) corresponds to the first pattern area 52-1 in FIG. , the area having the uneven pattern formed in step (5) (see FIG. 16) corresponds to the second pattern area 52-2 in FIG.

The method of manufacturing a resin mold according to the present disclosure may further include other steps as long as the effects of the present disclosure are not impaired.
Other processes include, for example, surface treatments such as release treatment and antistatic treatment, lamination with other materials, surface protective layer lamination, and the like.

According to the method for manufacturing a resin mold of the present disclosure, a large-area resin mold can be manufactured by a step-and-repeat method, and can be suitably used, for example, in a method for manufacturing an optical element, which will be described later.

The method of forming the concave-convex pattern in the present disclosure is not particularly limited. The method for forming a concave-convex pattern of the present disclosure can be implemented, for example, based on the following embodiments.
An embodiment of the method for forming a concave-convex pattern of the present disclosure comprises a step (1) of preparing a substrate for forming a concave-convex pattern having a thermoplastic resin layer on a support;
A step (2) of transferring the uneven pattern of the mold to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer by pressing the mold while the thermoplastic resin layer is heated to a predetermined shaping temperature;
By cooling the thermoplastic resin layer while the mold is pressed, two or more linear projections extending in a predetermined direction are repeatedly arranged in parallel on a part of the thermoplastic resin layer. a step (3) of forming a region (X) having an uneven pattern having a pattern shape;
In the thermoplastic resin layer of the substrate for forming a concave-convex pattern on which the concave-convex pattern has been formed by cooling, at least the region (Y) where the concave-convex pattern is to be formed next in the region where the concave-convex pattern is not yet formed, and the concave-convex pattern already formed. The region (Y) where the concave-convex pattern is to be formed next and a portion (X') of the side adjacent to the region (X) are partially heated to a predetermined shaping temperature, and the region A concave-convex pattern having an inverted pattern shape corresponding to the linear convex-concave pattern of the mold 10, that is, the linear convex-concave portion formed in the region X with respect to the linear convex-concave portion of the concave-convex pattern of (X) is viewed from above. By pressing the mold over a part of the region (X) so that it is inclined at an angle of more than 0 ° and less than 1 ° and connected to the uneven pattern of the region (X), the mold A step (4) of transferring the uneven pattern of to a part of the thermoplastic resin layer;
and a step (5) of further enlarging a region (X) having an uneven pattern in a part of the thermoplastic resin layer by cooling the thermoplastic resin layer while the mold is pressed. ,
This is a method of forming a concave-convex pattern in which steps (4) to (5) may be repeated.

According to the method for forming a concave-convex pattern of the present disclosure, in the method of forming a large-area concave-convex pattern by a step-and-repeat method using a small-area mold, the effects described in the method for manufacturing a resin mold of the present disclosure. By the same action as , it is possible to connect patterns by small-area molds without generating a portion where no pattern is formed between the patterns transferred by the small-area mold, and the small-area mold It is possible to form a large-area concavo-convex pattern in which a difference in level that occurs at the portion where the pattern areas are connected is suppressed.
Further, according to the uneven pattern forming method of the present disclosure, the short-line connection traces 56B and the seamless portions 56C alternately appear due to the same action as described in the resin mold manufacturing method of the present disclosure. , a relief pattern having overlapping regions 55 with dashed transitions can be formed.

According to the method of forming a concave-convex pattern of the present disclosure, as described in the method of manufacturing a resin mold of the present disclosure, it is possible to form a fine concave-convex pattern such as a concave-convex pattern of 100 nm or less.

The steps (1) to (5) in the uneven pattern forming method of the present disclosure can be performed in the same manner as the steps described in the resin mold manufacturing method of the present disclosure. Description is omitted.

The method for forming a concave-convex pattern of the present disclosure is used in the field of semiconductor materials, the field of electronic/optical devices such as optical elements to be described later, the field of displays, the field of recording media such as magnetic recording media and optical disks, the field of DNA chips, protein chips, and separation chips. It can be applied to various fields such as μ-TAS, regenerative medicine materials such as cell culture sheets, chemical biotechnology such as μ reactors and micromixers, and MEMS.

II. Method for Manufacturing Optical Element The method for manufacturing an optical element of the present disclosure is a manufacturing method using the resin mold of the present disclosure. The method of manufacturing an optical element according to the present disclosure may include the steps of the method of manufacturing the resin mold or the method of forming the concave-convex pattern.
Since the optical element manufactured using the method for manufacturing an optical element of the present disclosure uses the resin mold of the present disclosure, the step at the connection portion (joint) between the small area pattern areas in the uneven pattern is suppressed. In addition, since there is no part without the concave-convex pattern in the joint part and the patterns are connected to each other, it is possible to manufacture an optical element in which defects caused by the step are suppressed.

The method for manufacturing an optical element of the present disclosure may include the steps of the method for manufacturing a resin mold, and the resin mold manufactured by the manufacturing method may be used as a mold to manufacture an optical element. An optical element may be manufactured by using a concavo-convex pattern structure that has the steps of a concavo-convex pattern forming method and is manufactured using the concavo-convex pattern forming method.

Examples of optical elements include any element selected from the group consisting of wire grid polarizers, antireflection plates, light diffusion plates, light collectors, contact prevention plates, optical diffraction gratings, light guide plates, and holograms.

Hereinafter, as an embodiment of the method for manufacturing an optical element of the present disclosure, a wire grid polarizer is manufactured by using the resin mold manufactured by the resin mold as a mold. A manufacturing method will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this method.

First, a resin mold manufactured using the method for manufacturing a resin mold according to the present disclosure is prepared.
On the other hand, a laminate is prepared in which an aluminum layer and a silica layer are laminated on a glass substrate.
A resist layer is formed by coating a photosensitive composition (resist) on the silica layer of the laminate in which an aluminum layer and a silica layer are laminated on the glass substrate.
Next, a resin mold is pressed against the resist layer, and while the resin mold is being pressed, exposure is performed from the resin mold side to cure the resist layer and transfer the uneven pattern of the resin mold to the resist layer.
Next, the resin mold is peeled off to obtain a laminate having a resist uneven pattern formed on the surface.
After removing the remaining film in the recesses of the resist uneven pattern by etching, the silica layer in the recesses is etched until the aluminum layer is exposed in the recesses.
Here, according to the manufacturing method of the present disclosure, in the resin mold, a portion (joint) where adjacent small-area pattern areas are connected to each other does not have a level difference equal to or larger than the height of the convex portion. Therefore, the uneven pattern is similarly transferred to the resist of the material to be transferred without causing a step. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the problem that the uneven pattern including the concave portion having a high bottom portion and the convex portion having a low top portion is formed in the resist, which occurs when the method of Patent Document 1 is used, for example. To manufacture an optical element in which defects are suppressed without causing a problem that a pattern of a convex part in a low part disappears when matching a concave part in a high part when etching a residual film in a concave part of a resist concave-convex pattern. be able to.
Dry etching is used as the etching, and examples of dry etching include reactive ion etching (RIE) in which ions are mainly involved, plasma etching (PE) in which radicals are mainly involved, and the like. As the etchant gas used in the dry etching, an etchant gas appropriately selected according to the material of the film to be dry-etched is used.
Next, by etching the aluminum layer exposed in the concave portions using the silica layer of the convex portions as a mask, an uneven pattern having convex portions of the aluminum layer is formed on the glass substrate. The silica layer on the protrusions used as a mask is removed by a suitable peeling treatment or etching.
The method for manufacturing a wire grid polarizer may include other conventionally known steps.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above-described embodiment is an example, and any device having substantially the same configuration as the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention and exhibiting the same effect is the present invention. included in the technical scope of

Next, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail, but the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present disclosure.

<Method for measuring indentation hardness>
A microindentation tester (for example, TI950 Triboindenter (manufactured by HYSITRON)) was used to measure indentation with a load of 100 μN using a Berkovich indenter.
The indentation hardness at a predetermined shaping temperature was measured by heating to a predetermined shaping temperature.

<Surface tackiness of thermoplastic resin layer>
The surface of the thermoplastic resin layer was evaluated according to JIS K5600-1-1 Part 1-Section 1: General Test (Conditions and Methods) 4.3.5. In the following b) semi-cured and dried state or c) cured and dried state, it is evaluated as having no surface tackiness (tack-free).
a) Dry to the touch A state in which the center of the coated surface is lightly touched with a fingertip and the fingertip is not stained.
b) Semi-cured and dried A state in which the center of the coated surface is rubbed lightly with a fingertip to leave no scratches on the coated surface.
c) Curing and drying The center of the coating surface is firmly held between the thumb and forefinger, and the coating surface is not dented by fingerprints, the movement of the coating film is not felt, and the center of the coating surface is rapidly and repeatedly rubbed with the fingertips. and no scratches on the painted surface.

(Mold preparation)
(1) Preparation of original synthetic quartz mold
On one side of synthetic quartz of 150 mm × 150 mm and thickness of 6.35 mm, the pattern area is 100 mm × 100 mm, and linear recesses with a width of 50 nm and a depth of 100 nm are dried at a pitch of 100 nm (linear protrusion width of 50 nm). A mold formed by etching was prepared as an original plate.
(2) Preparing the mold for the intermediate plate An ultraviolet curable resin (SF15 manufactured by DNP Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd.) is dropped on the uneven surface of the synthetic quartz mold of the original plate, and an easy-adhesive PET (polyethylene terephthalate) with a thickness of 100 μm is placed on it. ) A film (Cosmo Shine A4100 manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.) was superimposed so that the easy-adhesive surface was in contact with the UV-curable resin, and then the resin was stretched to a constant thickness with a rubber roller to obtain a laminate.
The laminate was irradiated with ultraviolet light at 300 mJ/cm ² (365 nm) using an ultraviolet light source (manufactured by Fusion UV Systems, H bulb) to cure the ultraviolet curable resin.
By peeling the PET film from the synthetic quartz mold, the concave-convex pattern of the original mold was reproduced on the surface of the cured UV-curable resin, and an intermediate mold lined with the PET film was obtained. The indentation hardness at 75° C. of the concave-convex pattern of the mold of the intermediate plate with a nanoindenter was 0.084 GPa.

(Example 1: Production of resin mold)
(1) Preparation of uneven pattern forming substrate On the easy-adhesive surface of a 100 μm-thick easy-adhesive PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film (Cosmoshine A4100 manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.), an automatic coating device (PI manufactured by Tester Sangyo Co., Ltd.) -1210), the thermoplastic resin is bar-coated with Meyer bar #6, and then dried at 110 ° C. for 30 seconds in a constant temperature dryer to form a coating with a coating weight of 1.7 g / m ² , A substrate for forming a concave-convex pattern having a thermoplastic resin layer on a PET film substrate was obtained. The indentation hardness of the thermoplastic resin layer at 75° C. with a nanoindenter was 0.01 GPa or less. The surface of the thermoplastic resin layer after drying at 110° C. for 30 seconds was tack-free, leaving no marks even when the coated surface was lightly rubbed with a fingertip.

(2) Concavo-convex pattern transfer Molding device A hot plate (EC-1200N manufactured by AS ONE Co., Ltd.) is placed on the pressure stage of a hot roll transfer device (Navitas RH-150) and heated to 75 ° C., and the hot plate is An A4 size uneven pattern forming substrate was placed on the substrate so that the thermoplastic resin layer faced upward, and heated.
The mold of the intermediate plate is placed on the heated thermoplastic resin layer of the substrate for forming the concave-convex pattern so that the concave-convex pattern surface is in contact with the thermoplastic resin layer, and pressed against the hot plate by the pressure roll of the transfer device. The thermoplastic resin layer of the concave-convex pattern forming substrate and the mold of the intermediate plate were integrated by heating and pressurizing. (Pressure roll line pressure: 10 kg/150 mm width, roll speed: 5 mm/sec)
After cooling the integrated thermoplastic resin layer of the mold of the intermediate plate/substrate for forming the concave-convex pattern to room temperature (23° C.), the mold of the intermediate plate is peeled off, so that the region (X ) was formed to obtain a thermoplastic resin layer.

(3) Next-surface concavo-convex pattern transfer In the thermoplastic resin layer of the concavo-convex pattern forming substrate on which the concavo-convex pattern is formed, the region (Y) where the concavo-convex pattern is to be formed next, and the concavo-convex pattern. Of the region (X) having the pattern, the region including the region (Y) where the uneven pattern is to be formed next and a portion (X') on the adjacent side was partially heated with a hot plate (Fig. 15 ( a) see).
The mold is superimposed so that the pattern of the mold of the intermediate plate is partially overlapped with the uneven pattern of the region (X), and the pressure roll of the transfer device is pressed against the hot plate to apply heat and pressure, thereby forming the next surface. A concave-convex pattern was transferred. The overlapping width between the region (X) and the mold pattern of the intermediate plate was set to 2 μm .
The mold of the intermediate plate is positioned with respect to the concave-convex pattern formed in the region (X) using alignment marks provided in advance on the mold, and is positioned relative to the convex portions of the concave-convex pattern formed in the region (X). Then, the angle was adjusted so that the angle formed by the convex portion 10a of the mold 10 was 0.2°.
After that, in the same manner as described above, room temperature cooling and mold peeling were successively performed.
The process of transferring the concave-convex pattern on the next surface was repeated to manufacture a resin mold in which the concave-convex pattern of the mold for the intermediate plate was attached to the thermoplastic resin layer on multiple surfaces.

(Comparative Example 1: Production of resin mold)
(3) In the transfer of the concavo-convex pattern on the next surface, angle adjustment is performed so that the angle formed by the convex portions 10a of the mold 10 with respect to the convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern formed in the region (X) is 0°. In the region (X), except that the mold of the intermediate plate is superimposed on the concave-convex pattern of a part (X') on the side adjacent to the region (Y) where the concave-convex pattern is to be formed next. A resin mold was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

(Comparative Example 2: Production of resin mold)
(3) In the transfer of the concavo-convex pattern on the next surface, angle adjustment is performed so that the angle formed by the convex portions 10a of the mold 10 with respect to the convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern formed in the region (X) is 1°. In the region (X), except that the mold of the intermediate plate is superimposed on the concave-convex pattern of a part (X') on the side adjacent to the region (Y) where the concave-convex pattern is to be formed next. A resin mold was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

(Comparative Example 3: Production of resin mold)
(3) In the next-surface concavo-convex pattern transfer, angle adjustment is performed so that the angle formed by the convex portions 10a of the mold 10 with respect to the convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern formed in the region (X) is 5°. In the region (X), except that the mold of the intermediate plate is superimposed on the concave-convex pattern of a part (X') on the side adjacent to the region (Y) where the concave-convex pattern is to be formed next. A resin mold was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

(Comparative Example 4: Production of resin mold)
(3) In the next-surface concavo-convex pattern transfer, angle adjustment is performed so that the angle formed by the convex portions 10a of the mold 10 with respect to the convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern formed in the region (X) is 10°. In the region (X), except that the mold of the intermediate plate is superimposed on the concave-convex pattern of a part (X') on the side adjacent to the region (Y) where the concave-convex pattern is to be formed next. A resin mold was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

[evaluation]
A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the concavo-convex pattern surface and the transfer boundary of the mold. 3 is a scanning electron micrograph of the surface of the resin mold 100 obtained in Example 1, and FIG. 5 is a scanning electron micrograph of the surface of the resin mold 100 obtained in Comparative Example 1. 10(a) is a scanning electron micrograph of the surface of the resin mold 100 obtained in Comparative Example 2, and FIG. 10(b) is a photograph of the surface of the resin mold 100 obtained in Comparative Example 3. 10C is a scanning electron micrograph of the surface of the resin mold 100 obtained in Comparative Example 4. FIG.

<Evaluation Criteria>
(Appearance of transition part)
○: The transition portion is a dotted line ×: The transition portion is not a dotted line (connection marks extending in the direction perpendicular to the linear convex portion (moire-like connection marks))
○: No ×: Yes

1 Support 2 Thermoplastic resin layer 3 Concavo-convex pattern forming substrate 10 Mold 10a Convex portion 11 of mold Heating or partial heating 11' Heating device 12 Pressing 12' Pressing device 13 Cooling 20 Concavo-convex pattern formation planned region 25 Concave-convex pattern 50 Resin layer 51 Concavo-convex pattern 52 Pattern area 52a Pattern area with rounded apex 52-1 First pattern area 52-2 Second pattern area 53 Linear convex portion 53-1 First linear convex portion 53-2 2 linear protrusions 54 linear recesses 54-1 first linear recesses 54-2 second linear recesses 55 overlapping regions 56B short-line connection traces 56C seamless portion 60 reference line 100 resin mold J1 continuous straight transition

Claims (8)

a support;
a resin layer having an uneven pattern formed on the support,
The uneven pattern is formed by connecting two or more pattern areas having the same pattern shape,
The pattern area has a pattern shape in which two or more linear protrusions extending in a predetermined direction are repeatedly arranged in parallel,
When two adjacent pattern areas arbitrarily selected from among the pattern areas included in the concave-convex pattern are defined as a first pattern area and a second pattern area, the first pattern area and the second pattern area. areas overlap at the boundary, and the linear protrusions included in the second pattern area are aligned with respect to the linear protrusions included in the first pattern area in the overlapping area at the boundary. A resin mold that is inclined at an angle of 0.15° or more and 0.85° or less in plan view. 2. The resin mold according to claim 1, wherein the width of the overlapping portion of said first pattern area and said second pattern area is 1 to 5 μm. In a plan view, each pattern area included in the concave-convex pattern is arranged such that the direction in which the linear protrusions included in the pattern area extends is substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the pattern areas are connected. The resin mold according to claim 1 or 2. In a plan view, each pattern area included in the concave-convex pattern has a rectangular shape whose vertices may be rounded, and a common reference line linearly extending in the direction in which the pattern areas are connected. Align one of the vertexes of the rectangular shape above, tilt in the same direction with respect to the reference line, and tilt at an acute angle of more than 0° and less than 1° between the reference line and one side of the pattern area The resin mold according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is arranged in the 5. The resin mold according to claim 4, wherein a maximum width of a gap between said reference line and said pattern area is greater than 0 mm and equal to or less than 1 mm in plan view. In the plurality of linear projections formed in the portion where the first pattern area and the second pattern area overlap, the height difference between the tops of the plurality of linear projections extends from the bottom of the recesses of the uneven pattern to the linear projections. The resin mold according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is smaller than the height to the top of the projection. A method for manufacturing an optical element, using the resin mold according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. The optical element according to claim 7, wherein the optical element is any element selected from the group consisting of a wire grid polarizer, an antireflection plate, a light diffusion plate, a light collecting plate, a contact prevention plate, an optical diffraction grating, a light guide plate, and a hologram. A method for manufacturing the optical element described.

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