Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C59/00—Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C59/02—Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor by mechanical means, e.g. pressing
  • B29C59/022—Surface shaping of articles, e.g. embossing; Apparatus therefor by mechanical means, e.g. pressing characterised by the disposition or the configuration, e.g. dimensions, of the embossments or the shaping tools therefor
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
  • B05B1/30—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B12/00—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
  • B05B12/02—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area for controlling time, or sequence, of delivery
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D3/00—Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials
  • B05D3/12—Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials by mechanical means
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
  • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
  • B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
  • B41J3/407—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for marking on special material
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
  • G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
  • G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
  • G03F7/0002—Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10P76/00—Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography
  • H10P76/20—Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography of masks comprising organic materials
  • H10P76/204—Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography of masks comprising organic materials of organic photoresist masks
  • H10P76/2041—Photolithographic processes
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10P76/00—Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography
  • H10P76/40—Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography of masks comprising inorganic materials
  • H10P76/408—Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography of masks comprising inorganic materials characterised by their sizes, orientations, dispositions, behaviours or shapes
  • H10P76/4085—Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography of masks comprising inorganic materials characterised by their sizes, orientations, dispositions, behaviours or shapes characterised by the processes involved to create the masks
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D2203/00—Other substrates
  • B05D2203/30—Other inorganic substrates, e.g. ceramics, silicon
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
  • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
  • B29L2031/34—Electrical apparatus, e.g. sparking plugs or parts thereof

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an imprint apparatus, an imprint method, and a method of
• An imprint apparatus which forms an imprint material on a substrate using a mold has received attention as one of lithography apparatuses for mass- producing semiconductor devices or the like.
• the imprint apparatus includes a plurality of orifices each of which discharges droplets of the imprint material toward the substrate.
• the imprint apparatus supplies the imprint material to the substrate by controlling discharge of the imprint material from each orifice in accordance with a map indicating the distribution of the imprint material that should be supplied onto the substrate .
• an error may occur between a target amount and the discharge amount of the imprint material discharged from each orifice due to the manufacturing variation in the orifices or the like.
• the thickness of the imprint material after being formed using the mold may fall outside an allowable range.
• Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-65624 proposes an imprint apparatus capable of individually adjusting the discharge amount of an imprint material in each orifice of a plurality of orifices .
• Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-65624 adjusts the discharge amount of the imprint material discharged from each orifice to a target amount by controlling the driving voltage of each orifice individually. However, this may complicate control of each orifice when supplying the imprint material onto a substrate.
• the present invention provides an imprint apparatus advantageous in, for example, supplying an imprint material onto a substrate.
• an imprint apparatus which forms a pattern in an imprint material supplied onto a substrate using a mold
• the apparatus comprising: a supply unit including a plurality of orifices each of which discharges the imprint material toward the substrate and configured to supply the imprint material onto the substrate by discharge of the imprint material from each orifice; and a control unit configured to control the discharge of the imprint material from each orifice in accordance with distribution information indicating a distribution, on the substrate, of the imprint material that should be supplied onto the substrate, wherein the control unit updates, based on information on a discharge amount of the imprint material discharged from each orifice, the distribution information such that a thickness of the imprint material formed using the mold falls within an
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an imprint apparatus according to the first embodiment
• FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a method of generating a map for controlling each nozzle
• FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a supply amount distribution obtained based on the design information of a pattern that has been formed on a mold;
• Fig. 4 is a view showing the correspondence relationship between the array of the plurality of nozzles and an example of the map generated based on the supply amount distribution;
• Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an imprint process according to the first embodiment
• Fig. 6 is a flowchart of discharge amount information obtainment according to the first
• Fig. 7 is a view showing the correspondence relationship between the array of the plurality of nozzles and a measurement map 13;
• FIG. 8A is a view for explaining discharge amount information obtainment according to the first embodiment ;
• Fig. 8B is a view for explaining the discharge amount information obtainment according to the first embodiment
• Fig. 9A is a view showing the configuration of a measurement unit
• Fig. 9B is a view showing interference fringes which occur in cured droplets
• Fig. 9C is a view showing the arrangement of a measurement unit
• FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a map update according to the first embodiment
• Fig. 11A is a view for explaining the map update according to the first embodiment
• Fig. 11B is a view for explaining the map update according to the first embodiment
• Fig. 11C is a view for explaining the map update according to the first embodiment
• Fig. 12 is a view showing an example of a newly generated map according to the first embodiment
• Fig. 13A is a view for explaining discharge amount information obtainment according to the second embodiment
• Fig. 13B is a view for explaining discharge amount information obtainment according to the second embodiment
• Fig. 13C is a view for explaining discharge amount information obtainment according to the second embodiment ;
• Fig. 13D is a view for explaining discharge amount information obtainment according to the second embodiment
• FIG. 14 is a view showing an example of a newly generated map according to the second embodiment
• Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an imprint process according to the third embodiment
• Fig. 16 is a view showing lost information in a pattern of an imprint material
• Fig. 17 is a flowchart of a map update according to the third embodiment.
• Fig. 18 is a schematic view showing an imprint apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
• the imprint apparatus 100 is used to manufacture a semiconductor device or the like and performs an imprint process of forming an imprint material 6 on a substrate using a mold 1.
• the imprint apparatus 100 cures the imprint material 6 in a state in which the mold 1, on which a concave-convex pattern has been formed, is brought into contact with the imprint material 6 on the substrate. Then, the imprint apparatus 100 can form a pattern in the imprint
• a method of curing the imprint material 6 includes a heat cycle method using heat and a photo-curing method using light.
• the photo-curing method is a method of curing the imprint material 6 by supplying an
• ultraviolet rays are used as light will be described here. However, light having a different wavelength may be used depending on a photo-curing resin used as the imprint material.
• Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the imprint apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.
• the imprint apparatus 100 can include a mold stage 2 which holds the mold 1, a substrate stage 5 which holds the substrate 4, and a curing unit 3 which cures the
• the imprint apparatus 100 can also include a supply unit 7 which supplies the imprint material 6 to the substrate 4 and a control unit 8.
• the control unit 8 includes, for example, a CPU and a memory, and controls the imprint process (controls the respective units of the imprint apparatus 100).
• the mold 1 is normally made of a material such as quartz capable of transmitting ultraviolet rays.
• a concave-convex pattern for forming the imprint is normally made of a material such as quartz capable of transmitting ultraviolet rays.
• the substrate 4 for example, a single-crystal silicon substrate, an SOI (Silicon on Insulator) substrate, or a glass substrate can be used.
• the supply unit 7 to be described later supplies the imprint material 6 to the upper surface (processed surface) of the substrate 4.
• the mold stage 2 holds the mold 1 by, for example, a vacuum suction force or an electrostatic force, and drives the mold 1 in a Z direction to bring the pattern region la of the mold 1 and the imprint material 6 on the substrate into contact with each other or separate them from each other.
• the mold stage 2 may have an adjustment function of adjusting the position of the mold 1 in X and Y
• the substrate stage 5 holds the substrate 4 by, for example, a vacuum suction force or an electrostatic force, and aligns the substrate 4 by, for example, a vacuum suction force or an electrostatic force, and aligns the substrate 4 by, for example, a vacuum suction force or an electrostatic force, and aligns the substrate 4 by, for example, a vacuum suction force or an electrostatic force, and aligns the substrate 4 by, for example, a vacuum suction force or an electrostatic force, and aligns the
• the substrate stage 5 may have a function of moving the substrate 4 in the Z direction, an adjustment function of adjusting the position of the substrate 4 in the ⁇ direction, and the like.
• the mold stage 2 performs an operation of changing the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 4.
• the present invention is not limited to this, and the substrate stage 5 may perform that operation or both of the mold stage 2 and the substrate stage 5 may relatively perform that operation.
• the curing unit 3 cures the imprint
• the curing unit 3 includes, for example, a light source which emits light (ultraviolet rays) which cures the imprint material 6.
• the curing unit 3 may also include an optical element for adjusting the light emitted from the light source to light suitable for the imprint process. Since the first embodiment adopts the photo- curing method, the light source which emits ultraviolet rays is used. However, when the first embodiment adopts, for example, a thermosetting method, a heat source for setting a thermosetting resin serving as the imprint material 6 can be used instead of the light source .
• the supply unit 7 can include a tank 7a which accommodates the imprint material 6 and a
• the dispenser 7b which supplies the imprint material 6 accommodated in the tank 7a to the substrate.
• the dispenser 7b includes a plurality of nozzles 7c (orifices, discharge port) each of which discharges the droplets of the imprint material 6 toward the substrate 4.
• the supply unit 7 supplies the imprint material 6 onto the substrate by discharging the droplets of the imprint material 6 from each nozzle 7c in a state in which the substrate 4 and the supply unit 7 move relatively.
• a step of supplying the droplets of the imprint material 6 from each nozzle 7c to the substrate 4 is performed in a state in which the substrate 4 moves in a direction (for example, the X direction) different from the arrayed direction of the plurality of nozzles 7c.
• the control unit 8 controls discharge or non-discharge of the imprint material from each nozzle 7c in accordance with information (distribution
• information indicating the distribution of the imprint material 6 that should be supplied onto the substrate.
• information (to be simply referred to as a map herein) indicating the arrangement on the substrate of the droplets of the imprint material 6 that should be supplied onto the substrate is regarded as the distribution information.
• the map including the information indicating the arrangement on the substrate of the droplets of the imprint material 6 is generated in advance based on the design information of the concave-convex pattern that has been formed in the pattern region la of the mold 1.
• the map can also be generated by the control unit 8 in the imprint
• FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the method of generating the map for
• step S101 the control unit 8 obtains a supply amount distribution 11 of the imprint material 6 necessary for the concave- convex pattern that has been formed on the mold 1 based on the design information of the pattern (information indicating the position of the pattern and the depth of a concave portion) .
• the control unit 8 obtains the supply amount distribution 11 such that the thickness of the imprint material 6 formed into the concave-convex pattern using the mold 1 falls within an allowable range, assuming that the discharge amount of the imprint material discharged as the droplets from each nozzle 7c is a target amount.
• the thickness of the imprint material 6 that has been formed is, for example, the thickness (film thickness) between the substrate 4 and each concave portion of the pattern formed by the imprint material 6.
• This thickness (film thickness) is generally referred to as a residual layer thickness (RLT) .
• RLT residual layer thickness
• the height of the pattern of the imprint material 6 formed on the substrate may be used.
• Fig. 3 is a view showing an example of the supply amount distribution 11 obtained based on the design
• each region lib indicates a region which is supplied with a larger amount of the imprint material 6 than a region 11c because the depth of the concave-convex pattern is larger in the region lib than in the region 11c.
• each region 11a indicates a region which is supplied with a larger amount of the imprint material 6 than each region lib because the depth of the concave-convex pattern is larger in the region 11a than in the region lib.
• step S102 the control unit 8 performs binarization by halftone processing on the supply amount distribution 11 obtained in step S101 and generates a map indicating a position where the droplets of the imprint material 6 should be supplied.
• a map indicating a position where the droplets of the imprint material 6 should be supplied.
• an error diffusion method can be used as the halftone processing.
• Fig. 4 is a view showing the correspondence relationship between the array of the plurality of nozzles 7c in the dispenser 7b and an example of a map (map 12) generated based on the supply amount distribution 11.
• the map 12 shown in Fig. 4 shows the arrangement of the droplets of the imprint material 6 that should be supplied to one shot region
• each black pixel 12a indicates a position on a shot region where the droplets of the imprint material 6 are to be supplied and each white pixel 12b indicates a position on the shot region where the droplets of the imprint material 6 are not to be supplied.
• the control unit 8 stores the map generated in step S102.
• control unit 8 controls discharge of the droplets from each nozzle 7c while relatively moving the substrate 4 and the supply unit 7 in the X direction. This allows the thickness of the imprint material 6 formed into the concave-convex pattern using the mold 1 to fall within the allowable range over the entire shot region. In the imprint apparatus 100, however, an error may occur between a target amount and the discharge amount of the imprint material 6
• the imprint apparatus 100 updates the map based on information on the discharge amount of the imprint material 6 discharged as the droplets from each nozzle 7c such that the thickness of the imprint material 6 formed using the mold 1 falls within the allowable range.
• the imprint process in the imprint apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described below.
• the volume of each droplet supplied from each nozzle 7c to the substrate 4 (including a dummy substrate) and cured by the curing unit 3 without being formed using the mold 1 is obtained as the information on the discharge amount of the imprint material 6 from each nozzle 7c.
• Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the imprint process according to the first embodiment.
• the control unit 8 controls a mold conveyance mechanism
• step S202 the control unit 8 obtains a map for controlling each of the
• the map may be generated in advance based on the design information of the concave-convex pattern formed on the mold 1 or may be sequentially generated by reading out the design information of the pattern from the
• step S203 the control unit 8
• the substrate conveyance mechanism controls a substrate conveyance mechanism (not shown) to convey the substrate 4 to a position above the substrate stage 5 and controls the substrate stage 5 to hold the substrate 4.
• the substrate 4 is thus arranged within the imprint apparatus.
• step S204 the control unit 8 controls the supply unit 7 to supply the imprint material 6 to a target shot region to which the pattern of the mold 1 is to be transferred.
• the control unit 8 controls discharge of droplets from each nozzle 7c according to the map obtained in step S203 while moving the substrate 4 in the X direction.
• step S205 the control unit 8 controls the substrate stage 5 to arrange, below the pattern region la of the mold 1, the shot region to which the imprint material 6 has been supplied.
• the control unit 8 controls the mold stage 2 to bring the mold 1 and the imprint material 6 on the substrate into contact with each other, that is, to decrease the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 4.
• step S206 the control unit 8 aligns the mold 1 and the substrate 4 in the state in which the mold 1 and the imprint material 6 are in contact with each other.
• the control unit 8 causes an alignment scope (not shown) to detect a mark provided on the mold 1 and a mark provided on the substrate 4, and controls the relative positions of the mold 1 and the substrate 4 using the detected marks of the mold 1 and the substrate 4.
• a predetermined time may elapse in the state in which the mold 1 and the imprint material 6 are in contact with each other in order to sufficiently fill the concave portions of the pattern of the mold 1 with the imprint material 6 on the substrate.
• step S207 the control unit 8 controls the curing unit 3 to irradiate, with light (ultraviolet rays), the imprint material 6 which is in contact with the mold 1, thereby curing the imprint material 6.
• step S208 the control unit 8 controls the mold stage 2 to separate (release) the mold 1 from the imprint material 6, that is, to increase the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 4.
• step S209 the control unit 8 determines whether there is a shot region (next shot region) to which the pattern of the mold 1 is to be continuously transferred onto the substrate. If there is the next shot region, the process advances to step S204. If there is no next shot region, the process advances to step S210. In step S210, the control unit 8 controls the substrate conveyance mechanism (not shown) to collect the
• step S211 the control unit 8 determines whether to obtain
• step S212 information on the discharge amount (to be referred to as discharge amount information hereinafter) of the imprint material 6 discharged as the droplets from each nozzle 7c. If the control unit 8 determines to obtain the discharge amount information, the process advances to step S212. If the control unit 8 determines not to obtain the discharge amount information, the process advances to step S214. Determination of whether to obtain the discharge amount information from each nozzle 7c can be made based on a condition such as the number of substrates 4 or shot regions to which the pattern of the mold 1 has been transferred, or an elapsed time since the discharge amount information was obtained before. In step S212, the control unit 8 obtains the discharge amount information.
• step S213 the control unit 8 updates the map based on the discharge amount information obtained in step S212 such that the thickness of the imprint material 6 formed using the mold 1 falls within the allowable range. For example, the control unit 8 updates the map based on the discharge amount information by changing at least one of the number and the positions of droplets in the map.
• step S214 the control unit 8 determines whether there is the substrate 4 (next substrate 4) where transfer of the pattern of the mold 1 is to be performed continuously. If there is the next substrate 4, the process advances to step S203. If there is no next substrate, the imprint process ends.
• Fig. 6 is a flowchart of discharge amount information obtainment.
• step S212-1 the control unit 8 controls the substrate conveyance mechanism (not shown) to convey the substrate 4 (for example, the dummy
• step S212-2 the control unit 8 controls discharge of the droplets from each nozzle 7c in accordance with a measurement map 13 while moving the substrate 4 in the X direction.
• the measurement map 13 is a map
• the black pixels 13a each indicating a position where the droplets are supplied can be set at a
• Fig. 7 is a view showing the correspondence relationship between the measurement map 13 and the array of the plurality of nozzles 7c in the dispenser 7b.
• the control unit 8 controls the substrate stage 5 to
• control unit 8 controls the curing unit 3 to irradiate the imprint material 6 on the substrate with light (ultraviolet rays) without bringing the mold 1 and the imprint material 6 into contact with each other, that is, without forming the imprint material 6 using the mold 1.
• Fig. 8A is a view showing the arrangement on the region 4a of the droplets of the imprint material 6 that has been cured on the substrate by irradiation with light (to be referred to as cured droplets 6a hereinafter) .
• step S212-4 the control unit 8 causes a measurement unit 40 to measure the volume of each cured droplet 6a cured in step S212-3.
• the imprint apparatus 100 As shown in Fig. 1, the imprint apparatus 100 according to the first
• Figs. 9A, 9B, and 9C are views showing the configuration and arrangement of the measurement unit 40.
• the measurement unit 40 can be any measurement unit 40.
• the beam splitter 42 divides a laser beam emitted from the light source 41 into transmitted light and reflected light.
• the beam splitter 45 incident on the beam splitter 45.
• the light which has transmitted through the beam splitter 45 is directed to the image sensor 47 as reference light.
• the cured droplets 6a on the substrate are irradiated with the reflected light via the beam splitter 45 and the objective lens 46.
• Light reflected by the cured droplets 6a passes through the objective lens 46 again to be incident on the beam splitter 45.
• the light reflected by the beam splitter 45 is directed to the image sensor 47 as test light.
• the image sensor 47 includes, for example, a CMOS sensor or a CCD sensor and captures the cured droplets 6a.
• the processor 48 obtains the image of each cured droplet 6a captured by the image sensor 47.
• interference fringes 49 are generated by the optical path length difference between the reference light and measurement light in the image of each cured droplet 6a. Therefore, the processor 48 can obtain the surface shape of each cured droplet 6a based on the interference fringes 49 generated in the cured droplet 6a and calculate the volume of the cured droplet 6a from the obtained shape.
• step S212-5 the control unit 8 obtains, from the measurement unit 40, the volume of each of the plurality of cured droplets 6a on the substrate (on the region 4a) . Then, the control unit 8 can obtain the relationship between each nozzle 7c and the volume of each cured droplet 6a as the discharge amount
• Fig. 8B is a view showing the relationship between each nozzle 7c and the volume of each cured droplet 6a.
• the abscissa represents the position of each nozzle 7c in the Y direction, while the ordinate represents an error from a target value in the volume of each cured droplet 6a.
• a time period from when the droplets of the imprint material 6 are supplied onto the substrate till the droplets are cured may be as short as, for example, 0.1 to 0.2 sec. Therefore, discharge of the droplets of the imprint material 6 from each nozzle 7c, curing of the droplets, and measurement of the volume of each cured droplet 6a may be performed successively while moving the substrate 4.
• the supply unit 7, the curing unit 3, and the measurement unit 40 may be arrayed in a moving direction of the substrate 4, that is, the curing unit 3 may be arranged between the supply unit 7 and the measurement unit 40.
• Fig. 9C is a view showing the arrangement of the supply unit 7, the curing unit 3, and the measurement unit 40 in the X and Y directions. Further, the first
• the apparatus 100 measures the volume of each cured droplet 6a.
• the present invention is not limited to this.
• a measurement apparatus provided outside the imprint apparatus 100 may measure the volume of each cured droplet 6a.
• Fig. 10 is a flowchart of the map update.
• the control unit 8 obtains discharge amount information (the relationship between each nozzle 7c and the volume of each cured droplet 6a) .
• the control unit 8 performs, for example, a process of removing a high-frequency component from the discharge amount information shown in Fig. 8B. This allows the control unit 8 to obtain discharge amount information shown in Fig. 11A.
• the discharge amount of the imprint material 6 discharged as the droplets from each nozzle 7c exceeds a target amount in the range 13a, while it falls below the target amount in a range 13b.
• step S213-2 the control unit 8 generates a distribution (adjustment distribution 14) for adjusting the supply amount of the imprint material 6 based on the discharge amount information obtained in step S213-1.
• Fig. 11B is a view representing the adjustment distribution 14 with multi-value image data by color densities.
• a region 14a corresponding to the range 13a of the discharge amount information shown in Fig. 11A is a region where, for example, the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is decreased by 5%.
• a region 14b corresponding to the range 13b of the discharge amount information is a portion where the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is increased by 10%. Adjustment of (increase/decrease in) the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is not performed in a region other than the regions 14a and 14b.
• step S213-3 the control unit 8 newly generates a map indicating the arrangement of the droplets of the imprint material 6 that should be supplied onto the substrate based on the supply amount distribution 11 generated from the design information of the pattern of the mold 1 and the adjustment
• Fig. 11C shows the image data of a distribution 15 obtained by overlaying the adjustment distribution 14 on the supply amount distribution 11 obtained based on the design information of the pattern of the mold 1.
• regions 15a and 15b are portions where the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is decreased by 5%
• regions 15c and 15d are portions where the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is increased by 10%.
• the control unit 8 performs binarization by halftone processing on the distribution 15 shown in Fig. 11C and newly generates a map indicating a position where the droplets of the imprint material 6 should be supplied.
• Fig. 12 is a view showing an example of a newly generated map (map 16) .
• the arrangement of the droplets of the imprint material 6 that should be supplied to the shot region on the substrate is changed from that in the map 12 generated from the design information of the pattern of the mold 1.
• the number of black pixels indicating the position where the droplets of the imprint material 6 are supplied is decreased as compared with the map 12 shown in Fig. 4 so as to correspond to the range 13a of the discharge amount information shown in Fig. 11A.
• the control unit 8 stores the map 16 newly generated in step S213-3 and updates the map. A case in which the information indicating the arrangement of the droplets of the imprint material 6 supplied onto the substrate is updated has been described here.
• information indicating the density of the imprint material 6 supplied onto the substrate may be used in place of the information indicating the arrangement of the droplets.
• the imprint apparatus As described above, the imprint apparatus
• the imprint apparatus 100 obtains, as the discharge amount information, the volume of each droplet of the imprint material 6 supplied from each nozzle 7c to the substrate 4 and cured without being formed using the mold 1. Then, the imprint apparatus 100 updates, based on the obtained discharge amount information, the map indicating the arrangement of the droplets of the imprint material 6 that should be supplied onto the substrate. This makes it possible to correct the error in the discharge amount of the imprint material 6 discharged as the droplets from each nozzle 7c by the map update and make the thickness of the imprint material 6 formed using the mold 1 fall within the allowable range.
• embodiment obtains, as discharge amount information, the thickness distribution (film thickness
• the imprint apparatus according to the second embodiment although an imprint process is performed in accordance with a flowchart shown in Fig. 5, discharge amount information obtainment and a map update are different from those in the imprint apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. Discharge amount information obtainment and the map update in the imprint apparatus according to the second imprint apparatus will be described below.
• the imprint apparatus according to the second embodiment has the same apparatus
• step S212 Discharge amount information obtainment (step S212) performed in the imprint apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described.
• a control unit 8 obtains, as the discharge amount information, the thickness (film thickness)
• the thickness (film thickness) distribution can be obtained by, for example, using the substrate 4 where steps (steps S201 to S110) of forming the imprint material 6 on the substrate using the mold 1 are performed to measure the thickness (film thickness) of the imprint material 6 in a plurality of portions of the substrate 4 (shot region) .
• the thickness (film thickness) of the imprint material 6 is, for example, the thickness (film thickness) between the substrate 4 and the concave portion of a pattern formed by the imprint material 6, and can be measured by a
• Fig. 13A is a view indicating the thickness (film thickness) of the imprint material 6 in each portion on the substrate (on the shot region).
• the thickness (film thickness) of the imprint material 6 in each portion is represented with multi-value image data by color densities. For example, assuming that a portion 21d in Fig. 13A is the target value of the thickness (film thickness) of the imprint material 6, each portion 21a indicates a portion where the thickness of the imprint material 6 is larger than the target value, and each of portions 21b and 21c indicates a portion where the thickness of the imprint material 6 is smaller than the target value. Then, as shown in Fig. 13B, the control unit 8 obtains the thickness (film thickness)
• the abscissa represents the position of each nozzle 7c in the Y direction, while the ordinate represents an error from the target value in the thickness (film thickness) of the imprint material 6. Note that the thickness (film thickness) of the imprint material 6 in the thickness (film thickness)
• distribution may be the average value of the
• thicknesses (film thicknesses) of the imprint material 6 in a direction perpendicular to the arrayed direction of the plurality of nozzles 7c.
• step S213 The map update (step S213) performed in the imprint apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described.
• the map update is performed in accordance with a flowchart shown in Fig. 10.
• step S213-1 the control unit 8 obtains the thickness
• the discharge amount information shown in Fig. 13B the discharge amount of the imprint material 6 discharged as droplets from each nozzle 7c is larger than a target amount in a range 22a, while it is smaller than the target amount in ranges 22b and 22c.
• the control unit 8 the control unit 8
• Fig. 13C is a view showing the adjustment distribution 23 with the multi-value image data by color densities.
• a region 23a corresponding to the range 22a of the discharge amount information shown in Fig. 13B is a region where, for example, the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is decreased by 5%.
• a region 23b corresponding to the range 22b of the discharge amount information is a region where, for example, the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is increased by 5% and a region 23c corresponding to the range 22c of the discharge amount information is a region where, for example, the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is increased by 15%. Adjustment of (increase/decrease in) the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is not performed in a region other than the regions 23a to 23c.
• step S213-3 the control unit 8 newly generates a map indicating the arrangement of the droplets of the imprint material 6 that should be supplied onto the substrate based on a supply amount distribution 11 generated from the design information of the pattern of the mold 1 and the adjustment
• Fig. 13D shows the image data of a distribution 24 obtained by overlaying the adjustment distribution 23 on the supply amount distribution 11 obtained based on the design information of the pattern of the mold 1.
• regions 24a and 24b are regions where the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is decreased by 5%.
• regions 24c and 24d are regions where the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is increased by 5%
• regions 24e and 24f are regions where the supply amount of the imprint material 6 is increased by 15%.
• the control unit 8 performs binarization by halftone processing on the distribution 24 shown in Fig. 13D and newly generates a map indicating a position where the droplets of the imprint material 6 should be supplied.
• Fig. 14 is a view showing an example of a newly
• step S213-4 the control unit 8 stores the map 25 newly generated in step S213-3 and updates the map.
• the imprint apparatus according to the second embodiment obtains the
• the imprint apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention obtains information (lost information) on the
• the target pattern includes a pattern obtained based on the design information of the pattern (concave-convex shape) of the mold 1 and formed in (transferred to) the imprint material 6 on the substrate. Then, the imprint apparatus according to the third embodiment updates, based on the obtained lost information, a map
• the loss in the pattern formed by the imprint material 6 can include a loss (unfilling loss) or the like generated when, for example, the concave portion of the pattern of the mold 1 is not filled with the imprint material 6 sufficiently.
• the imprint apparatus according to the third embodiment has the same apparatus configuration as the imprint
• Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an imprint process according to the third embodiment. Steps S301 to S310 of the flowchart in Fig. 15 are the same as steps S201 to S210 of the flowchart in Fig. 5, and thus a description thereof will be omitted.
• a control unit 8 determines whether to obtain the lost information. If the control unit 8 determines to obtain the lost information, the process advances to step S312. If the control unit 8 determines not to obtain the lost information, the process advances to step S314. Determination of whether to obtain the lost information can be made based on a condition such as the number of substrates 4 or shot regions to which the pattern of the mold has been transferred, or an elapsed time since the lost information was obtained before.
• step S312 the control unit 8 obtains the lost information in a pattern formed by the imprint material 6 (to be referred to as the pattern of the imprint material 6 hereinafter) that has been formed using the mold 1.
• the lost information can be obtained by, for example, detecting the loss in the pattern of the imprint material 6 using the substrate 4 where steps (steps S301 to S310) of forming the imprint material 6 on the substrate using the mold 1 have been performed.
• steps S301 to S310 for example, an optical or electron beam loss
• Fig. 16 is a view showing the lost information (lost distribution 31) in the pattern of the imprint material 6 on the shot region. Each black pixel 31a in Fig. 16 indicates the loss in the pattern of the imprint material 6.
• the loss in the pattern of the imprint material 6 often occurs when, for example, there is a portion which is lacking in the imprint material 6 locally or a filling time is not enough.
• the control unit 8 updates the map based on the lost information obtained in step S312 such that the number of portions where the difference between the target pattern and the pattern of the imprint material 6 occurs, that is, the number of losses in the pattern of the imprint material 6 becomes smaller than a threshold.
• the control unit 8 determines whether there is the
• substrate 4 (next substrate 4) where transfer of the pattern of the mold 1 is to be performed continuously. If there is the next substrate 4, the process advances to step S313. If there is no next substrate 4, the imprint process ends.
• Fig. 17 is a flowchart of the map update.
• the control unit 8 obtains the lost distribution 31 (lost information) shown in Fig. 16.
• step S313-2 the control unit 8 generates, based on the lost information obtained in step S313-1, a
• control unit 8 may generate the adjustment distribution such that the supply amount of the imprint material 6 increases in a portion where the loss in the pattern of the imprint material occurs.
• control unit 8 based on a supply amount distribution 11 generated from the design information of the pattern of the mold 1 and the adjustment distribution generated in step S313-2, the control unit 8 newly generates a map indicating the arrangement of the droplets of the imprint material 6 that should be supplied onto the substrate.
• control unit 8 newly generates the map based on the adjustment distribution generated in step S313-2 such that the number of droplets of the imprint material 6 supplied to the portion where the loss in the pattern of the imprint material occurs increases.
• control unit 8 stores the map newly generated in step S313-3 and updates the map.
• the imprint apparatus updates the map indicating the arrangement of the droplets of the imprint material 6 that should be supplied onto the substrate. This makes it possible to reduce the loss in the pattern formed by the imprint material 6 that has been formed using the mold 1.
• Fig. 18 is a schematic view showing the imprint apparatus 400 according to the fourth embodiment.
• the imprint apparatus 400 according to the fourth embodiment can include a plurality of imprint units 10a to lOd each of which performs a process of transferring a pattern of a mold 1 to an imprint material 6 on the substrate, a measurement unit 40, a conveyance unit 50, and a control unit 8.
• Each of the imprint units 10a to lOd can include a curing unit 3, a mold stage 2, a substrate stage 5, and a supply unit 7.
• one measurement unit 40 can be provided for a plurality of imprint units 10.
• the measurement unit 40 can be configured to measure the volume of each cured droplet 6a formed on the substrate as in the first embodiment or the thickness of the imprint material formed using the mold 1.
• the conveyance unit 50 conveys, to the measurement unit 40, the substrate 4 on which the cured droplets 6a have been formed in each of the imprint units 10a to lOd or the substrate 4 on which the imprint material 6 has been formed using the mold 1.
• the control unit 8 can determine a timing to convey the substrate 4 that has been processed in each of the imprint units 10a to lOd.
• a method of manufacturing an article according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing an article, for example, a microdevice such as a semiconductor device or an element having a microstructure .
• the method of manufacturing the article according to this embodiment includes a step of forming a pattern on a resin applied to a substrate using the above-described imprint apparatus (a step of performing an imprint process on the substrate) , and a step of processing the substrate onto which the pattern has been formed in the preceding step.
• This manufacturing method further includes other known steps (oxidation, deposition, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist peeling, dicing, bonding, packaging, and the like) .
• the method of manufacturing the article according to this embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, the quality, the

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• 2014
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