A nanoimprint flat-pressing device

Abstract

The invention discloses a nanoimprint flat-pressing device, comprising a base, a stamping box is arranged on the top of the base, a sealing component is movably arranged in the stamping box, a driving component for driving the sealing component to move is arranged at the bottom of the stamping box, a substrate is arranged on the top of the sealing component, a clamp is movably arranged on the top of the sealing component, a curing component is arranged in the middle of the clamp, and an imprinting component is arranged at the bottom of the clamp; by adopting a flat-pressing process, the imprinting glue is coated by inkjet printing, and inkjet printing can be performed for its specific imprinting position and imprinting thickness, the coating thickness is between 100nm-500μm, and it needs to be sprayed in a specific area instead of spin coating as a whole, which helps to save the glue material cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of nanoimprinting, and in particular to a nanoimprinting flat-pressing device. Background Art

[0002] Micro-nano technology focuses on the properties and applications of materials and structures at the nanoscale. At this scale, materials exhibit properties that are very different from those at the macroscale, such as quantum effects and surface effects. Nanoimprinting allows the manufacture of materials and devices with unique properties and functions by precisely controlling and manipulating nanoscale structures.

[0003] Micro-nano manufacturing involves the process of precisely controlling and preparing materials at the nanoscale. Nanoimprinting is a key technology in nanomanufacturing that can produce nanostructures over large areas, thereby providing new properties and functions in various applications. Nanoimprinting has a wide range of applications in the field of optics and electronic devices. Nanoimprinting technology can be used to produce optical components, electronic devices and sensors at the micron and nanometer scale, such as nanophotonic devices, nanoelectrodes, gratings and photonic crystals.

[0004] Nanoimprint equipment has the following main working principles: (1) Hot Embossing: Hot embossing is a common nanoimprinting technology. Its working principle involves heating a template (usually made of metal or silicon) and then transferring the nanostructure in the template to the substrate by applying pressure. Hot embossing can be used to prepare micro-nanostructures, such as nanogratings and microfluidic chips; (2) UV Nanoimprint Lithography: This method uses ultraviolet (UV) light to irradiate a curable photosensitive resin. The nanostructure on the template is transferred to the photosensitive resin by photolithography and then cured using a UV light source. After curing, a replica of the nanostructure is formed; (3) Magnetic Nanoimprint Lithography: Magnetic Nanoimprint Lithography uses a magnetic template with tiny magnetic elements on its surface. While applying a magnetic field, the template is brought into contact with the substrate and pressure is applied, so that the nanostructure on the magnetic template is transferred to the substrate; (4) Magnetic Force-Assisted Nanoimprint Lithography: This method combines magnetic force and embossing technology. During the nanoimprint process, better nanostructure transfer and positioning control can be achieved through the regulation of the magnetic field; (5) Injection Molding Nanoimprint Lithography: This method combines traditional injection molding and nanoimprint technology. The preparation of nanostructures is achieved by injecting thermoplastic polymers into the template and then imprinting at a certain temperature and pressure; (6) Laser-Assisted Nanoimprint Lithography: This method uses laser heating to achieve nanostructure transfer between the template and the substrate. Precise control of the laser allows heating in specific areas, thereby achieving higher resolution.

[0005] UV nanoimprinting technology is one of the main technologies for manufacturing large-area 3D micro-nano structures, and is currently being used in academia and industry. However, the template fitting speed, template fitting completeness, and demolding after the imprinting process, these important imprinting links, have led to difficulties in rapid mass production of nanoimprinting. Especially for nanostructures, such as the line width requirements of tens of nanometers produced by semiconductor production lines, it not only poses a challenge to the imprinting materials, but also poses a huge challenge to the matching degree of the entire imprinting process. In addition, compared with photolithography technology, the energy-saving and material-saving advantages of nanoimprinting technology need to be further highlighted.

[0006] It is hoped that there will be a new method that is different from the existing process solutions and can be used for nanoimprint manufacturing process to replicate precise patterns at the nanometer level and is suitable for commercial mass production.

[0007] Nanoimprint equipment with UV-curing nanoimprint technology as its core is the current mainstream nanoimprint process route; however, existing nanoimprint equipment is difficult to achieve nano-level precision patterns and meet the production efficiency requirements for semiconductor production lines. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a nanoimprinting flat-pressing device to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned background technology.

[0009] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a nanoimprint pressing device, comprising a base, a stamping box is provided on the top of the base, a sealing component is movably provided in the stamping box, a driving component for driving the sealing component to move is provided at the bottom of the stamping box, a substrate is provided on the top of the sealing component, a clamp is movably provided on the top of the sealing component, a curing component is provided in the middle of the clamp, and an imprinting component is provided at the bottom of the clamp.

[0010] Preferably, the sealing assembly comprises a chuck which is lifted and lowered inside the stamping box and is used to fix the substrate, a sealing member is telescopically connected to the side wall of the stamping box at the bottom of the chuck, and a sealing ring is provided at the top of the stamping box.

[0011] Preferably, the outer ring of the chuck is provided with several groups of laser displacement sensors, the laser displacement sensors are set at an angle of 120 degrees to the center of the chuck, the side wall of the chuck is connected to the stamping box and is provided with a guide groove, and the chuck is connected to a vacuum pump through the guide groove.

[0012] Preferably, the sealing member is a bellows and is arranged in a funnel shape.

[0013] Preferably, the driving assembly comprises a six-axis platform provided on the top of the base.

[0014] Preferably, the curing assembly comprises a light-transmitting member provided in the middle of the fixture, and a UV curing lamp is provided on the top of the light-transmitting member.

[0015] Preferably, the stamping assembly comprises a base provided at the bottom of the fixture, and a structural layer for stamping is provided at the bottom of the base.

[0016] Preferably, the process comprises the following steps:

[0017] S1, preparing the imprint material on the top of the substrate by inkjet process;

[0018] S2, sealing and vacuuming the stamping box;

[0019] S3, performing an imprinting process by controlling the rise of the six-axis platform, and then performing a curing operation on the imprinting material by using an ultraviolet curing lamp;

[0020] S4. Demolding operation is achieved by controlling the descent of the six-axis platform with multiple degrees of freedom and in multiple directions.

[0021] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0022] By adopting the flat pressing process, the embossing glue is coated by inkjet printing. Inkjet printing can be performed according to its specific embossing position and embossing thickness. The coating thickness is between 100nm-500μm. It needs to be sprayed in a specific area instead of spin coating as a whole, which helps to save the cost of glue.

[0023] By controlling the entire imprinting process to be carried out under a vacuum state, impurities such as bubbles can be effectively removed, avoiding the generation of bubbles during the imprinting process, and improving product yield and imprinting efficiency.

[0024] By controlling the six-axis platform to realize multi-degree-of-freedom and multi-directional descending motion, demoulding is finally achieved. Therefore, pull-up demoulding or inclined line demoulding can be carried out according to needs, which increases the selectivity of demoulding direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 The nanoimprint flat-pressing device of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 The process flow of the nanoimprint flat-pressing device of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the position of the displacement sensor in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] In the figure: 11, UV curing lamp; 12, light-transmitting part; 13, fixture; 14, base; 15, structural layer; 16, substrate; 17, chuck; 18, sealing member; 19, base; 20, stamping box; 21, inkjet tube; 22, stamping material; 110, sealing ring; 111, laser displacement sensor; 112, six-axis platform. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] See also Figure 1The present invention provides a nanoimprint flat-pressing device, including a base 19 for carrying the device, a stamping box 20 is provided on the top of the base 19, a sealing component is movably provided in the stamping box 20, a driving component for driving the sealing component to move is provided at the bottom of the stamping box 20, a substrate 16 is provided on the top of the sealing component, a clamp 13 is movably provided on the top of the sealing component, a curing component is provided in the middle of the clamp 13, and an imprinting component is provided at the bottom of the clamp 13.

[0031] Specifically, the substrate 16 is a hard material, including but not limited to glass, silicon dioxide, single crystal silicon, quartz or sapphire material, and plays the role of receiving the transfer structure.

[0032] Specifically, the sealing assembly includes a chuck 17 that is lifted and lowered inside the stamping box 20 and is used to fix the substrate 16. The bottom of the chuck 17 is connected to the side wall of the stamping box 20 and is telescopically provided with a seal 18. The top of the stamping box 20 is provided with a sealing ring 110. By controlling the clamp 13 to descend, the base 14 set at the bottom of the clamp 13 is pressed against the sealing ring 110, and the stamping box 20 is sealed by the seal 18 to isolate it from the external environment.

[0033] Specifically, the sealing member 18 is a bellows and is arranged in a funnel shape.

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, specifically, the outer ring of the chuck 17 is provided with a plurality of groups of laser displacement sensors 111, and each group of the laser displacement sensors 111 is set at an angle of 120 degrees with the center of the chuck 17, and each group of laser displacement sensors 111 includes three laser displacement sensors 111 linearly arranged up and down, and the position information of the three laser displacement sensors 111 is used to regulate the up and down displacement of the bellows to complete the stamping and laminating action; the side wall of the chuck 17 is connected to the stamping box 20 and is provided with a guide groove, and the chuck 17 is connected to a vacuum pump through the guide groove, and the stamping box 20 is evacuated by controlling the vacuum pump to effectively remove impurities such as bubbles, thereby improving the yield and stamping speed.

[0035] Specifically, the driving assembly includes a six-axis platform 112 provided on the top of the base 19. The model of the six-axis platform 112 is HXP200S-MECA. By controlling the lifting and moving of the six-axis platform 112, the bonding and demolding actions of the imprinting process can be completed.

[0036] Specifically, the fixture 13 is a hollow annular metal ring, the inner ring of which is placed the light-transmitting member 12, and the bottom of the outer ring of the fixture 13 is fixed with the substrate 14 and the structural layer 15 by mechanical clamping or screw fixation to prevent the substrate 14 and the structural layer 15 from displacement during the stamping process.

[0037] Specifically, the curing assembly includes a light-transmitting member 12 disposed in the middle of the clamp 13 . The light-transmitting member 12 is made of glass, quartz or other materials and serves to seal the chamber and transmit ultraviolet light. A UV curing lamp 11 for UV-curing the imprinting material 22 is disposed on the top of the light-transmitting member 12 .

[0038] Specifically, the imprinting component includes a substrate 14 provided at the bottom of the clamp 13, and the material of the substrate 14 is a hard material, so that during the vacuuming process, the substrate 14 will not be deformed due to the vacuuming; the bottom of the substrate 14 is provided with a structural layer 15 for imprinting, and the material of the structural layer 15 is a polymer template glue or a transparent inorganic layer, and the lower surface is the micro-nano structure to be replicated.

[0039] like Figure 2 Specifically, the process flow includes the following steps:

[0040] S1. Prepare the imprint material 22 on the top of the substrate 16 by inkjet process; including selective spraying by inkjet tube 21 in the inkjet process, and the coating thickness is between 100nm-500μm. The method is controlled by software, and the appropriate amount of glue can be calculated by arranging the target imprint structure, and reasonable glue drop arrangement can be performed to save costs.

[0041] S2, sealing and vacuuming the stamping box 20; including controlling the clamp 13 to descend and press against the top of the stamping box 20, and sealing the stamping box 20 through the combination of the base 14, the sealing ring 110 and the sealing member 18, and then vacuuming the stamping box 20 through a vacuum pump to avoid bubbles during the stamping and laminating process.

[0042] S3, by controlling the rise of the six-axis platform 112, the chuck 17 and the stretching bellows are driven to rise synchronously, so that the substrate 16 and the structural layer 15 on the base 14 are pressed tightly, and the bubbles between the substrate 16 and the structural layer 15 are discharged to realize the imprinting process, and then the ultraviolet curing lamp 11 is used to cure the imprinting material 22;

[0043] S4. After the imprint material 22 is solidified, the six-axis platform 112 is controlled to realize multi-degree-of-freedom and multi-directional descending motion, and finally demolding is achieved. Therefore, pull-up demolding or inclined line demolding, etc. can be performed according to needs, which increases the selectivity of demolding direction.

[0044] Specifically, by appropriately inkjet gluing different imprinting structures, the imprinting box 20 is then sealed, and then the imprinting box 20 is evacuated by a vacuum pump, and then the imprinting base 14 and the imprinting substrate 16 are tightly fitted and pressure is applied to completely remove the bubbles between the two during imprinting.

[0045] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modification, equivalent substitution or improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A nanoimprinting device, comprising a base (19), characterized in that: A stamping box (20) is provided on the top of the base (19), a sealing component is movably provided in the stamping box (20), a driving component for driving the sealing component to move is provided at the bottom of the stamping box (20), a substrate (16) is provided on the top of the sealing component, a clamp (13) is movably provided on the top of the sealing component, the clamp (13) is in a hollow ring shape, a curing component is provided in the middle of the clamp (13), and a stamping component is provided at the bottom of the clamp (13); The sealing assembly comprises a chuck (17) for fixing the substrate (16) which is lifted and lowered in the stamping box (20), a sealing member (18) being telescopically connected to the side wall of the stamping box (20) at the bottom of the chuck (17), and a sealing ring (110) being provided at the top of the stamping box (20); The sealing element (18) is a bellows and is arranged in a funnel shape.

2. The nanoimprinting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer ring of the chuck (17) is provided with a plurality of groups of laser displacement sensors (111), the laser displacement sensors (111) are arranged at an angle of 120 degrees with the center of the chuck (17), a guide groove is provided on the side wall of the chuck (17) connected to the stamping box (20), and the chuck (17) is connected to a vacuum pump through the guide groove.

3. The nanoimprinting press device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assembly comprises a six-axis platform (112) disposed on the top of the base (19).

4. The nanoimprinting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The curing assembly comprises a light-transmitting member (12) disposed in the middle of the clamp (13), and a UV curing lamp (11) is disposed on the top of the light-transmitting member (12).

5. The nanoimprint lithography device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stamping assembly comprises a base (14) provided at the bottom of the clamp (13), and a structural layer (15) for stamping is provided at the bottom of the base (14).

6. A nanoimprint process, characterized in that: The process flow adopts a nanoimprint flat-pressing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and the process flow comprises the following steps: S1. selectively preparing an imprint material (22) on the top of a substrate (16) by using an inkjet process, wherein the coating thickness of the imprint material (22) is 100 nm-500 μm; S2, sealing and vacuuming the stamping box (20); S3, performing an imprinting process by controlling the rise of the six-axis platform (112), and then performing a curing operation on the imprinting material (22) by using an ultraviolet curing lamp (11); S4. Demolding operation is achieved by controlling the six-axis platform (112) to descend in multiple directions with multiple degrees of freedom.

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