Ink jet type nanoimprint method and system

Abstract

The invention provides an ink-jet nanoimprint method, which can be applied to the technical field of nanoimprint, and the method comprises the following steps: obtaining to-be-imprint pattern information, the pattern information at least comprising the distribution of pixel points and the preset thickness of imprint glue; according to the pattern information, a gray level pattern is designed through the estimation model, and the gray level value of pixel points in the gray level pattern represents the needed imprint glue spraying amount; according to the gray level pattern, the imprinting glue spraying amount and the imprinting glue spraying position of the imprinting glue sprayed to the substrate by the ink-jet printing head are controlled, and an imprinting glue layer is obtained; and the imprinting template is used for imprinting the imprinting glue layer, and a target pattern with a preset thickness is obtained after curing and demolding. The method comprises the following steps of: predicting and acquiring a gray value required by a target pattern with a preset thickness by utilizing an estimation model, controlling voltage applied to a piezoelectric ceramic ink-jet printing head based on the gray value, and converting an electric signal into mechanical deformation by utilizing a piezoelectric effect of piezoelectric ceramics, so that the injection amount of imprinting glue is controlled, and high-precision control on the volume and position distribution of liquid drops is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of nanoimprinting technology, and particularly to an inkjet nanoimprinting method and system. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous reduction of the feature size of nano-devices, traditional optical nano-processing technologies have been difficult to meet the increasingly stringent fine-processing requirements. Currently, the industrial community mainly relies on optical lithography technology and electron beam direct writing processing technology for micro-nano processing. However, optical lithography technology is limited by the physical characteristics of the light source wavelength, and there is limited room for improvement in its processing accuracy; while the 193nm immersion electron beam direct writing processing technology, although it can achieve nano-level fine processing, has a long processing cycle and high cost, and is particularly laborious for the processing of large-area nano-patterns.

[0003] With the rapid development of emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and new energy vehicles, the demand for high-performance chips is becoming increasingly urgent. The nano-patterns inside the chip are usually transferred through a mask. Therefore, how to quickly and efficiently replicate the micro-nano structures and patterns on the mask has become a difficult problem that the industrial community urgently needs to overcome.

[0004] Near-field optical nano-processing technology, especially nanoimprinting technology, provides a new way for the processing of nano-patterns. This technology uses the characteristics of near-field electromagnetic waves to accurately image the nano-patterns on the template onto the substrate surface, and then through subsequent processes such as etching and coating, the required nano-devices are finally prepared. In this process, the quality and accuracy of the template are crucial.

[0005] However, the main method for processing templates at present - electron beam direct writing nano-processing technology - still has the disadvantages of low efficiency and high cost. This not only limits the wide application of near-field optical nano-processing technology, but also hinders the rapid development of nano-devices. Therefore, the industrial community urgently needs to find a more efficient and economical template processing method to solve the current problems and promote the continuous progress of nano-device technology.

[0006] At the same time, the control of the residual layer thickness of the imprinting glue is also a key link in the processing of nano-devices. Its thickness is usually only a few nanometers to dozens of nanometers, and the processing accuracy requirements are extremely high. Traditional measurement methods such as step profilers or ellipsometers, although they have high accuracy, are complex and time-consuming to operate, and are difficult to meet the requirements of high-efficiency processing. Therefore, exploring new measurement methods and technologies is also one of the problems that need to be solved urgently in the field of nano-device processing. Summary of the Invention

[0007] (I) Technical Problems to be Solved

[0008] To solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems in the prior art, embodiments of the present invention provide an inkjet nanoimprinting method and system. By using an estimation model to predict the gray value required for a target pattern with a preset thickness, controlling the voltage applied to a piezoelectric ceramic inkjet print head using the gray value, and utilizing the piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric ceramic to convert an electrical signal into mechanical deformation, thereby controlling the ejection of the imprinting adhesive droplets, achieving high-precision control of the droplet volume and position distribution, and improving the accuracy of nano-pattern replication.

[0009] (II) Technical Solution

[0010] In view of the above technical problems, embodiments of the present invention propose an inkjet nanoimprinting method and system.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inkjet nanoimprinting method, including: obtaining pattern information to be imprinted, where the pattern information at least includes the distribution of pixel points and the preset thickness of the imprinting adhesive; designing a gray pattern using an estimation model according to the pattern information, where the gray value of the pixel points in the gray pattern represents the ejection amount of the imprinting adhesive; controlling the ejection amount and ejection position of the imprinting adhesive ejected by the inkjet print head onto the substrate according to the gray pattern to obtain an imprinting adhesive layer, where the ejection amount of the imprinting adhesive corresponds to the preset thickness; and imprinting the imprinting adhesive layer using an imprinting template, and obtaining a target pattern with a preset thickness after curing and demolding.

[0012] In some exemplary embodiments, the estimation model is obtained through pre-training, and the pre-training method includes: obtaining training data, where the training data includes gray patterns and the thickness of the imprinting adhesive in the corresponding patterns; establishing a flow model of the imprinting adhesive droplets based on the physical properties and fluid parameters of the imprinting adhesive; and performing regression analysis on the flow model using the training data to obtain the estimation model.

[0013] In some exemplary embodiments, controlling the ejection amount and ejection position of the imprinting adhesive ejected by the inkjet print head onto the substrate according to the gray pattern to obtain an imprinting adhesive layer includes: setting the driving voltage waveform of the inkjet print head based on the type of the imprinting adhesive; converting the pattern information into a gray pattern, and converting the information in the gray pattern into a digital pulse train signal; converting the digital pulse train signal into a voltage signal; triggering the inkjet print head to eject the imprinting adhesive onto the substrate according to the driving voltage waveform and the voltage signal to obtain an imprinting adhesive area; and driving the substrate to move to different imprinting adhesive ejection positions by controlling the displacement stage, and repeating the above steps until the entire gray pattern is printed to obtain an imprinting adhesive layer; where multiple imprinting adhesive areas form the imprinting adhesive layer.

[0014] In some exemplary embodiments, converting the information in the grayscale pattern into a digital pulse train signal includes: converting the pixel distance between pixel points in the grayscale pattern into the actual distance of the imprinting glue droplets on the substrate; and calculating the digital pulse train signal based on the actual distance and the fixed parameters of the inkjet print head.

[0015] In some exemplary embodiments, before converting the information in the grayscale pattern into a digital pulse train signal, it further includes: dividing the grayscale pattern into a plurality of sub-regions distributed in an array, each sub-region including at least one pixel point, and each sub-region corresponding to an imprinting glue area on the substrate; and designing the movement trajectory of the displacement stage based on the position and distribution of the sub-regions, so that the imprinting glue droplets can be accurately ejected to the corresponding positions.

[0016] In some exemplary embodiments, before triggering the inkjet print head to eject the imprinting glue onto the substrate according to the driving voltage waveform and the voltage signal, it further includes: setting the offset of the inkjet print head to control the starting position of printing.

[0017] In some exemplary embodiments, the interior of the inkjet print head includes a piezoelectric ceramic side wall, and the driving voltage waveform and the voltage signal are used to control the contraction of the piezoelectric ceramic side wall to control the ejection amount of the imprinting glue of the inkjet print head.

[0018] In some exemplary embodiments, the inkjet print head further includes a plurality of nozzles and a metal plate. Among them, the metal plate is located at the inkjet end of the nozzle, and the metal plate includes a plurality of nozzle holes; the nozzles are located inside the piezoelectric ceramic side wall and pass through the nozzle holes in a direction perpendicular to the metal plate; the material of the nozzles includes piezoelectric transistors.

[0019] In some exemplary embodiments, during the operation of the inkjet print head, the ink supply module provides the imprinting glue for the inkjet print head. The ink supply module includes an ink supply pump, a main filter, a reflux pump, and an anti-foaming filter. Among them, the ink supply pump is used to provide the supply pressure of the imprinting glue to extract the imprinting glue from the imprinting glue barrel and transport the imprinting glue to the inkjet print head; the main filter is used to filter the imprinting glue to remove impurities and particles; the anti-foaming filter is used to filter the imprinting glue to remove bubbles therein; the reflux pump is used to provide the reflux pressure of the imprinting glue to return the imprinting glue that has passed through the inkjet print head but has not been ejected to the imprinting glue barrel; among them, the ink supply pump, the main filter, the inkjet print head, and the anti-foaming filter form a first circuit, and the reflux pump, the main filter, the inkjet print head, and the anti-foaming filter form a second circuit, and the pressure of the second circuit is greater than the pressure of the first circuit.

[0020] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inkjet nanoimprinting system, comprising: an acquisition module for acquiring pattern information to be imprinted, the pattern information at least including the distribution of pixel points and a preset thickness of an imprinting adhesive; a design module for designing a grayscale pattern according to the pattern information by using an estimation model, wherein the grayscale value of a pixel point in the grayscale pattern represents the required inkjet amount of the imprinting adhesive; an inkjet module for controlling the inkjet amount and inkjet position of the imprinting adhesive ejected by an inkjet print head onto a substrate according to the grayscale pattern to obtain an imprinting adhesive layer; and an imprinting module for imprinting the imprinting adhesive layer by using an imprinting template, and obtaining a target pattern with a preset thickness after curing and demolding.

[0021] (III) Beneficial effects

[0022] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, an inkjet nanoimprinting method and system provided by an embodiment of the present invention have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0023] (1) By using grayscale technology, the inkjet print head quickly and continuously ejects sub-droplets of a fixed size. Before the sub-droplets are ejected, they will combine according to the grayscale value of the corresponding pixel points to generate larger droplets. By changing the size of the grayscale value corresponding to the pixel points, the number of sub-droplets can be changed, and then the inkjet amount of the imprinting adhesive can be changed, so as to control the actual droplet volume size ejected onto the substrate, making the control of the droplet volume more flexible and accurate.

[0024] (2) Through the design of the estimation model, the relationship between the grayscale value of pixel points, the distance between pixel points and the thickness of the imprinting adhesive can be quickly obtained, providing a convenient basis for parameter adjustment in the processing process.

[0025] (3) By adopting an inkjet print head including a piezoelectric ceramic side wall inside, the voltage applied to the piezoelectric ceramic inkjet print head is controlled by using the grayscale value of pixel points. By using the piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric ceramic, the electrical signal is converted into mechanical deformation, so as to control the ejection of the imprinting adhesive droplets, and the volume and position distribution of the droplets can be controlled with high precision, realizing uniform graphic replication of the residual film layer. At the same time, the imprinting adhesive can be ejected quickly and continuously, improving the processing efficiency of nano-graphic replication.

[0026] (4) The design of the ink supply module ensures the circulation and filtration of the imprinting adhesive, reducing the influence of bubbles and particulate matters on the processing quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Through the following description of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings, the above content and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer. In the drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 Schematically shows a flowchart of an inkjet nanoimprinting method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 Schematically shows the correspondence between the gray scale value and the pixel level of a pixel point according to an embodiment of the present invention and a schematic diagram of a gray scale value control interface. Among them, Figure 2 In (a), it schematically shows a schematic diagram of the correspondence between pixel values and pixel levels according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 In (b), it schematically shows a schematic diagram of a gray scale value control interface according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 Schematically shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an inkjet nanoimprinting system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 Schematically shows a schematic diagram of the internal circuit structure of an ink supply module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 Schematically shows a comparison diagram of a circuit pattern imprinted by the method of spraying imprinting glue according to an embodiment of the present invention and a circuit pattern imprinted by the conventional method of spin-coating imprinting glue;

[0033] Figure 6 Schematically shows a schematic diagram of the thickness of the imprinting glue on the substrate after the circuit pattern imprinted by the method of spraying imprinting glue according to an embodiment of the present invention is demolded;

[0034] Figure 7 Schematically shows a block diagram of the structure of an inkjet nanoimprinting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0035] Figure 8 Schematically shows a block diagram of an electronic device for an inkjet nanoimprinting method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Reference numerals:

[0037] 1 - imprinting glue bucket; 2 - ink supply pump; 3 - main filter; 4 - inkjet print head; 5 - defoaming filter; 6 - reflux pump; 7 - defoaming pump. Detailed implementation manners

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer and more understandable, the following further describes the present invention in detail with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 1The flowchart of an inkjet nanoimprinting method according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0040] As Figure 1 shown, an inkjet nanoimprinting method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes steps S110 - S140.

[0041] In step S110, pattern information to be imprinted is obtained, and the pattern information includes at least the distribution of pixel points and a preset thickness of the imprinting glue.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present invention, the distribution of pixel points includes the positions and pixel distances of the pixel points. Optionally, the pattern to be imprinted includes a BMP format graphic file with a bit depth of 4.

[0043] In step S120, according to the pattern information, a grayscale pattern is designed using an estimation model, and the grayscale value of the pixel points in the grayscale pattern represents the required amount of imprinting glue to be ejected.

[0044] In some exemplary embodiments, the control panel of the grayscale value is as Figure 2 shown, where Figure 2 in (a) schematically shows a schematic diagram of the correspondence between the grayscale value and the pixel level of the pixel points according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 in (b) schematically shows a schematic diagram of the grayscale value control interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 2 shown in (a), the darker the color of the pixel point, the higher the corresponding grayscale value and pixel level, and the larger the amount of imprinting glue to be ejected for this pixel point. When the volume of a single imprinting glue droplet is fixed, the corresponding number of imprinting glue droplets is more. As can be seen from Figure 2 in (b), the pixel level in the control interface corresponds to the grayscale value, and different grayscale values are selected in the control interface to control the amount of imprinting glue ejected for different pixel points.

[0045] The order of magnitude of the residual layer thickness of the imprinting glue is mostly several nanometers to dozens of nanometers. Usually, a step profiler or an ellipsometer is used for measurement, but using these two instruments takes a long time and the operation is relatively complex. By using the estimation model in the embodiment of the present invention, the grayscale value of each pixel point in the pattern to be imprinted can be designed according to the requirement for the residual layer thickness of the imprinting glue. The amount of imprinting glue ejected onto the substrate is controlled through the grayscale value, and an imprinting glue image with a preset thickness is obtained. This estimation model can also predict the thickness of the imprinting glue pattern according to the pixel distance of the pixel points and the set grayscale value of the pixel points, reducing the workload of measurement.

[0046] In some exemplary embodiments, the estimation model is obtained through pre-training, and the pre-training method includes steps S210 - S230.

[0047] In step S210, training data is obtained, where the training data includes grayscale patterns and the thickness of the imprinted glue in the corresponding patterns.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the imprinted glue in the training data is measured by an ellipsometer or a profiler. An ellipsometer is a high-precision optoelectronic measuring instrument based on ellipsometry. When light irradiates the surface of a thin film, due to the physical properties of the thin film (such as thickness, refractive index, and absorption coefficient), the polarization state of the light changes specifically. The ellipsometer inversely analyzes the precise thickness of the thin film and a series of key optical parameters by precisely measuring the change in the polarization state of the reflected light and combining a series of equations and thin film models. The measurement accuracy of the ellipsometer can reach the nanometer level or even the sub-nanometer level, and it can accurately measure the thickness of the cured imprinted glue thin film. At the same time, it adopts a non-contact non-destructive detection method, obtaining information by measuring the change in the polarization state of light before and after reflection on the surface of the medium, without direct contact with the sample, so it will not cause any damage to the sample. A profiler is a microscopic topography measuring instrument based on the principle of converting electrical signals by the up and down movement of a stylus. When measuring the thickness of a thin film, the probe of the profiler moves along the surface of the thin film, records the vertical displacement changes of the probe on the surface of the thin film and the substrate surface, and converts them into the thickness value of the thin film through a data processing system. The measurement accuracy of the profiler can reach the nanometer level and is suitable for measuring the thickness of the cured imprinted glue thin film. It adopts a direct measurement method, directly sensing the vertical displacement change on the surface of the thin film by the stylus, making the measurement process intuitive and accurate. In addition, the measurement principle of the profiler is based on the movement of the stylus, so it is not affected by the transmittance of the substrate, effectively making up for the limitations of optical instruments when measuring the thickness of transparent thin films. Therefore, both the ellipsometer and the profiler are effective tools for measuring the thickness of the cured imprinted glue thin film, further improving the accuracy of the data.

[0049] In step S220, a flow model of the imprinted glue droplet is established based on the physical properties and fluid parameters of the imprinted glue.

[0050] The physical properties of the imprinting glue include viscosity, density, surface tension, etc. During the flow process of the imprinting glue droplet, the main hydrodynamic models involved include the viscous fluid model, boundary layer theory, etc. As a polymer liquid, the imprinting glue has a certain viscosity. The viscosity of a fluid represents the ease of momentum transfer between different parts of the fluid and reflects the ability of the fluid to resist shear deformation. During the imprinting process, the flow of the imprinting glue droplet is affected by the viscous force, and its flow velocity and shape will change with the change of viscosity. The boundary layer refers to an extremely thin fluid layer in contact with the solid surface. Within this layer, the velocity gradient of the fluid is very large and the viscous force plays a dominant role. During the contact process between the imprinting glue droplet and the substrate, the fluid flow within the boundary layer has an important influence on the spreading and shape formation of the droplet. Based on the above principles, mathematical equations can be established to describe the flow process of the imprinting glue droplet. These equations usually include the continuity equation, momentum equation, energy equation, etc., which together constitute the flow model of the imprinting glue droplet.

[0051] In step S230, regression analysis is performed on the flow model using the training data to obtain the estimation model.

[0052] In the embodiment of the present invention, the independent variables in the regression analysis are the gray value of the pixel and the pixel distance of the pixel, and the dependent variable is the thickness of the imprinting glue film. The gray value reflects the depth of the pattern composed of pixels on the imprinting template, and the pixel distance reflects the distance or size between different pixels in the pattern. These two independent variables jointly affect the flow and spreading of the imprinting glue on the substrate, thus determining the thickness of the film.

[0053] During the training process, the parameters of the model can be adjusted to optimize its performance. An independent test data set is used to evaluate the prediction performance of the model, and common evaluation indicators include mean square error (MSE), root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2), etc.

[0054] The estimation model established through regression analysis, especially advanced models such as linear regression, polynomial regression, support vector regression (SVR), or neural network regression, can accurately capture the complex relationship between the gray value and pixel distance and the thickness of the imprinting glue film. These models can handle non-linear data, provide high-precision thickness prediction results, and meet the strict requirements for precision in the micro-nano processing field. At the same time, the prediction model is trained based on actual measurement data, so it truly reflects the physical process and process characteristics. This data-driven method makes the prediction results more reliable and can flexibly adapt to various changes in actual production. The estimation model can predict the thickness for different combinations of gray values and pixel distances, shortening the time and cost of experimental measurement, significantly improving production efficiency and the speed of process optimization.

[0055] Return Figure 1, in step S130, according to the grayscale pattern, control the imprinting glue ejection amount and the imprinting glue ejection position of the inkjet print head to eject the imprinting glue onto the substrate, so as to obtain an imprinting glue layer, and the imprinting glue ejection amount corresponds to the preset thickness.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present invention, the inner side of the inkjet print head is a piezoelectric ceramic side wall, and the contraction of the piezoelectric ceramic side wall is controlled by using a driving voltage waveform and a voltage signal to control the ejection frequency and ejection amount of the inkjet print head.

[0057] In some exemplary embodiments, step S130 includes steps S131 - S135.

[0058] In step S131, based on the type of the imprinting glue, set the driving voltage waveform of the inkjet print head.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present invention, a piezoelectric ceramic side wall is used as a brake inside the inkjet print head, and a voltage is required to drive the piezoelectric ceramic to generate mechanical deformation to extrude the imprinting glue droplets. The pressure inside the inkjet print head is regulated by different voltages. For different imprinting glues, different driving voltage waveform files need to be selected to adapt to the working state of the inkjet print head and control the volume of a single droplet.

[0060] In step S132, convert the pattern information into a grayscale pattern, and convert the information in the grayscale pattern into a digital pulse train signal.

[0061] In some exemplary embodiments, converting the information in the grayscale pattern into a digital pulse train signal includes converting the pixel distance between pixel points in the grayscale pattern into the actual distance of the imprinting glue droplets on the substrate; calculating the digital pulse train signal according to the actual distance and the fixed parameters of the print head.

[0062] Among them, the conversion formula of the pixel distance and the actual distance of the imprinting glue droplets is as follows:

[0063] (1)

[0064] Wherein, Pixel is the pixel distance, d is the actual distance of the imprinting glue droplet, and DPI is the resolution of the inkjet print head. For example, the value of DPI can be 720. Through this formula, the system can accurately calculate the actual ejection position on the substrate according to the pixel coordinates of the graphic file, thus ensuring that the imprinting glue droplets can be precisely distributed according to the preset pattern. This is crucial for jetting applications that require high precision and high resolution. In some exemplary embodiments, to further improve the jetting accuracy of the imprinting glue droplets, before converting the information in the grayscale pattern into a digital pulse train signal, it further includes: dividing the grayscale pattern into a plurality of sub-regions distributed in an array, each sub-region includes at least one pixel point, and each sub-region corresponds to an imprinting glue area on the substrate; and designing the movement trajectory of the displacement stage based on the position distribution of the plurality of sub-regions, so that the imprinting glue droplets can be accurately ejected to the corresponding positions.

[0065] In the embodiments of the present invention, by dividing the grayscale pattern and corresponding each sub-region to a specific position on the substrate and the required imprinting glue ejection amount, the system can achieve more precise jetting control. This precise control ensures that the imprinting glue droplets can accurately land on the predetermined positions, thereby improving the overall jetting accuracy. At the same time, since the jetting parameters of each sub-region are independently set, it is easier to correct and adjust the errors in the jetting process, further improving the jetting accuracy. By dividing into a plurality of sub-regions, it is easier to adapt to the pattern requirements of different shapes, sizes and distributions. For each sub-region, the imprinting glue ejection amount of the jetting can be independently set.

[0066] In step S133, the digital pulse train signal is converted into a voltage signal.

[0067] In step S134, according to the driving voltage waveform and the voltage signal, the inkjet print head is triggered to eject the imprinting glue, and an imprinting glue area is obtained.

[0068] In the embodiments of the present invention, the imprinting glue ejection amount ejected by the inkjet print head at the substrate position corresponding to each pixel point is related to the grayscale value of the corresponding pixel point. The larger the grayscale value of the pixel point, the larger the imprinting glue ejection amount. By setting the grayscale value, the jetting frequency and duration of the inkjet print head can be adjusted to control the imprinting glue ejection amount. By adopting the grayscale technology, sub-droplets of a fixed size are quickly and continuously ejected by the inkjet print head, and the sub-droplets will combine together according to the grayscale value before being ejected to generate larger droplets. By changing the size of the grayscale value, the number of sub-droplets can be changed, and thus the imprinting glue ejection amount can be changed, so as to realize the control of the actual imprinting glue ejection amount on the substrate.

[0069] In some exemplary embodiments, before step S134, it may further include setting the offset of the inkjet print head to control the starting position of printing.

[0070] In step S135, the substrate is driven by a displacement stage to move to different imprinting glue ejection positions, and the previous step is repeated until the printing of the entire grayscale pattern is completed, obtaining an imprinting glue layer; wherein, a plurality of imprinting glue regions constitute the imprinting glue layer.

[0071] Figure 3 FIG. schematically shows a structural diagram of an inkjet nanoimprinting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] As Figure 3 shown, an inkjet nanoimprinting system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a hardware part and a software part. Among them, the hardware part includes an ink supply module for providing stable imprinting glue for the inkjet print head; an inkjet print head drive controller for receiving a digital pulse train signal from an inkjet print head drive control program and converting the digital pulse train signal into a voltage signal; a displacement stage for controlling the starting point of inkjet based on the offset of the inkjet print head and for controlling the relative position between the inkjet print head and the substrate so that the imprinting glue can be accurately ejected onto the substrate according to the pattern to be imprinted; an inkjet print head including a drop-on-demand inkjet print head. The inside of the drop-on-demand inkjet print head includes a piezoelectric ceramic side wall, and the contraction of the piezoelectric ceramic side wall is controlled by a driving voltage waveform and a voltage signal to control the ejection amount of the inkjet print head, realizing the precise ejection and distribution of droplets. The software part includes: an ink supply module control program for adjusting the voltage of the ink supply module to maintain the circulation of the imprinting glue in the ink supply module; an inkjet print head drive control program for receiving information on the offset of the inkjet print head, the driving voltage waveform, and the pattern to be imprinted from a host computer and converting the information on the pattern to be imprinted into a digital pulse train signal. Among them, the information on the pattern to be imprinted includes pixel points, pixel distances, and grayscale values of pixel points.

[0073] In an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate is located on the displacement stage. By moving the displacement stage, the relative position between the inkjet print head and the substrate is controlled. The moving speed of the displacement stage is related to the ejection frequency of the inkjet print head. The frequency of the droplets ejected by the inkjet print head must match the moving speed of the displacement stage in order to achieve a consistent distribution of the imprinting glue droplets and the input pattern. The relationship between the moving speed of the displacement stage and the ejection frequency of the inkjet print head is as follows:

[0074] (2)

[0075] wherein, f is the ejection frequency of the inkjet print head, v is the moving speed of the displacement stage, and DPI is the resolution of the inkjet print head.

[0076] As can be seen from formula (2), the moving speed of the displacement stage is inversely proportional to the resolution of the inkjet print head and directly proportional to the ejection frequency of the inkjet print head. In other words, if the resolution of the inkjet print head is increased, in order to maintain the quality of spraying or printing, the moving speed of the displacement stage needs to be correspondingly reduced. On the contrary, if the ejection frequency of the inkjet print head increases, the moving speed of the displacement stage needs to be correspondingly increased to maintain the relative position relationship between the displacement stage and the inkjet print head.

[0077] In some exemplary embodiments, the inkjet print head further includes a plurality of nozzles and a metal plate. Among them, the metal plate is located at the ink ejection end of the nozzle, and the metal plate includes a plurality of nozzle holes; the nozzle is located inside the side wall of the piezoelectric ceramic and passes through the nozzle holes in a direction perpendicular to the metal plate; the material of the nozzle includes a piezoelectric transistor. The working principle of the inkjet print head is as follows: the piezoelectric ceramic uses the piezoelectric effect to convert electrical signals into mechanical deformations. The piezoelectric ceramic determines the magnitude of the deformation of the piezoelectric material according to the electrical signal under the action of an electric field, and squeezes and ejects the imprinting glue droplets through the deformation of the piezoelectric ceramic. Among them, the magnitude of the deformation of the side wall of the piezoelectric ceramic is related to the electrical signal. The piezoelectric ceramic inkjet print head uses the piezoelectric effect to precisely control the deformation of the piezoelectric ceramic through electrical signals, thereby achieving precise control of the ejection amount of the imprinting glue. At the same time, the piezoelectric ceramic inkjet print head has the characteristics of fast response and can generate deformation and squeeze out droplets in a short time. This enables the piezoelectric ceramic inkjet print head to achieve high-speed spraying and improve production efficiency.

[0078] Figure 4 Schematically shows a structural diagram of the internal circuit of the ink supply module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] As Figure 4 shown, the ink supply module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an ink supply pump 2, a main filter 3, a reflux pump 6, and an antifoaming filter 5. Among them, the ink supply pump 2 is used to provide the supply pressure of the imprinting glue to extract the imprinting glue from the imprinting glue bucket 1 and transport the imprinting glue to the inkjet print head 4; the main filter 3 is used to filter the imprinting glue to remove impurities and particles therein; the antifoaming filter 5 is used to filter the imprinting glue to remove air bubbles therein; the reflux pump 6 is used to provide the reflux pressure of the imprinting glue to return the imprinting glue that has passed through the inkjet print head 4 but has not been ejected to the ink supply module; among them, the ink supply pump 2, the main filter 3, the inkjet print head 4, and the antifoaming filter 5 form a first circuit, and the reflux pump 6, the main filter 3, the inkjet print head 4, and the antifoaming filter 5 form a second circuit, and the pressure of the second circuit is greater than the pressure of the first circuit. The ink supply module further includes an antifoaming pump 7.

[0080] In some embodiments, the inkjet printhead driving controller may further include a single-chip microcomputer, which is used for communication between components of the hardware part, sensor signal processing, and receiving and processing instructions sent by the inkjet printhead driving control program. Optionally, the single-chip microcomputer includes an STM32 single-chip microcomputer. By applying the STM32 single-chip microcomputer to hardware communication, sensor signal processing, and the upper software control program, the overall performance of the system has been significantly improved, including faster communication speed, enhanced data processing ability, and improved real-time control accuracy. The STM32 single-chip microcomputer provides rich development resources and tools, effectively reducing the development difficulty and shortening the development time, thereby reducing the time cost. At the same time, its high cost performance also effectively controls the overall cost of the system. In addition, the STM32 single-chip microcomputer also has high performance, low power consumption, and strong anti-interference ability, which can ensure the stable operation of the system in various harsh environments. Through the built-in fault detection and diagnosis function, system faults can be detected and processed in a timely manner, improving the reliability and stability of the system.

[0081] In the embodiments of the present invention, the hardware part further includes: a router, which is used for data transmission and communication to ensure the smooth transmission of signals between each hardware component; a field programmable gate array board, which is used for processing complex control logic and data processing tasks to ensure the real-time performance and stability of the system.

[0082] The embodiments of the present invention adopt a piezoelectric ceramic inkjet printhead as the core execution element. The system receives the driving voltage waveform as an input signal and uses the deformation characteristics of the piezoelectric ceramic to precisely control the deformation of the piezoelectric ceramic in the inkjet printhead. This control method has the characteristics of high precision and fast response, and can achieve fine regulation of the volume of a single imprinting glue droplet. By finely adjusting the gray level of the inkjet nanoimprinting system, the precise control of the volume of the sprayed imprinting glue can be further realized. This adjustment method has high flexibility and adjustability, and can meet the requirements of different application scenarios. At the same time, the array picture segmentation technology is innovatively adopted. By segmenting the image to process and analyze the distribution of the imprinting glue droplets on the substrate surface, the inkjet nanoimprinting system can more accurately control the array distribution of the imprinting glue droplets, improving the uniformity and consistency of printing. In addition, the present invention ensures the stable operation of the system by real-time monitoring all relevant signals and issuing precise control instructions. The precise control of the volume and distribution of the imprinting glue droplets provides a more accurate data basis for predicting the thickness of the imprinting glue film.

[0083] Return Figure 1 , in step S140, the imprinting glue layer is imprinted using an imprinting template, and after curing and demolding, a target pattern with a preset thickness is obtained.

[0084] Figure 5A comparison diagram is schematically shown between a circuit pattern imprinted by the spray coating method according to an embodiment of the present invention and a circuit pattern imprinted by the conventional spin coating method.

[0085] The circuit pattern imprinted by the spray coating method according to an embodiment of the present invention is as Figure 5 shown in (a) of Figure 5 As can be seen from (a) of Figure 5 it, through the system and method according to an embodiment of the present invention, the circuit pattern on the template can be completely replicated. Among them, the minimum line width of the circuit pattern is 45 nm. When using the spray type nanoimprint system according to an embodiment of the present invention for pattern replication, when the imprinting glue droplet is under the pressure of the mask master, there is a tendency to spread into the gap of the mask master. When the ejected imprinting glue droplet is in the picoliter level, the capillary action between the droplets is enhanced, and it is easier to fill into the gaps in the mask pattern, reducing the hollow defect, and the pattern after spray type nanoimprinting can remain complete. The circuit pattern imprinted by the conventional spin coating method is as Figure 5 shown in (b) of

[0086] Figure 5 As can be seen from (b) of Figure 6 it, under the same conditions, most of the areas of the circuit pattern imprinted by the conventional spin coating method are incomplete, there are many pattern defects and the outline of the pattern is blurred. It shows that during the imprinting and curing process, the imprinting glue droplet does not completely fill into the voids of the template pattern. When the template pattern is complex and dense, a large area of the pattern will be missing after spin coating the imprinting glue, and its integrity is far less than that of the pattern after spray coating the imprinting glue. In addition, when using the spin coating method to apply the glue, baking is required after coating. The fluidity of the imprinting glue after baking is not as good as that of the picoliter level imprinting glue droplet in the spray type nanoimprint system, and it cannot completely fill into the gap of the master pattern during the replication process of the master pattern, finally resulting in the missing of some patterns. Figure 6 it, the thickness measurement result of the imprinting glue on the substrate surface in (a) of

[0087] Figure 7 As shown in

[0088] As Figure 7As shown, an inkjet nanoimprinting system 800 according to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the device includes an acquisition module 810, a design module 820, an inkjet module 830, and an imprinting module 840.

[0089] The acquisition module 810 is configured to acquire pattern information to be imprinted, and the pattern information includes at least the distribution of pixel points and a preset thickness of the imprinting glue.

[0090] The design module 820 is configured to design a grayscale pattern according to the pattern information by using an estimation model, and the grayscale value of the pixel points in the grayscale pattern represents the inkjet amount of the imprinting glue.

[0091] The inkjet module 830 is configured to control the inkjet amount and the inkjet position of the imprinting glue sprayed by the inkjet print head onto the substrate according to the grayscale pattern to obtain an imprinting glue layer.

[0092] The imprinting module 840 is configured to imprint the imprinting glue layer by using an imprinting template, and after curing and demolding, a target pattern with a preset thickness is obtained.

[0093] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, any multiple modules among the acquisition module 810, the design module 820, the inkjet module 830, and the imprinting module 840 may be combined and implemented in one module, or any one of the modules may be split into multiple modules. Or, at least part of the functions of one or more of these modules may be combined with at least part of the functions of other modules and implemented in one module. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the acquisition module 810, the design module 820, the inkjet module 830, and the imprinting module 840 may be at least partially implemented as a hardware circuit, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic array (PLA), a system on chip, a system on substrate, a system on package, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or may be implemented by any other reasonable way of integrating or packaging circuits and other hardware or firmware, or may be implemented in any one of the three implementation manners of software, hardware, and firmware, or in any appropriate combination of several of them. Or, at least one of the acquisition module 810, the design module 820, the inkjet module 830, and the imprinting module 840 may be at least partially implemented as a computer program module, and when the computer program module is run, the corresponding functions may be executed.

[0094] Figure 8 Schematically shows a block diagram of an electronic device for an inkjet nanoimprinting method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0095] As Figure 8As shown, an electronic device 900 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a processor 901, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 902 or a program loaded from a storage section 908 into a random access memory (RAM) 903. The processor 901 may include, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor (e.g., CPU), an instruction set processor, and / or a related chipset, and / or a dedicated microprocessor (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), etc. The processor 901 may also include on-board memory for caching purposes. The processor 901 may include a single processing unit or multiple processing units for performing different actions of the method flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] In the RAM 903, various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 900 are stored. The processor 901, the ROM 902, and the RAM 903 are connected to each other via a bus 904. The processor 901 performs various operations of the method flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure by executing a program in the ROM 902 and / or the RAM 903. It should be noted that the program may also be stored in one or more memories other than the ROM 902 and the RAM 903. The processor 901 may also perform various operations of the method flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure by executing a program stored in one or more memories.

[0097] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 900 may further include an input / output (I / O) interface 905, and the input / output (I / O) interface 905 is also connected to the bus 904. The electronic device 900 may further include one or more of the following components connected to the input / output (I / O) interface 905: an input section 906 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output section 907 including, for example, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and a speaker, etc.; a storage section 908 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 909 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, a modem, etc. The communication section 909 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 910 is also connected to the input / output (I / O) interface 905 as needed. A removable medium 911, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc., is installed on the drive 910 as needed so that a computer program read from it can be installed into the storage section 908 as needed.

[0098] The present disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which may be included in the device / apparatus / system described in the foregoing embodiments; or may exist separately without being assembled into the device / apparatus / system. The foregoing computer-readable storage medium carries one or more programs, and when the one or more programs are executed, the method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is implemented.

[0099] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium may be a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, for example, may include but is not limited to: portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program, and the program may be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. For example, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium may include the ROM 902 and / or RAM 903 described above and / or one or more memories other than the ROM 902 and RAM 903.

[0100] Those skilled in the art can understand that the features described in the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined and / or combined in various ways, even if such combination or combination is not explicitly described in the present disclosure. In particular, without departing from the spirit and teachings of the present disclosure, the features described in the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined and / or combined in various ways. All such combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0101] The above specific embodiments have further elaborated on the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above are only specific embodiments of the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An inkjet nanoimprinting method, characterized in that, Including: Obtaining pattern information to be imprinted, where the pattern information at least includes the distribution of pixel points and a preset thickness of the imprinting glue; Designing a grayscale pattern using an estimation model according to the pattern information, where the grayscale value of the pixel points in the grayscale pattern represents the required imprinting glue ejection amount; According to the grayscale pattern, controlling the imprinting glue ejection amount and the imprinting glue ejection position of an inkjet printhead to eject the imprinting glue onto a substrate, obtaining an imprinting glue layer, where the imprinting glue ejection amount corresponds to the preset thickness; And Imprinting the imprinting glue layer using an imprinting template, and obtaining a target pattern with a preset thickness after curing and demolding.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The estimation model is obtained through pre-training, and the pre-training method includes: Obtaining training data, where the training data includes a grayscale pattern and the thickness of the imprinting glue in the corresponding pattern; Based on the physical properties and fluid parameters of the imprinting glue, establishing a flow model of the imprinting glue droplet; Performing regression analysis on the flow model using the training data to obtain an estimation model.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The step of, according to the grayscale pattern, controlling the imprinting glue ejection amount and the imprinting glue ejection position of an inkjet printhead to eject the imprinting glue onto a substrate, obtaining an imprinting glue layer, includes: Based on the type of the imprinting glue, setting the driving voltage waveform of the inkjet printhead; Converting the pattern information into a grayscale pattern, and converting the information in the grayscale pattern into a digital pulse train signal; Converting the digital pulse train signal into a voltage signal; Triggering the inkjet printhead to eject the imprinting glue onto the substrate according to the driving voltage waveform and the voltage signal, obtaining an imprinting glue area; By controlling a displacement stage to drive the substrate to move to different imprinting glue ejection positions, repeating the previous step until the printing of the entire grayscale pattern is completed, obtaining an imprinting glue layer; where multiple imprinting glue areas form the imprinting glue layer.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein The converting the information in the grayscale pattern into a digital pulse train signal includes: Converting the pixel distance between the pixel points in the grayscale pattern into the actual distance of the imprinting glue droplet on the substrate; Calculating the digital pulse train signal according to the actual distance and the fixed parameters of the inkjet printhead.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein Before the converting the information in the grayscale pattern into a digital pulse train signal, it further includes: Dividing the grayscale pattern into a plurality of sub-regions distributed in an array, each sub-region includes at least one pixel point, and each sub-region corresponds to an imprinting glue area on the substrate; Based on the positions and distributions of the plurality of sub-regions, designing the moving trajectory of the displacement stage so that the imprinting glue droplet can be accurately ejected to the corresponding position.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Before the triggering the inkjet printhead to eject the imprinting glue onto the substrate according to the driving voltage waveform and the voltage signal, it further includes: Setting the offset of the inkjet printhead to control the starting position of printing.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein The interior of the inkjet printhead includes a piezoelectric ceramic side wall, and the contraction of the piezoelectric ceramic side wall is controlled using the driving voltage waveform and the voltage signal to control the imprinting glue ejection amount of the inkjet printhead.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The inkjet printhead further includes a plurality of nozzles and a metal plate, wherein, the metal plate is located at the inkjet end of the nozzle, and the metal plate includes a plurality of nozzle holes; The nozzle is located inside the side wall of the piezoelectric ceramic and passes through the nozzle hole in a direction perpendicular to the metal plate; The material of the nozzle includes a piezoelectric transistor.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein During the operation of the inkjet printing head, an imprinting adhesive is provided to the inkjet printing head by an ink supply module. The ink supply module includes an ink supply pump, a main filter, a reflux pump, and an antifoaming filter. Among them, The ink supply pump is used to provide the supply pressure of the imprinting adhesive to extract the imprinting adhesive from the imprinting adhesive bucket and transport the imprinting adhesive to the inkjet printing head; The main filter is used to filter the imprinting adhesive to remove impurities and particles therein; The antifoaming filter is used to filter the imprinting adhesive to remove air bubbles therein; The reflux pump is used to provide the reflux pressure of the imprinting adhesive to reflux the imprinting adhesive that has passed through the inkjet printing head but has not been ejected back to the imprinting adhesive bucket; Among them, the ink supply pump, the main filter, the inkjet printing head, and the antifoaming filter form a first circuit, and the reflux pump, the main filter, the inkjet printing head, and the antifoaming filter form a second circuit. The pressure of the second circuit is greater than the pressure of the first circuit.

10. An inkjet nanoimprinting system, characterized in that, Including: An acquisition module for acquiring pattern information to be imprinted. The pattern information at least includes the distribution of pixel points and the preset thickness of the imprinting adhesive; A design module for designing a grayscale pattern using an estimation model according to the pattern information. The grayscale value of the pixel points in the grayscale pattern represents the required inkjet amount of the imprinting adhesive; An inkjet module for controlling the inkjet amount and inkjet position of the imprinting adhesive ejected by the inkjet printing head onto the substrate according to the grayscale pattern to obtain an imprinting adhesive layer; And An imprinting module for imprinting the imprinting adhesive layer using an imprinting template, and obtaining a target pattern with a preset thickness after curing and demolding.

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