Air pressure type nanoimprint device capable of realizing double-sided alignment

Abstract

The invention discloses an air pressure type nanoimprint device capable of achieving double-face alignment, and relates to the technical field of nanoimprint equipment.The air pressure type nanoimprint device comprises a stand assembly, a granite assembly is installed above the stand assembly, and a stage assembly, a UV curing assembly and a visual imaging assembly are installed on the granite assembly; the stage assembly is installed on the upper end face of the granite assembly, and a template clamp, an upper cavity movement assembly and an upper cavity assembly are sequentially installed at the upper end of the stage assembly from bottom to top; the UV curing assembly and the visual imaging assembly are installed on the two sides of the upper end of the granite assembly correspondingly. According to the invention, high-precision and high-stability double-sided alignment can be realized: through a unique'top-down 'unified visual observation path, an optical path is not interfered, and in combination with precise movement of a substrate Stage, double-sided alignment of submicron or even higher precision can be realized, repeated positioning errors caused by substrate overturning are thoroughly avoided, and the alignment precision is improved. And the alignment stability and reliability are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of nanoimprinting equipment technology, specifically to a pneumatic nanoimprinting device capable of achieving bidirectional alignment. Background Technology

[0002] Nanoimprint lithography, as a high-resolution, low-cost patterning technique, has demonstrated enormous application potential in the field of micro- and nanofabrication. With the increasing complexity of device structures, such as 3D integrated devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and advanced photonic devices, it is often necessary to fabricate aligned micro- and nanostructures on both sides of a transparent substrate (such as glass, quartz, or polymer). This process is known as "double-sided overlay" or "back-side alignment." The core technical challenge in achieving double-sided overlay lies in how to precisely align the pattern already existing on the back (or previous) layer of the substrate with the new pattern to be imprinted on the front side, through the substrate itself. Traditional nanoimprint lithography equipment typically relies on a visual alignment system that can only observe the mark from a single direction (i.e., the same side of the template and the substrate). For double-sided alignment, the system must have the ability to "see through" from the front to the back of the substrate, which places extremely high demands on the substrate's transparency, illumination method, and the depth of field and resolution of the optical system.

[0003] Existing solutions often employ complex optical path designs or specialized fixtures to achieve back-side alignment. However, these solutions typically suffer from low system integration, cumbersome operation, and alignment accuracy significantly affected by multiple factors (such as substrate thickness and refractive index). Particularly for pneumatic nanoimprinting, integrating an efficient and precise double-sided alignment system without sacrificing pressure uniformity and sealing is a pressing technical challenge in this field.

[0004] To achieve the fabrication of micro / nano structures on both sides of substrates such as wafers and glass, especially when double-sided pattern overlay is required, the industry has proposed some technical solutions, but some shortcomings still exist: While patents CN113985699B and CN113934111A achieve double-sided imprinting, their alignment and imprinting processes often rely on the physical flipping of the substrate or the precise mechanical coordination of multiple imprinting plates. The flipping process inevitably introduces repetitive positioning errors, and the complex mechanical structure accumulates form and position errors, making it difficult to achieve sub-micron or even higher precision double-sided imprinting. The entire system is overly complex, has high manufacturing costs, and faces reliability challenges.

[0005] Patent publication number CN118192163A focuses on using pressure difference for uniform imprinting and venting, but its description does not explicitly mention a visual alignment system specifically for double-sided overlay. For scenarios requiring overlay imprinting on the front side of a substrate with an existing back-side pattern, this solution fails to address the core issue of how to observe the back-side markings through the substrate in real-time with high clarity and compare them with the front-side template markings. This limits its applicability to double-sided imprinting where high overlay accuracy is not required, or applications where precise alignment of the two sides is not necessary.

[0006] The preparation method represented by patent publication number CN119805855B has significant issues with process complexity and efficiency. Its multi-step, faceted processing and final bonding process is lengthy, and each step may introduce defects or errors, resulting in a high overall yield challenge. Furthermore, it is not suitable for direct and efficient double-sided overlay of patterns on transparent substrates.

[0007] Existing solutions often fail to integrate high-precision optical alignment systems with a uniform and controllable pneumatic nanoimprinting environment. Either the optical system is too complex and incompatible with the pneumatic chamber, or there is a lack of effective in-situ alignment methods. This makes achieving high-precision double-sided overlay while ensuring excellent imprint quality extremely difficult. Therefore, a pneumatic nanoimprinting device capable of double-sided alignment is needed to solve these problems. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a pneumatic nanoimprint device capable of achieving bidirectional alignment, so as to solve the problems existing in the prior art as mentioned in the background art.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A pneumatic nanoimprint device capable of achieving bidirectional alignment includes: A platform assembly, on which a granite component is mounted, and on which a stage component, a UV curing component, and a visual imaging component are mounted; The stage component is installed on the upper end face of the granite component, and the upper end of the stage component is sequentially equipped with a template clamp, an upper cavity motion component and an upper cavity component from bottom to top; The UV curing component and the visual imaging component are respectively installed on the upper two sides of the granite component, with the visual imaging component located directly above the stage component.

[0010] Preferably, the stage component includes a mounting base, a Z-axis component, and an X-axis component. The mounting base is mounted on the upper surface of the granite component. The Z-axis component is mounted at the upper middle position of the mounting base. The X-axis component is mounted on the upper side of the Z-axis component and connected to the moving structure of the Z-axis component. A Y-axis component is mounted on the moving structure of the X-axis component. The Y-axis assembly has an RZ-axis assembly mounted on its moving structure. The RZ-axis assembly has a substrate CHUCK assembly mounted on its output end. The substrate CHUCK assembly can rotate with the RZ-axis assembly. The assembly also includes a vacuum feedthrough assembly, which consists of electrical connectors and a mounting plate. This assembly is used to electrically connect all motors and sensor cables of the stage assembly to the outside.

[0011] Preferably, the UV curing component includes a top plate, a base, and a guide shaft. Four bases are provided and installed around the upper surface of the granite component. A guide shaft is installed between two bases, and a cylinder slide is installed between the other two bases. A linear bearing is installed on the lower end of one side of the top plate, and the linear bearing is slidably connected to the guide shaft. The lower end of the other side of the top plate is connected to the moving structure of the cylinder slide. A UV exposure lamp is installed on the lower end face of the top plate, and the wiring harness of the UV exposure lamp is protected by a cable chain.

[0012] Preferably, the visual imaging component includes a base plate, a right X-axis motor assembly, and a right Y-axis motor assembly. The base plate is mounted on top of the UV curing component via a bracket. The right X-axis motor assembly is mounted on the right side of the upper end face of the base plate. A right Y-axis motor assembly is mounted on the moving structure of the right X-axis motor assembly, and a right CCD assembly is mounted on the moving structure of the right Y-axis motor assembly. A left Y-axis motor assembly is installed on the left side of the upper end face of the base plate. A left X-axis motor assembly is installed on the moving structure of the left Y-axis motor assembly. A left CCD assembly is installed on the moving structure of the left X-axis motor assembly.

[0013] Preferably, the granite component includes granite side plates and a granite base plate. The granite base plate is mounted on the support assembly, and the granite side plates are mounted on both sides of the upper end face of the granite base plate and are used to support the base plate.

[0014] Preferably, the platform assembly includes a welded steel frame and air-floating vibration isolators. Air-floating vibration isolators are installed around the upper surface of the welded steel frame, and the granite base plate is connected to the welded steel frame through the air-floating vibration isolators.

[0015] Preferably, the upper cavity assembly includes an upper cavity frame, a pressure ring, and a window glass. The window glass is embedded in the upper cavity frame and fixed to the upper cavity frame by the pressure ring. A pressure sensor and a connector are installed on the side of the upper cavity assembly.

[0016] Preferably, the substrate CHUCK assembly has a substrate CHUCK cooling assembly disposed inside it.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. This invention enables high-precision and high-stability double-sided alignment: Through a unique "top-down" unified visual observation path, the optical path is not disturbed. Combined with the precise movement of the substrate stage, it can achieve sub-micron or even higher precision double-sided overlay, completely avoiding the repetitive positioning error caused by flipping the substrate, and greatly improving alignment stability and reliability.

[0018] 2. This invention optimizes the system structure and reduces costs and complexity: It adopts an integrated design that efficiently integrates the double-sided alignment vision system, the pneumatic imprinting system and the UV exposure system. Compared with the complex solutions of multiple imprint plate flipping or multi-step bonding in the prior art, the structure is simpler, reduces the number of expensive mechanical components, and reduces the system's manufacturing cost, assembly difficulty and maintenance cost.

[0019] 3. This invention perfectly combines high-quality pneumatic imprinting with precise alignment: The PET soft template serves as both an imprinting template and a sealing element, ensuring that high-pressure compressed air can be introduced into the upper chamber to provide uniform surface pressure. The vision system and UV exposure components are located outside the sealed chamber, without affecting the establishment and maintenance of the pneumatic environment. This design successfully solves the problem that dual-chamber differential pressure equipment is difficult to integrate with a high-precision double-sided alignment vision system, achieving the two core advantages of uniform imprinting force and precise double-sided alignment in the same device. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the UV curing component structure of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the visual imaging component structure of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the granite component structure of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the frame assembly structure of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the stage component structure of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the upper cavity assembly structure of the present invention.

[0027] In the diagram: 1. UV curing assembly; 101. Top plate; 102. UV exposure lamp; 103. Base; 104. Linear bearing; 105. Guide shaft; 106. Cable chain; 107. Cylinder slide. 2. Vision imaging assembly; 201. Base plate; 202. Right X-axis motor assembly; 203. Right Y-axis motor assembly; 204. Right CCD assembly; 205. Left CCD assembly; 206. Left Y-axis motor assembly; 207. Left X-axis motor assembly; 3. Granite components; 301. Granite side panels; 302. Granite base slab; 4. Support frame assembly; 401. Welded steel frame; 402. Air-bearing vibration isolator; 5. Stage assembly; 501. Substrate Chuck assembly; 502. RZ axis assembly; 503. Y axis assembly; 504. X axis assembly; 505. Substrate Chuck cooling assembly; 506. Z axis assembly; 507. Mounting base; 508. Vacuum feedthrough assembly; 6. Template clamp; 7. Upper cavity motion assembly; 8. Upper cavity assembly; 801. Upper cavity frame; 802. Pressure ring; 803. Window glass; 804. Pressure sensor; 805. Connector. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0029] Please see Figure 1-7 The present invention provides the following technical solutions: A pneumatic nanoimprinting device capable of double-sided alignment includes: a stage assembly 4, a granite assembly 3 mounted on top of the stage assembly 4, a stage assembly 5, a UV curing assembly 1 and a visual imaging assembly 2 mounted on the granite assembly 3; the stage assembly 5 is mounted on the upper end face of the granite assembly 3, and a template clamp 6, an upper cavity motion assembly 7 and an upper cavity assembly 8 are sequentially mounted on the upper end of the stage assembly 5 from bottom to top.

[0030] Stage component 5 includes a mounting base 507, a Z-axis component 506, and an X-axis component 504. The mounting base 507 is mounted on the upper surface of the granite component 3. The Z-axis component 506 is mounted at the upper middle position of the mounting base 507. The X-axis component 504 is mounted on the upper side of the Z-axis component 506 and is connected to the moving structure of the Z-axis component 506. The Y-axis component 503 is mounted on the moving structure of the X-axis component 504. An RZ axis assembly 502 is mounted on the moving structure of the Y-axis assembly 503. A substrate CHUCK assembly 501 is mounted on the output end of the RZ axis assembly 502, and the substrate CHUCK assembly 501 can rotate with the RZ axis assembly 502. Through the cooperation of the Z-axis assembly 506, X-axis assembly 504, Y-axis assembly 503, and RZ axis assembly 502, the substrate CHUCK assembly 501 can be quickly and accurately adjusted in position. The stage assembly 5 also includes a vacuum feedthrough assembly 508, which consists of electrical connectors and a mounting plate, used to electrically connect all motors and sensor cables of the stage assembly 5 to the outside. A substrate CHUCK cooling assembly 505 is installed inside the substrate CHUCK assembly 501 for precise control of the imprinting temperature.

[0031] The UV curing component 1 and the visual imaging component 2 are respectively installed on the upper sides of the granite component 3, with the visual imaging component 2 located directly above the stage component 5. The UV curing component 1 includes a top plate 101, a base 103, and a guide shaft 105. Four bases 103 are provided and installed around the upper surface of the granite component 3. A guide shaft 105 is installed between two bases 103, and a cylinder slide 107 is installed between the other two bases 103. A linear bearing 104 is installed on the lower side of one side of the top plate 101, and the linear bearing 104 is slidably connected to the guide shaft 105. The lower side of the top plate 101 is connected to the moving structure of the cylinder slide 107. A UV exposure lamp 102 is installed on the lower surface of the top plate 101, and the wiring harness of the UV exposure lamp 102 is protected by a cable chain 106. The cylinder slide 107 can drive the top plate 101 to slide on the guide shaft 105, so that the UV exposure lamp 102 installed below the top plate 101 can be moved to a position above the upper cavity assembly 8 for UV exposure.

[0032] The visual imaging assembly 2 includes a base plate 201, a right X-axis motor assembly 202, and a right Y-axis motor assembly 203. The base plate 201 is mounted above the UV curing assembly 1 via a bracket. The right X-axis motor assembly 202 is mounted on the right side of the upper end face of the base plate 201. The right Y-axis motor assembly 203 is mounted on the moving structure of the right X-axis motor assembly 202, and a right CCD assembly 204 is mounted on the moving structure of the right Y-axis motor assembly 203. A left Y-axis motor assembly 206 is mounted on the left side of the upper end face of the base plate 201. A left X-axis motor assembly 207 is mounted on the moving structure of the left Y-axis motor assembly 206, and a left CCD assembly 205 is mounted on the moving structure of the left X-axis motor assembly 207. Using these two flexibly movable CCD assemblies, the center coordinates of the left and right imaging marks on the PET soft template on the template fixture 6 and on the lower surface of the substrate are calculated.

[0033] The granite component 3 includes granite side plates 301 and a granite base plate 302. The granite base plate 302 is mounted on the support assembly 4, and the granite side plates 301 are mounted on both sides of the upper end face of the granite base plate 302, serving to support the base plate 201. The support assembly 4 includes a welded steel frame 401 and air-bearing vibration isolators 402. Air-bearing vibration isolators 402 are installed around the upper end face of the welded steel frame 401. The granite base plate 302 is connected to the welded steel frame 401 via the air-bearing vibration isolators 402, which are used to isolate the components above the granite component 3 from vibration.

[0034] The upper cavity assembly 8 includes an upper cavity frame 801, a pressure ring 802, and a window glass 803. The window glass 803 is embedded in the upper cavity frame 801 and fixed in the upper cavity frame 801 by the pressure ring 802. A pressure sensor 804 and a connector 805 are installed on the side of the upper cavity assembly 8. The imprinting chamber inside the upper cavity assembly 8 can be evacuated to form a high vacuum environment to reduce bubble interference during the imprinting process and improve the consistency of the residual layer.

[0035] The working process of this invention is as follows: First, place the substrate on the substrate CHUCK component 501 of the stage component 5, turn on the vacuum of the substrate CHUCK component 501 to fix the substrate firmly; then fix the PET soft template on the template clamp 6 and tighten it, and place the template clamp 6 with the soft template directly above the stage component 5.

[0036] The control vacuum system evacuates the stage assembly 5 and the upper cavity assembly 8 to a set vacuum level, turns on the right CCD assembly 204 and the left CCD assembly 205 in the vision imaging assembly 2, and grasps the left and right imaging marks on the PET soft template that is tensioned on the template fixture 6, and calculates the center coordinates of the left and right imaging marks on the template; controls the right CCD assembly 204 and the left CCD assembly 205 in the vision imaging assembly 2 to focus on the lower surface of the substrate, grasps the left and right imaging marks on the lower surface of the substrate, and calculates the center coordinates of the left and right imaging marks on the lower surface of the substrate.

[0037] The calculated coordinates of the four imaging mark centers are transformed and calculated to obtain the substrate position adjustment amounts ΔX, ΔY, and ΔRZ. The XYRZ axes of the stage component 5 are controlled to move according to the output substrate position adjustment amounts. Then, the template and substrate are bonded, exposed, and demolded according to the preset process. The substrate is unloaded to obtain a substrate with double-sided alignment and imprinting.

[0038] This invention achieves high-precision and high-stability double-sided overlay marking, allowing direct observation of the markings on the back of the substrate and completely avoiding repetitive positioning errors caused by substrate flipping. Combined with a precision substrate motion platform, it can achieve sub-micron level high-precision overlay marking, and the alignment process is stable, reliable, and has good repeatability.

[0039] This invention significantly improves process efficiency and automation. The entire imprinting process, from substrate placement, chamber closure, visual alignment, gas pressure imprinting to UV exposure, can be completed continuously and automatically within the same device, greatly shortening the production cycle and providing a feasible equipment solution for large-scale, automated production of double-sided patterning of transparent substrates. In addition, this invention optimizes the system structure, combining high performance and low cost. It adopts an integrated design, which significantly reduces the number of expensive and precision optical components used while achieving high-performance double-sided alignment, thereby reducing the system's manufacturing cost, assembly difficulty, and subsequent maintenance costs, demonstrating excellent cost-effectiveness.

[0040] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A pneumatic nanoimprinting device capable of achieving bidirectional alignment, characterized in that, include: A platform assembly (4) is provided, on which a granite assembly (3) is mounted, and on which a stage assembly (5), a UV curing assembly (1) and a visual imaging assembly (2) are mounted. The stage component (5) is installed on the upper end face of the granite component (3). The upper end of the stage component (5) is sequentially equipped with a template clamp (6), an upper cavity motion component (7), and an upper cavity component (8) from bottom to top. The UV curing component (1) and the visual imaging component (2) are respectively installed on the upper two sides of the granite component (3), with the visual imaging component (2) located directly above the stage component (5).

2. The pneumatic nanoimprint device capable of achieving bidirectional alignment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stage component (5) includes a mounting base (507), a Z-axis component (506), and an X-axis component (504). The mounting base (507) is mounted on the upper surface of the granite component (3). The Z-axis component (506) is mounted at the upper middle position of the mounting base (507). The X-axis component (504) is mounted on the upper side of the Z-axis component (506) and is connected to the moving structure of the Z-axis component (506). A Y-axis component (503) is mounted on the moving structure of the X-axis component (504). The Y-axis assembly (503) has an RZ-axis assembly (502) mounted on its moving structure. The RZ-axis assembly (502) has a substrate CHUCK assembly (501) mounted on its output end. The substrate CHUCK assembly (501) can rotate with the RZ-axis assembly (502). The assembly also includes a vacuum feedthrough assembly (508), which consists of an electrical connector and a fixing plate and is used to electrically connect all motor and sensor cables of the stage assembly (5) to the outside.

3. The pneumatic nanoimprint device capable of achieving bidirectional alignment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The UV curing component (1) includes a top plate (101), a base (103) and a guide shaft (105). There are four bases (103) installed around the upper surface of the granite component (3). A guide shaft (105) is installed between two bases (103), and a cylinder slide (107) is installed between the other two bases (103). A linear bearing (104) is installed on the lower end of one side of the top plate (101), and the linear bearing (104) is slidably connected to the guide shaft (105). The lower end of the other side of the top plate (101) is connected to the moving structure of the cylinder slide (107). A UV exposure lamp (102) is installed on the lower end face of the top plate (101), and the wiring harness of the UV exposure lamp (102) is protected by a drag chain (106).

4. The pneumatic nanoimprint device capable of achieving bidirectional alignment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The visual imaging component (2) includes a base plate (201), a right X-axis motor assembly (202), and a right Y-axis motor assembly (203). The base plate (201) is mounted on top of the UV curing component (1) via a bracket. The right X-axis motor assembly (202) is mounted on the right side of the upper end face of the base plate (201). The right Y-axis motor assembly (203) is mounted on the moving structure of the right X-axis motor assembly (202), and the right CCD component (204) is mounted on the moving structure of the right Y-axis motor assembly (203). A left Y-axis motor assembly (206) is installed on the left side of the upper end face of the base plate (201). A left X-axis motor assembly (207) is installed on the moving structure of the left Y-axis motor assembly (206). A left CCD assembly (205) is installed on the moving structure of the left X-axis motor assembly (207).

5. The pneumatic nanoimprint device capable of achieving bidirectional alignment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The granite component (3) includes a granite side plate (301) and a granite base plate (302). The granite base plate (302) is installed on the support assembly (4). The granite side plate (301) is installed on both sides of the upper end face of the granite base plate (302) and is used to support the base plate (201).

6. The pneumatic nanoimprint device capable of achieving bidirectional alignment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The platform assembly (4) includes a welded steel frame (401) and an air-floating vibration isolator (402). The air-floating vibration isolator (402) is installed around the upper surface of the welded steel frame (401). The granite base plate (302) is connected to the welded steel frame (401) through the air-floating vibration isolator (402).

7. The pneumatic nanoimprint device capable of achieving bidirectional alignment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper cavity assembly (8) includes an upper cavity frame (801), a pressure ring (802), and a window glass (803). The window glass (803) is embedded in the upper cavity frame (801) and fixed in the upper cavity frame (801) by the pressure ring (802). A pressure sensor (804) and a connector (805) are installed on the side of the upper cavity assembly (8).

8. A pneumatic nanoimprint device capable of achieving bidirectional alignment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The substrate CHUCK assembly (501) is internally provided with a substrate CHUCK cooling assembly (505).

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