Imprint device, imprint method, method for manufacturing article, and computer program

Abstract

To provide an imprint device that can accurately form a circuit pattern even if there is a shift in the positional relationship between the circuit pattern and an alignment mark.SOLUTION: An imprint device performs imprint processing of bringing a mold having a pattern formed and an imprint material on a substrate into contact with each other and transcribing the pattern at a target position on the substrate, and the imprint device has: alignment means that performs alignment of the mold and the substrate to an alignment position that is corrected based on a relative positional shift amount between a pattern mark near the pattern on the mold and an alignment mark on the mold, the amount being determined by measuring the pattern mark and the alignment mark; and curing means that cures the imprint material at the position aligned by the alignment means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an imprint apparatus, an imprint method, a method for manufacturing an article, a computer program, and the like.

Background Art

[0002] An imprint apparatus that forms a pattern on a substrate using a mold having a pattern surface is attracting attention as one of the mass-production lithography apparatuses for semiconductor devices and the like. The imprint apparatus can form a concavo-convex pattern composed of an imprint material on the substrate by curing the imprint material in a state where the mold and the imprint material on the substrate are in contact with each other and peeling the mold from the cured imprint material. In an imprint apparatus, a die-to-die alignment method is generally used for alignment with a pattern on a substrate. This is to perform good alignment by measuring the relative misalignment between the two based on the alignment marks drawn on both of them in a state where the original plate (mold) and the substrate are in contact with each other and correcting and driving the misalignment amount. Patent Document 1 describes a configuration for accurately performing die-to-die alignment by shifting the mold before contacting the substrate.

[0003]

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] ​However, in the mold manufacturing process, the layer on which the circuit pattern is created and the layer on which the alignment marks are created may be performed in separate processes. In this case, depending on the alignment accuracy of the mold manufacturing equipment, a misalignment may occur between the circuit pattern and the alignment marks. If this misalignment is large, even if the mold is used to align the mold and the substrate using the alignment marks on the substrate and form a raised / recessed pattern on the substrate, there is a possibility that the circuit pattern will not be formed in the correct position on the substrate.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an imprint apparatus that can accurately form a circuit pattern even if there is a misalignment in the positional relationship between the circuit pattern and the alignment marks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the imprint apparatus, as one aspect of the present invention, An imprint apparatus that performs an imprint process by bringing a mold on which a pattern has been formed into contact with an imprint material on a substrate, thereby transferring the pattern to a target position on the substrate, The alignment position is corrected based on the amount of relative positional displacement between the pattern mark and the alignment mark, which is determined by measuring the pattern mark and the alignment mark of the aforementioned type in the vicinity of the aforementioned pattern, Alignment means for aligning the mold and the substrate, A curing means for curing the imprint material at the position aligned by the alignment means, It is characterized by having the following features. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imprint apparatus that can accurately form a circuit pattern even if there is a misalignment in the positional relationship between the circuit pattern and the alignment marks. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the imprint device 1 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the measurement unit 3 in Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figures (A) through (D) are diagrams that illustrate examples of alignment marks in detail. [Figure 4] (A) to (C) are schematic diagrams illustrating the conventional imprint process. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between alignment marks and circuit pattern marks when they are far apart. [Figure 6] (A) to (C) are schematic diagrams showing how to align the circuit pattern 7b using type 7 and the alignment marks 10, similar to Figure 4. [Figure 7] Figures (A) to (D) are schematic diagrams illustrating the measurement process of alignment marks and circuit pattern marks based on a reference mark, according to Example 1. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of a method for calculating the relative positional misalignment between the circuit pattern mark 40 and the alignment mark 10 in Example 1, and then reflecting this relative positional misalignment as the diversity alignment adjustment position for alignment. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing the alignment process for calculating the relative displacement between the alignment mark and the circuit pattern mark based on the reference mark in Example 1. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the alignment mark and the circuit pattern mark in Example 2 when the distance is such that the marks are within the imaging field of view. [Figure 11] (A) and (B) are schematic diagrams illustrating the state in which the alignment mark and the circuit pattern mark are in the same imaging field. [Figure 12] This flowchart shows an example of a method for aligning by reflecting the relative displacement as the divi-diaalignment adjustment position. [Figure 13](A) to (C) are schematic diagrams showing an alignment process for calculating the relative displacement amount by bringing an alignment mark and a circuit pattern mark into an imaging field of view. [Figure 14] (A) to (F) are diagrams for explaining an example of a method for manufacturing an article.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described using examples with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples. In each figure, the same members or elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0011] <Embodiment 1> First, the configuration of an imprint apparatus using the imprint method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the imprint apparatus 1 of Embodiment 1. The imprint apparatus 1 brings an imprint material supplied onto a substrate into contact with a mold, and forms a pattern of a cured product in which the concavo-convex pattern of the mold is transferred onto the substrate by applying energy for curing (for example, ultraviolet light) to the imprint material. That is, an imprint process is performed in which the mold with the pattern formed thereon is brought into contact with the imprint material on the substrate, and the pattern of the mold is transferred to the target position of the substrate.

[0012] In FIG. 1, an X-axis and a Y-axis perpendicular to each other are taken in a plane parallel to the substrate surface, and a Z-axis is taken in a direction perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis. The imprint apparatus 1 includes an irradiation unit 2 that irradiates light, a measurement unit 3 that performs measurement for alignment of the mold (mold), which is a master, and the substrate, a mold holding unit 4 that holds the mold, a substrate stage 5 that holds the substrate, a supply unit 6 that supplies the imprint material, a control unit 12, and the like.

[0013] The irradiation unit 2 irradiates ultraviolet rays onto the mold 7 and the imprint material in order to cure the imprint material after a mold pressing process in which the mold 7 and the imprint material on the substrate 8 are brought into contact with each other.

[0014] A predetermined pattern (for example, a circuit pattern 7a having irregularities such as a circuit pattern) is formed in three dimensions on the surface of type 7 facing the substrate 8.

[0015] The mold holding unit 4 attracts and holds the mold 7 by vacuum suction force or electrostatic force. This mold holding unit 4 may include a chuck that holds the mold 7 by suction and a mold driving mechanism that drives the chuck in the Z-axis direction. The mold driving mechanism performs an operation to bring the mold 7 into contact with the imprint material supplied on the substrate 8.

[0016] The substrate stage 5 is a substrate holding unit that holds the substrate 8, for example, by vacuum suction, and is movable within the XY plane. Here, the substrate 8 is a workpiece made of, for example, single-crystal silicon, and an imprint material 9, formed by a mold 7, is supplied to the workpiece surface from the supply unit 6.

[0017] The measurement unit 3, which performs measurements to align the relative positions of the substrate 8 and the mold 7, optically detects a plurality of marks 10 placed on the mold 7 or mold holding unit 4 and a plurality of marks 11 placed on the substrate 8 or substrate stage 5, and measures the relative positions between the marks. In the following description, it is assumed that the marks 10 are placed on the mold 7 and the marks 11 are placed on the substrate.

[0018] The measuring unit 3 is configured to be driveable in the X-axis and Y-axis directions to align with the position of the mark placed on the mold 7 or substrate 8. Furthermore, the measuring unit 3 is configured to be driveable in the Z-axis direction to focus on the position of the mark.

[0019] The control unit 12 is electrically connected to the irradiation unit 2, the measurement unit 3, the mold holding unit 4, the substrate stage 5, and the supply unit 6, and transmits control commands to each of them and acquires information from each of them. For example, the control unit 12 acquires information on the relative position between marks measured by the measurement unit 3, and controls the drive of the substrate stage 5 and the drive unit including the mold magnification correction mechanism of the mold holding unit 4 based on that information.

[0020] Furthermore, the control unit 12 has a built-in CPU as a computer and memory as a storage medium, and functions as a control means that controls the operation of each part of the entire imprint device 1 based on the computer program stored in the memory.

[0021] Next, the imprinting process using the imprinting apparatus 1 will be described. First, the substrate 8 is transported onto the substrate stage 5 by a substrate transport unit (not shown), and the substrate 8 is placed and fixed in place. Next, the substrate stage 5 is moved to the supply position for the imprinting material, which is opposite the supply unit 6, and then the supply unit 6 supplies the imprinting material 9 to the shot area of ​​the substrate 8 that is to be imprinted (supplying process).

[0022] Next, the substrate stage 5 is moved so that the shot area of ​​the substrate 8 is positioned directly below the mold 7, and the mold drive mechanism is driven to bring the mold 7 into contact with the imprint material 9 on the substrate 8 (pressing process). As a result, the imprint material 9 flows onto the circuit pattern 7a with irregularities formed on the mold 7. Subsequently, the marks 10 and 11 placed on the mold 7 and substrate 8, respectively, are detected by the measurement unit 3, and the pattern surface of the mold 7 and the shot area of ​​the substrate 8 are aligned by driving the substrate stage 5.

[0023] The system then ensures that the imprint material 9 flows smoothly onto the circuit pattern 7a, which has irregularities, and that the mold 7 and the substrate 8 are properly aligned. In this state, the irradiation unit 2 irradiates ultraviolet light from the back (top) of the mold 7, and the ultraviolet light that passes through the mold 7 hardens the imprint material 9 (hardening process). In other words, the imprint material is hardened at the aligned position. At this time, the control unit also functions as a hardening means.

[0024] At this time, the measurement unit 3 is positioned so as not to obstruct the path of ultraviolet light. Next, the mold drive mechanism is driven again to separate the mold 7 from the hardened imprint material 9 (release step). Through these steps, the circuit pattern 7a with the irregularities of the mold 7 is transferred to the imprint material 9 on the substrate 8.

[0025] Next, the details of the measurement unit 3 and the alignment marks 10 and 11 placed on the mold 7 and substrate 8, respectively, will be described. Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the measurement unit 3 in Embodiment 1. The measurement unit 3 includes a detection optical system 21 (detection unit), an illumination optical system 22 (illumination unit), a processing unit 26, etc., and is controlled by the control unit 12. The illumination optical system 22 guides light from the light source unit 23 onto the same optical axis as the detection optical system 21 using a prism 24 or the like, and illuminates the marks 10 and 11.

[0026] The light source unit 23 can be, for example, a halogen lamp, LED, semiconductor laser (LD), high-pressure mercury lamp, or metal halide lamp, and is configured to emit visible light or infrared light that does not contain ultraviolet light, which hardens the imprint material. The control unit 12 controls the driving of the light source unit 23.

[0027] The detection optical system 21 and the illumination optical system 22 are configured to share some of the optical components that constitute them, and the prism 24 is positioned at or near the pupil plane of the detection optical system 21 and the illumination optical system 22. The detection optical system 21 forms an image of the marks 10 and 11, which are illuminated by the illumination optical system 22, on the light-receiving surface of the imaging unit 25.

[0028] The imaging unit 25 uses an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS. The processing unit 26 acquires and processes the image data captured by the imaging unit 25. The processing unit 26 is, for example, part of the control unit 12, and acquires information from the image captured by the imaging unit 25, and calculates the relative positions of mark 10 and mark 11 based on that image. The control unit 12 controls the alignment unit based on the calculated relative positions and performs alignment so that the relative positional misalignment of the area including at least mark 10 and mark 11 is minimized.

[0029] Next, we will describe the details of marks 10 and 11. Figures 3(A) to 3(D) are diagrams to illustrate examples of alignment marks in detail, with Figure 3(A) showing an example of mark 10. Each of the multiple marks 10 includes diffraction grating marks (cx), (cy), (dx), and (dy) that form moiré patterns for precision measurement, and mark 10a for rough measurement.

[0030] Figure 3(B) shows an example of mark 11, where each of the multiple marks 11 includes diffraction grating marks (cx), (cy), (dx), and (dy) that form moiré patterns for precision measurement, and a mark 11a for rough measurement.

[0031] Figure 3(C) schematically represents the image 30 of the alignment marks used for rough measurement before the mold 7 and the substrate 8 come into contact. As shown in Figure 3(C), during rough measurement, the rough measurement marks 10a on the mold 7 side and 11a on the substrate 8 side are captured by the imaging unit 25. Then, the positional displacement D1 of the rough measurement marks 10a and 11a is determined based on the geometric center positions (centroids) of the rough measurement marks 10a on the mold 7 side and 11a on the substrate 8 side, respectively.

[0032] Since the rough measurement marks 10a and 11a are designed to be separated by a predetermined reference distance, the difference between this reference distance and the positional deviation amount D1 represents the relative positional deviation between the rough measurement marks 10a and 11a. In this way, rough measurements are performed using the rough measurement marks 10a and 11a.

[0033] Figure 3(D) schematically represents the image 31 of the alignment mark precisely measured when the mold 7 and the substrate 8 are in contact. As shown in Figure 3(D), the diffraction grating mark (cx) on the mold 7 side and the diffraction grating mark (dx) on the substrate 8 side are diffraction gratings with a period in the X direction, but (cx) and (dx) have different periods. Also, the diffraction grating mark (cy) on the mold 7 side and the diffraction grating mark (dy) on the substrate 8 side are diffraction gratings with a period in the Y direction, but (cy) and (dy) have different periods.

[0034] When diffraction gratings with different periods are stacked, the diffracted light from the gratings overlaps, generating moiré patterns with a period that reflects the difference in periods, as shown in (ex) and (ey). At this time, the phase of the moiré pattern changes depending on the relative positions of the diffraction gratings, so the relative position between the mold 7 and the substrate 8 can be determined by detecting the moiré pattern.

[0035] Furthermore, another set of diffraction gratings is provided, with a diffraction grating mark (dx) on the type 7 side and a diffraction grating mark (cx) on the substrate 8 side, and a diffraction grating mark (dy) on the type 7 side and a diffraction grating mark (cy) on the substrate 8 side, with the relative magnitudes of the periods in the measurement direction being reversed. Therefore, when the relative positions of the type 7 and the substrate 8 change, the two moiré fringes generated by the two sets of diffraction gratings move in opposite directions.

[0036] Therefore, by determining the positional displacements D2x and D2y of these two moiré fringes, the relative position between the diffraction gratings can be measured with high precision. Moiré fringes do not occur unless the mold 7 is in contact with the imprint material on the substrate 8 and the two diffraction gratings are close enough to overlap. As shown in Figure 3(C), before the mold 7 and the substrate 8 come into contact, it is not possible to observe the moiré fringes, and only rough measurements are possible. After the rough measurements are completed, precise measurements using the moiré fringes can be performed with the mold 7 in contact with the imprint material on the substrate 8.

[0037] Furthermore, since moiré patterns appear with the same light intensity distribution periodically as the relative positional misalignment between the original plate mark and the substrate mark increases, the relative position measurement range is small, within the range of one cycle. Therefore, by using the coarse measurement marks 10a on the mold 7 side and 11a on the substrate 8 side, which have a wider measurement range, the relative positional misalignment between the mold 7 and the substrate 8 can be confirmed over a range larger than this one cycle. In this way, the superposition of the substrate pattern and the mold pattern can be performed with high precision.

[0038] Typically, marks 10 and 11 are placed at the four corners of the mold and the shot area, and the relative position of all marks is determined to calculate the XY displacement, rotational displacement, and magnification displacement. Details of this process are omitted here, and only the XY displacement will be explained. Furthermore, details regarding the mark shapes are omitted here as they are based on conventional technology. The following explanation assumes that a single mark can simultaneously measure in both the X and Y directions.

[0039] Figures 4(A) to 4(C) are schematic diagrams illustrating a conventional imprint process. Figure 4(A) is a schematic diagram showing an example where the circuit pattern 7a of type 7 is shifted to the left of the paper by a relative displacement of 44. The board stage will drive the board 8 to the left of the paper, as indicated by arrow 42, for alignment. Relatively speaking, this is equivalent to the circuit pattern 7a of type 7 being driven in the direction of arrow 43.

[0040] Figure 4(B) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which, based on rough measurements before the mold and substrate come into contact, the alignment marks 10 on the mold and the alignment marks 11 on the shot match, and the imprint material has been supplied to the substrate. Figure 4(C) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which, after the mold and substrate are in contact, the alignment marks 10 on the mold and the alignment marks 11 on the shot match based on precise measurements.

[0041] The alignment methods shown in Figures 4(A) to (C) are called di-di-alignment methods, where the mold and the shot are directly aligned for each shot. The advantage is that, because the position is directly aligned for each shot, errors are less likely to occur.

[0042] The circuit pattern marks 40 on the mold side and the alignment marks 41 on the substrate side shown in Figures 4(A) to (C) are marks used to measure the overlapping accuracy later using another measuring device, for example, as a Box in Box mark. When the positional relationship between the alignment marks 41 and the circuit pattern marks 40 matches on the mold side and the substrate side, as shown in Figure 4(C), it indicates that there is almost no overlapping error in the circuit pattern marks due to the alignment at the alignment marks. Note that the circuit pattern marks 40 are placed near the circuit pattern 7a and function as pattern marks.

[0043] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between alignment marks and circuit pattern marks when they are far apart. In Figure 5, circuit pattern 7a shows that the alignment mark 10 is not misaligned with the circuit pattern mark 40, while in circuit pattern 7b, the alignment mark 10 is shifted 50 units to the left of the paper relative to the circuit pattern mark 40.

[0044] This is because, depending on the mold manufacturing process, the processes for forming the circuit pattern mark 40 and the alignment mark 10 may be separate, and depending on the alignment accuracy of the mold manufacturing equipment, the circuit pattern mark 40 and the alignment mark 10 may be misaligned. In other words, since the circuit pattern mark 40 and the circuit pattern 7a are formed on the mold in the same layer (at the same timing) during the manufacturing process, no misalignment occurs.

[0045] On the other hand, the circuit pattern marks 40 and 7a and the alignment marks 10 are formed on the mold at different layers (different timings) during the manufacturing process, which may result in misalignment of their relative positions. Therefore, even if alignment is performed using the alignment marks 10, there is a possibility that the circuit pattern marks 40 may not be positioned in the desired location.

[0046] Figures 6(A) to 6(C) are schematic diagrams showing the alignment of the circuit pattern 7b on type 7 using the alignment mark 10, similar to Figure 4. Figure 6(A) is a schematic diagram showing an example where the circuit pattern 7b of type 7 is shifted 44 units to the left of the paper. In the example in Figure 6, based on rough measurements, the board stage drives the board 8 to the left of the paper as indicated by arrow 42. Relatively speaking, this is equivalent to the circuit pattern 7b of type 7 being driven to the right as indicated by arrow 43.

[0047] Figure 6(B) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the alignment mark 10 on the mold side and the alignment mark 11 on the shot match, as measured by rough measurement before the mold and substrate come into contact, and the imprint material is supplied to the substrate.

[0048] Figure 6(C) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the alignment mark 10 on the mold side and the alignment mark 11 on the shot are aligned by precise measurement while the mold and the substrate are in contact. At this time, the overlapping of the circuit pattern mark 40 on the mold side and the alignment mark 41 on the substrate side is misaligned by an amount of 60. Furthermore, this amount of misalignment 60 is approximately equal to the amount of misalignment 50 of the alignment mark relative to the circuit pattern mark shown in Figure 5. In other words, the circuit pattern is transferred to a position that is misaligned from the position where it should be transferred onto the substrate.

[0049] Therefore, taking these factors into consideration, a method for aligning the circuit pattern to the target area on the substrate is described in the following embodiment. [Examples]

[0050] Figures 7(A) to 7(D) are schematic diagrams illustrating the measurement process of alignment marks and circuit pattern marks based on a reference mark, according to Example 1. Figures 7(A) and 7(B) are schematic diagrams illustrating the calculation of the amount of deviation of the mold alignment marks 10 relative to the reference on the substrate stage. Figures 7(C) and 7(D) are schematic diagrams illustrating the calculation of the amount of deviation of the mold circuit pattern marks 40 relative to the reference on the substrate stage.

[0051] This section describes how to calculate the amount of misalignment of the mold alignment marks relative to the reference of the substrate stage. In order to measure the alignment marks 10 of the mold forming the circuit pattern 7b with the measurement unit 3, first, the measurement unit 3 is driven in the XY direction to bring the alignment marks 10 into the imaging field of view, in line with the design position of the alignment marks 10.

[0052] Next, the Z-drive mechanism of the mold holding unit 4 and the measurement unit 3 focuses on the alignment mark 10. For example, the position where the contrast of the alignment mark 10 is high is considered the best focal position. In addition, the imaging conditions are adjusted so that the brightness of the alignment mark 10 in the image obtained by the imaging unit 25 falls within an acceptable range. The imaging conditions include, for example, the intensity of the illumination light that illuminates the circuit pattern mark 40, the wavelength of the illumination light, the charge accumulation time of the imaging unit 25 that images the circuit pattern mark 40, the gain of the imaging unit 25, or at least one of the optical aperture value of the imaging unit 25.

[0053] Figure 7(A) shows the positional relationship between the measurement unit 3 and the alignment mark 10 on the circuit pattern 7b after focusing and adjusting the imaging conditions. At this time, the amount of deviation 71 from the design position of the alignment mark 10 is calculated from the image acquired by the imaging unit 25.

[0054] Next, the substrate stage 5 is driven in the XY direction relative to the position of the measurement unit 3, which has been driven to match the design position of the alignment mark 10, so that the reference mark 70 on the substrate stage 5 is directly below the measurement unit 3. Then, the reference mark 70 is focused using the Z drive mechanism of the measurement unit 3. In addition, the imaging conditions are adjusted so that the brightness of the reference mark 70 in the image obtained by the imaging unit falls within an acceptable range. Figure 7(B) shows the positional relationship between the measurement unit 3 and the reference mark 70 on the substrate stage after focusing and adjusting the imaging conditions. At this time, the amount of displacement 72 of the reference mark 70 relative to the measurement unit 3 is calculated from the image acquired by the imaging unit.

[0055] Here, the difference between "deviation amount 71" and "deviation amount 72" is the deviation amount 80 of the alignment mark 10 relative to the reference mark 70 on the circuit board stage.

[0056] Next, we will explain how to calculate the amount of deviation of the circuit pattern mark 40 relative to the reference on the substrate stage. Basically, the measurement is performed in the same way as the alignment mark 10. Due to the differences in the characteristics of each mark, the focal position and imaging conditions need to be adjusted for each. In addition, the circuit pattern mark 40 can be the circuit pattern itself, not just the superimposed marks on the circuit pattern layer.

[0057] First, the circuit pattern mark 40 on the mold in which the circuit pattern 7b is formed is measured by the measurement unit 3. To do this, the measurement unit 3 is driven in the XY direction to bring the circuit pattern mark 40 into the imaging field of view, in accordance with the design position of the circuit pattern mark 40. Next, the Z drive mechanism of the mold holding unit 4 and the measurement unit 3 is used to focus on the circuit pattern mark 40. In addition, the imaging conditions are adjusted so that the brightness of the circuit pattern mark 40 in the image obtained by the imaging unit falls within an acceptable range.

[0058] Figure 7(C) shows the positional relationship between the measurement unit 3 and the circuit pattern mark 40 on the circuit pattern 7b after focusing and adjusting the imaging conditions. At this time, the amount of displacement 73 of the circuit pattern mark 40 relative to the design position is calculated from the image acquired by the imaging unit.

[0059] Next, the circuit board stage 5 is driven in the XY direction relative to the position of the measurement unit 3, which has been driven to match the design position of the circuit pattern mark 40, so that the reference mark 70 on the circuit board stage 5 is directly below the measurement unit 3. Then, the Z drive mechanism of the measurement unit 3 is used to focus on the reference mark 70. In addition, the imaging conditions are adjusted so that the brightness of the reference mark 70 in the image obtained by the imaging unit falls within an acceptable range. In this way, when measuring the circuit pattern mark 40, the alignment mark 10, and the reference mark 70, the focus adjustment and imaging condition adjustment are performed for each.

[0060] Figure 7(D) shows the positional relationship between the measurement unit 3 and the reference mark 70 on the substrate stage after focusing and adjusting the imaging conditions. At this time, the amount of displacement 74 of the reference mark 70 relative to the measurement unit 3 is calculated from the image acquired by the imaging unit.

[0061] Here, the difference between "shift amount 73" and "shift amount 74" is the shift amount 81 of the circuit pattern mark 40 relative to the reference mark 70 on the board stage. The above measurement, which uses the reference mark on the board stage as a reference, may also use a mark on the board as a reference.

[0062] The amount of misalignment (80) of the alignment mark 10 relative to the reference mark 70, and the amount of misalignment (81) of the circuit pattern mark 40 relative to the reference mark 70, are used to calculate the relative positional misalignment (= "misalignment amount 81" - "misalignment amount 80"). This relative positional misalignment can be said to be the misalignment that occurs because the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 were formed at different layers (timings) during the manufacturing process.

[0063] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for calculating the relative positional misalignment between the circuit pattern mark 40 and the alignment mark 10 according to Embodiment 1, and then reflecting this relative positional misalignment as the diversity alignment adjustment position for alignment.

[0064] Each step in the flowchart of Figure 8 is executed by the CPU, which acts as a computer within the control unit 12, executing a computer program stored in memory. The alignment method shown in the flowchart of Figure 8 includes the measurement process of the relative positions of the alignment marks 10 and the circuit pattern marks 40 by the measurement unit 3, and will be explained below in conjunction with the schematic diagram in Figure 9. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the alignment process for calculating and obtaining the relative displacement amount between the alignment marks and the circuit pattern marks based on a reference mark according to Embodiment 1.

[0065] Furthermore, steps S81 to S86 in Figure 8 are processes for controlling the relative position between the mold 7 and the substrate 8 based on measurement results using the alignment marks 10 and the circuit pattern marks 40.

[0066] In step S81, the processing unit 26 acquires an image by having the imaging unit 25 capture the alignment mark 10 and the reference mark 70 using the method described above with reference figures 7(A) and (B). Then, the position information of the alignment mark 10 relative to the reference mark 70 on the substrate stage is stored in memory. At this time, multiple alignment marks may be captured and multiple position information may be stored in memory.

[0067] In step S82, the processing unit 26 acquires an image by having the imaging unit 25 capture the circuit pattern mark 40 and the reference mark 70 using the method described above with reference figures 7(C) and (D). Then, the position information of the circuit pattern mark 40 relative to the reference mark 70 on the substrate stage is stored in memory. At this time, multiple circuit pattern marks may be captured and multiple position information may be stored in memory.

[0068] In step S83, the relative positional deviation amount ("deviation amount 81" - "deviation amount 80") is calculated from the positional information of the alignment mark 10 relative to the reference mark 70 on the board stage and the positional information of the circuit pattern mark 40 relative to the reference mark 70 on the board stage, and the die-di-di-alignment adjustment amount 90 is determined. The die-di-di-alignment adjustment amount 90 corresponds to the difference between the design relative deviation amount of the circuit pattern mark 40 relative to the alignment mark 10 and the relative positional deviation amount ("deviation amount 81" - "deviation amount 80").

[0069] In this way, a reference mark on the board stage or on the board is measured, and the adjustment amount is calculated from the relative positional deviation of the circuit pattern mark 40 and the alignment mark 10 with respect to the reference mark. At this time, at least one of the XY deviation, rotational deviation, and magnification deviation may be calculated as the die-di-diaalignment adjustment amount from the relative deviation amounts of multiple marks.

[0070] Furthermore, steps S81 to S83 function as a calculation process in which the circuit pattern marks 40 and alignment marks 10 near the pattern of the mold are measured, and the relative positional deviation amount from the design relative deviation amount between the circuit pattern marks 40 and alignment marks 10 is calculated as the adjustment amount. At this time, the control unit 12 functions as an acquisition means (calculation means).

[0071] In step S84, the processing unit 26 acquires images by having the imaging unit 25 capture the alignment marks 10 of the mold 7 and the alignment marks 11 of the substrate 8, and calculates the relative displacement between the alignment marks of the mold 7 and the substrate 8. Figure 9(A) is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the alignment marks 10 of the mold 7 and the alignment marks 11 of the substrate 8 are being measured, and 44 indicates the relative displacement between the alignment marks 10 of the mold 7 and the alignment marks 11 of the substrate 8.

[0072] In step S85, the control unit 12 aligns the mold 7 and the substrate 8 at a position shifted by the die-di-dia-alignment adjustment amount determined in step S83, relative to the relative misalignment amount 44 between the alignment marks 10 and 11 calculated in step S84. That is, the alignment position is corrected and aligned to a position shifted by the die-di-dia-alignment adjustment amount 90 from the position where the relative misalignment amount 44 is zero. Then, the control unit 12 drives the mold 7 to contact the imprint material on the substrate 8.

[0073] Figure 9(B) is a schematic diagram showing the mold 7 and substrate 8 aligned at a position shifted by the amount of die-dialignment adjustment, where 90 indicates the amount of die-dialignment adjustment calculated in step S3. That is, in Example 1, the substrate stage is driven to the left of the page, in the direction of arrow 91, so that the mold 7 and substrate 8 are shifted by the amount of die-dialignment adjustment 90.

[0074] In step S86, with the mold 7 in contact with the imprint material on the substrate 8, the die-dialignment is performed at a position shifted by the die-dialignment adjustment amount of 90 calculated in step S83. Figure 9(C) is a schematic diagram of the die-dialignment performed with the mold 7 in contact with the imprint material on the substrate 8. In this embodiment, in step S85, the parts are aligned to a position shifted by a diversity alignment adjustment amount of 90 before contact. However, this step is not essential; it is sufficient if the parts are ultimately aligned to the desired position in step S86.

[0075] Here, steps S84 to S86 function as an alignment process that reflects the amount of misalignment (adjustment amount) to the alignment target position during imprinting and performs alignment. At this time, the control unit 12 functions as an alignment means. Here, the mold and the substrate are aligned so that the alignment position is corrected based on the amount of relative positional misalignment between the pattern mark and the alignment mark, which is determined by measuring the pattern mark near the mold pattern and the alignment mark of the mold.

[0076] Furthermore, the relative positional misalignment amount and the correction amount, which are the calculation results in step S83, do not change once acquired, so they may be stored in memory or elsewhere as information associated with the type 7 used for the measurement. In that case, when performing alignment by diversity diaalignment using the same type 7 next time, the relative positional misalignment amount (or correction amount) can be read from memory and used in S85 and S86. In addition, although this embodiment has been described using an example where the relative positional misalignment amount is measured by the imprint device 1, values ​​measured by an external measuring device may be acquired from an external storage means or the like and used for alignment.

[0077] As shown in Figure 9(C), in Embodiment 1, the alignment mark 10 of mold 7 and the alignment mark 11 of substrate 8 are aligned at a position shifted by a die-di-di-alignment adjustment amount of 90. Therefore, when aligning the circuit pattern mark 40 and the alignment mark 41 during stamping, the circuit pattern can be aligned to the target area with high precision.

[0078] Then, by curing the imprint material 9 at a position that has been aligned with such high precision, a circuit pattern made of the cured material can be formed accurately at a desired position on the substrate. [Examples]

[0079] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the alignment mark and the circuit pattern mark in Example 2 when the distance is such that the alignment mark and the circuit pattern mark are within the imaging field of view. Circuit pattern 7c in Figure 10 shows the case where the alignment mark 10 is offset from the circuit pattern mark 40, and circuit pattern 7d shows the case where the alignment mark 10 is offset by 100 units to the left of the paper relative to the circuit pattern mark 40.

[0080] In this embodiment 2, the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 are positioned at a distance from the imaging unit 25 such that both can be captured within the imaging field of view. That is, in embodiment 2, the relative positional displacement amount can be obtained by simultaneously measuring the circuit pattern mark 40 and the alignment mark 10 with the same measurement unit. The method for calculating the relative displacement amount of the circuit pattern mark with respect to the alignment mark in this case will be explained.

[0081] The alignment marks 10 and circuit pattern marks 40 on the mold on which the circuit pattern 7d is formed are measured by the measurement unit 3. To do this, first, the measurement unit 3 is driven in the XY direction to bring the alignment marks 10 and circuit pattern marks 40 into the imaging field of view, in accordance with the design positions of the alignment marks 10 and circuit pattern marks 40. Next, the Z drive mechanism of the mold holding unit 4 and the measurement unit 3 is used to focus the alignment marks 10 and circuit pattern marks 40.

[0082] In this process, for example, the position where the contrast between the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 is high is considered the best focal position. Furthermore, the imaging conditions are adjusted so that the brightness of the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 in the image obtained by the imaging unit 25 falls within an acceptable range. The imaging conditions include, for example, the intensity of the illumination light, the wavelength of the illumination light, and at least one of the charge accumulation time of the imaging unit 25.

[0083] After adjusting the imaging conditions, the relative displacement is calculated based on the positions of the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 in the captured image. In this case, the focus and imaging conditions of the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 may be set separately, and the positions of the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 may be calculated from separate images.

[0084] Figures 11(A) and (B) are schematic diagrams illustrating the state in which the alignment mark and the circuit pattern mark are in the same imaging field. Figure 11(A) shows the design coordinates when imaging is performed so that the centers (centroids) of the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 are at the center of the imaging field T. Figure 11(B) shows the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 in the imaging field T when the circuit pattern 7d is actually imaged. Here, the relative displacement of the circuit pattern mark 40 with respect to the alignment mark 10 is expressed by the following equation 1.

[0085] ((Xd0-Xa0)-(Xd1-Xa1),(Yd0-Ya0)-(Yd1-Ya1)) ...(Formula 1)

[0086] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for aligning by reflecting the relative displacement as the diversity alignment adjustment position. Each step in the flowchart of Figure 12 is executed by the CPU, which acts as a computer within the control unit 12, executing a computer program stored in memory.

[0087] The alignment method shown in Figure 12 includes the measurement process of the relative positions of the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 by the measurement unit 3. This will be explained below in conjunction with the schematic diagram in Figure 13. Figures 13(A) to (C) are schematic diagrams showing the alignment process obtained by calculating the relative displacement amount by simultaneously including the alignment mark and the circuit pattern mark in the imaging field.

[0088] In step S121, the processing unit 26 acquires an image by having the imaging unit 25 simultaneously capture the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 using the method described with reference to Figure 11. The relative positions of the alignment mark 10 and the circuit pattern mark 40 are then measured and stored in memory. Note that multiple alignment marks and circuit pattern marks may be captured and multiple positional information may be stored in memory.

[0089] In step S122, the die-di-di-alignment adjustment amount 100 is determined based on the relative position (relative positional deviation) of the circuit pattern mark 40 with respect to the position of the alignment mark 10. Here, the die-di-di-alignment adjustment amount corresponds to the difference between the design relative deviation of the circuit pattern mark 40 with respect to the alignment mark 10 and the relative deviation obtained in step S121. Alternatively, the XY deviation, rotational deviation, and magnification deviation may be calculated as the die-di-di-alignment adjustment amount from multiple relative deviation amounts.

[0090] In step S123, the processing unit 26 acquires images by having the imaging unit 25 capture the alignment marks 10 of the mold 7 and the alignment marks 11 of the substrate 8, and calculates the relative displacement between the alignment marks 10 of the mold 7 and the alignment marks 11 of the substrate 8. Figure 13(A) is a schematic diagram of the measurement of the alignment marks 10 of the mold 7 and the alignment marks 11 of the substrate 8, and 44 indicates the relative displacement between the alignment marks of the mold 7 and the substrate 8.

[0091] In step S124, the control unit 12 aligns the mold 7 and the substrate 8 at a position shifted by a die-di-dia-alignment adjustment amount of 100 relative to the relative misalignment amount 44 of the alignment marks calculated in step S123, and then drives the mold 7 and the substrate 8 to make contact. That is, the alignment position is corrected and aligned to a position shifted by a die-di-dia-alignment adjustment amount of 100 from the position where the relative misalignment amount 44 is zero. Then, the control unit 12 drives the mold 7 to make contact with the imprint material on the substrate 8.

[0092] Figure 13(B) is a schematic diagram showing the mold 7 and substrate 8 aligned at a position shifted by a die-dialignment adjustment of 100. As shown in Figure 13(B), the substrate stage is driven to the left of the page, as indicated by arrow 91, so that the mold 7 and substrate 8 are shifted by a die-dialignment adjustment of 100.

[0093] In step S125, with the mold 7 and substrate 8 in contact, precise alignment is performed at a position shifted by the die-dialignment adjustment amount of 100 calculated in step S122, which is the target position for die-dialignment. Figure 13(C) is a schematic diagram showing the state of alignment by die-dialignment with the mold 7 and substrate 8 in contact, and the alignment marks of the mold 7 and substrate 8 are shown as positions shifted by the die-dialignment adjustment amount of 100, at which point the alignment is completed.

[0094] In this embodiment as well, in step S124, the parts are aligned to a position shifted by a diversity alignment adjustment amount of 100 before contact. However, this step is not essential; it is sufficient if the parts are ultimately aligned to the desired position in step S125.

[0095] Furthermore, the relative positional deviation and correction amount obtained in step S123 do not change once acquired, so they may be stored in memory as information associated with the type 7 used for the measurement. In that case, when performing alignment by diversity diaalignment using the same type 7 next time, the relative positional deviation (or correction amount) can be read from memory and used in steps S124 and S125.

[0096] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example in which the relative positional displacement is measured by the imprint device 1, the values ​​measured by an external measuring device may be temporarily stored in an external storage means, and the alignment means may correct the alignment position based on the relative positional displacement obtained from that storage means.

[0097] As described above, in this embodiment as well, when aligning the circuit pattern mark 40 and the alignment mark 41 during stamping, the circuit pattern can be aligned to the target area with high precision. Then, by curing the imprint material 9 at the position aligned with such high precision, the circuit pattern made of the cured material can be formed accurately at the desired position on the substrate. [Examples]

[0098] Furthermore, the amount of the relative positional misalignment between the circuit pattern mark 40 and the alignment mark 10, known as the die-di-di-alignment adjustment amount, may be stored in memory or elsewhere as a fixed value beforehand. In that case, the validity of the fixed value may be confirmed by performing steps S81 to S83 or S121 to S122, which calculate the die-di-di-alignment adjustment amount according to the above embodiment, and comparing it with the fixed value.

[0099] In other words, the relative positional deviation amount, which is set as a fixed value, may be evaluated by comparing it with the value measured by the measurement unit. For example, if the difference between the above fixed value and the calculated value exceeds a certain threshold, it may be determined that there is an error in the above fixed value, and the sequence may be stopped or a prompt may be given to check whether there is an error in the setting of the diversity dialignment adjustment amount.

[0100] <Embodiments relating to the manufacturing method of an article> A method for manufacturing articles using an imprint apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices, semiconductor devices, and elements having a fine structure. The method for manufacturing articles according to this embodiment includes the steps of forming a pattern on an imprint material supplied (coated) onto a substrate using the above-described imprint apparatus (imprint method), and processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the above step.

[0101] Furthermore, such a manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (oxidation, film formation, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method for manufacturing articles of this embodiment is advantageous compared to conventional methods in at least one of the following: article performance, quality, productivity, and production cost.

[0102] The patterns of cured products formed using the imprint apparatus of the above embodiment are used permanently on at least a part of various articles, or temporarily when manufacturing various articles. Articles include electrical circuit elements, optical elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, or molds. Examples of electrical circuit elements include volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, as well as semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensors, and FPGAs. Examples of molds include molds for imprinting.

[0103] The pattern of the cured material is either used as is as a component of at least a part of the above-mentioned article, or temporarily used as a resist mask. After etching or ion implantation is performed during the substrate processing process, the resist mask is removed.

[0104] Next, we will explain the specific manufacturing method of the article. Figures 14(A) to (F) are diagrams illustrating an example of an article manufacturing method. As shown in Figure 14(A), a substrate 1z such as a silicon wafer is prepared on which a workpiece 2z such as an insulator is formed on its surface, and then an imprint material 3z is applied to the surface of the workpiece 2z by an inkjet method or the like. Here, we show how multiple droplet-shaped imprint material 3z are applied to the substrate.

[0105] As shown in Figure 14(B), the mold 4z for imprinting is positioned so that the side with the raised and recessed pattern faces the imprint material 3z on the substrate. As shown in Figure 14(C), the substrate 1z to which the imprint material 3z is applied is brought into contact with the mold 4z, and pressure is applied. This causes the imprint material 3z to fill the gap between the mold 4z and the workpiece 2z. In this state, when light is shone through the mold 4z as curing energy, the imprint material 3z hardens.

[0106] As shown in Figure 14(D), after the imprint material 3z has hardened, when the mold 4z is pulled away from the substrate 1z, a pattern of the hardened imprint material 3z is formed on the substrate 1z. In this pattern, the recesses of the mold correspond to the protrusions of the hardened material, and the protrusions of the mold correspond to the recesses of the hardened material. In other words, the uneven pattern of the mold 4z has been transferred to the imprint material 3z.

[0107] As shown in Figure 14(E), when etching is performed using the cured material pattern as an etching-resistant mask, the parts of the workpiece 2z surface that are free of or have a thin remaining cured material are removed, forming grooves 5z. As shown in Figure 14(F), when the cured material pattern is removed, an article with grooves 5z formed on the surface of the workpiece 2z can be obtained. Here, the cured material pattern was removed, but it may also be used without removal after processing, for example, as an interlayer insulating film included in semiconductor devices, i.e., as a component of the article.

[0108] According to the processing described in Examples 1 to 3, even when the positional relationship between the circuit pattern on the mold and the alignment marks is misaligned, the circuit pattern can be accurately aligned to the target area by measuring the marks on the circuit pattern and the alignment marks. Furthermore, it is possible to superimpose the markings with minimal misalignment between the superimposition marks on the mold 7 and the superimposition marks on the substrate 8.

[0109] Although the present invention has been described in detail above based on preferred embodiments (examples), the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments (examples), and various modifications are possible in accordance with the spirit of the present invention, and these modifications are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

[0110] Furthermore, the above examples 1 to 3 may be combined as appropriate, and for example, the configuration may include at least the following:

[0111] (Configuration 1) An imprint apparatus that performs an imprint process by bringing a mold on which a pattern has been formed into contact with an imprint material on a substrate to transfer the pattern to a target position on the substrate, comprising: an alignment means for aligning the mold and the substrate so that the alignment position is corrected based on the amount of relative positional displacement between the pattern mark and the alignment mark, which is determined by measuring the pattern mark in the vicinity of the pattern on the mold and the alignment mark on the mold; and a curing means for curing the imprint material at the position aligned by the alignment means.

[0112] (Configuration 2) The imprint apparatus according to Configuration 1, characterized in that the pattern of the mold and the pattern marks of the mold are formed on the mold at the same time, and the pattern of the mold and the alignment marks of the mold are formed on the mold at different times.

[0113] (Configuration 3) The imprint apparatus according to Configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the alignment means corrects the alignment position based on the difference between the relative positional displacement and the design relative displacement between the pattern mark and the alignment mark.

[0114] (Configuration 4) The imprint apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the alignment means acquires information regarding the relative positional displacement from the storage means and corrects the alignment position.

[0115] (Configuration 5) An imprint apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, further comprising acquisition means for measuring the pattern mark and the alignment mark with the same measurement unit to obtain the relative positional displacement amount.

[0116] (Configuration 6) The imprint apparatus according to Configuration 5, characterized in that the acquisition means simultaneously images the pattern mark and the alignment mark and acquires the relative positional displacement amount.

[0117] (Configuration 7) An imprint apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that it has an acquisition means for measuring a reference mark on a substrate stage or on the substrate, and acquiring the relative positional displacement amount based on the amount of displacement of the pattern mark relative to the reference mark and the amount of displacement of the alignment mark relative to the reference mark.

[0118] (Configuration 8) The imprint apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that the relative positional displacement is measured by adjusting the respective imaging conditions when measuring the pattern mark and the alignment mark.

[0119] (Configuration 9) The imprint apparatus according to Configuration 8, characterized in that the imaging conditions include at least one of the intensity of the illumination light that illuminates the pattern mark, the wavelength of the illumination light, the charge accumulation time of the imaging unit that images the pattern mark, the gain of the imaging unit, or the optical aperture value of the imaging unit.

[0120] (Configuration 10) The imprint apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 9, characterized in that the relative positional displacement is measured by adjusting the respective focal positions when measuring the pattern mark and the alignment mark.

[0121] (Method 1) An imprinting method for transferring a pattern to a target position on a substrate by bringing a mold on which a pattern has been formed into contact with an imprint material on a substrate, the method comprising: an alignment step of aligning the mold and the substrate so that the alignment position is corrected based on the amount of relative positional displacement between the pattern marks and the alignment marks, which is determined by measuring the pattern marks near the pattern on the mold and the alignment marks on the mold; and a curing step of curing the imprint material at the position aligned by the alignment step.

[0122] (Method 2) A method for manufacturing an article, comprising the steps of forming the pattern on the substrate using an imprint apparatus described in any one of configurations 1 to 10, and processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the first step.

[0123] (Program) A computer program for controlling each means of an imprint device described in any one of configurations 1 to 10.

[0124] Furthermore, the present invention may also be realized by supplying a storage medium containing software program code (control program) that realizes the functions of the embodiments (examples) described above to a system or imprint device. It can also be achieved by the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or imprint device reading and executing the computer-readable program code stored on the storage medium.

[0125] In that case, the program code read from the storage medium itself will realize the function of the embodiment (example) described above, and the storage medium storing that program code will constitute the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1: Imprint device 3: Measurement Unit 4: Mold holding part 5: Stage 7: Mold 8: Circuit board 12: Control Unit 21: Detection Optics 22: Illumination optical system 23:Light source 26: Processing Unit

Claims

1. An imprint apparatus that performs an imprint process of transferring a pattern to a target position on a substrate by bringing a mold having a pattern formed thereon into contact with an imprint material on the substrate, alignment means for aligning the mold and the substrate so as to obtain an alignment position corrected based on a relative positional deviation amount between the pattern mark near the pattern of the mold and the alignment mark of the mold; hardening means for hardening the imprint material at the position aligned by the alignment means; comprising: the pattern of the mold and the pattern mark of the mold are formed on the mold at the same timing; the pattern of the mold and the alignment mark of the mold are formed on the mold at different timings, An imprint apparatus characterized by that.

2. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the alignment means corrects the alignment position based on a difference between the relative positional deviation amount and a designed relative deviation amount between the pattern mark and the alignment mark.

3. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the alignment means acquires information regarding the relative positional deviation amount from a storage means and corrects the alignment position.

4. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising acquisition means for measuring the pattern mark and the alignment mark with the same measurement unit to obtain the relative positional deviation amount.

5. The imprint apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the acquisition means simultaneously images the pattern mark and the alignment mark to obtain the relative positional deviation amount.

6. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, comprising acquisition means for measuring a reference mark on a substrate stage or on the substrate and obtaining the relative positional deviation amount based on a deviation amount of the pattern mark with respect to the reference mark and a deviation amount of the alignment mark with respect to the reference mark.

7. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the relative positional deviation amount is measured by adjusting respective imaging conditions when measuring the pattern mark and the alignment mark.

8. The imaging conditions include at least one of the intensity of illumination light for illuminating the pattern mark, the wavelength of the illumination light, the charge accumulation time of the imaging unit for imaging the pattern mark, the gain of the imaging unit, or the optical aperture value of the imaging unit. The imprint apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that.

9. The relative positional deviation amount is measured by adjusting the respective focal positions when measuring the pattern mark and the alignment mark. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

10. An imprint method for performing an imprint process of transferring a pattern to a target position on a substrate by bringing a mold having a pattern into contact with an imprint material on the substrate, An alignment step of aligning the mold and the substrate so as to be an alignment position corrected based on the relative positional deviation amount between the pattern mark and the alignment mark obtained by measuring the pattern mark in the vicinity of the pattern of the mold and the alignment mark of the mold, A curing step of curing the imprint material at the position aligned by the alignment step, characterized by having, The pattern of the mold and the pattern mark of the mold are formed on the mold at the same timing, The pattern of the mold and the alignment mark of the mold are formed on the mold at different timings, An imprint method characterized by that.

11. A step of forming the pattern on the substrate using the imprint apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and a step of processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed in the step. A method for manufacturing an article, characterized by including.

12. A computer program for controlling each means of the imprint apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 by a computer.

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