Foreign substance removal method, foreign substance removal device, forming method, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a foreign substance removal technique advantageous for reducing a composition residue.SOLUTION: A foreign substance removal method for removing a foreign substance on a first member includes the steps of: acquiring information on the surface area of the first member; selecting a second member based on the acquired information; supplying a composition onto the first member; bringing the selected second member and the composition on the first member into contact with each other so that the foreign substance on the first member is taken into the composition on the first member; curing the composition while maintaining a state where the composition is attached to the second member; and separating the second member from the first member to peel off the composition from the first member. In the selection step, the second member is selected whose contact area with the composition is larger than the contact area of the first member with the composition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a foreign matter removal method, a foreign matter removal device, a forming method, and a method for manufacturing an article. [Background technology]

[0002] Substrate cleaning methods that can be used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and the like mainly include a method that uses a physical force due to a fluid force to remove foreign matter on the substrate, and a method that uses a chemical action (etching effect) of a chemical solution to remove foreign matter on the substrate.

[0003] However, with the recent progress in miniaturization of patterns, the particle size of the foreign matter to be removed has become very small (for example, tens of nanometers or less). Therefore, in conventional methods using fluid force, if the fluid force is increased to remove small particles of foreign matter or unnecessary materials such as polymers, the fine structure formed in the underlying layer may be damaged. Similarly, methods using chemical action with chemical solutions may also cause damage to the underlying layer. Therefore, these cleaning methods are reaching the limit of their applicability in removing small particles of foreign matter.

[0004] In response to this, a solid-phase cleaning method (also called a dry solid-phase cleaning method) that uses an imprint technique to remove foreign matter has attracted attention. Patent Document 1 describes a method in which a template is pressed against a resin applied to a dummy wafer, the resin is cured, and the template is separated from the cured resin to remove foreign matter on the template. Patent Document 2 describes a method in which a planarizing member is brought into contact with a resin applied to a mold from which foreign matter is to be removed to form a resin film, the resin film is cured, the planarizing member is peeled off from the cured resin film, and then the resin film is peeled off from the mold. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5121549 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5982996 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the above-mentioned foreign matter removal method using the imprint technique, peeling residues (composition residues) may remain when the template is peeled off from the cured film of the composition. Such residues may occur particularly in local grooves in the unevenness of the substrate. Therefore, in the foreign matter removal method using the imprint technique, it is desirable to reduce the composition residues.

[0007] The present invention provides a foreign matter removal technique that is advantageous in reducing composition residue. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a foreign matter removal method for removing foreign matter on a first member, the foreign matter removal method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring information regarding a surface area of ​​the first member; a selection step of selecting a second member based on the acquired information; a supply step of supplying a composition onto the first member; a contact step of contacting the second member selected in the selection step with the composition on the first member such that the foreign matter on the first member is taken in by the composition supplied onto the first member in the supply step; a curing step of curing the composition while the composition on the first member and the second member are in contact with each other after the contact step; and a separation step of peeling the composition from the first member by separating the second member from the first member while maintaining a state in which the composition is attached to the second member after the curing step, wherein the foreign matter removal method is characterized in that in the selection step, a second member having a contact area with the composition larger than the contact area between the first member and the composition is selected. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, a foreign matter removal technique that is advantageous for reducing composition residue can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a foreign matter removal device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a solid-phase washing method according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating examples of the structure of a template used in solid-phase washing according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a problem with a conventional solid-phase washing method. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a problem with a conventional solid-phase washing method. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart of a solid-phase washing method according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a case where the effective area coefficient differs on the template surface. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a method for manufacturing an article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0012] First Embodiment (Foreign object removal device) With reference to FIG. 1, a configuration example of the foreign matter removal device 10 in this embodiment will be described. The foreign matter removal device 10 may include, for example, a stage 11, a holding unit 12, a supply unit 13, a surface modification unit 14, an adhesion layer application unit 15, an imaging unit 16, a curing unit 17, and a control unit 18. The control unit 18 is configured by a computer having a processor such as a CPU or MPU, or a logic circuit, and a storage unit such as a memory, and controls each unit of the foreign matter removal device 10 to control a foreign matter removal process for removing foreign matters on the substrate 1 (first member). The control unit 18 may also have a communication unit for communicating with an external device. Note that CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit, and MPU is an abbreviation for Micro Processing Unit.

[0013] The stage 11 holds the substrate 1 by vacuum force or electrostatic force, and is configured to be movable in the XY directions on the base plate BP. In other words, the stage 11 is a mechanism that holds the substrate 1 and drives it in the XY directions. In the present embodiment, the stage 11 is configured to drive the substrate 1 only in the XY directions, but it may also be configured to drive the substrate 1 in the Z direction or in the rotational directions about each axis.

[0014] The holder 12 is a mechanism that holds the template 5 (second member) by vacuum force or electrostatic force and drives the template 5 in the Z direction. In the present embodiment, the holder 12 is configured to drive the template 5 only in the Z direction, but may also be configured to drive the template 5 in the XY directions or the rotational directions of each axis. Here, the stage 11 and the holder 12 can form a drive mechanism (drive unit) that drives the substrate 1 and the template 5 relatively.

[0015] The supply unit 13 supplies (discharges, applies) the composition 4 onto the substrate 1. When the supply unit 13 supplies the composition onto the substrate 1, the substrate 1 is disposed below the supply unit 13 by the stage 11.

[0016] The surface modification unit 14 is a device for modifying the surface of a substrate, and performs a lyophilic treatment on the liquid composition on the substrate 1. When the lyophilic treatment is performed by the surface modification unit 14, the substrate 1 is disposed below the surface modification unit 14 by the stage 11.

[0017] The adhesion layer application unit 15 applies an adhesion layer to the template 5. In this embodiment, the adhesion layer application unit 15 is supported by a moving mechanism 19 that is movable in the XY directions on the base plate BP. When the adhesion layer application unit 15 applies the adhesion layer to the template 5, the adhesion layer application unit 15 is disposed below the template 5 by the moving mechanism 19.

[0018] The photographing unit 16 observes (photographs) the spread of the composition 4 on the substrate 1. The photographing unit 16 may include, for example, a camera 16a (imaging element) and an observation optical system 16b. In the example of FIG. 1, the photographing unit 16 is configured to photograph the spread of the composition 4 on the substrate 1 via a mirror MR and the template 5.

[0019] The curing unit 17 cures the composition 4 on the substrate 1. The curing unit 17 may include, for example, an energy source 17a that emits energy (e.g., ultraviolet light) for curing the composition 4, and an irradiation optical system 17b that irradiates the energy emitted from the energy source 17a to the composition 4 on the substrate 1. In the example of FIG. 1, the curing unit 17 is configured to cure the composition 4 by irradiating the composition 4 on the substrate 1 with energy via the mirror MR, the holder 12, and the template 5.

[0020] The supply unit 13, the surface modification unit 14, and the adhesion layer application unit 15 may be disposed outside the foreign matter removal device 10 instead of inside the device.

[0021] (Outline of foreign matter removal method) 2(a) to (e), the method for removing foreign matter in this embodiment will be described. As the method for removing foreign matter in this embodiment, a solid-phase washing method is adopted. Note that the method shown in this embodiment is a representative example, and the method is not limited to this method.

[0022] In FIG. 2(a), the substrate 1 may be a substrate used in device manufacturing, such as a semiconductor wafer on which a pattern (base pattern) is formed, a MEMS wafer, a power semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate (glass plate) for a display, or a bioelement. In this embodiment, an example of removing foreign matter on the substrate 1 is shown, but the present invention is also applicable to a method of removing foreign matter attached to a template 5. The template 5 may be an EUV exposure mask, a semiconductor exposure mask, an imprint mold, a MEMS exposure mask, a power semiconductor exposure mask, a display exposure mask, or the like. Note that MEMS is an abbreviation for Micro Electro Mechanical System, and EUV is an abbreviation for Extreme Ultraviolet.

[0023] In Fig. 2(a), foreign matter 2 (particles) of various sizes may be present on the top and bottom surfaces of a pattern 3. In particular, when the pattern becomes fine, it becomes difficult to remove small foreign matter on the bottom surface using conventional cleaning methods such as megasonic cleaning and two-fluid cleaning. Therefore, in this embodiment, a solid-phase cleaning method is adopted, as described in detail below.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the supply unit 13 supplies (applies) a necessary amount of composition 4 to encapsulate the foreign matter 2 onto the pattern 3 (supply step). As such a composition, a curable composition (e.g., resin) that is cured by applying energy for curing is used. The curable composition is a composition that is cured by irradiation with light or by heating. Among these, a photocurable composition (photocurable resin) that is cured by irradiation with light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photopolymerization initiator, and may further contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent as necessary. The polymerizable compound is a compound that reacts with a polymerization factor (radical, etc.) generated from a photopolymerization initiator to form a film made of a polymer compound by a chain reaction (polymerization reaction). As such a polymerizable compound, for example, a radical polymerizable compound can be mentioned, and it is preferable that the compound is a compound having one or more acryloyl groups or methacryloyl groups, that is, a (meth)acrylic compound. The non-polymerizable compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of sensitizers, hydrogen donors, internal mold release agents, surfactants, antioxidants, polymer components, etc. The viscosity of the composition (viscosity at 25° C.) is, for example, 1 mPa s or more and 100 mPa s or less.

[0025] The method of supplying the composition 4 is not particularly limited as long as the film thickness can be controlled. In this embodiment, the supply unit 13 supplies the composition 4 by an inkjet method. In addition to the inkjet method, various printing methods such as dispenser coating, spin coating, screen printing, gravure printing, and offset printing, dipping coating, and the like may be used.

[0026] The supply unit 13 supplies a predetermined amount of the composition 4 based on a command from the control unit 18. The supply amount is determined taking into consideration the pattern height, the expected maximum size of foreign matter, the cure shrinkage of the composition, and the like so as not to damage the pattern when the template 5 is brought into contact with the composition 4, as will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0027] Before supplying the composition 4, the surface modification unit 14 may perform a lyophilic treatment to make the surface of the substrate 1 on which the pattern 3 is formed lyophilic. The lyophilic treatment may include baking, plasma ashing, atmospheric pressure plasma treatment, alkaline or ozone water cleaning, etc. If the surface of the substrate 1 is sufficiently lyophilic, the lyophilic treatment can be omitted. When performing the lyophilic treatment, it is preferable to select an etching amount so as to remove contaminant components of the extreme surface layer without damaging the surface layer of the substrate 1. By making the substrate 1 lyophilic in advance by the surface modification unit 14, the composition 4 can easily penetrate into the narrow channel between the foreign object 2 and the substrate 1 by capillary force.

[0028] Next, as shown in FIG. 2(c), the control unit 18 controls the holding unit 12 to bring the template 5 into contact with the composition 4 on the substrate 1 (contact step). At this time, the contact area of ​​the template 5 with the composition 4 is larger than the contact area of ​​the substrate 1 with the composition 4. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the template 5 is wider (in the XY direction) than the substrate 1, so that the contact area on the template 5 side can be increased. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the pitch of the unevenness of the template 5 is made finer than that of the substrate 1 to increase the effective area, so that the contact area on the template 5 side can be increased. In order to prevent bubbles from being trapped when the template 5 and the composition 4 come into contact with each other, a gas such as helium, hydrogen or diluted hydrogen, or PFP may be flowed into the space between the template 5 and the composition 4 to bring them into contact with each other. This can promote the disappearance of the generated bubbles. Instead of introducing such a gas, the bubbles may be disappeared by keeping the contact time sufficiently long.

[0029] An adhesive layer (not shown) may be applied to the surface of the composition 4. The application method may be selected from among general thin film formation methods such as spraying, vapor deposition, and spin coating. However, depending on the magnitude of adhesion due to the surface area described below, an adhesive layer may not be necessary in some cases, and its introduction may be determined appropriately.

[0030] After the contact step, as shown in FIG. 2(d), the curing unit 17 cures the composition 4 (curing step). As described above, the composition 4 is a material that undergoes crosslinking and polymerization reactions when irradiated with heat, UV, light, X-rays, or other radiation, and hardens and shrinks in volume. In this embodiment, a material that hardens with UV and shrinks in volume by 80% was selected. The template 5 is preferably made of quartz that transmits UV light, or a UV-transmitting resin. In this embodiment, quartz was used.

[0031] Finally, as shown in FIG. 2(e), the control unit 18 controls the holding unit 12 to lift up the template 5 (this is called "demolding"). At this time, the template 5 is separated from the substrate 1 while the composition 4 containing the foreign matter 2 remains attached to the template 5, so that the composition 4 is peeled off from the substrate 1 (separation step). This achieves the removal of the foreign matter. By selecting a composition 4 that shrinks in volume, such peeling is facilitated.

[0032] In this way, in the solid-phase cleaning method of this embodiment, the composition 4 formed on the substrate 1 is removed together with the foreign matter 2 attached to the pattern 3 by using the template 5, which is a handle plate having an effective surface area larger than that of the substrate 1. The solid-phase cleaning method of this embodiment does not use cleaning using physical or chemical forces, and does not use wet cleaning, so that the pattern is less damaged. In addition, since a reliable adhesion is ensured, solid-phase cleaning with reduced composition residue is realized. As a result of an experiment in which cleaning according to this method was repeated, no composition residue was found.

[0033] (Principle mechanism) Problems that arise in the conventional solid-phase washing technique will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4(a) shows a state in which the template 5 is in contact with the composition 4 on the substrate 1 by performing the contacting step. The foreign matter 2 present on the top and bottom surfaces of the pattern 3 is surrounded by the composition 4. Then, the curing step and the separating step are performed.

[0034] FIG. 4(b) shows the state after the separation step is completed. In this case, the contact area between the template 5 and the composition 4 is smaller than the contact area between the substrate 1 having the uneven pattern and the composition 4. Therefore, the total adhesion force on the template side during peeling is small, and the composition 4 remains in contact with the substrate 1, resulting in failure to remove the composition (i.e., the foreign matter). Even if the contact area between the template 5 and the composition 4 is smaller than the contact area between the substrate 1 having the uneven pattern and the composition 4, the removal of the foreign matter may be successful. However, the state of the contamination adsorbed on the surface of the adhesive layer changes depending on the time of placement and the atmosphere, so the removal of the foreign matter often fails.

[0035] 5, when the local surface area of ​​the template 5 is smaller than the surface area of ​​the pattern on the substrate 1 at the opposing position, composition residues 6 may be partially generated. Such residues 6 may become defects in the subsequent process, resulting in a decrease in yield.

[0036] According to this embodiment, the effective area of ​​the template 5 in contact with the composition 4 is larger than the effective area of ​​the pattern of the substrate 1 in contact with the composition 4. This makes it possible to remove even very small particle diameter foreign matter attached to the substrate 1 without leaving any residue of the composition on the substrate 1, regardless of the presence or absence of an adhesive layer. In addition, the solid-phase cleaning in this embodiment is advantageous in that it is simple and has a small environmental impact.

[0037] (Solid phase washing method flow) FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the solid-phase washing method in this embodiment. In S1, the control unit 18 acquires information (substrate information) on the substrate 1 to be cleaned (acquisition step). The substrate information may include the substrate size, the representative dimensions of the pattern on the substrate, the shot layout, process information, etc., but includes at least information on the surface area of ​​the substrate. The substrate information may be information that is stored in advance in a memory unit within the control unit 18. Alternatively, if the substrate information is stored in an external server device, the substrate information may be acquired from the server device via the communication unit. The substrate transport system of the foreign matter removal device 10 is provided with a function for reading the ID and lot ID of the substrate to be loaded. These IDs are read and compared with the stored substrate information. The user of the device may input this information before cleaning.

[0038] In S2, the control unit 18 selects the template 5 to be used for solid-phase cleaning based on the substrate information (selection step). In this selection step, a second member having a contact area with the composition larger than the contact area between the substrate (first member) and the composition is selected. The template 5 is stored in a stocker in the foreign matter removal device 10. The selection of the template 5 is performed as follows. When a line and space pattern is formed on the surface of the substrate to be processed, the control unit 18 calculates the aspect ratio (W:D), which is the ratio of the width W to the depth D, from the width W (representative dimension) of the pattern and the depth D of the pattern. The control unit 18 calculates a coefficient related to the effective area where the substrate comes into contact with the composition (hereinafter referred to as the "effective area coefficient") from the aspect ratio.

[0039] The concept of the effective area coefficient will be explained with reference to FIG. The effective area coefficient is defined as 1 when the surface to be cleaned is flat. The effective area coefficient has a value proportional to the value (dimension) of the depth D relative to the width W. When the surface is formed by lines and spaces and the aspect ratio of the characteristic dimension D to the depth dimension W is 1:1, the surface that comes into contact with the composition includes the sidewall area of ​​the lines, so the effective area coefficient is proportionally 2. Similarly, when the aspect ratio is 1:2, the effective area coefficient is 3.

[0040] In this embodiment, when selecting a template 5, the control unit 18 calculates an effective area coefficient of the substrate to be cleaned, and selects a template 5 having an effective area coefficient larger than this coefficient. For example, when the effective area coefficient of the substrate to be cleaned is about 1.4 over the entire surface, a template 5 having an effective area coefficient larger than 1.4 over the entire surface is selected.

[0041] Regarding the template 5, a template having a distribution of effective area coefficients on the template surface may be prepared. The inventors have confirmed that when the template 5 is peeled off from the substrate 1, if peeling starts well at the start of peeling, peeling can be performed well over the entire surface thereafter. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the effective area coefficient may be distributed. In the example of FIG. 8, the effective area coefficient value of the central part of the template 5 is set to about 1.5, which is larger than 1.4, and only the peripheral region of the template 5, which is the region where peeling starts, is set to be larger than 1.5, so that peeling starts reliably.

[0042] In S3, the substrate 1 to be cleaned is carried into the stage 11. The substrate 1 is fixed on the stage 11 by vacuum or electrostatic adsorption. In one example, the substrate 1 is transported by the stage 11 to directly below the surface modification unit 14. The surface modification unit 14 can perform a process to make the liquid composition on the substrate 1 lyophilic in order to increase the wettability of the composition 4 supplied onto the substrate 1. The surface modification unit 14 removes organic contaminant components using a process appropriately selected from baking, plasma ashing, atmospheric pressure plasma treatment, alkali or ozone water cleaning, and the like. Thereafter, the substrate 1 is transported by the stage 11 to directly below the supply unit 13.

[0043] In S4, the control unit 18 controls the supply unit 13 to supply the composition 4 onto the substrate 1. As described above, the supply unit 13 supplies the composition 4, for example, by an inkjet method. In one example, the maximum size or representative size of the foreign matter on the substrate 1 can be measured by a foreign matter inspection device (not shown) outside the foreign matter removal device 10. The size information of the foreign matter obtained by the measurement is transmitted to the control unit 18 together with the unevenness height information of the substrate 1. The control unit 18 can control the amount of the composition supplied from the supply unit 13 based on the input information. It is preferable that the inspection using the foreign matter inspection device targets all substrates. However, from the viewpoint of throughput, a sampling inspection may be performed. The maximum size detected in a series of inspections may be transmitted to the control unit 18 as a representative size.

[0044] Thereafter, as an option, the control unit 18 may control the holding unit 12 to transport the template 5 directly above the adhesion layer application unit 15, and the adhesion layer may be applied to the template 5 by the adhesion layer application unit 15. The application of this adhesion layer may be performed by surface treatment such as silane coupling treatment, silazane treatment, and formation of an organic thin film. This adhesion layer is applied for the purpose of improving the adhesion between the template 5 and the composition 4, and completely peeling off the layer of the composition 4 containing foreign matter from the substrate 1 at the time of demolding. Note that, depending on the components of the composition 4 and the material of the template 5, it is also possible to omit the application of the adhesion layer. Thereafter, the control unit 18 controls the holding unit 12 to transport the template 5 directly above the substrate 1.

[0045] In S5, the control unit 18 lowers the holding unit 12 to bring the template 5 into contact with the composition 4 on the substrate 1 (contact step). In the contact step, the template 5 and the composition 4 on the substrate 1 are brought into contact with each other so that the composition supplied onto the substrate 1 in the supply step incorporates foreign matter on the substrate 1. In the contact step, gas such as helium, hydrogen or diluted hydrogen, PFP, etc. may be supplied from a gas supply nozzle (not shown) provided on the holding unit 12 for the purpose of improving the ease of disappearance of bubbles and avoiding poor curing due to oxygen inhibition. If the inclusion of bubbles does not affect the peeling of the layer of the composition 4, such gas supply may not be performed. In the contact step, the photographing unit 16 photographs the area where the composition 4 spreads. The image obtained by the photographing is transmitted to the control unit 18. The control unit 18 performs image processing such as edge detection on the input image to determine the non-uniformity of the spread of the composition 4. Based on the result of the determination, the control unit 18 controls the position and orientation of the holding unit 12 or the stage 11 (i.e., the template or the substrate) so as to uniformly spread the composition 4. This allows the composition 4 to be uniformly spread, and also makes it possible to remove foreign matter from the edge or bevel of the substrate.

[0046] In S6, the control unit 18 controls the curing unit 17 to cure the composition 4 in a state where the composition 4 on the substrate 1 and the template 5 are in contact with each other. Specifically, the curing unit 17 generates ultraviolet light from the energy source 17a, and irradiates the composition 4 with the ultraviolet light via the irradiation optical system 17b, the mirror MR, the holder 12, and the template 5. This cures the composition 4. The wavelength of the ultraviolet light generated by the energy source 17a is selected to be such that it passes through the template 5. In one example, a wavelength of 365 nm is adopted in response to the use of quartz for the template 5. Note that the wavelength of the ultraviolet light generated by the energy source 17a is not limited thereto. Visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared light, X-rays, radiation, electron beams, and the like may be adopted in response to the material of the template 5.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 2(b), the composition 4 can fully surround the foreign matter by its capillary force and wettability, and can be peeled off from the substrate 1 by shrinkage upon curing. The contact time in the contact step and the light irradiation time in the curing step can be adjusted depending on the target object. In addition, the contact time and light irradiation time can be adjusted so that the composition 4 fully surrounds the foreign matter and the composition 4 is fully cured.

[0048] In S7, the control unit 18 raises the holding unit 12 to peel off the template 5 from the composition 4 on the substrate 1 (separation step). The faster the peeling speed, the higher the throughput, but the higher the risk of damaging the structure on the substrate 1. Conversely, the slower the peeling speed, the lower the risk of damaging the structure on the substrate 1, but the lower the throughput. In view of such a trade-off relationship, the peeling speed is appropriately set.

[0049] In this embodiment, in order to perform good demolding, a template 5 having a relatively large effective area coefficient in the region where peeling of the template 5 starts is used. When peeling the template 5 from the outer periphery of the substrate 1, a template having an effective area coefficient in the outer periphery larger than that in the center is used. Alternatively, when peeling from a specific portion of the substrate 1 (for example, near a notch in the substrate 1), a template having an effective area coefficient in the region of the template 5 facing the notch in the substrate 1 larger than that in the other regions is used.

[0050] During the peeling process, static electricity may be generated, which may attract surrounding foreign matter by electrostatic force. Therefore, the separation process may be performed while removing static electricity using an ionizer (not shown). In addition, when the template 5 and the holder 12 are separated, static electricity may also be removed using an ionizer.

[0051] After the separation step is completed, the substrate 1 and the template 5 are carried out of the apparatus. If there is another substrate to be processed, the process is repeated by returning to S3. In that case, the same template 5 may be used to remove foreign matter. In other words, a layer of the composition is attached to the template 5 from which foreign matter has been removed. The shape of the pattern formed on the surface of the substrate 1 is transferred to the surface of the layer of the composition. When the template 5 in this state is used to remove foreign matter from the next substrate 1, the same process is carried out, and the composition is additionally laminated on the template 5 side. The adhesion between the same materials between the composition on the template 5 side and the composition on the substrate 1 side is significantly greater than the adhesion between the different materials between the substrate 1 and the composition. This enables reliable solid-phase cleaning without residue. Therefore, when an additional substrate to be processed is transported, the template 5 may be used continuously.

[0052] <Second embodiment> In the second embodiment, solid-phase cleaning using a template 5 that is wider and has a larger area than a substrate 1 as shown in FIG. 3(a), and a template 5 that has a finer pitch of projections and recesses than a substrate 1 and therefore a larger effective area as shown in FIG. 3(b) will be described.

[0053] The template 5 shown in Fig. 3(a) has an effective area factor per unit area of ​​1, which is equivalent to that of the substrate, but is characterized in that the area of ​​the entire surface of the template 5 is larger than that of the substrate 1. The template 5 shown in Fig. 3(b) has an effective area factor per unit area of ​​more than 1.

[0054] Using such a template 5, a nearly flat substrate 1 after CMP processing was cleaned. Inspection was performed before and after solid-phase cleaning using a foreign matter inspection device SP3 (manufactured by KLA-Tencor) to compare changes in foreign matter. Since the configuration other than the template 5 and substrate 1 and the solid-phase cleaning method are the same as those in the first embodiment, a description thereof will be omitted. As a result, while there were some areas where the number of foreign matters had decreased using the foreign matter inspection device, no areas where the number had increased could be confirmed. Therefore, it can be determined that no composition residue was generated.

[0055] <Third embodiment> A third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, a system 100 including the foreign matter removal device 10 described in the first embodiment will be described. This embodiment basically follows the first embodiment, and may follow the first embodiment except for the matters described below. This embodiment may also follow the second embodiment.

[0056] 9 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a system 100 of this embodiment. The system 100 of this embodiment may include a foreign matter removal device 10 and a forming device 20. In the system 100, the foreign matter removal device 10 and the forming device 20 are connected in-line by a conveying device 30, and the substrate 1 from which foreign matter has been removed in the foreign matter removal device 10 is carried into the forming device 20 by the conveying device 30.

[0057] The forming apparatus 20 is an apparatus that forms a pattern on the substrate 1 from which foreign matter has been removed by the foreign matter removal apparatus 10. The forming apparatus 20 can be configured as a lithography apparatus that transfers a pattern of an original onto the substrate 1. Specific examples of lithography apparatuses include an exposure apparatus that exposes the substrate 1 to pattern light that has passed through an original (mask, reticle), and an imprint apparatus that forms a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using an original (mold).

[0058] Next, an example of the operation of the system 100 of this embodiment will be described. Here, an example will be described in which the forming apparatus 20 is an imprint apparatus. The foreign matter removal apparatus 10 is transported from a coating / developing apparatus (not shown). The foreign matter removal apparatus 10 and the coating / developing apparatus may be in-lined, or each may be configured as a stand-alone apparatus. In-lined arrangement is preferable from the viewpoint of particle and contamination countermeasures. In the coating / developing apparatus, a mask material such as SOC / SOG is applied to the substrate.

[0059] Before the substrate is loaded into the forming apparatus 20, which is an imprint apparatus, foreign matter including the bevel edge of the substrate is removed in the foreign matter removal apparatus 10. The removal process is as described in the first embodiment, and after the foreign matter is removed, the substrate is transported to the forming apparatus 20 and the imprint process is performed.

[0060] In the forming apparatus 20, which is an imprinting apparatus, a mold (e.g., made of quartz) on which a pattern has been formed is pressed against a substrate coated with an imprinting material to transfer the pattern. As an example, if there is an inorganic foreign matter of about 80 nm on the substrate, the 2X nm (approximately 25 nm) pattern on the mold may be damaged. Once the mold is damaged, the damaged portion will be transferred as a defect in all shots from the next shot onwards. Therefore, management of foreign matter on the substrate and mold is very important. The foreign matter removal apparatus of each of the above-mentioned embodiments has a simple device configuration and can remove even very small foreign matter, and is therefore very advantageous in solving such problems.

[0061] According to the configuration of this embodiment, a method for forming a pattern on a substrate can be realized. This method can include a foreign matter removal step and a forming step. In the foreign matter removal step, foreign matter on the substrate (first member) is removed using the foreign matter removal method described above. In the forming step, a pattern is formed on the substrate from which the foreign matter has been removed.

[0062] In the above-described embodiments, the substrate has been described as the first member from which foreign matter is removed. However, the first member from which foreign matter is removed may be a template or an original. Therefore, the first member from which the foreign matter removal process is performed is at least one of the substrate on which a pattern is formed in the formation process and the original having a pattern to be transferred onto the substrate.

[0063] An evaluation experiment was carried out on the defect density. The process of forming patterns on substrates in the formation apparatus 20 without removing foreign matter from the substrates in the foreign matter removal apparatus 10 is carried out on multiple lots of substrates. This is called the conventional method. On the other hand, the process of removing foreign matter from substrates by the foreign matter removal apparatus 10 and then forming a pattern by the formation apparatus 20 is carried out on substrates in a plurality of lots. This is called the method of the present invention.

[0064] The defect density DD (pieces / cm) between the conventional method and the method of the present invention 2 ) increase ΔDD is 1 piece / cm 2 The number of substrates that could be processed until the number of substrates reached the limit (referred to as the "substrate flow number") was investigated. As a result, it was confirmed that while the number of substrate flows was only the equivalent of a few lots in the conventional method, the number of substrate flows increased dramatically to the equivalent of several hundred lots in the method of the present invention.

[0065] <Embodiment of the article manufacturing method> The pattern of the cured product formed by using the imprinting apparatus is used permanently on at least a part of various articles, or temporarily when manufacturing various articles. The articles include electric circuit elements, optical elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, and molds. Examples of the electric circuit elements include volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, and semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensors, and FPGA. Examples of the molds include molds for imprinting.

[0066] The pattern of the cured product is used as it is as at least a part of a component of the article, or is used temporarily as a resist mask, which is removed after etching or ion implantation in a substrate processing step.

[0067] Next, a method for manufacturing an article will be described. In step SA of Fig. 10, a substrate 1z such as a silicon substrate having a workpiece 2z such as an insulator formed on its surface is prepared, and then an imprint material 3z is applied to the surface of the workpiece 2z by an inkjet method or the like. Here, a state in which the imprint material 3z in the form of multiple droplets is applied onto the substrate is shown.

[0068] In step SB of Fig. 10, the mold 4z for imprinting is placed with the side on which the concave-convex pattern is formed facing the imprint material 3z on the substrate. In step SC of Fig. 10, the substrate 1z to which the imprint material 3z has been applied is brought into contact with the mold 4z, and pressure is applied. The imprint material 3z fills the gap between the mold 4z and the workpiece 2z. When light is irradiated through the mold 4z in this state as energy for curing, the imprint material 3z is cured.

[0069] 10, after the imprint material 3z is cured, the mold 4z and the substrate 1z are separated, and a pattern of the cured product of the imprint material 3z is formed on the substrate 1z. In this cured product pattern, the recesses of the mold correspond to the protrusions of the cured product, and the protrusions of the mold correspond to the recesses of the cured product, i.e., the recessed and protruding patterns of the mold 4z are transferred to the imprint material 3z.

[0070] In step SE of Fig. 10, etching is performed using the pattern of the cured material as an etching-resistant mask, and the portions of the surface of the workpiece 2z where there is no cured material or where only a thin layer remains are removed to form grooves 5z. In step SF of Fig. 10, the pattern of the cured material is removed to obtain an article in which grooves 5z are formed on the surface of the workpiece 2z. Here, the pattern of the cured material is removed, but it may be used as an interlayer insulating film included in a semiconductor element or the like, that is, a component of an article, without being removed after processing.

[0071] <Summary of the embodiment> The disclosure of the present specification includes at least the following foreign matter removal method, foreign matter removal apparatus, forming method, and article manufacturing method. (Item 1) A foreign matter removal method for removing a foreign matter on a first member, comprising the steps of: acquiring information regarding a surface area of ​​the first component; a selection step of selecting a second member based on the acquired information; providing a composition onto the first member; a contacting step of contacting the second member selected in the selecting step with the composition on the first member such that the foreign matter on the first member is taken into the composition supplied onto the first member in the supplying step; a curing step of curing the composition on the first member while the composition is in contact with the second member after the contacting step; a separation step of separating the composition from the first member by separating the second member from the first member while maintaining the composition attached to the second member after the curing step; having A foreign matter removal method, characterized in that in the selection step, a second member having a contact area with the composition larger than a contact area between the first member and the composition is selected. (Item 2) the information includes information on a width and a depth of a pattern formed on the surface of the first member, In the selection step, a contact area between the first member and the composition is calculated based on the width and the depth. 2. The method for removing foreign matter according to item 1, (Item 3) The selection step includes: calculating an aspect ratio, which is the ratio of the width to the depth; calculating a coefficient relating to a contact area between the first member and the composition according to the calculated aspect ratio; selecting a second member having the coefficient greater than the first member; 3. The method for removing foreign matter according to item 2, comprising: (Item 4) 4. The foreign matter removal method according to item 3, wherein the coefficient has a value proportional to a value of the depth relative to the width. (Item 5) 5. The foreign matter removal method according to item 4, wherein the second member has a coefficient distribution such that the coefficient value is larger in an outer peripheral region than in a central portion. (Item 6) 6. The method for removing foreign matter according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the contact step includes a step of determining non-uniformity of the spread of the composition, and controlling the position and attitude of the second member or the first member based on the result of the determination so that the spread of the composition becomes uniform. (Item 7) 7. The method for removing foreign matter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a step of subjecting the first member to a treatment for making the surface of the first member lyophilic with respect to the liquid composition prior to the supplying step. (Item 8) 8. The method for removing foreign matter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a step of subjecting the second member to a treatment for improving adhesion between the composition and the second member prior to the contact step. (Item 9) 9. The foreign matter removal method according to any one of items 1 to 8, wherein the first member is a substrate on which a pattern is formed. (Item 10) 9. The foreign matter removal method according to any one of items 1 to 8, wherein the first member is a master used to form a pattern on a substrate. (Item 11) A foreign object removal device for removing foreign objects on a first member, A supply unit that supplies a liquid composition onto the first member; a drive unit that drives the first member and the second member relatively; a curing section for curing the composition; Equipped with A control unit that controls a foreign matter removal process that removes foreign matter on the first member; Equipped with The control unit is Obtaining information regarding a surface area of ​​the first component; selecting a second member based on the acquired information; causing the supply portion to supply a composition onto the first member; causing the driving unit to contact the selected second member with the composition on the first member such that foreign matter on the first member is taken into the composition supplied onto the first member; While the composition on the first member is in contact with the second member, the composition is cured in the curing section; the driving unit is configured to separate the second member from the first member while maintaining a state in which the composition is attached to the second member, thereby peeling the composition from the first member, The foreign matter removal device, wherein the control unit selects a second member having a contact area with the composition larger than a contact area between the first member and the composition. (Item 12) A method for forming a pattern on a substrate, comprising the steps of: A foreign matter removal step of removing foreign matter on a first member by using the foreign matter removal method according to any one of items 1 to 10; forming a pattern on a substrate; having A forming method characterized in that the first member on which the foreign matter removal process is performed is at least one of the substrate on which a pattern is formed in the forming process and an original plate having a pattern to be transferred onto the substrate. (Item 13) Forming a pattern on a substrate using the formation method according to item 12; a step of processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed in the step; and manufacturing an article from the processed substrate.

[0072] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1: substrate, 4: composition, 5: template, 10: foreign matter removal device, 11: stage, 12: holding section, 13: supply section, 15: adhesive layer application section, 16: photographing section, 17: curing section, 18: control section

Claims

1. A foreign matter removal method for removing foreign matter on a first member, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring information regarding the surface area of ​​the first member; a selection step of selecting a second member based on the information acquired in the acquisition step; a dispensing step of dispensing a composition onto the first member; a contacting step of contacting the second member selected in the selecting step with the composition on the first member so that foreign matter on the first member is taken into the composition supplied onto the first member in the supplying step; a curing step of curing the composition on the first member while the composition is in contact with the second member after the contacting step; a separating step of separating the second member from the first member while maintaining the composition attached to the second member after the curing step, thereby peeling the composition from the first member; and A foreign matter removal method, characterized in that in the selection step, a second member having a contact area with the composition larger than a contact area between the first member and the composition is selected.

2. the information includes information about the width and depth of a pattern formed on the surface of the first member; In the selection step, a contact area between the first member and the composition is calculated based on the width and the depth.

2. The method for removing foreign matter according to claim 1.

3. The selection step includes: calculating an aspect ratio, which is the ratio of the width to the depth; calculating a coefficient relating to a contact area between the first member and the composition according to the calculated aspect ratio; selecting a second member having a coefficient greater than that of the first member; 3. The method for removing foreign matter according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. 4. The foreign matter removal method according to claim 3, wherein the coefficient has a value proportional to the value of the depth relative to the width.

5. 5. The foreign matter removal method according to claim 4, wherein the second member has a coefficient distribution such that the coefficient value is larger in an outer peripheral region than in a central portion.

6. 2. The foreign matter removal method according to claim 1, wherein the contact step includes a step of determining the non-uniformity of the spread of the composition and, based on the result of the determination, controlling the position and posture of the second member or the first member so that the spread of the composition becomes uniform.

7. 2. The method for removing foreign matter according to claim 1, further comprising, before the supplying step, a step of subjecting the first member to a treatment for making the surface of the first member lyophilic with respect to the liquid composition.

8. 2. The method for removing foreign matter according to claim 1, further comprising the step of treating the second member to improve adhesion between the composition and the second member before the contact step.

9. 2. The method for removing foreign matter according to claim 1, wherein the first member is a substrate on which a pattern is formed.

10. 2. The foreign matter removal method according to claim 1, wherein the first member is an original used to form a pattern on a substrate.

11. A foreign matter removal device that removes foreign matter on a first member, a supply unit that supplies a liquid composition onto the first member; a drive unit that drives the first member and the second member relatively; a curing section for curing the composition; a control unit that controls a foreign matter removal process that removes foreign matter on the first member; Equipped with The control unit obtaining information regarding a surface area of ​​the first member; selecting a second member based on the information; causing the supply portion to supply a composition onto the first member; causing the driving unit to contact the selected second member with the composition on the first member so that foreign matter on the first member is taken into the composition supplied onto the first member; curing the composition in the curing section while the composition on the first member and the second member are in contact with each other; the driving unit is configured to separate the second member from the first member while maintaining the composition attached to the second member, thereby peeling the composition from the first member, The foreign matter removal device, wherein the control unit selects a second member having a contact area with the composition that is larger than a contact area between the first member and the composition.

12. A method for forming a pattern on a substrate, comprising: a foreign matter removal step of removing foreign matter on a first member by using the foreign matter removal method according to any one of claims 1 to 10; forming a pattern on a substrate; and A forming method characterized in that the first member on which the foreign matter removal process is performed is at least one of the substrate on which a pattern is formed in the forming process and an original plate having a pattern to be transferred onto the substrate.

13. forming a pattern on a substrate using the method of claim 12; a step of processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the step; and manufacturing an article from the processed substrate.

Images