Imprint device, imprint method, information processing device and method for manufacturing object

Abstract

To suppress deterioration of overlay accuracy.SOLUTION: An imprint device for performing imprint processing for forming a pattern of an imprint material on a layer formed on a surface pattern existing on a substrate by using a mold includes an acquisition part for acquiring information showing a relation between the film thickness of the imprint material existing between the mold and the layer and shear force that occurs in the imprint material in a state while a geometrical shape of a surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, the mold and the imprint material are brought into contact with one another, and a control part for controlling the imprint processing. The control part includes an operation part for outputting target film thickness of the imprint material necessary to cause target shear force in the imprint material to an input of the geometrical shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer and the target shear force on the basis of the information acquired by the acquisition part, and controls supply of the imprint material onto the layer such that the film thickness of the imprint material in the state becomes a target film thickness in the imprint processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an imprint apparatus, an imprint method, an information processing apparatus, and a method for manufacturing an article. [Background technology]

[0002] Imprint technology, which uses a mold to form an imprint material on a substrate, is known as a lithography technology for manufacturing articles such as semiconductor devices and MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems). The imprint technology is a technology in which the imprint material arranged (supplied) on the substrate is hardened while being in contact with the mold, and a pattern of the imprint material is formed on the substrate by separating the mold from the hardened imprint material.

[0003] In imprint technology, one of the methods for hardening the imprint material is the photo-curing method, in which the imprint material placed on the substrate is brought into contact with a mold and then irradiated with light (such as ultraviolet light) to harden the imprint material.

[0004] In the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, multiple patterns are superimposed, so it is necessary to align the mold and the substrate so that the position of the pattern formed on the mold matches the position of the shot area (undercoat pattern) formed on the substrate.

[0005] The alignment accuracy between the mold and the substrate is also called overlay accuracy, and a technique for improving the overlay accuracy has been proposed for imprinting apparatuses that employ imprinting technology (see Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for adjusting the density of the imprinting material placed on the substrate in accordance with the unevenness of the substrate surface, since distortion of the mold caused by the unevenness of the substrate surface when the mold is brought into contact with the imprinting material on the substrate is a factor that reduces the overlay accuracy. This technique reduces distortion of the mold caused by the unevenness of the substrate surface, making it possible to suppress a decrease in the overlay accuracy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-212439 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In conventional technology, mold distortion is reduced and a decrease in overlay accuracy is prevented by adjusting the density of the imprint material placed on the substrate in accordance with the relatively large irregularities present on the surface of the substrate, specifically, substrate undulations of several hundred μm or more.

[0008] However, in the conventional technology, relatively small irregularities present on the surface of the substrate, specifically, the depth of the base pattern of about several tens of nm formed on the surface of the substrate, the thickness of the base layer formed on the substrate (base pattern), and the residual film thickness of the imprint material are not taken into consideration. These affect the shear force generated in the imprint material when the mold is in contact with the imprint material on the substrate. For example, if the residual film thickness of the imprint material is too thick, the shear force is small, so the relative vibration between the mold and the substrate increases, which is a factor in reducing the overlay accuracy. Also, if the residual film thickness of the imprint material is too thin, the shear force is large, so distortion occurs, which is a factor in reducing the overlay accuracy. Thus, the conventional technology may not necessarily be sufficient to suppress the reduction in the overlay accuracy.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with the conventional techniques, and has an exemplified object to provide an imprint apparatus that is advantageous in suppressing a decrease in the overlay accuracy between a mold and a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an imprint apparatus as one aspect of the present invention is an imprint apparatus that performs an imprint process using a mold to form a pattern of imprint material on a layer formed on a surface pattern present on a substrate, and has an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the relationship between the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, the film thickness of the imprint material present between the mold and the layer when the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other, and the shear force generated in the imprint material in that state, and a control unit that controls the imprint process, wherein the control unit includes a calculation unit that outputs a target film thickness of the imprint material required to generate the target shear force in the imprint material in response to inputs of the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, and the target shear force based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, and controls the supply of the imprint material onto the layer so that the film thickness of the imprint material in the state becomes the target film thickness in the imprint process.

[0011] Further objects or other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, for example, an imprint apparatus is provided that is advantageous in suppressing a decrease in the overlay accuracy between a mold and a substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1A] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an imprint apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention. [Figure 1B] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an imprint apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the imprint apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 shows a cross section of a mold, a substrate, an underlayer, and an imprinting material. [Figure 4]FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data table. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional module of a control unit. [Figure 6A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the displacement of the XY stage and the shear force. [Figure 6B] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the displacement of the XY stage and the shear force. [Figure 7] 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing an article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] 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.

[0015] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of an imprinting apparatus 100 according to one aspect of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows a state before a mold is brought into contact with an imprinting material on a substrate, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the mold is brought into contact with the imprinting material on the substrate. The imprinting apparatus 100 is a lithography apparatus that is employed in a lithography process, which is a manufacturing process for devices such as semiconductor elements, liquid crystal display elements, and magnetic storage media as articles, and forms a pattern on a substrate. The imprinting apparatus 100 performs an imprinting process in which a pattern of the imprinting material is formed on the substrate by using a mold to mold an imprinting material on the substrate (on a layer formed on a surface pattern present on the substrate). In this embodiment, the imprinting apparatus 100 brings an imprinting material arranged (supplied) on a substrate into contact with the mold, and applies energy for curing to the imprinting material to form a pattern of a cured product to which the pattern of the mold is transferred.

[0016] The imprint material is a material (curable composition) that is cured by applying energy for curing. The energy for curing may be electromagnetic waves, heat, or the like. The electromagnetic waves include, for example, light having a wavelength selected from the range of 10 nm to 1 mm, specifically infrared rays, visible rays, ultraviolet rays, and the like.

[0017] The curable composition is a composition that is cured by irradiation with light or by heating. The photocurable composition 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 non-polymerizable compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of a sensitizer, a hydrogen donor, an internal mold release agent, a surfactant, an antioxidant, a polymer component, and the like.

[0018] The imprint material may be applied in the form of a film on the substrate by a spin coater or a slit coater. The imprint material may also be applied in the form of droplets, or in the form of islands or a film formed by connecting a plurality of droplets, by a liquid jet head. The viscosity of the imprint material (at 25° C.) is, for example, 1 mPa·s or more and 100 mPa·s or less.

[0019] The substrate may be made of glass, ceramics, metal, semiconductor, resin, etc., and may have a member made of a material different from that of the substrate formed on its surface as required. Specifically, the substrate may be made of a silicon wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, quartz glass, etc.

[0020] In this specification and the accompanying drawings, directions are shown in an XYZ coordinate system in which the direction parallel to the surface on which the substrate is placed is the XY plane. The directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively, and rotation around the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are θX, θY, and θZ, respectively.

[0021] In this embodiment, the imprint apparatus 100 employs a photocuring method for curing the imprint material by irradiating the imprint material with light such as ultraviolet light, but the method is not limited to this.

[0022] 1A and 1B, the imprint apparatus 100 includes a substrate holding unit 23 that holds a substrate 1, a supply unit 18 that supplies an imprint material 60, a mold holding unit 24 that holds a mold 10, an irradiation unit IU, a beam splitter 20, an imaging unit 21, and a control unit 35. The imprint apparatus 100 also includes a base 5, a linear encoder 6, a support 8, a top plate 9, and a linear motor 19.

[0023] The substrate holding unit 23 is a unit capable of holding and driving the substrate 1. The substrate holding unit 23 includes, for example, a substrate chuck 2, a θ stage 3 functioning as a rotation drive mechanism, and an XY stage 4 functioning as an XY drive mechanism. The substrate chuck 2 holds the substrate 1 by vacuum suction force or electrostatic suction force. The θ stage 3 has a function of adjusting (correcting) the position of the substrate 1 in the θZ direction (rotation around the Z axis). The θ stage 3 is placed on an XY stage 4 for positioning the substrate 1 in the X and Y directions. The XY stage 4 is driven in the X and Y directions by a linear motor 19. The θ stage 3 and the XY stage 4 support the substrate chuck 2 and move the substrate 1 held by the substrate chuck 2. The XY stage 4 is placed on a base 5. A linear encoder 6 is attached to the base 5 in the X and Y directions and measures the position of the XY stage 4. A support 8 stands on the base 5 and supports a top plate 9.

[0024] The substrate 1 includes, for example, a single crystal silicon substrate or an SOI (Silicon On Insulator) substrate. In this embodiment, an underlayer 70 is formed on the surface of the substrate 1, as described later with reference to FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b). The underlayer 70 is a layer formed on the surface of the substrate 1. The underlayer 70 may include, for example, SOC (Spin On Carbon) or SOG (Spin On Glass), and may be formed by forming a plurality of films such as SOC or SOG. The substrate 1 includes a plurality of shot regions, and an imprint material 60 is supplied to each shot region from a supply unit 18. By repeating an imprint process for forming a pattern of the imprint material 60 for each shot region of the substrate 1, a pattern can be formed on the entire surface of the substrate 1.

[0025] The supply unit 18 has a function of disposing an imprint material 60 (photocurable composition) having a property of being cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light, for example, on the substrate. The supply unit 18 is embodied as a dispenser that includes, for example, a discharge nozzle and supplies the imprint material 60 onto the substrate by discharging (droplets of) the imprint material 60 from the discharge nozzle onto the substrate 1. In this embodiment, the supply unit 18 supplies (disposes) the imprint material 60 on the substrate by dropping the liquid imprint material 60 onto the surface of the substrate 1. The amount of the imprint material 60 supplied from the supply unit 18 to the substrate 1, that is, the supply amount of the imprint material 60, may be determined by the required film thickness, pattern density, etc. of the imprint material 60. In addition, the supply unit 18 does not necessarily have to be provided in the imprint apparatus 100, and the imprint material 60 may be supplied onto the substrate by a supply unit provided outside the imprint apparatus 100.

[0026] The mold 10 is also called a mold, a template, or an original plate, and is a mold for forming the imprint material 60 on the substrate. The mold 10 has, for example, a rectangular outer shape. The mold 10 has, on a surface facing the substrate 1, a pattern region P in which a concave-convex pattern to be transferred to the imprint material 60 on the substrate is formed three-dimensionally. The pattern region P is formed as a convex portion (mesa portion) of several tens of μm to several hundreds of μm so that the region of the mold 10 other than the pattern region P (the region surrounding the pattern region P) does not contact the substrate 1. The mold 10 is made of a material that transmits light for curing the imprint material 60 on the substrate, such as quartz, which transmits ultraviolet light in this embodiment.

[0027] The mold holding unit 24 is a unit capable of holding and driving the mold 10. The mold holding unit 24 includes, for example, a mold chuck 11, a mold stage 22, and a linear actuator 15 that functions as a mold driving mechanism. The mold chuck 11 holds the mold 10 by vacuum suction force or electrostatic suction force. The mold stage 22 holds the mold chuck 11. The mold stage 22 has a function of adjusting (correcting) the position of the mold 10 in the Z direction and a function of adjusting (correcting) the inclination of the mold 10. The linear actuator 15 drives the mold 10 held by the mold chuck 11 in the Z direction to bring the mold 10 into contact with the imprint material 60 on the substrate or to separate the mold 10 from the imprint material 60 on the substrate. The linear actuator 15 includes, for example, an air cylinder or a linear motor. Each of the mold chuck 11 and the mold stage 22 includes an opening (not shown) for passing light from the irradiation unit IU.

[0028] The irradiation unit IU includes, for example, a light source 16 and a collimator lens 17. In a curing process for curing the imprint material 60 on the substrate, the irradiation unit IU irradiates the substrate 1 (the imprint material 60 on the substrate) with light emitted from the light source 16 via the collimator lens 17. The light source 16 includes a mercury lamp or the like that emits ultraviolet light, which is light for curing the imprint material 60, such as an i-line (wavelength 365 nm).

[0029] The beam splitter 20 is disposed at a position where the optical path of the irradiation unit IU intersects with the optical path of the imaging unit 21. In this embodiment, the beam splitter 20 transmits light for curing the imprint material 60 from the irradiation unit IU and reflects light for observing the contact state of the mold 10 from the imaging unit 21. The imaging unit 21 captures an image of the pattern region P of the mold 10 via the beam splitter 20 to obtain an image.

[0030] The control unit 35 is configured as an information processing device (computer) including a CPU, memory, etc. The control unit 35 generally controls each unit of the imprint apparatus 100 in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit to operate the imprint apparatus 100. The control unit 35 may be configured integrally with the imprint apparatus 100 (in a common housing), or may be configured separately from the imprint apparatus 100 (in a different housing).

[0031] 2, the operation of the imprint apparatus 100, specifically, the imprint process (imprint method) for forming a pattern of the imprint material 60 on a substrate will be described. The imprint process is performed by the control unit 35 comprehensively controlling each unit of the imprint apparatus 100.

[0032] In S1, a shot area to be subjected to imprint processing among multiple shot areas on a substrate (hereinafter referred to as a “target shot area”) is placed at a supply position for supplying imprint material 60. Specifically, the XY stage 4 is driven to move the substrate chuck 2 holding the substrate 1 in the X and Y directions, and the target shot area on the substrate is placed at the supply position below the supply unit 18.

[0033] In S2, the imprint material 60 is placed (supplied) in a target shot area on the substrate. Specifically, the imprint material 60 is placed in the target shot area by ejecting droplets of the imprint material 60 from the supply unit 18 onto the target shot area that is placed at a supply position below the supply unit 18.

[0034] In S3, the target shot area in which the imprint material 60 is arranged is placed at an imprint position facing the pattern area P of the mold 10. Specifically, by driving the XY stage and the θ stage 3, the substrate chuck 2 holding the substrate 1 is moved in the X direction and the Y direction, and the position of the substrate 1 in the θZ direction is adjusted, so that the target shot area is placed at the imprint position.

[0035] In S4, a contact process is performed to bring the mold 10 into contact with the imprint material 60 on the target shot area (on the substrate) of the substrate 1. Specifically, the linear actuator 15 is driven to move the mold stage 22 in the -Z direction (i.e., the mold stage 22 is lowered) to bring the mold 10 held by the mold chuck 11 into contact with the imprint material 60 on the target shot area of ​​the substrate 1. Note that instead of moving the mold stage 22, the substrate holding part 23 may be moved in the +Z direction (i.e., the substrate holding part 23 is raised), or both the mold stage 22 and the substrate holding part 23 may be moved to bring the mold 10 into contact with the imprint material 60.

[0036] In S5, with the mold 10 in contact with the imprint material 60 on the target shot area of ​​the substrate 1, it is determined whether the force (pressing force (contact force)) pressing the mold 10 against the substrate 1 (imprint material 60) is appropriate (within a predetermined range). The pressing force generated with the mold 10 in contact with the imprint material 60 can be obtained from the operation amount of the linear actuator 15. If the pressing force is not appropriate, the process proceeds to S6, and if the pressing force is appropriate, the process proceeds to S7.

[0037] In S6, the position of the mold 10 is adjusted. Specifically, the inclination of the mold chuck 11 is adjusted by the mold stage 22, and the position of the mold 10 in the Z direction is adjusted by the linear actuator 15 so that the pressing force becomes appropriate based on the operation amount of the linear actuator 15.

[0038] In S7, the mold 10 (its pattern area P) and the substrate 1 (its target shot area) are aligned. Specifically, first, the amount of relative misalignment between the mold 10 and the substrate 1 is found by detecting alignment marks provided on the mold 10 and the substrate 1, respectively. Then, the mold 10 and the substrate 1 are aligned by driving the XY stage and the θ stage 3 so that the amount of relative misalignment between the mold 10 and the substrate 1 is within an allowable range.

[0039] In S8, a curing process is performed to cure the imprint material 60 while the mold 10 is in contact with the imprint material 60 on the target shot area of ​​the substrate 1. Specifically, after alignment of the mold 10 and the substrate 1, the entire imprint material 60 on the target shot area is irradiated with light from the irradiation unit IU via the mold 10 (the entire surface of the shot area of ​​the substrate 1 is exposed as the irradiation area), thereby curing the imprint material 60.

[0040] In S9, a mold releasing process is performed to separate the mold 10 from the hardened imprint material 60 on the target shot area of ​​the substrate 1. Specifically, the linear actuator 15 is driven to move the mold stage 22 in the +Z direction (i.e., to raise the mold stage 22) and separate the mold 10 held by the mold chuck 11 from the imprint material 60 on the target shot area of ​​the substrate 1. Note that instead of moving the mold stage 22, the substrate holding unit 23 may be moved in the -Z direction (i.e., to lower the substrate holding unit 23), or both the mold stage 22 and the substrate holding unit 23 may be moved to separate the mold 10 from the imprint material 60.

[0041] In S10, it is determined whether or not a pattern of the imprint material 60 has been formed in all the shot areas of the substrate 1. If a pattern of the imprint material 60 has not been formed in all the shot areas of the substrate 1, the process proceeds to S1 to form a pattern of the imprint material 60 in the next target shot area. If a pattern of the imprint material 60 has been formed in all the shot areas of the substrate 1, the process proceeds to S11.

[0042] In S11, the XY stage 4 is driven to place the substrate 1, on which a pattern of the imprint material 60 has been formed in all shot areas, at a predetermined position for removing the substrate 1, thereby completing the imprint process for one substrate 1.

[0043] Here, in the alignment (S7) between the mold 10 and the substrate 1, a shear force is generated in the imprint material 60 present between the mold 10 and the substrate 1 due to the influence of the viscoelasticity of the imprint material 60. The magnitude of the shear force generated in the imprint material 60 increases as the residual thickness of the imprint material 60 decreases, and decreases as the residual thickness of the imprint material 60 increases. The residual thickness of the imprint material 60 refers to the thickness of the imprint material 60 present between the mold 10 and the substrate 1 when the mold 10 and the imprint material 60 are in contact with each other, or between the mold 10 and the substrate 1 when a base layer is formed on the substrate 1. The shear force generated in the imprint material 60 has the effect of reducing the relative vibration between the mold 10 and the substrate 1 caused by disturbance vibration, improving the alignment accuracy between the mold 10 and the substrate 1, and improving the overlay accuracy. However, if the shear force becomes too large, the residual stress increases when the imprint material 60 on the substrate is cured. In this case, if the residual stress is released by separating the mold 10 from the hardened imprint material 60 on the substrate, distortion occurs, which becomes a factor in reducing the overlay accuracy between the mold 10 and the substrate 1. Therefore, in order to improve the overlay accuracy between the mold 10 and the substrate 1, it is necessary to generate an appropriate shear force in the imprint material 60 when the mold 10 and the imprint material 60 are in contact with each other.

[0044] 3(a) and 3(b) are diagrams showing cross sections of the mold 10, the substrate 1, the underlayer 70, and the imprint material 60 during alignment (S7) between the mold 10 and the substrate 1. FIG. 3(a) shows a case where the underlayer 70 is thin, and FIG. 3(b) shows a case where the underlayer 70 is thick. As described above, the underlayer 70 is a layer formed on the surface of the substrate 1, and therefore the unevenness (shape) of the surface of the underlayer 70 is influenced by the surface pattern (unevenness) present on the substrate 1, i.e., the underlayer pattern. Therefore, when the underlayer 70 is thin, the influence of the underlayer pattern of the substrate 1 becomes large, and therefore the unevenness of the surface of the underlayer 70 becomes large as shown in FIG. 3(a). On the other hand, when the underlayer 70 is thick, the influence of the underlayer pattern of the substrate 1 becomes small, and therefore the unevenness of the surface of the underlayer 70 becomes small as shown in FIG. 3(b).

[0045] Consider the case where the imprint material 60 is supplied to the substrate 1 from the supply unit 18 in the same supply amount in each state shown in Fig. 3(a) and Fig. 3(b). In this case, if the thickness of the underlayer 70 is thin, the unevenness of its surface becomes large, and the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 becomes thin (Fig. 3(a)), whereas if the thickness of the underlayer 70 is thick, the unevenness of its surface becomes small, and the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 becomes thick (Fig. 3(b)). Therefore, even if the supply amount of the imprint material 60 is the same, when the thickness of the underlayer 70 is thin and the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 is thin, a larger shear force is generated than when the thickness of the underlayer 70 is thick and the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 is thick. For example, if an appropriate shear force is generated when the base layer 70 is thin and the remaining thickness of the imprint material 60 is thin (FIG. 3(a)), the shear force will be too small when the base layer 70 is thick and the remaining thickness of the imprint material 60 is thick (FIG. 3(b)). Also, if an appropriate shear force is generated when the base layer 70 is thick and the remaining thickness of the imprint material 60 is thick (FIG. 3(b)), the shear force will be too large when the base layer 70 is thin and the remaining thickness of the imprint material 60 is thin (FIG. 3(a)).

[0046] Therefore, in this embodiment, a technique is provided that contributes to improving the overlay accuracy by suppressing a decrease in the overlay accuracy between the mold 10 and the substrate 1 caused by a shear force generated in the imprint material 60 present between the mold 10 and the underlayer 70. Specifically, a technique is provided for generating an appropriate shear force (target shear force) in the imprint material 60 present between the mold 10 and the underlayer 70 in a state in which the mold 10 and the imprint material 60 on the substrate are in contact with each other.

[0047] In order to realize such a technique, the control unit 35 includes, as functional modules, an acquisition unit 80 and a calculation unit 85, as shown in Fig. 5. However, the acquisition unit 80 is not limited to being configured integrally with the control unit 35 (i.e., as a functional module of the control unit 35), and may be configured separately from the control unit 35. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional modules of the control unit 35.

[0048] The acquisition unit 80 includes a storage unit such as a memory, and acquires and stores the data table shown in FIG. 4. The data table shown in FIG. 4 is information indicating the shear force generated by the difference between the parameters related to the geometric shape of the base pattern of the substrate 1, the parameters related to the thickness of the base layer 70, and the parameters related to the residual film thickness of the imprint material 60 on the substrate. In other words, such information indicates the relationship between the parameters related to the geometric shape of the base pattern, the parameters related to the thickness of the base layer 70, the parameters related to the residual film thickness of the imprint material 60, and the parameters related to the shear force generated in the imprint material 60. The parameters related to the geometric shape of the base pattern include, for example, the depth of the base pattern. The parameters related to the thickness of the base layer 70 include, for example, the thickness of the base layer 70 formed on the base pattern of the substrate 1. The parameters related to the residual film thickness of the imprint material 60 include, for example, the residual film thickness of the imprint material 60 present between the mold 10 and the base layer 70 in a state in which the mold 10 and the imprint material 60 on the substrate are in contact with each other. The parameters related to the shear force include, for example, the shear force (the magnitude) generated in the imprint material 60 when the mold 10 and the imprint material 60 on the substrate are in contact with each other. Therefore, in this embodiment, the data table shown in FIG. 4 is information indicating the relationship between the depth of the base pattern, the thickness of the base layer 70, the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 existing between the mold 10 and the base layer 70, and the shear force generated in the imprint material 60.

[0049] The calculation unit 85 calculates the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 to be formed on the underlayer 70 formed on the underlayer pattern of the substrate 1 based on the data table acquired and stored by the acquisition unit 80, i.e., the data table shown in FIG. 4. Here, the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 to be formed on the underlayer 70 is the target remaining film thickness (target film thickness) of the imprint material 60 required to generate an appropriate shear force (target shear force) in the imprint material 60. As shown in FIG. 5, the calculation unit 85 outputs the target remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 in a state in which the mold 10 and the imprint material 60 are in contact with each other in response to input of the depth of the underlayer pattern of the substrate 1, the thickness of the underlayer 70, and the target shear force. In this way, when the depth of the underlayer pattern of the substrate 1, the thickness of the underlayer 70, and the target shear force are input, the calculation unit 85 refers to the data table shown in FIG. 4 and determines the target remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 for generating the target shear force in the imprint material 60.

[0050] When the target remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 is determined by the calculation unit 85, the control unit 35 (calculation unit 85) controls the supply of the imprint material 60 according to the target remaining film thickness in the imprint process. Specifically, in the process (S2) of arranging the imprint material 60, the control unit 35 controls the supply of the imprint material 60 onto the underlayer 70 so that the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 in a state where the mold 10 and the imprint material 60 on the substrate are in contact with each other becomes the target remaining film thickness. For example, when the imprint material 60 is supplied from the supply unit 18, the control unit 35 controls the supply of the imprint material 60 by the supply unit 18 so that the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 in a state where the mold 10 and the imprint material 60 on the substrate are in contact with each other becomes the target remaining film thickness. On the other hand, when the imprint material 60 is supplied from a spin coater or a slit coater, the control unit 35 may control the supply of the imprint material 60 by the spin coater or the slit coater according to the target remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60.

[0051] Here, an example of the control of the supply of the imprint material 60 by the control unit 35 will be described. First, at least one of the supply amount of the imprint material 60 and the position (supply position) to which the imprint material 60 should be supplied, which are required for the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 to become the target remaining film thickness, is determined. Note that, when determining the supply amount and supply position of the imprint material 60, it is preferable to take into consideration the pattern of the mold 10. For example, when determining the supply amount of the imprint material 60, it is preferable to take into account the volume of the recesses of the pattern of the mold 10 (i.e., the volume of the imprint material 60 filled in the recesses). In addition, when determining the supply position of the imprint material 60, the supply position may be varied in density depending on the direction of the pattern of the mold 10. Then, after determining the supply amount and supply position of the imprint material 60, the control unit 35 controls the supply of the imprint material 60 onto the underlayer 70 so that the imprint material 60 is supplied at the supply amount and to the supply position. In practice, the control unit 35 typically generates a drop pattern including information indicating the supply amount and supply position of the imprint material 60, and the supply unit 18 typically supplies the imprint material 60 in accordance with the drop pattern generated by the control unit 35.

[0052] 4, the depth of the base pattern is used as a parameter related to the geometric shape of the base pattern, but the pitch of the base pattern may be used instead. The depth of the base pattern includes the average value, maximum value, minimum value, etc. of the depth of the base pattern, and the pitch of the base pattern includes the average value, maximum value, minimum value, etc. of the pitch of the base pattern.

[0053] Also, there may be cases where the geometric shape of the pattern of the mold 10, i.e., at least one of the depth and pitch of the pattern of the mold 10, affects the shear force generated in the imprint material 60 present between the mold 10 and the underlayer 70. In such a case, a parameter related to the geometric shape of the pattern of the mold 10 may be included in the data table shown in Fig. 4. Then, the calculation unit 85 may output a target remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 in response to inputs of the depth (or pitch) of the underlayer pattern, the depth (or pitch) of the pattern of the mold 10, the thickness of the underlayer 70, and the target shear force.

[0054] As described above, according to this embodiment, in a state where the mold 10 and the imprint material 60 on the substrate are in contact with each other, the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60 can be set to a target remaining film thickness required for generating an appropriate shear force (target shear force) in the imprint material 60. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the overlay accuracy between the mold 10 and the substrate 1 caused by a shear force generated in the imprint material 60 present between the mold 10 and the underlayer 70, and to improve the overlay accuracy.

[0055] In addition, in this embodiment, the imprint apparatus 100 has been described as an example, but an information processing device (an information processing device including a calculation unit 85) that outputs the remaining film thickness (target remaining film thickness) of the imprint material 60 to be formed on the base layer 70 formed on the substrate 1 also constitutes one aspect of the present invention.

[0056] Next, a method for acquiring the data table shown in Fig. 4 will be described. In order to acquire the data table shown in Fig. 4, it is necessary to measure (acquire) the shear forces generated while variously changing the depth of the base pattern, the film thickness of the base layer 70, and the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60.

[0057] For example, the mold 10 and the imprint material 60 on the substrate are in contact with each other. Then, while changing the depth of the base pattern, the thickness of the base layer, and the remaining film thickness of the imprint material 60, the XY stage 4 is driven according to a triangular wave drive profile as shown in FIG. 6A, and the operation amount of the XY stage 4 (linear motor 19) is acquired. The operation amount of the XY stage 4 can be acquired by monitoring a drive command value (current command value) for driving the XY stage 4 to a target position, which is given from the control unit 35 to the linear motor 19. In other words, the control unit 35 also functions as an operation amount acquisition unit that acquires the operation amount of the XY stage 4. The value obtained by multiplying the operation amount of the XY stage 4 by the thrust constant is the force required to drive the XY stage 4 against the shear force generated in the imprint material 60, and is therefore equal to the shear force generated in the imprint material 60. Therefore, from the results obtained by acquiring the operation amount of the XY stage 4 while driving the XY stage 4 according to the triangular wave drive profile, specifically by converting the operation amount of the XY stage 4 into a shear force, the data table shown in Fig. 4 can be acquired. Note that when acquiring the operation amount of the XY stage 4 (linear motor 19), the XY stage 4 may be driven according to a sine wave drive profile as shown in Fig. 6B instead of the triangular wave drive profile. Figs. 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the relationship between the displacement (drive) of the XY stage 4 and the shear force (operation amount of the XY stage 4) generated in the imprint material 60.

[0058] The pattern of the cured product formed using the imprint apparatus 100 (imprint method) in this embodiment 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.

[0059] The pattern of the cured product may be used as it is as at least a part of the component of the above-mentioned article, or may be used temporarily as a resist mask, which is removed after etching or ion implantation is performed in a substrate processing step.

[0060] Next, a specific method for manufacturing the article will be described. As shown in Fig. 7(a), a substrate such as a silicon wafer with a workpiece such as an insulator formed on its surface is prepared, and then an imprint material is applied to the surface of the workpiece by an inkjet method or the like. Here, the state in which the imprint material in the form of multiple droplets is applied to the substrate is shown.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 7(b), the imprinting mold is placed so that the side on which the concave and convex patterns are formed faces the imprinting material on the substrate. As shown in Fig. 7(c), the substrate on which the imprinting material has been applied is brought into contact with the mold, and pressure is applied. The imprinting material fills the gap between the mold and the workpiece. When light is irradiated through the mold in this state as hardening energy, the imprinting material hardens.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 7(d), when the imprint material is cured and then the mold and the substrate are separated, a pattern of the cured product of the imprint material is formed on the substrate. 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 are transferred to the imprint material.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 7(e), when etching is performed using the pattern of the cured material as an etching-resistant mask, the portions of the surface of the workpiece where there is no cured material or where only a thin portion remains are removed to form grooves. As shown in Fig. 7(f), when the pattern of the cured material is removed, an article having grooves formed on the surface of the workpiece can be obtained. 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.

[0064] The disclosure of the present specification includes the following imprint apparatus, imprint method, information processing apparatus, and method for manufacturing an article.

[0065] (Item 1) An imprinting apparatus for performing an imprinting process using a mold to form a pattern of an imprint material on a layer formed on a surface pattern present on a substrate, the imprinting apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a relationship between a geometric shape of the surface pattern, a thickness of the layer, a film thickness of the imprint material existing between the mold and the layer when the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other, and a shear force generated in the imprint material in that state; A control unit for controlling the imprint process, The control unit is a calculation unit that outputs a target film thickness of the imprint material required to generate the target shear force in the imprint material in response to input of a geometric shape of the surface pattern, a thickness of the layer, and a target shear force based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, In the imprinting process, supply of the imprinting material onto the layer is controlled so that the thickness of the imprinting material in the state becomes the target thickness. 1. An imprint apparatus comprising:

[0066] (Item 2) 2. The imprint apparatus according to item 1, wherein the acquisition unit includes a storage unit that stores the information.

[0067] (Item 3) 3. The imprint apparatus of item 1 or 2, characterized in that the geometric shape of the surface pattern includes at least one of a depth of the surface pattern and a pitch of the surface pattern.

[0068] (Item 4) the information indicates a relationship between a geometric shape of the pattern of the mold, a geometric shape of the surface pattern, a thickness of the layer, a film thickness of the imprint material existing between the mold and the layer when the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other, and a shear force generated in the imprint material in that state; the calculation unit outputs the target film thickness in response to inputs of the geometric shape of the mold pattern, the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the layer thickness, and the target shear force based on the information; 4. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

[0069] (Item 5) 5. The imprinting apparatus of item 4, wherein the geometric shape of the mold pattern includes at least one of a depth of the mold pattern and a pitch of the mold pattern.

[0070] (Item 6) a stage that holds and drives the substrate; An operation amount acquisition unit that acquires an operation amount of the stage; and the acquisition unit acquires the information from a result obtained by acquiring the operation amount by the operation amount acquisition unit while driving the stage according to a triangular wave-shaped drive profile while changing each of the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, and the film thickness of the imprint material. 6. The imprinting apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 5,

[0071] (Item 7) a stage that holds and drives the substrate; An operation amount acquisition unit that acquires an operation amount of the stage; and the acquisition unit acquires the information from a result obtained by acquiring the operation amount by the operation amount acquisition unit while driving the stage according to a sinusoidal drive profile while changing each of the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, and the film thickness of the imprint material. 6. The imprinting apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 5,

[0072] (Item 8) 8. The imprint apparatus according to item 6 or 7, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the information by converting the operation amount acquired by the operation amount acquisition unit into the shear force.

[0073] (Item 9) The imprinting apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 8, characterized in that the control unit determines the supply amount of imprinting material required for the film thickness of the imprinting material in the state to become the target film thickness, and controls the supply of the imprinting material onto the layer so that the imprinting material is supplied at that supply amount.

[0074] (Item 10) The imprinting apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 9, characterized in that the control unit determines a supply position to which the imprinting material should be supplied relative to the layer based on the target film thickness, and controls the supply of the imprinting material onto the layer so that the imprinting material is supplied to the supply position.

[0075] (Item 11) a supply unit that supplies the imprint material onto the layer, the control unit controls the supply of the imprint material by the supply unit in the imprint processing so that a film thickness of the imprint material in the state becomes the target film thickness. 11. The imprinting apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 10,

[0076] (Item 12) 1. A method for imprinting, comprising the steps of: performing an imprinting process using a mold to form a pattern of an imprint material on a layer formed on a surface pattern present on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring information indicating a relationship between the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, the film thickness of the imprint material present between the mold and the layer when the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other, and the shear force generated in the imprint material in that state; controlling the imprint process; having In the step of controlling the imprint process, determining a target film thickness of the imprint material required to generate the target shear force in the imprint material for an input of a geometric shape of the surface pattern, a thickness of the layer, and a target shear force based on the information; In the imprinting process, supply of the imprinting material onto the layer is controlled so that the thickness of the imprinting material in the state becomes the target thickness. 1. An imprint method comprising:

[0077] (Item 13) 1. An information processing device for outputting a film thickness of the imprint material to be formed on a layer formed on a surface pattern present on a substrate, in an imprint process using a mold to form a pattern of the imprint material on the layer, the information processing device comprising: a calculation unit that outputs a target film thickness of the imprint material required to generate the target shear force in the imprint material in response to input of the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, the film thickness of the imprint material present between the mold and the layer when the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other, and information indicating the relationship between the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, and the shear force generated in the imprint material in that state; 13. An information processing device comprising:

[0078] (Item 14) 14. The information processing device according to item 13, further comprising a storage unit for storing the information.

[0079] (Item 15) An imprinting apparatus for performing an imprinting process using a mold to form a pattern of an imprint material on a layer formed on a surface pattern present on a substrate, the imprinting apparatus comprising: An acquisition unit that acquires a target film thickness of the imprint material output from the information processing device according to item 13 or 14; a control unit that controls the supply of the imprint material onto the layer so that a thickness of the imprint material in the state becomes the target thickness in the imprint process; 1. An imprint apparatus comprising:

[0080] (Item 16) Forming a pattern on a substrate using the imprint method according to item 12; processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the process; producing an article from the processed substrate; A method for producing an article, comprising the steps of:

[0081] 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]

[0082] 1: Substrate 10: Mold 35: Control unit 60: Imprint material 70: Underlayer 80: Acquisition unit 85: Calculation unit 100: Imprint device

Claims

1. An imprinting apparatus for performing an imprinting process using a mold to form a pattern of an imprint material on a layer formed on a surface pattern present on a substrate, the imprinting apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a relationship between a geometric shape of the surface pattern, a thickness of the layer, a film thickness of the imprint material existing between the mold and the layer when the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other, and a shear force generated in the imprint material in that state; A control unit for controlling the imprint process, The control unit is a calculation unit that outputs a target film thickness of the imprint material required to generate the target shear force in the imprint material in response to input of a geometric shape of the surface pattern, a thickness of the layer, and a target shear force based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, In the imprinting process, supply of the imprinting material onto the layer is controlled so that the thickness of the imprinting material in the state becomes the target thickness.

1. An imprint apparatus comprising:

2. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit includes a storage unit that stores the information.

3. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the geometric shape of the surface pattern includes at least one of a depth of the surface pattern and a pitch of the surface pattern.

4. the information indicates a relationship between a geometric shape of the pattern of the mold, a geometric shape of the surface pattern, a thickness of the layer, a film thickness of the imprint material existing between the mold and the layer when the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other, and a shear force generated in the imprint material in that state; The calculation unit outputs the target film thickness in response to inputs of the geometric shape of the mold pattern, the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the layer thickness, and the target shear force based on the information. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 .

5. The imprint apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the geometric shape of the pattern of the mold includes at least one of a depth of the pattern of the mold and a pitch of the pattern of the mold.

6. a stage that holds and drives the substrate; An operation amount acquisition unit that acquires an operation amount of the stage; Further comprising: the acquisition unit acquires the information from a result obtained by acquiring the operation amount by the operation amount acquisition unit while driving the stage according to a triangular wave-shaped drive profile while changing each of the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, and the film thickness of the imprint material. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 .

7. a stage that holds and drives the substrate; An operation amount acquisition unit that acquires an operation amount of the stage; Further comprising: the acquisition unit acquires the information from a result obtained by acquiring the operation amount by the operation amount acquisition unit while driving the stage according to a sinusoidal drive profile while changing each of the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, and the film thickness of the imprint material. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 .

8. 8. The imprint apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the information by converting the operation amount acquired by the operation amount acquisition unit into the shear force.

9. The imprint apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a supply amount of the imprint material required for the film thickness of the imprint material in the state to become the target film thickness, and controls the supply of the imprint material onto the layer so that the imprint material is supplied at that supply amount.

10. The imprint apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a supply position at which the imprint material should be supplied to the layer based on the target film thickness, and controls the supply of the imprint material onto the layer so that the imprint material is supplied to the supply position.

11. a supply unit that supplies the imprint material onto the layer, the control unit controls the supply of the imprint material by the supply unit in the imprint processing so that a film thickness of the imprint material in the state becomes the target film thickness. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 .

12. 1. A method for imprinting in which a pattern of an imprint material is formed on a layer formed on a surface pattern present on a substrate using a mold, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring information indicating a relationship between the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, the film thickness of the imprint material present between the mold and the layer when the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other, and the shear force generated in the imprint material in that state; controlling the imprint process; having In the step of controlling the imprint process, determining a target film thickness of the imprint material required to generate the target shear force in the imprint material for an input of a geometric shape of the surface pattern, a thickness of the layer, and a target shear force based on the information; In the imprinting process, supply of the imprinting material onto the layer is controlled so that the thickness of the imprinting material in the state becomes the target thickness.

1. An imprint method comprising:

13. 1. An information processing device for outputting a film thickness of the imprint material to be formed on a layer formed on a surface pattern present on a substrate, in an imprint process using a mold to form a pattern of the imprint material on the layer, the information processing device comprising: a calculation unit that outputs a target film thickness of the imprint material required to generate the target shear force in the imprint material in response to input of the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, the film thickness of the imprint material present between the mold and the layer when the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other, and information indicating the relationship between the geometric shape of the surface pattern, the thickness of the layer, and the shear force generated in the imprint material in that state; 13. An information processing device comprising:

14. 14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a storage unit for storing the information.

15. An imprinting apparatus for performing an imprinting process using a mold to form a pattern of an imprint material on a layer formed on a surface pattern present on a substrate, the imprinting apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires a target film thickness of the imprint material output from the information processing device according to claim 13; a control unit that controls supply of the imprint material onto the layer so that a thickness of the imprint material in the state becomes the target thickness in the imprint process; 1. An imprint apparatus comprising:

16. forming a pattern on a substrate using the imprint method according to claim 12; processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the process; producing an article from the processed substrate; A method for producing an article, comprising the steps of:

Images