Film forming device, film forming method, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous for improving the throughput of processing of forming a film.SOLUTION: A film forming device comprises: a first station that executes preparation processing of preparing a structure in which an uncured molding material is sandwiched by a substrate and a mold, and separation processing of separating the mold from the molding material on the structure after the molding material is cured; one or more second stations that execute(s) curing processing of curing the molding material on the structure to form a cured film; and a conveying mechanism that conveys the structure between a plurality of stations including the first station and the second station.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming apparatus, a film forming method, and an article manufacturing method.

Background Art

[0002] A method is known in which a molding material such as a curable composition is placed on a substrate, a mold is brought into contact with the molding material, and the molding material is cured by applying curing energy thereto to obtain a cured film. By using a mold having a surface on which a pattern is formed, a cured film on which the pattern is transferred can be obtained. Further, by using a mold having a flat surface, a cured film having a flattened surface can be obtained (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the method as described above, after the mold is brought into contact with the molding material on the substrate, it takes a corresponding time until the molding material fills the space between the substrate and the mold, which can be a major factor in reducing throughput.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique advantageous for improving the throughput of a process for forming a film.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The film forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a preparation process for preparing a structure in which an uncured molding material is sandwiched between a substrate and a mold, and a separation process for separating the mold from the molding material of the structure after curing of the molding material. A first station that performs the separation process, one or a plurality of second stations that perform a curing process for forming a cured film by curing the molding material of the structure, and a transfer mechanism that transfers the structure between a plurality of stations including the first station and the second station.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a technique advantageous for improving the throughput of the process of forming a film is provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of a film forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. The film forming apparatus 100 can be configured as an apparatus for forming a cured film of a molding material on a substrate using a mold. The film forming apparatus 100 can be configured as a planarizing apparatus for forming a planarized cured film by using a mold having a flat surface. Alternatively, the film forming apparatus 100 can be configured as an imprint apparatus for forming a patterned cured film on a substrate by using a mold having a surface on which a pattern is formed. A mold having a flat surface is also called a superstrate. Hereinafter, an example in which the film forming apparatus 100 is configured as a planarizing apparatus will be described.

[0011] The molding material is a curable composition (sometimes referred to as an uncured resin) that cures when cured energy is applied. As the curing energy, heat or electromagnetic waves or the like can be used. Heat can be applied to the molding material, for example, through a heated member or by irradiation with light. The electromagnetic wave can be, for example, light having a wavelength selected from the range of 10 nm or more and 1 mm or less, such as infrared rays, visible rays, ultraviolet rays, and the like. The curable composition can be a composition that cures by heating or by irradiation with light. Among these, the photocurable composition that cures by irradiation with light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photoinitiator, 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 release agent, a surfactant, an antioxidant, a polymer component, and the like. The molding material can be arranged on the substrate in the form of droplets or in the form of islands or films formed by connecting a plurality of droplets. Further, the molding material may be supplied onto the substrate in a film form by a spin coater or a slit coater. The viscosity of the molding material (viscosity at 25°C) can be, for example, 1 mPa·s or more and 100 mPa·s or less. The molding material can contain, for example, a monomer such as acrylate or methacrylate.

[0012] The film forming apparatus 100 applies a molding material onto the substrate 1 and cures the molding material to form a cured film. The film forming apparatus 100 may include, for example, four stations 101, 102, 103, 104 and a transfer mechanism 18. The stations 101, 102, 103, 104 may each be understood as a processing device. The station 101 performs a coating process of applying a curable composition onto the substrate 1. The station 102 performs a preparation process of preparing a structure in which the uncured molding material is sandwiched between the substrate 1 and the super straight 9, and a separation process of separating the super straight 9 from the molding material of the structure after the molding material is cured. The station 103 performs a curing process of forming a cured film by curing the molding material of the structure. The curing process may include at least one of a heat treatment and a light irradiation treatment. In the station 104, a cooling process of cooling the structure on which the curing process has been performed in the station 103 is performed. The station 101 and the station 102 can be integrated into one station. Also, the station 103 and the station 104 can be integrated into one station.

[0013] The substrate 1 may have one or more layers on a plate-like base material, but the substrate 1 may not have such layers. The substrate 1 may be a substrate having a silicon wafer as a base material, but is not limited thereto. The substrate 1 may have a semiconductor device substrate such as aluminum, a titanium-tungsten alloy, an aluminum-silicon alloy, an aluminum-copper-silicon alloy, silicon oxide, or silicon nitride as a base material. Note that as the substrate 1, a substrate having an adhesion layer formed by a surface treatment such as a silane coupling treatment, a silazane treatment, or a film formation of an organic thin film to improve the adhesion to the molding material may be used. Note that the substrate 1 is, for example, circular with a diameter of 300 mm, but is not limited thereto.

[0014] The supersubstrate 9 can be made of, for example, glass or quartz. Alternatively, the supersubstrate 9 can be made of a light-transparent resin such as PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate) or polycarbonate resin. Alternatively, the supersubstrate 9 can be made of silicon, a transparent metal deposition film, a flexible film such as polydimethylsiloxane, a photocurable film, or a metal film. The supersubstrate 9 preferably has a circular shape with a diameter greater than 300 mm and less than 500 mm, but is not limited thereto. Also, the thickness of the supersubstrate 9 is preferably 0.25 mm or more and less than 2 mm, but is not limited thereto.

[0015] Each of the stations 101 and 102 can include a substrate chuck 2, a stage driving unit 21, a base surface plate 5, a support column 6, and a top plate 7 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The station 101 can further include a substrate stage 3 that supports the substrate chuck 2, an alignment scope 19, and a supply unit 17. The station 102 can further include a substrate stage 4 that supports the substrate chuck 2, a support column 10, a head 12, an alignment shelf 13, and a deformation mechanism 45.

[0016] The film forming apparatus 100 can include a transport mechanism 18 that transports the supersubstrate 9 and the substrate 1, an interface 23, and a control unit 200. The substrate chuck 2 and the substrate stage 3 are movable bodies that move while holding the substrate 1, and the substrate chuck 2 and the substrate stage 4 are movable bodies that move while holding the substrate 1. The mold chuck 11 and the head 12 constitute a supersubstrate driving unit that moves while holding the supersubstrate 9. Here, an XYZ coordinate system is defined such that the horizontal plane is the XY plane and the vertical direction is the Z-axis direction.

[0017] The substrate stages 3 and 4 are supported by corresponding base plates 5 and hold corresponding substrate chucks 2. Also, the substrate stages 3 and 4 can be driven in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction in order to position the substrate 1 held by the substrate chuck 2 at a target position. Each stage drive unit 21 can include, for example, a linear motor or a ball screw type linear slide. Each stage drive unit 21 can drive the substrate stages 3 and 4 at least in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Each stage drive unit 21 may be configured to drive the substrate stages 3 and 4 in six or more axes directions (for example, six-axis direction). Also, each stage drive unit 21 includes a rotation mechanism and can rotationally drive the substrate chuck 2 or the substrate stages 3 and 4 about an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0018] The super straight 9 is carried into the film forming apparatus 100 from the outside by a transfer mechanism 18 including a transfer hand or the like and is held by the mold chuck 11. The super straight 9 has, for example, a circular or rectangular outer shape and includes a flat portion that contacts the molding material on the substrate 1 and follows the surface shape of the substrate 1. The flat portion can have, for example, the same size as the substrate 1 or a size larger than the substrate 1. The mold chuck 11 is supported by the head 12 and may have a function of correcting the inclination of the super straight 9. The mold chuck 11 can hold the super straight 9 by a mechanical holding mechanism. Also, the head 12 can hold the mold chuck 11 by a mechanical holding mechanism.

[0019] The head 12 provided in the station 102 may include a drive mechanism for moving the mold chuck 11 up and down, that is, in the Z-axis direction (a direction parallel to the vertical direction), in the preparation process and the separation process. In the preparation process, the head 12 lowers the mold chuck 11 holding the super straight 9 to bring the super straight 9 into contact with the molding material on the substrate 1, and prepares a structure in which the uncured molding material is sandwiched between the substrate 1 and the super straight 9. Then, the head 12 raises the head 12 so that the head 12 is separated from the structure. In the separation process, the head 12 lowers the mold chuck 11 so that the mold chuck 11 contacts the super straight 9 of the structure in which the molding material has been cured in the curing process. In the separation process, then, the head 12 causes the mold chuck 11 to hold the super straight 9 and raises the mold chuck 11 holding the super straight 9. Thereby, the super straight 9 is separated from the cured molding material. The drive mechanism provided in the head 12 may include an actuator such as a linear motor, a ball screw type linear slide, or a voice coil motor, etc.

[0020] A load cell for measuring the pressing force of the super straight 9 against the molding material on the substrate 1 may be provided on the head 12 or the mold chuck 11. The station 102 may be provided with a deformation mechanism 45 for deforming the super straight 9. The deformation mechanism 45 may include a sealing member 14 for forming a sealed space 22 on the back surface side of the super straight 9, and a pressure adjustment unit 15 for adjusting the pressure in the sealed space 22. The sealing member 14 may include a light-transmissive flat plate member such as quartz glass, etc. By increasing the pressure in the sealed space 22 by the pressure adjustment unit 15, the super straight 9 can be deformed into a convex shape downward. Then, by reducing the pressure in the sealed space 22 by the pressure adjustment unit 15, the amount of deformation of the super straight 9 can be reduced.

[0021] At station 102, the base platen 5 supports the column 6, and the column 6 supports the top plate 7. The guide bar 8 is suspended from the top plate 7, penetrates the alignment shelf 13, and is fixed to the head 12. The alignment shelf 13 is suspended by the top plate 7 via the column 10.

[0022] At station 101, the alignment scope 19 can detect the positions of the alignment marks provided on the substrate 1 and the reference marks provided on the substrate stage 3. The supply unit (dispenser) 17 can apply the molding material to the substrate 1 by discharging the uncured molding material toward the substrate 1. The supply unit 17 has a discharge unit such as a piezo jet method or a micro solenoid method, for example, and can supply droplets of the molding material having a minute volume of about 1 pL (picoliter) to the substrate 1, for example. The supply unit 17 can have one or a plurality of discharge ports for discharging the droplets of the molding material.

[0023] The control unit 200 controls the operation of the film forming apparatus 100 by controlling each component of the film forming apparatus 100. The control unit 200 can be constituted by, for example, a PLD (abbreviation of Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (abbreviation of Field Programmable Gate Array), or an ASIC (abbreviation of Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a general-purpose or dedicated computer in which a program is incorporated, or a combination of all or part of these.

[0024] FIG. 2 exemplarily shows a film forming method of forming a cured film by a cured product of a molding material on a substrate 1, and more specifically, procedures of a planarization method of forming a planarization film as the cured film. FIG. 2(a) schematically shows a state where a molding material 28 is applied to a substrate 1 having an underlying pattern 44, and a super straight 9 is disposed so as to face the molding material 28. FIG. 2(b) schematically shows a state where a super straight 9 is brought into contact with the molding material 28, and a structure ST in which the uncured molding material 28 is sandwiched between the substrate 1 and the super straight 9 is formed. In this state, the flat portion 25 of the super straight 9 follows the macro shape of the surface of the underlying pattern 44 of the substrate 1. In the state shown in FIG. 2(b), the molding material 28 is cured by applying curing energy (for example, light having a wavelength longer than visible light) from a curing energy source 20 to the molding material 28 on the substrate 1, and a cured film is formed. The curing energy can be applied from the curing energy source 20 to the molding material 28 through the super straight 9. Alternatively, the curing energy source 20 may be disposed on the back side of the substrate 1. Alternatively, the curing energy source 20 may heat the molding material 28 by heat transfer. Next, the super straight 9 is separated from the cured film of the molding material 28. FIG. 2(c) schematically shows a state after the super straight 9 is separated from the cured film of the molding material 28. Note that, instead of the super straight 9, by using a mold having a pattern, a cured film having the pattern transferred thereto can be obtained.

[0025] The conveyance of the super straight 9, the substrate 1, and the structure ST will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The film forming apparatus 100 may have a load port 29 for loading the super straight 9 and the substrate 1 from the outside of the film forming apparatus 100 and unloading them to the outside of the film forming apparatus 100. The load port 29 can be used to load the substrate 1 in a carrier (not shown) into the film forming apparatus 100 or unload it from the film forming apparatus 100.

[0026] The transfer mechanism 18 holds the substrate 1 in the carrier carried into the load port 29 by the transfer hand 30 and transfers it to the alignment device 33. The alignment device 33 aligns the center position and the rotation angle (orientation) of the substrate 1 so that the substrate 1 is transferred to a predetermined position on the substrate chuck 2 of the substrate stage 3 at a predetermined rotation angle. The alignment device 33 may include a drive stage (not shown), a substrate chuck 40, and a measurement unit 37. The drive stage may have drive mechanisms in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and θ direction (rotation around the Z-axis). The substrate chuck 40 can hold the substrate 1 by holding pads or the like. Note that as the holding method, vacuum suction, suction adsorption, edge clamping, or the like can be used. The alignment of the substrate 1 can be performed, for example, by measuring the shape of the outer peripheral portion of the substrate by the measurement unit 37 while rotating the substrate 1 to obtain the center position and the rotation angle (orientation) of the substrate 1, and based on these. The measurement unit 37 may include, for example, an imaging device such as a CCD camera and an arithmetic unit that processes an image and detects the position of an object on the image.

[0027] The transfer mechanism 18 holds the substrate 1 aligned by the alignment device 33 by the transfer hand 30 and can transfer it to the substrate chuck 2 of the station 101 that performs the coating process. The station 101 applies a molding material to the surface of the substrate 1. Thereafter, the transfer mechanism 18 holds the substrate 1 in the station 101 by the transfer hand 30 and can transfer it to the substrate chuck 2 of the station 102 that performs the preparation process (and separation process). The station 102 forms a structure ST that is a laminate of the substrate 1, the molding material 28, and the super straight 9 by bringing the super straight 9 into contact with the molding material 28 on the substrate 1. By bringing the super straight 9 into contact with the molding material 28, the filling of the molding material 28 into the space between the substrate 1 and the super straight 9 is started. By carrying out the structure ST formed by the preparation process from the station 102, it is possible to carry out the preparation process for the next substrate 1 in the station 102 or to carry out the separation process for the structure ST that has already completed the curing process. Thereby, the throughput of the film formation process can be improved.

[0028] Thereafter, the transfer mechanism 18 can hold the structure ST in the station 102 by the transfer hand 30 and transfer it to the station 103 for performing the curing process. The station 103 waits for the completion of the filling of the molding material 28 into the space between the substrate 1 and the super straight 9, and then cures the molding material 28 by applying curing energy to the molding material 28 of the structure ST by, for example, the heating plate 50. Thereafter, the transfer mechanism 18 can hold the structure ST in the station 103 by the transfer hand 30 and transfer it to the station 104 for performing the cooling process. The station 104 can perform a cooling process for cooling the structure ST by the cooling plate 60.

[0029] Thereafter, the transfer mechanism 18 can hold the structure ST in the station 104 by the transfer hand 30 and transfer it back to the station 102 for performing the (preparation process and) separation process. Here, when a shift occurs in the position and / or the rotation angle of the structure ST in the X-axis and Y-axis directions due to passing through each station, it is advisable to transfer the structure ST to the station 102 via the alignment device 33. In the structure ST, since the notch of the substrate 1 is hidden by the super straight 9, the detection of the notch by the camera may be performed from the back side (substrate 1 side) of the structure ST.

[0030] The station 102 performs a separation process for separating the super straight 9 from the structure ST (the cured molding material 28 thereof). The transfer mechanism 18 can hold the substrate 1 after the separation process by the transfer hand 30 and transfer it to the carrier of the load port 29.

[0031] Next, the conveyance of the super straight 9 by the conveyance mechanism 18 will be described. The conveyance mechanism 18 can hold the super straight 9 in the carrier carried into the load port 29 by the conveyance hand 30 and convey it to the alignment device 32. The alignment device 32 can operate the super straight 9 by clamping the edge of the super straight 9 so as not to touch the flat portion of the super straight 9. The alignment device 32 aligns the center of the super straight 9 in the same manner as the substrate 1 using a camera (not shown), and also aligns the rotation angle using the marks on the super straight 9. The super straight mark can be, for example, a SEMI T7 mark, SEMI M12, or a notch. The super straight 9 after alignment can be reversed in front and back by the reversing device 31. Note that the reversal of the super straight 9 can also be borne by the conveyance hand 30 by providing a rotation mechanism to the conveyance hand 30.

[0032] The reversed super straight 9 can be conveyed to the alignment device 32 again. The reversed super straight 9 is held by a hand (not shown) that contacts only its edge and can be conveyed to the mold chuck 11 of the station 102. Note that such a hand may be provided in the conveyance mechanism 18. When recovering the super straight 9, it is received from the super straight 9 by a hand (not shown) from the mold chuck 11 and conveyed to the reversing device 31. After the front and back of the super straight 9 are reversed by the reversing device 31, it can be conveyed to the carrier of the load port 29.

[0033] The control device 34 controls the operations of the load port 29, the conveyance mechanism 18, the reversing device 31, the alignment device 32, the alignment device 33, and the stations 101 to 104.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a first embodiment of the operation of the film forming apparatus 100 or the film forming method. This operation is controlled by the control device 34. In step S701, the substrate 1 is transported to the substrate chuck 2 in the station 101, and the molding material 28 is applied onto the substrate 1 in the station 101. In step S702, the substrate 1 is transported from the station 101 to the station 102. In step S703, in the station 102, a preparatory process for forming the structure ST by bringing the super straight 9 into contact with the molding material 28 on the substrate 1 is performed.

[0035] In step S704, the structure ST is transported from the station 102 to the station 103. In step S705, in the station 103, a curing process for curing the molding material 28 by heating the molding material 28 of the structure ST with the heating plate 50 is performed. In step S706, the structure ST that has been subjected to the curing process is transported from the station 103 to the station 104. In step S707, a cooling process for cooling the structure ST with the cooling plate 60 is performed. In step S708, the cooled structure ST is transported from the station 104 to the station 102. In step S709, a separation process for separating the super straight 9 from the cured molding material 28 is performed. In step S710, the substrate 1 on which the cured molding material 28, that is, the cured film or the planarizing film is formed, is unloaded to the load port 29.

[0036] According to the above procedure, when the molding material 28 is heated, the molding material 28 is covered by the super straight 9. When the molding material 28 is an organic material, the volume of the molding material 28 may shrink when the molding material 28 comes into contact with oxygen in the air. However, in the procedure of heating the molding material 28 while covering it with the super straight 9, the volume shrinkage due to oxygen can be suppressed, and a purge process for discharging oxygen is also unnecessary. This is advantageous for shortening the time of the heat treatment process and simplifying the apparatus configuration.

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the operation of the film forming apparatus 100 or the film forming method. This operation is controlled by the control device 34. As described above, it may take a long time to fill the space between the substrate 1 and the super straight 9 with the molding material 28. Also, compared to the processes at the stations 101 and 102, the curing process at the station 103 may take a long time. Further, the time required to cool the structure ST at the station 104 can become longer as the heating temperature for the curing process at the station 103 is higher. As a result, the processes at the stations 103 and 104 can become bottlenecks for improving the throughput of the film forming process.

[0038] Therefore, in the second embodiment, the stations 103 and 104 are each increased to a plurality (three in the example of FIG. 5). Here, in order to distinguish a plurality of substrates 1 from each other, branch numbers such as 1-1, 1-2,... are used. Similarly, in order to distinguish a plurality of super straights 9 from each other, branch numbers such as 9-1, 9-2,... are used. The step a in FIG. 5 corresponds to the steps S702 and S703 shown in FIG. 4. The step b in FIG. 5 corresponds to the steps S704 to S707 in FIG. 4. The step c in FIG. 5 corresponds to the steps S708 to S710 in FIG. 4.

[0039] In step S801, the super straight 9-1 is carried into the station 102. In step S802, the substrate 1-1 coated with the molding material 28 is carried into the station 102, and the structure ST is formed by bringing the molding material 28 into contact with the super straight 9-1. In step S803, the structure ST formed by the substrate 1-1 and the super straight 9-1 in step S802 is transported to the stations 103-1 and 104-1 and processed in the procedure shown in FIG. 4 (S803-S808).

[0040] Also, in step S803, the next supersubstrate 9-2 is carried into station 102. In step S804, station 102 receives the next substrate 1-2 coated with the forming material 28, and the supersubstrate 9-2 is brought into contact with the forming material 28 to form the structure ST. In step S805, the structure ST formed by the substrate 1-2 and the supersubstrate 9-2 in step S804 is transported to stations 103-2 and 104-2 and processed according to the procedure shown in FIG. 4 (S805 - S811).

[0041] Also, in step S805, the next supersubstrate 9-3 is carried into station 102. In step S806, the next substrate 1-3 coated with the forming material 28 is carried into station 102, and the supersubstrate 9-3 is brought into contact with the forming material 28 to form the structure ST. In step S807, the structure ST formed by the substrate 1-3 and the supersubstrate 9-3 in step S806 is transported to stations 103-3 and 104-3 and processed according to the procedure shown in FIG. 4 (S807 - S814).

[0042] Also, in step S807, the next supersubstrate 9-4 is carried into station 102. In step S808, the next substrate 1-4 coated with the forming material 28 is carried into station 102, and the supersubstrate 9-4 is brought into contact with the forming material 28 to form the structure ST. In step S809, the structure ST formed by the substrate 1-4 and the supersubstrate 9-4 in step S808 is exchanged with the structure ST (substrate 1-1, supersubstrate 9-1) transported to stations 103-1 and 104-1 in step S803. At stations 103-1 and 104-1, the structure ST formed by the substrate 1-4 and the supersubstrate 9-4 is processed according to the procedure shown in FIG. 4 (S809 - S817).

[0043] In step S810, at station 102, the super straight 9-1 is separated from the cured molding material on the substrate 1-1, and the substrate 1-1 is carried out to the load port 29. In step S811, the super straight 9-1 separated from the cured molding material on the substrate 1-1 is reused. That is, the next substrate 1-5 is carried into station 102, and the super straight 9-1 is brought into contact with the molding material 28 to form the structure ST. Thereafter, the same process is repeated. In one example, the same process continues until substrate 1-25. After the substrate loading is completed, the separated super straights are sequentially stored in the load port 29 or a buffer station (not shown).

[0044] The operation or film forming method shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 may constitute a part of an article manufacturing method for manufacturing an article. The article manufacturing method may include a film forming step of forming a film on a substrate by the operation or film forming method shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, and a processing step of obtaining an article by processing the substrate that has undergone the film forming step. The processing step may include, for example, a step of further forming a film, a step of forming a pattern, a step of performing etching using the pattern, and the like.

[0045] The operation of the film forming apparatus 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 and the film forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 5 may have the following aspects. Hereinafter, in order to distinguish stations 102, 103, and 104 from each other, station 102 is described as the first station, station 103 is described as the second station, and station 104 is described as the third station. Also, in order to distinguish a plurality of molds (as described above, the molds include molds having patterns and molds without patterns (super straights)), they are described as the first mold, the second mold, and the third mold. Also, in order to distinguish a plurality of substrates 1 from each other, they are described as the first substrate, the second substrate, the third substrate, and the fourth substrate. Also, in order to distinguish a plurality of structures from each other, they are described as the first structure, the second structure, and the third structure.

[0046] The first station 102 prepares the first structure by placing the first mold (e.g., 9-1) on the uncured molding material 28 on the first substrate (e.g., 1-1) (e.g., S802), and then prepares the second structure by placing the second mold (e.g., 9-2) on the uncured molding material on the second substrate (e.g., 1-2) (e.g., S804).

[0047] After preparing the second structure, the first station 102 holds the first mold (e.g., 9-1) of the first structure that is conveyed to the first station 102 by the conveying mechanism 18 and separates the first mold from the cured molding material 28 of the first structure (e.g., S810). The third station 104 further includes a third station for cooling the structure on which the curing process has been performed at the second station 103, and the conveying mechanism 18 conveys the structure from the third station 104 to the first station 102.

[0048] After separating the first mold (e.g., 9-1) from the cured molding material 28 of the first structure, the first station 102 places the first mold (e.g., 9-1) on the uncured molding material 28 on the third substrate (e.g., 1-5) to prepare the third structure (e.g., S821).

[0049] After preparing the second structure, before the first structure is conveyed to the first station 103 by the conveying mechanism 18, the first station 102 places the third mold (e.g., 9-3) on the uncured molding material 28 on the fourth substrate (e.g., substrate 1-7) to prepare the fourth structure (e.g., S817).

[0050] After performing the preparation process on the first substrate (e.g., 9-1) (e.g., S802), and before performing the separation process on the first substrate (e.g., 9-1) (e.g., S810), the first station 102 performs the preparation process on at least one substrate (e.g., 1-2, 1-3) (e.g., S804, S806).

[0051] Further, the film forming method includes a preparation step (e.g., S802) of preparing a structure in which an uncured molding material 28 is sandwiched between a substrate (e.g., 1-1) and a mold (e.g., 9-1) at the first station 102, a first transfer step (e.g., S803) of transferring the structure from the first station 102 to the second station 103, a curing step (e.g., S803-S808) of forming a cured film by curing the molding material 28 of the structure at the second station 103, a second transfer step (e.g., S809) of transferring the structure that has undergone the curing step back to the first station 102, and a separation step (e.g., S810) of separating the mold (e.g., 9-1) from the cured molding material 28 of the structure at the first station 102. The film forming method further includes a third transfer step of transferring the structure that has undergone the curing step from the second station 103 to the third station 104, and a cooling step of cooling the structure at the third station 104. In the second transfer step, the structure that has undergone the cooling step can be transferred from the third station 104 back to the first station 102.

[0052] The transfer destination of the structure in the first transfer step (e.g., S803) can be a second station (e.g., 103-1, 104-1) selected from a plurality of second stations.

[0053] This specification and the drawings may include the following disclosure. (Item 1) A first station that performs a preparation process of preparing a structure in which an uncured molding material is sandwiched between a substrate and a mold, and a separation process of separating the mold from the molding material of the structure after curing the molding material, and One or more second stations that perform a curing process of forming a cured film by curing the molding material of the structure, and A transfer mechanism that transfers the structure between a plurality of stations including the first station and the second station, A film forming apparatus, characterized by comprising the above. (Item 2) After preparing the first structure by disposing a first mold on the uncured molding material on the first substrate, the first station prepares a second structure by disposing a second mold on the uncured molding material on the second substrate. The film forming apparatus according to item 1, wherein: (Item 3) After preparing the second structure, the first station holds the first mold of the first structure that is conveyed to the first station by the conveying mechanism and separates the first mold from the cured molding material of the first structure. The film forming apparatus according to item 2, wherein: (Item 4) The film forming apparatus further includes a third station that cools the structure on which the curing process has been performed at the second station. The conveying mechanism conveys the structure from the third station to the first station. The film forming apparatus according to item 3, wherein: (Item 5) After separating the first mold from the molding material of the first structure, the first station disposes the first mold on the uncured molding material on the third substrate to prepare a third structure. The film forming apparatus according to item 3 or 4, wherein: (Item 6) After preparing the second structure, before the first structure is conveyed to the first station by the conveying mechanism, the first station disposes a third mold on the uncured molding material on the fourth substrate to prepare a fourth structure. The film forming apparatus according to item 3 or 4, wherein: (Item 7) After performing the preparation process on the first substrate, before performing the separation process on the first substrate, the first station performs the preparation process on at least one substrate. The film forming apparatus according to any one of items 2 to 6, wherein: (Item 8) In the second station, the molding material is cured by heat. The film forming apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that. (Item 9) In the second station, the molding material is cured by light. The film forming apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that. (Item 10) The film forming apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 9, characterized in that, as the mold, a mold having a flat surface is used to form a cured film having a flat surface. (Item 11) The film forming apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 9, characterized in that, as the mold, a mold having a surface on which a pattern is formed is used to form a cured film on which the pattern is transferred. (Item 12) In the first station, a preparation step of preparing a structure in which an uncured molding material is sandwiched between a substrate and a mold, A first transfer step of transferring the structure from the first station to the second station, In the second station, a curing step of forming a cured film by curing the molding material of the structure, A second transfer step of transferring the structure that has undergone the curing step to the first station, In the first station, a separation step of separating the mold from the molding material of the cured structure, A film forming method, characterized by including. (Item 13) A third transfer step of transferring the structure that has undergone the curing step from the second station to the third station, A cooling step of cooling the structure in the third station, further including, In the second transfer step, the structure that has undergone the cooling step is transferred from the third station to the first station. The film forming method according to item 12, characterized in that... (Item 14) The conveyance destination of the structure in the first conveyance step is a second station selected from a plurality of second stations. The film forming method according to item 12 or 13, characterized in that... (Item 15) After the preparation step is performed on a plurality of substrates, the separation step is performed on the plurality of substrates. The film forming method according to any one of items 12 to 14, characterized in that... (Item 16) In the curing step, the molding material is cured by heat. The film forming method according to any one of items 12 to 15, characterized in that... (Item 17) The mold is a mold having a flat surface. The film forming method according to any one of items 12 to 16, characterized in that... (Item 18) The mold is a mold made of silicon. The film forming method according to item 17, characterized in that... (Item 19) The mold is a mold made of any one of glass, quartz, and PMMA. The film forming method according to item 17, characterized in that... (Item 20) In the curing step, the molding material is cured by light. The film forming method according to any one of items 12 to 15, characterized in that... (Item 21) The mold is a mold having a surface on which a pattern is formed. The film forming method according to item 20, characterized in that... (Item 22) A film forming step of forming a film on a substrate by the film forming method according to any one of items 12 to 21; A processing step of obtaining an article by processing the substrate that has undergone the film formation step; An article manufacturing method characterized by including .

[0054] The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0055] 1: Substrate, 9: Super straight (mold), 100: Film forming apparatus, 101, 102, 103, 104: Stations

Claims

1. A preparation process for preparing a structure in which an uncured molding material is sandwiched between a substrate and a mold, and a first station that performs a separation process of separating the mold from the molding material of the structure after curing the molding material; One or more second stations that perform a curing process of forming a cured film by curing the molding material of the structure; A transport mechanism that transports the structure between a plurality of stations including the first station and the second station; A film forming apparatus, characterized by comprising the above.

2. After the first station prepares a first structure by disposing a first mold on an uncured molding material on a first substrate, the first station prepares a second structure by disposing a second mold on an uncured molding material on a second substrate. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. After the first station prepares the second structure, the first station holds the first mold of the first structure transported to the first station by the transport mechanism and separates the first mold from the cured molding material of the first structure. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. The film forming apparatus further comprises a third station that cools the structure on which the curing process has been performed at the second station, and the transport mechanism transports the structure from the third station to the first station. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized by the above.

5. After the first station separates the first mold from the molding material of the first structure, the first station disposes the first mold on an uncured molding material on a third substrate to prepare a third structure. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized by the above.

6. After the first station prepares the second structure, before the first structure is transported to the first station by the transport mechanism, the first station disposes a third mold on an uncured molding material on a fourth substrate to prepare a fourth structure. The film forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized by the above.

7. After the first station performs the preparation process on the first substrate, before performing the separation process on the first substrate, the first station performs the preparation process on at least one substrate. The film forming apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

8. ​ In the second station, the molding material is cured by heat, The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

9. In the second station, the molding material is cured by light, The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

10. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, as the mold, a mold having a flat surface is used to form a cured film having a flat surface.

11. The film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, as the mold, a mold having a surface on which a pattern is formed is used to form a cured film on which the pattern is transferred.

12. In the first station, a preparation step of preparing a structure in which an uncured molding material is sandwiched between a substrate and a mold; A first transfer step of transferring the structure from the first station to the second station; A curing step of forming a cured film by curing the molding material of the structure in the second station; A second transfer step of transferring the structure that has undergone the curing step to the first station; A separation step of separating the mold from the molding material of the cured structure in the first station; A film forming method characterized by including.

13. A third transfer step of transferring the structure that has undergone the curing step from the second station to the third station; A cooling step of cooling the structure in the third station, further including, In the second transfer step, the structure that has undergone the cooling step is transferred from the third station to the first station, The film forming method according to claim 12, characterized in that.

14. The transfer destination of the structure in the first transfer step is a second station selected from a plurality of second stations, The film forming method according to claim 12, characterized in that.

15. After the preparation step is performed on a plurality of substrates, the separation step is performed on the plurality of substrates, The film forming method according to claim 12, characterized in that.

16. In the curing step, the molding material is cured by heat, The film forming method according to claim 12, characterized in that.

17. The mold is a mold having a flat surface, The film forming method according to claim 12, characterized in that...

18. The mold is a mold made of silicon. The film forming method according to claim 17, characterized in that...

19. The mold is a mold made of any one of glass, quartz, and PMMA. The film forming method according to claim 17, characterized in that...

20. In the curing step, the molding material is cured by light. The film forming method according to claim 12, characterized in that...

21. The mold is a mold having a surface on which a pattern is formed. The film forming method according to claim 20, characterized in that...

22. A film forming step of forming a film on a substrate by the film forming method according to any one of claims 12 to 21; A processing step of obtaining an article by processing the substrate that has undergone the film forming step; An article manufacturing method, characterized by including...

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