Molding apparatus, molding method, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous for accurately forming a liquid membrane of a composition between a mold and a substrate.SOLUTION: A molding apparatus molds a composition on a substrate by using a mold, and comprises: a membrane forming unit that has a holding member that holds the mold, and drives the holding member holding the mold to bring the mold into contact with the composition on the substrate, is subsequently subjected to processing of releasing the holds of the mold by the holding member, and thereby forms a liquid membrane of the composition between the mold and the substrate; and a curing unit that cures the liquid membrane formed by the membrane forming unit. The membrane forming unit performs a pressing operation to press the mold by using a member that is partially in contact with the mold, so as to reduce nonuniformity in the thickness of the liquid membrane after the processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices and the like, a step of forming a cured film of a composition having an uneven pattern on a substrate and etching the substrate using the cured film as a mask is included. At this time, if the remaining film thickness of the uneven pattern in the cured film formed on the substrate (the thickness of the cured film between the concave portion of the uneven pattern and the substrate) is not uniform over the entire substrate, it may be difficult to accurately control the etching. Therefore, a planarization technique for forming a planarization film (that is, a film having a flat surface) on the substrate is required.

[0003] As one of the planarization techniques, a technique for planarizing a composition on a substrate by molding the composition on the substrate using a mold having a flat surface is known. Specifically, the composition can be planarized by curing the composition in a state where the flat surface of the mold is in contact with the composition on the substrate and separating the mold from the cured composition. A mold used in such a planarization technique may be called a super straight or a planar template.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In planarization technology, in order to form a liquid film of a composition having a uniform thickness between a mold and a substrate by making the surface shape of the mold follow the unevenness of the substrate surface due to the surface tension of the composition spreading between the mold and the substrate, it is preferable to make the thickness of the mold as thin as possible (for example, about 200 μm). However, in practice, from the viewpoint of ease of handling the mold when exchanging or transporting the mold, the mold has a certain thickness (for example, about 500 μm to 800 μm). In this case, since the rigidity of the mold increases as the thickness of the mold increases, it may become difficult to form a liquid film of a composition having a uniform thickness between the mold and the substrate by only utilizing the surface tension of the composition to make the surface shape of the mold follow the unevenness of the substrate surface. Therefore, in order to accurately form a liquid film of the composition between the mold and the substrate, it is necessary to apply an external force to the mold. Patent Document 1 proposes a method of applying an external force to the mold by blowing gas onto the mold in contact with the composition on the substrate, but a method of more efficiently applying an external force to the mold is desired.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique advantageous for accurately forming a liquid film of a composition between a mold and a substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a molding apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a molding apparatus for molding a composition on a substrate using a mold, having a holding member for holding the mold, and after driving the holding member holding the mold to bring the mold into contact with the composition on the substrate, through a process of releasing the holding of the mold by the holding member, a film forming portion for forming a liquid film of the composition between the mold and the substrate, and a curing portion for curing the liquid film formed by the film forming portion, and the film forming portion performs a pressing operation of pressing the mold by a member that partially contacts the mold so that the non-uniformity of the thickness of the liquid film is reduced after the process.

[0008] A further object or other aspect of the present invention will be clarified by the preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a technique advantageous for accurately forming a liquid film of a composition between a mold and a substrate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted 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 duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0012] In this specification and the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, directions are indicated in the XYZ coordinate system with the direction parallel to the surface of the substrate (or the holding surface that holds the substrate) being the XY plane. The directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are referred to as the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively, and the rotations around the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are denoted as θX, θY, and θZ, respectively. Control or drive related to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis means control or drive in the directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. Also, control or drive related to the θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis means control or drive related to the rotation around the axis parallel to the X-axis, the rotation around the axis parallel to the Y-axis, and the rotation around the axis parallel to the Z-axis, respectively. Further, position is information that can be specified based on the coordinates of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and orientation is information that can be specified by the values of the θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis.

[0013] A forming device is a device that performs a forming process of pressing a mold against a composition on a substrate to form the composition. Examples of the forming device include an imprint device and a planarization device. An imprint device is a device that forms (transfers) a pattern on a composition (imprint material) on a substrate by bringing a mold having a concavo-convex pattern into contact with the composition. The forming process performed by the imprint device is sometimes referred to as an imprint process. Also, a planarization device is a device that planarizes the surface of a composition on a substrate by bringing a mold having a flat surface into contact with the composition. The forming process performed by the planarization device is sometimes referred to as a planarization process.

[0014] <First Embodiment> The molding apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, a planarization apparatus will be exemplified and described as the molding apparatus, but the configuration and processing of the planarization apparatus can also be applied to an imprint apparatus. The planarization apparatus is a lithography apparatus that planarizes (molds) a composition on a substrate using a mold, and can be employed in a lithography process, which is a manufacturing process for semiconductor devices, magnetic storage media, and the like. The mold used in the planarization apparatus has a flat surface as a molding surface (contact surface) that contacts the composition on the substrate and is sometimes called a super straight or planar template. Hereinafter, the mold having a flat surface may be referred to as a "super straight".

[0015] The underlying pattern on the substrate has a height difference of unevenness caused by the pattern formed in the previous process. If the height difference is large, there is a risk of deviating from the DOF (Depth Of Focus) of the exposure apparatus used in the subsequent process. Conventionally, as a method for smoothing the underlying pattern of the substrate, a method of forming a planarization layer such as SOC (Spin On Carbon) or CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) has been used. However, the height difference of the unevenness of the underlying layer due to multilayer formation tends to increase year by year, and there is a problem that sufficient planarization performance cannot be obtained with the conventional technology. To solve this problem, the planarization apparatus of this embodiment performs planarization of the composition on the substrate by using a super straight having a flat surface. Specifically, the composition supplied onto the substrate is cured in a state where the flat surface of the super straight is in contact with the composition, and then the super straight is separated from the cured composition. Thereby, a planarization film (planarization layer) composed of a cured product of the composition can be formed on the substrate.

[0016] As the composition, a curable composition that cures when energy for curing is applied (sometimes referred to as an uncured resin) is used. As the energy for curing, electromagnetic waves, heat, etc. are used. The electromagnetic waves include, for example, light selected from the range of wavelengths of 10 nm or more and 1 mm or less, specifically, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, etc. The curable composition can be a composition that cures by irradiation with light or by heating. Among these, the photocurable composition that cures by irradiation with light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photoinitiator, and may 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, etc. The composition can be disposed on the substrate in the form of droplets, or in an island shape or a film shape formed by connecting a plurality of droplets by a composition supply device (supply unit 20 described later). For example, the composition dropped on the substrate can be disposed on the substrate as droplets of a hemispherical body with a minute volume having a diameter of about 10 μm to 20 μm. The viscosity of the composition (viscosity at 25°C) can be, for example, 1 mPa·s or more and 100 mPa·s or less.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration example of a planarization apparatus 100 (forming apparatus) of the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, a substrate 1 is carried into the interior of the planarization apparatus 100 by a substrate transfer unit (not shown) including a transfer hand or the like, and is held by a substrate chuck 2 which is a substrate holding unit. A substrate stage 3 is configured to be movable on a base surface plate 4, and drives the substrate 1 held by the substrate chuck 2 in the X direction and the Y direction in order to position the substrate 1 held by the substrate chuck 2 at a predetermined position. As the material of the substrate 1, for example, glass, ceramics, metal, semiconductor, resin, etc. are used. If necessary, a member made of a material different from that of the substrate 1 may be provided on the surface of the substrate 1. The substrate 1 includes, for example, a silicon wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, and quartz glass. The substrate 1 has an uneven structure caused by a pattern formed in a previous process, and the planarization apparatus 100 can be used to form a planarization film covering the uneven structure on the substrate.

[0018] The supersheet 11 (type) can be composed of a material that transmits light (such as quartz glass). The shape of the supersheet 11 has, for example, a circular outer shape when viewed from the +Z direction. Also, the molding surface (first surface) for contacting the composition 5 on the substrate 1 and molding the composition 5 is a flat surface 11a. When the flat surface 11a of the supersheet 11 contacts the composition 5 on the substrate 1, due to the surface tension of the composition 5, the supersheet 11 can be deformed to follow the surface shape of the substrate 1 (the uneven shape when viewed from the X direction or the Y direction). The outer diameter of the supersheet 11 is, for example, the same as the outer diameter of the substrate 1. The supersheet 11 is carried into the interior of the planarizing device 100 by a mold conveyance unit (not shown) and is held by a holding member 12 (mold holding unit, mold chuck). The holding member 12 holds the supersheet 11 by contacting the outer peripheral portion on the back surface 11b (the surface (second surface) opposite to the flat surface 11a) of the supersheet 11 and attracting the outer peripheral portion. The holding of the supersheet 11 by the holding member 12 can be performed, for example, by vacuum-sucking the outer peripheral portion of the supersheet 11.

[0019] The holding member 12 is supported by a head 13. The head 13 may include a drive mechanism for driving the supersheet 11 by driving the holding member 12. For example, the head 13 drives the supersheet 11 in the Z-axis direction in order to bring the supersheet 11 into contact with the composition 5 on the substrate 1 or to separate the supersheet 11 from the cured composition 5. The head 13 may have a function for correcting the inclination of the supersheet 11. The drive mechanism of the head 13 can be composed of an actuator such as a linear motor, an air cylinder, or a voice coil motor, for example. Also, the head 13 is fixed to a guide bar 8 that is suspended by a bridge structure 6. The bridge structure 6 is supported by a column (not shown) fixed to the base surface plate 4.

[0020] Here, the holding member 12 is supported by the head 13 so that its holding surface (the surface for holding the super straight 11) can tilt with respect to the head 13 in a state where it is in contact with the back surface 11b of the super straight 11. That is, the holding member 12 has flexibility that can tilt according to the shape of the super straight 11. For example, when an external force is applied to the super straight 11 held by the holding member 12 and the entire super straight 11 bends and deforms into a downwardly convex shape, the holding member 12 tilts so that the holding surface faces outward. Thereby, the shape of the super straight 11 can be maintained as a secondary curved surface with a downwardly convex shape. On the other hand, when the entire super straight 11 bends and deforms into an upwardly convex shape, the holding member 12 tilts so that the holding surface faces inward. Thereby, the shape of the super straight 11 can be maintained as a secondary curved surface with an upwardly convex shape.

[0021] Further, the head 13 is provided with a force detection unit 14 (second detection unit) for detecting the pressing force of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12. The force detection unit 14 may be understood as detecting an external force transmitted to the holding member 12 via the super straight 11. As the force detection unit 14, for example, a strain gauge type load sensor or a load sensor (load cell) that detects force from the current value applied to the drive mechanism (actuator) of the head 13 can be used. In FIG. 1, the force detection unit 14 is shown as a component different from the head 13 and the holding member 12, but it may be included in the head 13 or the holding member 12.

[0022] Furthermore, the head 13 is provided with a flat optical element 15 made of a light-transmitting member such as quartz glass. The flat optical element 15 is attached to the head 13 so that a spatial region A, which is a closed space, is formed between the superstrate 11 and the flat optical element 15. That is, the flat optical element 15 functions as a sealing member for making the spatial region A a closed space. The internal pressure of the spatial region A can be adjusted (controlled) by the pressure adjustment unit 16 via the piping 17. For example, the pressure adjustment unit 16 can make the internal pressure of the spatial region A higher than atmospheric pressure to deform the superstrate 11 into a downwardly convex shape, and gradually bring the superstrate 11 into contact with the composition 5 on the substrate 1 from its center portion. This can reduce the entrapment of air bubbles between the superstrate 11 and the substrate 1.

[0023] In the planarization process, the curing unit 24 cures the composition 5 by irradiating the liquid film of the composition 5 formed between the superstrate 11 and the substrate 1 with light (e.g., ultraviolet light). In this embodiment, the curing unit 24 includes a light source consisting of a UV lamp or a UV LED. The light emitted from the curing unit 24 passes through a light path tube 25 including a collimator lens (not shown), is reflected by a mirror 27, and is emitted from an opening 28, and is irradiated onto the composition 5 on the substrate 1 via the superstrate 11.

[0024] Here, when the shape and size of the super straight 11 and the substrate 1 are the same, in the state where the super straight 11 is held by the holding member 12, the irradiation of light to the region of the surface of the substrate 1 facing the holding member 12 is blocked by the holding member 12. That is, the curing of the composition 5 on the region of the surface of the substrate 1 may become insufficient. Therefore, in the planarizing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, after bringing the super straight 11 into contact with the composition 5 on the substrate 1 to form a liquid film of the composition 5 between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1, the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12 is released. Then, the holding member 12 is lifted by the head 13 to separate (isolate) the holding member 12 from the super straight 11, and in this state, the liquid film of the composition 5 between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1 is irradiated with light by the curing unit 24. As a result, since the light by the curing unit 24 is prevented from being blocked by the holding member 12, the light irradiation region on the substrate 1 can be expanded, and the composition 5 can be cured over the entire area of the substrate 1.

[0025] The spread camera 26 (contact detection unit) is a camera for detecting (observing) the contact state between the super straight 11 and the composition 5 on the substrate 1, that is, the state of the liquid film of the composition 5 formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. The spread camera 26 can also be used as an abnormality detection unit (first detection unit) for detecting an abnormal portion where non-uniformity in thickness occurs in the liquid film of the composition 5 formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. The spread camera 26 has, for example, a wide-angle lens and has a wide field of view (angle of view) that can detect (observe) the entire area of the substrate 1 without being limited to the size of the opening 28. Here, when detecting the contact state between the super straight 11 and the composition 5 on the substrate 1 by the spread camera 26, the mirror 27 can be retracted from the field of view of the spread camera 26. However, it is not limited thereto, and the mirror 27 may be constituted by a half mirror that reflects light from the curing unit 24 and transmits light to the spread camera 26.

[0026] The supply unit 20 supplies the composition 5 onto the substrate 1. The supply unit 20 in this embodiment is composed of a dispenser including a discharge port (nozzle) that discharges the composition 5 (uncured resin) onto the substrate 1. For example, the supply unit 20 adopts a piezo jet method, a micro solenoid method, etc., and is configured to discharge the composition 5 as a plurality of tiny droplets having a minute volume of about 1 pL (picoliter). With the substrate 1 being moved in the XY direction below the supply unit 20 by the substrate stage 3, by causing the supply unit 20 to discharge the composition 5 as a plurality of droplets, the composition 5 can be supplied as a plurality of droplets to the entire area of the substrate 1.

[0027] The control unit 35 is composed of a computer (information processing device) having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit such as a memory. The control unit 35 is connected to each part of the planarization device 100 by lines, and controls the planarization process by comprehensively controlling each part of the planarization device 100. The planarization process is a process of planarizing the composition 5 on the substrate 1 by bringing the flat surface 11a of the super straight 11 into contact with the composition 5 on the substrate 1 and making the flat surface 11a conform to the surface shape of the substrate 1. Also, in the case of this embodiment, the control unit 35 can determine the contact state between the super straight 11 and the composition 5 on the substrate 1 based on the image information obtained from the spread camera 26. Further, the control unit 35 can identify (detect) an abnormal portion where non-uniformity in thickness occurs in the liquid film of the composition 5 formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1 based on the image information obtained from the spread camera 26. Note that the control unit 35 may be composed of a PLD (abbreviation for Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (abbreviation for Field Programmable Gate Array), or an ASIC (abbreviation for Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0028] Next, the planarization process will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the planarization process. In FIG. 2, only the elements necessary for explaining the planarization process are illustrated, and illustration of other elements is omitted.

[0029] FIG. 2(a) shows the state before the superstrate 11 comes into contact with the composition 5 on the substrate 1. In FIG. 2(a), on the substrate 1, the composition 5 supplied as a plurality of droplets by the supply unit 20 is arranged. The droplets of the composition 5 are arranged on the substrate 1 in a separated state from each other. The supply pattern (arrangement pattern) of the droplets of the composition 5 on the substrate 1 can be determined in advance based on the steps such as the underlying pattern formed on the surface of the substrate 1. However, the actual substrate 1 has not only the steps of the underlying pattern but also the unevenness of the substrate 1 itself. Therefore, the supply pattern may be determined based on the steps of the underlying pattern and the unevenness of the substrate 1 itself.

[0030] Also, when the superstrate 11 comes into contact with the composition 5 on the substrate 1, in order to reduce the entrapment of air bubbles between the superstrate 11 and the substrate 1, it is preferable to deform the superstrate 11 into a convex shape with its central portion protruding toward the substrate 1. Specifically, by increasing the internal pressure of the space region A, which is a closed space, by the pressure adjustment unit 16, the superstrate 11 can be deformed into a convex shape as shown in FIG. 2(a). At this time, the holding member 12 inclines so that its holding surface faces outward. Thereby, the flat surface 11a of the superstrate 11 becomes a secondary curved surface, and the central portion of the flat surface 11a has a shape closest to the substrate 1.

[0031] Figure 2(b) shows the state immediately after the super straight 11 is brought into contact with the composition 5 on the substrate 1. For example, with the internal pressure of the space region A increased by the pressure adjustment unit 16 so that the flat surface 11a of the super straight 11 is deformed into a convex shape, the super straight 11 (holding member 12) is lowered by the head 13. Thereby, the contact between the flat surface 11a of the super straight 11 and the composition 5 on the substrate 1 can be started from the central portion of the super straight 11. Then, by reducing the internal pressure of the space region A by the pressure adjustment unit 16, the flat surface 11a of the super straight 11 is returned to a planar shape. As a result, the composition 5 on the substrate 1 spreads outward along the flat surface 11a of the super straight 11.

[0032] Here, in the state where the super straight 11 is held by the holding member 12, due to the influence of the holding, the super straight 11 does not follow the surface shape of the substrate 1, and it is difficult to form a continuous liquid film of the composition 5 between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. Therefore, as will be described later with reference to Figure 2(c), in the planarization process, the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12 is released. Note that "it is difficult to form a continuous liquid film of the composition 5" means that, for example, a portion where the composition 5 remains as droplets and / or a portion with non-uniform thickness may exist between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1.

[0033] Figure 2(c) shows the state where the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12 is released. By releasing the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12, the pressure due to the mass of the super straight 11 is evenly applied to the composition 5 (including its outer peripheral portion) on the substrate 1. As a result, the super straight 11 can be made to conform to the surface shape of the substrate 1, and a liquid film of the composition 5 is formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. Here, in Figure 2(c), in order to distinguish from the state of Figure 2(b), a state where the holding member 12 and the super straight 11 are separated is shown. However, as long as the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12 is released, a liquid film of the composition 5 can be formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1 without separating the holding member 12 and the super straight 11. Also, when the holding member 12 is configured to hold the super straight 11 by vacuum suction, the release of the holding of the super straight by the holding member 12 may be understood as stopping the vacuum suction of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12. Even in this case, as long as the vacuum suction of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12 is stopped, it is not necessary to separate the holding member 12 and the super straight 11.

[0034] Thus, in the planarization process, after the holding member 12 is driven by the head 13 to bring the super straight 11 into contact with the composition 5 on the substrate 1, the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12 is released. By going through such a process, a liquid film of the composition 5 can be formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. Therefore, the holding member 12 and the head 13 (driving mechanism) may be understood as constituting a film forming portion that forms a liquid film of the composition 5 between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1.

[0035] FIG. 2(d) shows a state in which the liquid film of the composition 5 formed between the superstrate 11 and the substrate 1 is being cured. Specifically, the holding member 12 is raised by the head 13 and the holding member 12 and the superstrate 11 are separated from each other so that the light 30 from the curing portion 24 is also irradiated onto the portion below the holding member 12 in the liquid film of the composition 5 between the superstrate 11 and the substrate 1. In this state, the light 30 is emitted from the curing portion 24, and the composition 5 between the superstrate 11 and the substrate 1 is cured by irradiating the liquid film of the composition 5 with the light 30 through the superstrate 11. Here, when the light 30 from the curing portion 24 does not sufficiently spread over the entire liquid film of the composition 5, that is, when the light 30 is not irradiated onto the end portion of the substrate 1, the substrate stage 3 may be moved in the XY direction so that the light 30 is irradiated onto the end portion of the substrate 1.

[0036] After curing the composition 5, the holding member 12 is lowered by the head 13 to bring the holding member 12 into contact with the superstrate 11 and hold the superstrate 11 by the holding member 12. Next, by raising the holding member 12 by the head 13, the superstrate 11 held by the holding member 12 is separated from the cured composition 5. Thereby, a planarization film (planarization layer) composed of the cured product of the composition 5 can be formed over the entire area of the substrate 1.

[0037] Incidentally, in order to form a liquid film of the composition 5 having a uniform thickness by causing the flat surface 11a of the superstrate 11 to follow the surface shape of the substrate 1 due to the surface tension of the composition 5, it is preferable to reduce the thickness of the superstrate 11. However, in practice, the superstrate 11 has a certain thickness from the viewpoint of ease of handling of the superstrate 11 when replacing and transporting the superstrate 11. In this case, since the rigidity of the superstrate 11 increases as the thickness of the superstrate 11 increases, it may be difficult to cause the flat surface 11a of the superstrate 11 to follow the surface shape of the substrate 1 only by utilizing the surface tension of the composition 5.

[0038] For example, in the outer peripheral portion (end portion, peripheral edge portion) of the substrate 1, due to the processing step (polishing process) of the substrate 1, there may be a portion that is thinner than the central portion of the substrate 1 (sometimes called an edge roll-off or sag). Also, chamfering may be performed on the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 1. In addition, in the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 1, there may be a decrease in flatness due to warping of the substrate 1 caused by a post-process (baking process) performed after forming an underlying pattern on the substrate 1. Thus, in a region such as the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 1 where the degree of flatness reduction is large, as shown in Fig. 3(a), the surface tension of the composition 5 cannot sufficiently conform the super straight 11 to the surface shape of the substrate 1. As a result, it may become difficult to form a liquid film of the composition 5 having a uniform thickness between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. Fig. 3(a) is an enlarged view of a part (both end portions) of Fig. 2(c), showing a state in which a liquid film of the composition 5 is formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1.

[0039] Therefore, in the planarization apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, a pressing operation is performed to partially press the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 by a member that partially contacts the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 so as to reduce the non-uniformity of the liquid film of the composition 5. The pressing operation is performed after releasing the holding of the super straight by the holding member 12 as shown in Fig. 2(c) and before curing the composition 5 as shown in Fig. 2(d). Thereby, a liquid film of the composition 5 having a uniform thickness can be formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. Hereinafter, an example in which the pressing operation is performed using the holding member 12 as the "member that partially contacts the back surface 11b of the super straight 11" will be described.

[0040] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the planarization process (molding method) of the present embodiment including the pressing operation. The flowchart of Fig. 4 can be executed by the control unit 35.

[0041] In step S11, the control unit 35 causes the supply unit 20 to supply the composition 5 as a plurality of droplets onto the substrate 1. For example, as described above, the control unit 35 can supply the composition 5 as a plurality of droplets onto the substrate 1 by moving the substrate 1 while the supply unit 20 discharges the composition 5 as a plurality of droplets below the supply unit 20.

[0042] In step S12, the control unit 35 causes the head 13 to lower the holding member 12 holding the super straight 11, thereby bringing the super straight 11 into contact with the composition 5 on the substrate 1. Since this step S12 is as described above with reference to FIGS. 2(a) to (b), detailed description thereof is omitted here. Next, in step S13, the control unit 35 releases the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12. Since this step S13 is as described above with reference to FIG. 2(c), detailed description thereof is omitted here. Here, in step S13, after releasing the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12, the head 13 may raise the holding member 12 so that the holding member 12 and the super straight 11 are separated.

[0043] In step S14, the control unit 35 determines whether to start the pressing operation. For example, the control unit 35 can determine the start timing of the pressing operation based on the image information obtained from the spread camera 26. As described with reference to FIG. 2(b), the contact between the super straight 11 and the composition IM on the substrate 1 starts from the central portion of the super straight 11. Then, the composition 5 supplied (arranged) as a plurality of droplets on the substrate 1 spreads between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1 toward the outside of the substrate 1 while combining with other adjacent droplet-shaped compositions 5, and changes into a liquid film. Therefore, if the pressing operation is started before the composition 5 spreads over the entire area of the substrate 1, the combination of the droplet-shaped compositions 5 is hindered by the pressing operation, and the liquid film of the composition 5 between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1 may become discontinuous. Therefore, the control unit 35 may determine to start the pressing operation when the composition 5 spreads over the entire area of the substrate 1 based on the image information obtained from the spread camera 26. If it is determined to start the pressing operation, the process proceeds to step S15. Note that, at the time when the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12 is released in step S13, the composition 5 may already have spread over the entire area of the substrate 1. In this case, step S14 may be omitted, and the pressing operation may be started simultaneously with the release of the holding (stop of the vacuum suction) by the holding member 12.

[0044] In step S15, the control unit 35 performs a pressing operation to partially press the back surface 11b of the super straight 11. Specifically, when the holding member 12 and the super straight 11 are separated, the control unit 35 causes the holding member 12 to contact the outer peripheral portion of the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 by lowering the holding member 12 with the head 13. Next, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the control unit 35 presses the holding member 12 against the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 with the head 13 in a state where the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12 is released, that is, in a state where the vacuum suction of the holding member 12 is stopped. That is, the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 is pressed by the holding member 12.

[0045] Here, the control unit 35 may control the pressing operation so that the pressing force of the superstrate 11 by the holding member 12 becomes the target pressing force based on the detection result of the force detection unit 14. The thickness of the liquid film of the composition 5 formed between the superstrate 11 and the substrate 1 may change according to the pressing force of the superstrate 11 by the holding member 12. That is, the thickness of the liquid film of the composition 5 tends to become thinner as the pressing force increases and thicker as the pressing force decreases. Therefore, by acquiring in advance the relationship between the thickness of the liquid film of the composition 5 and the pressing force through experiments, simulations, etc., the control unit 35 can determine, based on the relationship, the pressing force corresponding to the target thickness of the liquid film of the composition 5 as the target pressing force (the upper limit value of the pressing force). Then, the control unit 35 monitors the detection result of the force detection unit 14 during the pressing operation, and ends the pressing operation when the pressing force detected by the force detection unit 14 reaches the target pressing force. Thereby, a liquid film of the composition 5 having a desired and uniform thickness can be formed between the superstrate 11 and the substrate 1.

[0046] In step S16, the control unit 35 separates the holding member 12 from the superstrate 11 by raising the holding member 12 with the head 13. Here, since the composition 5 is a liquid (resin) having viscosity, a force that attracts each other is generated between the superstrate 11 and the substrate 1 due to the surface tension of the composition 5. Thereby, even after separating the holding member 12 from the superstrate 11, the shape of the superstrate 11 is maintained, and the liquid film of the composition 5 between the superstrate 11 and the substrate 1 can be maintained with a uniform thickness.

[0047] In step S17, the control unit 35 cures the composition 5 by irradiating the composition 5 between the superstrate 11 and the substrate 1 with light 30 by emitting the light 30 from the curing unit 24. Since this step S17 is as described above with reference to FIG. 2(d), detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0048] In step S18, the control unit 35 causes the holding member 12 to contact the super straight 11 by lowering the holding member 12 with the head 13, and causes the holding member 12 to hold the super straight 11. Next, in step S19, the control unit 35 separates the super straight 11 from the composition 5 on the cured substrate 1 by raising the holding member 12 holding the super straight 11 with the head 13. Thereby, a planarization film made of a cured product of the composition 5 having a uniform thickness can be formed on the substrate 1.

[0049] As described above, the planarization apparatus 100 of the present embodiment drives the holding member 12 holding the super straight 11 to bring the super straight 11 into contact with the composition on the substrate 1, and after releasing the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12, performs an imprinting operation. The imprinting operation is an operation of partially pressing the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 with the holding member 12 so as to reduce the non-uniformity of the liquid film of the composition 5. Thereby, a liquid film of the composition 5 having a uniform thickness can be formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. That is, a planarization film made of a cured product of the composition 5 having a uniform thickness can be formed on the substrate 1. As a result, for example, defocus occurring in an exposure apparatus used in a later process can be reduced, and further, variation in line width of a pattern formed on the substrate in an etching process, which is a later process, can be reduced.

[0050] Here, in the present embodiment, an example in which the outer peripheral portion of the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 is pressed by the holding member 12 in the stamping operation has been described. In this case, the flattening of the composition 5 in the outer peripheral portion of the super straight 11, that is, the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 1 can be improved. However, in the stamping operation, by moving the substrate stage 3 in the XY directions, a portion other than the outer peripheral portion (for example, the central portion) of the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 may be pressed by the holding member 12. In this case, the flattening of the composition 5 in the said portion can be improved. Also, in the pressing operation, there may be a method of improving the flattening of the composition 5 in the central portion of the substrate 1 by the pressure adjusting unit 16. For example, while the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 is being pressed by the holding member 12, the space region A becomes a closed space. Therefore, while the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 is being pressed by the holding member 12 in the pressing operation, the internal pressure of the space region A may be increased by the pressure adjusting unit 16. In this case, since the central portion of the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 is pressed, there is an effect of promoting the flattening of the composition 5.

[0051] <Second Embodiment> The second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. In the above-described first embodiment, an example in which the pressing operation is performed using the holding member 12 has been described. In this embodiment, an example in which the pressing operation is performed using a member different from the holding member 12 will be described. Note that this embodiment basically follows the first embodiment and may follow the first embodiment except for the matters mentioned below.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5, the planarization apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment may further include a pressing member 50 different from the holding member 12 as a member that “partially contacts the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 and partially presses the back surface 11b”. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the pressing member 50, and shows only a part of the planarization apparatus 100 in FIG. 1 extracted. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the pressing member 50 may be configured to be supported by the head 13 and driven in the Z direction by a drive mechanism of the head 13. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the pressing member 50 may be configured to be supported by the bridge structure 6 via the drive mechanism 51 and driven in the Z direction by the drive mechanism 51. Further, the tip portion 52 of the pressing member 50 is preferably made of an elastic material so as not to damage the back surface 11b of the super straight 11.

[0053] Next, the planarization process of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the planarization process of the present embodiment. In FIG. 6, only the elements necessary for explaining the planarization process are illustrated, and illustration of other elements is omitted.

[0054] FIG. 6(a) shows the state immediately after the super straight 11 contacts the composition 5 on the substrate 1. As described above, on the substrate 1, the composition 5 supplied as a plurality of droplets by the supply unit 20 is arranged. The supply pattern (supply amount) of the droplets of the composition 5 on the substrate 1 is determined in advance based on the step such as the underlying pattern formed on the surface (underlayer) of the substrate 1. Even if the substrate 1 itself has unevenness (undulations), the supply pattern (supply amount) is not changed due to the unevenness. Therefore, in the convex region of the unevenness of the substrate 1 itself, the upper end position of the droplets of the composition 5 is high, and conversely, in the concave region, the upper end position of the droplets of the composition 5 is low. The contact between the super straight 11 and the composition 5 on the substrate 1 starts from the central portion of the super straight 11. However, locally, the higher the upper end position of the droplets of the composition 5 in the convex region, the earlier the contact between the super straight 11 and the composition 5 starts. Similarly, in the concave region, the lower the upper end position of the droplets of the composition 5, the later the contact between the super straight 11 and the composition 5 starts.

[0055] FIG. 6(b) shows the state where after the super straight 11 contacts the composition 5 on the substrate 1, the combination of the droplet-shaped compositions 5 progresses, and a liquid film of the composition 5 is formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. In the concave region of the unevenness of the substrate 1 itself, the super straight 11 may not be able to sufficiently follow the surface shape of the substrate 1, and the contact between the super straight 11 and the composition 5 may become insufficient. If the contact is insufficient, the combination of the droplet-shaped compositions 5 is hindered, and the droplet-shaped compositions 5 may remain uncombined or incompletely combined, and the liquid film of the composition 5 between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1 may become discontinuous. That is, an abnormal portion having thickness non-uniformity may occur in the liquid film of the composition 5 formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. Therefore, in the planarization device 100 of the present embodiment, the pressing operation is controlled so that a part of the super straight 11 corresponding to the abnormal portion is selectively pressed by the pressing member 50.

[0056] For example, after starting the contact between the super straight 11 and the composition 5 on the substrate 1, simultaneously with the release of the holding of the super straight 11 by the holding member 12, the detection (observation) of the contact state between the super straight 11 and the composition 5 by the spread camera 26 is started. The contact state between the super straight 11 and the composition 5 on the substrate 1 may be understood as the state of the liquid film of the composition 5 formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1, that is, the progress of the bonding between the droplet-like compositions 5 between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. Thereby, based on the image information obtained from the spread camera 26, the control unit 35 can identify (detect) an abnormal portion where non-uniformity in thickness occurs in the liquid film of the composition 5 formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. Here, after determining that the composition 5 has spread over the entire area of the substrate 1 based on the image information obtained from the spread camera 26, the control unit 35 can identify the abnormal portion.

[0057] When the control unit 35 identifies the abnormal portion, the substrate 1 is positioned in the XY directions by the substrate stage 3 so that the abnormal portion is disposed below the pressing member 50. In this state, the control unit 35 lowers the pressing member 50 by the head 13 or the drive mechanism 51, brings the pressing member 50 into contact with a part of the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 corresponding to the abnormal portion, and presses the part by the pressing member 50. FIG. 6(c) shows a state in which a pressing operation is being performed using the pressing member 50.

[0058] Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the planarizing apparatus 100 may be provided with a force detection unit 53 (second detection unit) that detects the pressing force of the super straight 11 by the pressing member 50. In this case, the control unit 35 can control the pressing operation based on the detection result of the force detection unit 53 so that the pressing force of the super straight 11 by the pressing member 50 becomes the target pressing force (the upper limit value of the pressing force). The target pressing force can be determined as the pressing force corresponding to the target thickness of the liquid film of the composition 5 based on the relationship between the thickness of the liquid film of the composition 5 and the pressing force obtained in advance by experiments, simulations, etc., in the same manner as described in the first embodiment. Further, the control unit 35 may also control the speed and angle (tilt) at which the pressing member 50 is pressed against the back surface 11b of the super straight 11 in the pressing operation based on the detection result of the force detection unit 53.

[0059] When the pressing operation is completed, the control unit 35 raises the pressing member 50 by the head 13 or the drive mechanism 51 to separate the pressing member 50 from the super straight 11. Then, the control unit 35 positions the substrate 1 in the XY direction by the substrate stage 3 so that the liquid film of the composition 5 between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1 is irradiated with light from the curing unit 24. In this state, light is emitted from the curing unit 24, and the composition 5 between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1 is cured by irradiating the liquid film of the composition 5 through the super straight 11.

[0060] After curing the composition 5, the control unit 35 lowers the holding member 12 by the head 13 to bring the holding member 12 into contact with the super straight 11 and hold the super straight 11 by the holding member 12. Next, the control unit 35 raises the holding member 12 by the head 13 to separate the super straight 11 held by the holding member 12 from the cured composition 5. Thereby, a planarizing film (planarizing layer) composed of the cured product of the composition 5 can be formed over the entire area of the substrate 1.

[0061] As described above, the planarization device 100 of the present embodiment has a pressing member 50 and performs a pressing operation using the pressing member 50. Also in the present embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, a liquid film of the composition 5 having a uniform thickness can be formed between the super straight 11 and the substrate 1. That is, a planarization film made of a cured product of the composition 5 having a uniform thickness can be formed on the substrate 1.

[0062] <Third Embodiment> The third embodiment according to the present invention will be described. In the above first and second embodiments, a planarization device has been exemplified and described as a molding device for molding a composition on a substrate using a mold. In the present embodiment, an imprint device will be exemplified and described as the molding device. Note that the present embodiment basically inherits the first embodiment and may follow the first embodiment except for the matters mentioned below. Also, in the present embodiment, the second embodiment may be applied in addition to or in place of the first embodiment.

[0063] The imprint device cures the composition (imprint material) on the substrate with a mold having a concavo-convex pattern in contact therewith, and separates the mold from the cured composition, whereby a cured product of the composition having the concavo-convex pattern of the mold transferred thereto can be formed on the substrate. In the imprint device, since it takes a corresponding time until the composition sufficiently fills the concave portions of the concavo-convex pattern of the mold, after bringing the mold into contact with the composition on the substrate, it is necessary to wait for a predetermined time and then cure the composition. Therefore, from the viewpoint of productivity, so-called multi-area imprint has been proposed in which the pattern of the mold is transferred collectively (simultaneously) to two or more shot areas among a plurality of shot areas on the substrate in the imprint device. And in multi-area imprint, countermeasures for reducing pattern defects (unfilled defects, abnormalities in residual layer thickness (RLT), etc.) caused by the concavo-convex (waviness) shape of the substrate itself are required.

[0064] Next, the configuration and processing of the imprint apparatus will be described. The configuration of the imprint apparatus is basically the same as that of the planarization apparatus 100 described in the first embodiment. Therefore, hereinafter, the planarization apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 will be described by replacing it with the imprint apparatus, and the reference numerals of the components of the apparatus will also be used. However, in the planarization apparatus 100, a mold (super straight) having a flat surface is used, whereas in the imprint apparatus, a mold having a fine concavo-convex pattern formed thereon is used.

[0065] The imprint apparatus 100 uses a mold 11 having a concavo-convex pattern formed thereon to transfer the concavo-convex pattern of the mold 11 to the composition 5 supplied onto the substrate 1. The mold 11 has a fine concavo-convex pattern formed on the molding surface 11a facing the substrate 1. The mold 11 is a light-transmissive member such as quartz glass. The concavo-convex pattern formed on the molding surface 11a of the mold 11 has a layout based on the layout (the shape, number, and arrangement of the shot regions) of two or more shot regions where multi-imprint is performed among the plurality of shot regions on the substrate 1. That is, a concavo-convex pattern to be transferred collectively to the two or more shot regions is formed on the molding surface 11a of the mold 11.

[0066] Next, the imprint process of the present embodiment will be described. After the control unit 35 supplies the composition 5 as a plurality of droplets onto the entire shot area of the substrate 1 by the supply unit 20, the substrate stage 3 moves the substrate 1 to the imprint position. The imprint position may be understood as the position below the mold 11 held by the holding member 12. When the movement of the substrate 1 is completed, the control unit 35 lowers the mold 11 by the head 13 to bring the molding surface 11a of the mold 11 into contact with the composition 5 on the substrate 1, and then releases the holding of the mold 11 by the holding member 12. At the same time, the control unit 35 starts observing the contact state by the spread camera 26 and the bonding state of the droplet-shaped compositions 5. When the control unit 35 identifies (detects) an abnormal portion where non-uniformity in thickness occurs in the liquid film of the composition 5 formed between the mold 11 and the substrate 1 based on the image information obtained by the spread camera 26, a pressing operation is performed. The pressing operation may be performed using the holding member 12 as described in the first embodiment, or may be performed using the pressing member 50 as described in the second embodiment.

[0067] When the pressing operation is completed, the control unit 35 raises the holding member 12 or the pressing member 50 to separate the holding member 12 or the pressing member 50 from the mold 11. Then, the control unit 35 positions the substrate 1 in the XY direction by the substrate stage 3 so that the liquid film of the composition 5 between the mold 11 and the substrate 1 is irradiated with light from the curing unit 24. In this state, light is emitted from the curing unit 24 and the liquid film of the composition 5 is irradiated through the mold 11, thereby curing the composition 5 between the mold 11 and the substrate 1.

[0068] After curing the composition 5, the control unit 35 lowers the holding member 12 by the head 13 to bring the holding member 12 into contact with the mold 11 and hold the mold 11 by the holding member 12. Next, the control unit 35 raises the holding member 12 by the head 13 to separate the mold 11 held by the holding member 12 from the cured composition 5. Thereby, a cured product pattern of the composition 5 having the concavo-convex pattern of the mold 11 transferred thereto can be formed on the substrate 1.

[0069] As described above, in this embodiment, a pressing operation is also performed in the imprint process. Thereby, for example, it is possible to reduce pattern defects (unfilled defects, abnormal residual film thickness, etc.) caused by the uneven shape of the substrate itself.

[0070] <Embodiment of the article manufacturing method> The article manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices such as semiconductor devices and elements having fine structures. The article manufacturing method of this embodiment includes a molding step of molding a composition on a substrate using the above-described molding apparatus and molding method, a processing step of processing the substrate having the composition molded in the molding step, and a manufacturing step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step. Further, such a manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (oxidation, film formation, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The article manufacturing method of this embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article as compared with the conventional method.

[0071] <Summary of the embodiment> The disclosure of this specification includes at least the following molding apparatus, molding method, and article manufacturing method. (Item 1) A molding apparatus for molding a composition on a substrate using a mold, having a holding member for holding the mold, and after bringing the mold held by the holding member into contact with the composition on the substrate by driving the holding member, through a process of releasing the holding of the mold by the holding member, a film forming portion that forms a liquid film of the composition between the mold and the substrate, a curing portion for curing the liquid film formed by the film forming portion, and comprising the film forming portion performs a pressing operation of pressing the mold by a member that partially contacts the mold so that the non-uniformity of the thickness of the liquid film is reduced after the process. A molding apparatus characterized by this. (Item 2) The film forming unit performs the pressing operation using the holding member as the member that partially contacts the mold, and the molding apparatus according to item 1 is characterized in this respect. (Item 3) The holding member is configured to hold the outer peripheral portion of the mold, The film forming unit performs the pressing operation so as to press the outer peripheral portion of the mold with the holding member, and the molding apparatus according to item 2 is characterized in this respect. (Item 4) The member that partially contacts the mold to perform the pressing operation is different from the holding member, and the molding apparatus according to item 1 is characterized in this respect. (Item 5) The molding apparatus further includes a first detection unit that detects an abnormal portion in which non-uniformity in thickness occurs in the liquid film, The film forming unit performs the pressing operation so as to press a part of the mold corresponding to the abnormal portion detected by the first detection unit, and the molding apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 4 is characterized in this respect. (Item 6) The molding apparatus further includes a second detection unit that detects the pressing force of the mold in the pressing operation, The film forming unit performs the pressing operation so as to obtain a pressing force corresponding to the target thickness of the liquid film based on the detection result of the second detection unit, and the molding apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 5 is characterized in this respect. (Item 7) The mold has a first surface that contacts the composition on the substrate and a second surface on the opposite side of the first surface, The film forming unit presses the second surface of the mold with a member that contacts the second surface of the mold in the pressing operation, and the molding apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 6 is characterized in this respect. (Item 8) The curing unit cures the liquid film in a state where the holding member and the mold are separated from each other, and the molding apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 7 is characterized in this respect. (Item 9) The mold has a flat surface, The molding apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 8, wherein the flat surface is brought into contact with the composition on the substrate to flatten the composition on the substrate. (Item 10) A molding method for molding a composition on a substrate using a mold, After driving a holding member that holds the mold and bringing the mold into contact with the composition on the substrate, a film forming step of forming a liquid film of the composition between the mold and the substrate through a process of releasing the holding of the mold by the holding member, A curing step of curing the liquid film formed in the film forming step, including The film forming step includes a pressing operation of pressing the mold with a member that partially contacts the mold so that the non-uniformity of the thickness of the liquid film is reduced after the process. The molding method is characterized by this. (Item 11) A molding step of molding a composition on a substrate using the molding method according to item 10, A processing step of processing the substrate having the composition molded in the molding step, A manufacturing step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step, An article manufacturing method characterized by including

[0072] 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.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0073] 1: Substrate, 2: Substrate chuck, 3: Substrate stage, 5: Composition, 11: Mold (super straight), 12: Holding member, 13: Head, 14: Force detection unit, 24: Curing unit, 26: Spread camera, 35: Control unit, 50: Pressing member, 100: Molding apparatus (flattening apparatus, imprint apparatus)

Claims

1. A molding apparatus for molding a composition on a substrate using a mold, comprising: a holding member for holding the mold, and after driving the holding member holding the mold to bring the mold into contact with the composition on the substrate, performing a process of releasing the holding of the mold by the holding member, thereby forming a liquid film of the composition between the mold and the substrate; a film forming section; a curing section for curing the liquid film formed by the film forming section; characterized in that: after the process, the film forming section performs a pressing operation of pressing the mold with a member that partially contacts the mold so as to reduce non-uniformity in the thickness of the liquid film.

2. The molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the film forming section performs the pressing operation using the holding member as the member that partially contacts the mold.

3. The holding member is configured to hold an outer peripheral portion of the mold, and the film forming section performs the pressing operation so as to press the outer peripheral portion of the mold with the holding member.

4. The molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member that partially contacts the mold to perform the pressing operation is different from the holding member.

5. further comprising a first detection section for detecting an abnormal portion where non-uniformity in thickness occurs in the liquid film, and the film forming section performs the pressing operation so as to press a part of the mold corresponding to the abnormal portion detected by the first detection section.

6. further comprising a second detection section for detecting a pressing force of the mold in the pressing operation, and the film forming section performs the pressing operation so as to obtain a pressing force corresponding to a target thickness of the liquid film based on a detection result of the second detection section.

7. The mold has a first surface that contacts the composition on the substrate and a second surface on the side opposite to the first surface, and in the pressing operation, the film forming section presses the second surface of the mold with a member that contacts the second surface of the mold.

8. The molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the curing section cures the liquid film in a state where the holding member and the mold are separated from each other.

9. The mold has a flat surface, The molding apparatus flattens the composition on the substrate by bringing the flat surface into contact with the composition on the substrate. The molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that.

10. A molding method for molding a composition on a substrate using a mold, A film forming step of forming a liquid film of the composition between the mold and the substrate by driving a holding member holding the mold to bring the mold into contact with the composition on the substrate and then releasing the holding of the mold by the holding member; A curing step of curing the liquid film formed in the film forming step; Including, The film forming step includes a pressing operation of pressing the mold with a member that partially contacts the mold so that the non-uniformity of the thickness of the liquid film is reduced after the treatment. A molding method characterized by that.

11. A molding step of molding a composition on a substrate using the molding method according to claim 10; A processing step of processing the substrate having the composition molded in the molding step; A manufacturing step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step; An article manufacturing method characterized by including.

Images