Film forming method, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous for accurately forming a film on a substrate.SOLUTION: A film forming method for forming a flattened film on a substrate is provided. The substrate has a region including a first recess and a second recess. The first recess has a wider width than the second recess. The film forming method includes: a first step of selectively supplying first material to the inside of the first recess to mold the first material; and a second step of supplying second material onto the region so that the second recess is filled with the second material and a flattened film of the second material is formed over the entire area of the region, and bringing the second material and super straight into contact with each other to mold the second material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] The technology of forming a flat film on the surface of a substrate such as a wafer is one of the important technologies in the semiconductor manufacturing process that requires multilayer wiring. Patent Document 1 proposes a method of forming a planarizing film on a substrate having a plurality of concavo-convex processed portions on its surface. Further, Patent Document 2 proposes a method of forming a planarizing film on a substrate having topography. In the methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a resist is dropped onto the substrate, and the resist is cured with a blank template pressed against the resist, and then the blank template is peeled off from the resist to form a flat resist film on the substrate. Further, Patent Document 2 also discloses changing the volume of the material (resist) supplied onto the substrate according to the variation in the topography of the substrate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Depending on the substrate, a relatively large recess (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a bathtub portion) may be formed on the surface. In the bathtub portion, in the film formed on the substrate, a larger step or depression is likely to occur than in other portions. That is, in the substrate having the bathtub portion, it may be difficult to accurately form a film (for example, a planarizing film) on its surface.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique advantageous for accurately forming a film on a substrate. **Means for Solving the Problems**

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a film forming method according to one aspect of the present invention is a film forming method for forming a planarized film on a substrate, wherein the substrate has a region including a first recess and a second recess, the width of the first recess is wider than that of the second recess, and the film forming method includes a first step of selectively supplying a first material into the first recess and forming the first material, and a second step of supplying the second material onto the region so that the second recess is filled with the second material and a planarized film of the second material is formed over the entire region, and bringing the second material into contact with a superstrate to form the second material.

[0007] A further object or another aspect of the present invention will be clarified by the preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. **Advantages of the Invention**

[0008] According to the present invention, for example, a technique advantageous for accurately forming a film on a substrate can be provided. **Brief Description of the Drawings**

[0009]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] 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 explanations are omitted.

[0011] The technology of forming a flat film on the surface of a substrate such as a wafer is one of the important technologies in the semiconductor manufacturing process that requires multilayer wiring. For example, when directly laminating a further wiring layer on the wiring layer on the surface of a substrate having an uneven pattern such as wiring, strain corresponding to the unevenness of the lower layer occurs in the laminated structure, and problems such as poor connection between the upper and lower layers occur. In addition, in the case of a substrate having an uneven pattern with non-uniform width diameter and depth, the non-uniformity increases as the lamination of the material layer is repeated on the uneven pattern, so that it becomes even more difficult to planarize the surface of the laminated film. Therefore, it is necessary to planarize the surface of the substrate for each additional wiring (wiring layer, material layer).

[0012] Improving flatness has various advantages. For example, in ArF immersion (ArFi) lithography, the depth of focus (DOF), critical dimension (CD), and critical dimension uniformity (CDU) can be improved. In extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, the pattern position accuracy and DOF can be improved. In nanoimprint lithography (NIL) where a fine concavo-convex pattern on a template surface is transferred onto a substrate to form a fine concavo-convex pattern of a curable composition, the resist filling property to the template, CD of the transferred pattern, and CDU can be improved.

[0013] Amid the further progress of miniaturization and multilayerization for improving the performance of semiconductor devices, MEMS, etc., the processing requirements for fine dimension patterns in the range of several nm to a dozen or so nm are increasing. At the same time, more advanced planarization techniques for achieving concavo-convex accuracy at the level of several nm are being required.

[0014] In the semiconductor industry, the most common planarization technique is chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). However, CMP developed mainly targeting hard materials such as metals and dielectrics is difficult to apply to soft materials such as organic materials and requires strict process control. Also, in a substrate having a recess wider than several μm, dishing (a phenomenon where it is polished excessively compared to the surroundings) occurs in that part, and a decrease in flatness is inevitable.

[0015] As another planarization technique, the method proposed in Patent Document 1 mentioned above is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a planarization method of a substrate in which a resist is dropped onto a substrate having a plurality of processed portions with concavo-convex shapes on the surface, pressed against a blank template, the resist is cured, and then the blank template is released from the resist.

[0016] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, depending on the substrate being processed, there are often cases where a bathtub portion (first recess), which is a recess with a relatively wide width compared to others, exists on the same substrate as a fine uneven pattern (second recess) with a size ranging from several nanometers to several tens of nanometers. However, in many of the conventional techniques for planarizing pattern substrates, materials are supplied uniformly for film formation. Therefore, in the bathtub portion, there is a shortage of materials, resulting in steps and depressions, and it is difficult to achieve planarization up to the unevenness accuracy at the order of several nanometers required for the process of the fine uneven pattern of several nanometers to several tens of nanometers.

[0017] For example, the underlying pattern of a device has an uneven distribution within an exposure shot according to the function to be formed, and the period of the uneven pattern in the XY direction may have a width ranging from several tens to several hundreds of micrometers depending on the design. For example, in a memory device, it is common for the average pattern height due to pattern design to be different at the memory cell portion within the chip, the scribe line that is the boundary between chips, the peripheral circuit of the memory, and the boundary portion of the memory cell area.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a diagram schematically showing a cross-section of a substrate on which a resist is applied by a spin coater. FIG. 1(a) shows the cross-section of the substrate before the resist is applied, and FIG. 1(b) shows the cross-section of the substrate after the resist is applied. As an example, on a substrate (wafer) on which an underlying pattern is formed, there may be three types: a Dense region, an Open region, and a trench region (also called a bathtub portion). The Dense region is, for example, a region where a plurality of grooves (second recesses) of a fine pattern such as fine pitch line & space are formed (printed), and the Open region is a region where no pattern is arranged. The trench region is a region where a groove (bathtub portion, first recess) with a larger width diameter is formed compared to the Dense region. When a resist is spin-coated on such a wafer, as shown in FIG. 1(b), since the resist surface generally follows the shape of a thin film that follows the average height of the wafer, it becomes a topographic shape reflecting the long-period unevenness on the lower surface of the wafer. That is, it is difficult to achieve planarization with an unevenness accuracy at the order of several nanometers.

[0019] Patent Document 2 mentioned above discloses a method for planarizing a substrate, in which a resist is dropped onto a substrate having a topography, pressed against a blank template, the resist is cured, and then the blank template is removed from the resist. Although Patent Document 2 discloses a step of changing the volume of the material discharged according to the variation in the topography of the substrate, the material is supplied not only to the bathtub portion but also to other parts, and after the material contacts the superstrate and is planarized, it is cured and peeled off. Therefore, in the bathtub portion, the influence of the volume change due to the curing shrinkage of the organic material (usually about 5 to 15%) is larger than that of other parts, and a larger step or depression may occur, and there is a possibility that planarization with an unevenness accuracy at the nanometer level cannot be achieved (see FIG. 2). Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention capable of accurately forming a film (planarization film) on the surface of a substrate will be described.

[0020] <First Embodiment> [Film Forming Apparatus] In the first embodiment, a film forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described. The film forming apparatus of the present embodiment is an apparatus for forming a film on a substrate, and can be configured to accurately form a thin film (planarization film) on a substrate having variations in surface shape. For example, the substrate on which the thin film is to be formed has a region including a plurality of recesses, and at least one of the plurality of recesses (first recess) may be configured as a bathtub portion having a wider width and / or a larger volume than other recesses (second recess). The film forming apparatus of the present embodiment can be configured to accurately form a thin film (planarization film) over the entire region of such a substrate including a plurality of recesses. The film forming apparatus of the present embodiment may include, for example, a first material supply means for supplying a first material into the bathtub portion (first recess), a first material forming means for forming the first material, a second material supply means for supplying a second material onto the substrate, and a second material forming means for forming the second material. The second material forming means may be understood as a thin film forming means for forming a thin film (planarization film) of the second material on the substrate.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. The film forming apparatus 1 may include a first material supply mechanism 2 (supply device), which is a means for supplying a first material to the bathtub portion, and a first material forming mechanism 3 (first forming device), which is a means for forming the first material. Further, the film forming apparatus 1 may include a thin film forming mechanism 4 (second forming device), which is a means for supplying a second material and forming a thin film (planarization film) of the second material. In the example shown in FIG. 3, a common control unit 7 is provided for the first material supply mechanism 2, the first material forming mechanism 3, and the thin film forming mechanism 4. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and control units may be provided individually for each mechanism. The control unit 7 is configured by a computer having, for example, a CPU, a memory, etc., and can comprehensively control the processes performed in the film forming apparatus 1.

[0022] The first material supply mechanism 2 is a mechanism for selectively supplying the first material 13a to the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a. The first material supply mechanism 2 may include, for example, a first substrate holding portion 12a that can hold and move the substrate 11a, and a first material supply portion 14a that supplies the first material 13a to the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a, as shown in FIG. 4(a). In addition to the bathtub portion 10a (first recess), a plurality of grooves 10b (second recesses) configured as fine-pitch line & space are formed in the substrate 11a shown in FIG. 4(a). Here, the plurality of grooves 10b (second recesses) are not limited to line & space, and may be grooves around pillars, holes, etc.

[0023] The first substrate holding unit 12a may include a substrate chuck 16a for fixing and holding the substrate 11a, and a substrate driving mechanism 17a for controlling the position of the substrate 11a with respect to at least two axes in the XYZ coordinate system, i.e., the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Further, the first substrate holding unit 12a may be provided with a plurality of reference mirrors 18a corresponding to the respective directions of X, Y, Z, ωx, ωy, and ωz on its side surface. In this case, the first material supply mechanism 2 includes a plurality of laser interferometers 19a (length measuring instruments) for measuring the position of the first substrate holding unit 12a (i.e., the position of the substrate 11a) by irradiating these reference mirrors 18a with beams respectively. The laser interferometer 19a measures the position of the first substrate holding unit 12a, and the control unit 7 executes positioning control of the substrate 11a (the first substrate holding unit 12a) based on the measured value at this time. The first material supply mechanism 2 may measure the position of the first substrate holding unit 12a using an encoder instead of the reference mirror 18a and the laser interferometer 19a. Thereby, alignment between the substrate 11a and other parts becomes possible, and for example, the alignment accuracy between the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a and the first material supply portion 14a can be improved.

[0024] The first material supply unit 14a is a unit for supplying the first material 13a into the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a, and may be configured as, for example, a discharge portion that discharges the first material 13a toward the substrate 11a. The control unit 7 controls the relative position between the first material supply unit 14a and the substrate 11a based on the bathtub information 5 regarding the position of the bathtub portion 10 so that the first material 13a discharged from the first material supply unit 14a (discharge portion) is selectively supplied into the bathtub portion 10a. The change and adjustment of the relative position can be performed, for example, by the substrate driving mechanism 17a. Thereby, the substrate 11b in which the first material 13a is supplied into the bathtub portion 10a can be obtained.

[0025] Here, the first material supply unit 14a can be configured to discharge (supply) the first material 13a as one or more droplets into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a. In this case, each droplet of the first material 13a discharged from the first material supply unit 14a preferably has a volume smaller than the volume of the bathtub portion 10a so that the first material 13a can fit inside the bathtub portion 10a. For example, the volume of each droplet discharged from the first material supply unit 14a may be set to 2 pL or less. Also, each droplet of the first material 13a discharged from the first material supply unit 14a preferably has a diameter smaller than the width diameter of the bathtub portion 10a so that the first material 13a can fit inside the bathtub portion 10a. For example, the width diameter of each droplet discharged from the first material supply unit 14a (for example, the width diameter of each droplet at the time of landing on the substrate) may be set to 8 μm or less.

[0026] Also, the first material supply unit 14a is preferably composed of a dispenser or the like having one or more nozzles capable of supplying (discharging) droplets with a volume on the order of sub-femtoliters to picoliters. For example, the first material supply unit 14a can supply minute droplets of the first material 13a onto the substrate using a supply method such as a piezo method, a microsolenoid method, an electrostatic discharge method, etc. As an example, for the first material supply unit 14a, a dispenser manufactured by Xaar that can supply droplets with a volume on the order of picoliters by the piezo method, and a dispenser manufactured by SIJ Technologies that can supply droplets with a volume on the order of sub-femtoliters can be used. The first material supply unit 14a may include a plurality of the same or different types of dispensers. The first material 13a supplied by the first material supply unit 14a is not limited to a liquid as long as it is a material that can be formed by the first material forming mechanism 3. Depending on the state of matter of the first material 13a, an appropriate first material supply unit 14a can be provided. Furthermore, the first material supply unit 14a may include a drive mechanism for controlling the position of the first material supply unit 14a with respect to at least two axes, namely the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, in the XYZ coordinate system. In this case, the change and adjustment of the relative position between the first material supply unit 14a and the substrate 11a may be performed by the drive mechanism of the first material supply unit 14a, or by both the drive mechanism of the first material supply unit 14a and the substrate drive mechanism 17a.

[0027] The first material forming mechanism 3 is a mechanism for forming the first material 13a selectively supplied into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a by the first material supply mechanism 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 4(b), it may include a first energy source 15a. The first energy source 15a can supply energy 20a for forming (e.g., solidifying) the first material 13a supplied into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a to the first material 13a. As the first energy source 15a, an electromagnetic wave source, a heat source, etc. can be used. That is, as the energy 20a for forming the first material 13a, electromagnetic waves, heat, etc. can be used. As the electromagnetic wave, for example, light such as microwave, infrared ray, visible light, ultraviolet ray, etc., whose wavelength is selected from the range of 10 nm or more and 1 mm or less, can be used. Also, as the electromagnetic wave, radiation such as electron beam and gamma ray can be adopted. Examples of the first energy source 15a include, but are not limited to, a high-pressure mercury lamp, a xenon lamp, a halogen lamp, a laser oscillator, an electron beam accelerator, a hot plate, a Peltier element, a magnetron, a filament, a heater, etc. When using electromagnetic waves or the like as the energy 20a for forming the first material, the first material forming mechanism 3 may include a mechanism for supplying electromagnetic waves or the like to the first material 13a directly from above the substrate 11b having the first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a or through an optical system such as a lens. On the other hand, when using heat or the like as the energy 20a for forming the first material, the first material forming mechanism 3 may include a mechanism for supplying heat or the like to the first material 13a from below the substrate 11b through the substrate 11b or directly from above the substrate 11b.

[0028] Here, in the first material forming mechanism 3, the first substrate holding part 12a of the first material supply mechanism 2 may be used as a substrate holding part that fixes and holds the substrate 11b to which energy 20a is supplied from the first energy source 15a. In this case, after the first material 13a is supplied into the bathtub part 10a of the substrate by the first material supply part 14a of the first material supply mechanism 2, the first substrate holding part 12a can be controlled by the control part 7 to move to the first material forming mechanism 3. Note that in the first material forming mechanism 3, the first substrate holding part 12a of the first material supply mechanism 2 is not necessarily used in common as described above, and a substrate holding part separate from the first substrate holding part 12a of the first material supply mechanism 2 may be provided.

[0029] The thin film forming mechanism 4 is a mechanism that forms a thin film (planarization film) on the substrate 11c after the first material 13a supplied into the bathtub part 10a by the first material supply mechanism 2 is formed by the first material forming mechanism 3. The thin film forming mechanism 4 forms a thin film (planarization film) on the target area of the substrate 11c including the bathtub part 10a (first recess) and the plurality of grooves 10b (second recesses). For example, the thin film forming mechanism 4 supplies the second material 13b onto the target area so that the plurality of grooves 10b are filled with the second material 13b and a thin film (planarization film) of the second material 13b is formed over the entire target area, and forms the second material 13b. The thin film forming mechanism 4 may include, for example, as shown in FIG. 4(c), a second substrate holding part 12b that can fix and hold the substrate 11c and move, and a second material supply part 14b that supplies the second material 13b onto the substrate. Further, the thin film forming mechanism 4 may include a thin film forming drive part 21 for forming the second material 13b into a thin film, and a second energy source 15b that supplies energy 20b for solidifying the second material 13b into a solid thin film to the second material 13b.

[0030] The second substrate holding part 12b can include a substrate chuck 16b that fixes and holds a substrate 11c having the solidified first material 13a inside the bathtub part 10a. Further, it can include a substrate drive mechanism 17b that controls the position of the substrate 11c with respect to at least two axes in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction in the XYZ coordinate system. Also, the second substrate holding part 12b may include a plurality of reference mirrors 18b corresponding to the directions of X, Y, Z, ωx, ωy, and ωz on its side surface. In this case, the thin film forming mechanism 4 includes a plurality of laser interferometers 19b (length measuring instruments) that measure the position of the second substrate holding part 12b (i.e., the position of the substrate 11c) by irradiating these reference mirrors 18b with beams respectively. The laser interferometer 19b measures the position of the second substrate holding part 12b, and the control unit 7 executes positioning control of the substrate 11c (the second substrate holding part 12b) based on the measured value at this time. The thin film forming mechanism 4 may measure the position of the second substrate holding part 12b using an encoder instead of the reference mirror 18b and the laser interferometer 19b. Thereby, alignment between the substrate 11c and other parts becomes possible. For example, the alignment accuracy between the substrate 11c and the second material supply part 14b can be improved, and the second material 13b can be supplied to a desired position according to the pattern layout of each fine pattern part on the substrate 11c. The second substrate holding part 12b may be the same as or shared with the first substrate holding part 12a.

[0031] The second material supply unit 14b is a unit for supplying the second material 13b onto the substrate 11c having the solidified first material 13a inside the bathtub unit 10a. For example, when the second material 13b is a liquid, the second material supply unit 14b can supply the second material 13b onto the substrate 11c using any of the following methods. Examples of the methods include an inkjet method, a dip coating method, an air knife coating method, a curtain coating method, a wire bar coating method, a gravure coating method, an extrusion coating method, a spin coating method, a slit scan method, a spray coating method, and the like. In the present invention, it is particularly preferable to supply the second material 13b in a film form onto the substrate by the spin coating method. Alternatively, it is particularly preferable to supply the second material in the form of droplets or in an island or film form formed by connecting a plurality of droplets onto the substrate using a dispenser or the like having one or more nozzles. In this case, the second material supply unit 14b is preferably a jetting nozzle, a dispenser, or the like having a nozzle capable of supplying droplets on the order of sub-femtoliters to picoliters. Further, the second material supply unit 14b is preferably capable of supplying the second material 13b onto the substrate 11c such that the volume per substrate area is uniform and / or the volume varies over the substrate surface according to the surface shape of the substrate 11c. Furthermore, the second material supply unit 14b is preferably configured such that the material supply amount per unit time is larger than that of the first material supply unit 14a.

[0032] Here, the second material 13b supplied onto the substrate by the second material supply unit 14b is not limited to a liquid as long as it is a material that can be formed by the thin film forming mechanism 4. The thin film forming mechanism 4 may be provided with an appropriate second material supply unit 14b according to the state of matter of the second material 13b. Further, the second material supply unit 14b may be provided with a drive mechanism that controls the position of the second material supply unit 14b with respect to at least two axes in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction in the XYZ coordinate system. The second material supply unit 14b may be the same as or shared with the first material supply unit 14a. In the present invention, it is particularly preferable that the thin film forming mechanism 4 is provided with a second material supply unit 14b suitable for the spin coating method, the super straight contact peeling method, the SST-NIL spread method, the thermal imprint method, the photo imprint method, and the like.

[0033] The drive unit 21 for thin film forming is a drive unit for forming a thin film of the second material 13b supplied onto the substrate 11c by the second material supply unit 14b. The drive unit 21 for thin film forming may be understood as a processing unit that performs a process for forming the second material 13b supplied onto the substrate 11c by the second material supply unit 14b into a thin film. Thereby, the substrate 11d on which the thin film of the second material 13b is formed can be obtained. The drive unit 21 for thin film forming can be a drive unit that can form a thin film having an average film thickness of 0.1 nm or more and 1000 nm or less, although it varies depending on the application. The drive unit 21 for thin film forming can be a drive unit that can form a thin film having an average film thickness preferably of 1 nm or more and 50 nm or less, and more preferably of 1 nm or more and 10 nm or less.

[0034] The driving unit 21 for thin film formation may include a driving unit for forming a thin film using any of the following methods. Examples of the any method include an inkjet method, a dip coating method, an air knife coating method, a curtain coating method, a wire bar coating method, a gravure coating method, an extrusion coating method, a spin coating method, a slit scan method, a spray coating method, and the like. Alternatively, the driving unit 21 for thin film formation may include a driving unit for forming the second material 13b supplied onto the substrate in the form of droplets or in an island or film shape formed by connecting a plurality of droplets into a thin film by a dispenser or the like having one or more nozzles. Further, the driving unit 21 for thin film formation may include a driving unit for forming a thin film by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method, a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method, a (MOVPE) method, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method, or the like. In the present invention, it is particularly preferable that the driving unit 21 for thin film formation includes a driving unit suitable for forming a thin film by a spin coating method, a superstrate contact peeling method, an SST-NIL spread method, a thermal imprint method, a photolithography method, or the like.

[0035] The second energy source 15b can supply energy 20b for shaping (e.g., solidifying) the second material 13b on the substrate 11d to the second material 13b. As the second energy source 15b, an electromagnetic wave source, a heat source, etc. can be used. That is, as the energy 20b, electromagnetic waves, heat, etc. can be used. As the electromagnetic waves, for example, light such as microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, etc. whose wavelength is selected from the range of 10 nm or more and 1 m or less is used. Also, as the electromagnetic waves, radiation such as electron beams and gamma rays can be adopted. Examples of the second energy source 15b include, but are not limited to, a high-pressure mercury lamp, a xenon lamp, a halogen lamp, a laser oscillator, an electron beam accelerator, a hot plate, a Peltier element, a magnetron, a filament, a heater, etc. When using electromagnetic waves or the like as the energy 20b for forming the second material (for forming a thin film), the thin film forming mechanism 4 can include a mechanism for supplying electromagnetic waves or the like to the second material 13b directly from above the substrate 11d or through an optical system such as a lens. On the other hand, when using heat or the like as the energy 20b for forming the second material, the thin film forming mechanism 4 can include a mechanism for supplying heat or the like to the second material 13b from below the substrate through the substrate or directly from above the substrate 11d. The second energy source 15b may be the same as or shared with the first energy source 15a.

[0036] The film forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can operate based on the input of the bathtub information 5. The bathtub information 5 is information regarding the bathtub portion 10a and can include, for example, data (bathtub data 24) of the bathtub portion 10a regarding coordinates (position), volume, width diameter, depth, shape, etc. based on a reference point on the substrate. For example, the film forming apparatus 1 can use the bathtub information 5 based on the bathtub data 24 measured by a surface roughness meter, a surface shape measuring machine, an AFM, an SEM, a shape analysis laser microscope, a laser displacement meter, etc. Also, instead of directly measuring within the apparatus, the film forming apparatus 1 may use the bathtub information 5 based on the bathtub data 24 obtained by data conversion such as calculation from other data.

[0037] The bathtub information 5 may be bathtub data 24 obtained by measurement outside the apparatus, or may be bathtub data 24 obtained by measurement inside the apparatus. Among these, the bathtub information 5 is preferably bathtub data 24 measured inside the apparatus. When the bathtub data 24 measured inside the apparatus is used as the bathtub information 5, the film forming apparatus 1 may include a measurement mechanism 6 which is a means for measuring the surface shape of the substrate inside the apparatus. As the measurement mechanism 6, for example, it may include a bathtub data measurement unit 25 that measures data serving as the basis for the bathtub information 5, such as a surface roughness meter, a surface shape measuring machine, an AFM, an SEM, a shape analysis laser microscope, a laser displacement meter, etc. Further, if necessary, it may include a bathtub data processing unit 26 that converts the measurement data of the measurement mechanism 6 into bathtub information 5 that can be input to the film forming apparatus 1. The bathtub data processing unit 26 may be provided inside the film forming apparatus 1, or may be installed at a location separate from the film forming apparatus 1 and processed remotely.

[0038] Further, the film forming apparatus 1 may include a high-temperature treatment unit 9, a substrate transfer unit 8, and a control unit 7. The high-temperature treatment unit 9 can heat the substrate 11e having the solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b and / or the thin film on the substrate to a high temperature by the thin film forming mechanism 4. As the energy source of the high-temperature treatment unit 9, an electromagnetic wave source, a heat source, etc. can be used. That is, as the energy for high-temperature treatment, electromagnetic waves, heat, etc. can be used. As the electromagnetic wave, for example, light such as microwave, infrared ray, visible light, ultraviolet ray, etc. whose wavelength is selected from the range of 10 nm or more and 1 m or less is used. Also, as the electromagnetic wave, radiation such as electron beam and gamma ray can be adopted. Examples of the energy source of the high-temperature treatment unit 9 include, but are not limited to, a magnetron, a hot plate, a Peltier element, a constant temperature bath, a high-pressure mercury lamp, a laser oscillator, an electron beam accelerator, etc. When using electromagnetic waves or the like as the energy for high-temperature treatment, a mechanism for supplying electromagnetic waves or the like to the second material 13b directly from above the substrate 11e or through an optical system such as a lens can be provided in the energy source of the high-temperature treatment unit 9. On the other hand, when using heat or the like as the energy for high-temperature treatment, a mechanism for supplying heat or the like to the second material 13b through the substrate from below the substrate 11e can be provided in the energy source of the high-temperature treatment unit 9.

[0039] The high-temperature treatment unit 9 preferably can set the substrate and / or the thin film on the substrate to a predetermined temperature of 100°C or higher and 500°C or lower, and more preferably can set it to a predetermined temperature of 200°C or higher and 450°C or lower. Further, the high-temperature treatment unit 9 may have a function of setting a constant temperature step and / or a temperature increase / decrease step. For example, the high-temperature treatment unit 9 may be a heating device such as a hot plate, a Peltier element, a thermostat, an oven, or a magnetron. The energy source of the high-temperature treatment unit 9 may be the same as or shared with the first energy source 15a and / or the second energy source 15b.

[0040] The substrate transfer unit 8 can take the substrate 11 from the outside of the film forming apparatus 1 into the inside of the film forming apparatus 1 and transfer it to the substrate holding units 12a and / or 12b. Further, the substrate 11 after film formation can be transferred from the substrate holding units 12a and / or 12b to the outside of the film forming apparatus 1. Furthermore, when each mechanism / each part of the film forming apparatus 1 is not shared but separately installed, the substrate 11 can be transferred between each mechanism / each part.

[0041] The control unit 7 controls the operations of each mechanism / each part of the film forming apparatus 1 in order to form a film on a substrate (pattern substrate) having the bathtub part 10a. That is, the control unit 7 may be configured to control each mechanism / each part of the film forming apparatus 1 such as the first material supply mechanism 2, the first material shaping mechanism 3, the thin film forming mechanism 4, etc. The control unit 7 may be provided inside the film forming apparatus 1, or may be installed at a location separate from the film forming apparatus 1 and controlled remotely.

[0042] <Second Embodiment> [Film Forming Method] In the second embodiment, a film forming method according to the present invention will be described. The film forming method of the present embodiment is a method for forming a film on a substrate. Specifically, it is a method for accurately forming a thin film (planarization film) on a substrate having variations in surface shape. For example, the substrate on which the thin film is to be formed has a region including a plurality of recesses, and at least one of the plurality of recesses (first recess) may be configured as a bathtub portion having a wider width than other recesses (second recess). The film forming method of the present embodiment is a method for accurately forming a thin film (planarization film) over the entire region of a substrate including such a plurality of recesses. The film forming method of the present embodiment may include, for example, a step of supplying a first material into the bathtub portion (first recess), a step of shaping the first material, a step of supplying a second material onto the substrate, and a step of shaping the second material. The step of shaping the second material may be understood as a step of forming a thin film (planarization film) of the second material on the substrate.

[0043] Hereinafter, the film forming method of the present embodiment will be exemplarily described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the film forming method of the present embodiment for forming a film on a target region of a substrate. The target region is a region of the substrate in which a bathtub portion 10a (first recess) and a plurality of grooves 10b (second recesses) are formed. The plurality of grooves 10b may be configured as fine-pitch line and space, for example.

[0044] In step S101, the substrate 11a is carried into the film forming apparatus 1. For example, the substrate 11a may be carried into the substrate chuck 16a of the first substrate holding portion 12a using the substrate transfer portion 8. The substrate 11a may have a surface shape resulting from a substrate processing step before the application step of the present invention. The surface shape of the substrate 11a varies depending on the position on the substrate, includes a plurality of recesses, and at least one of the recesses is the bathtub portion 10a. The surface shape of the substrate 11a may include a rectangular shape at the edge of the recess, or may be a smooth curved surface without a rectangular shape.

[0045] The bathtub portion 10a included in the concavo-convex pattern of the substrate 11a is a recess that is wider and / or has a larger volume than other recesses (a plurality of grooves 10b) on the same substrate. The width diameter of the bathtub portion 10a can be 0.3 μm or more. The film formation method of the present embodiment is particularly effective when the width diameter of the bathtub portion 10a is 1 μm or more, and when the width diameter of the bathtub portion 10a is 5 μm or more, the advantages can be remarkable compared with the conventional film formation technology. Further, the volume of the bathtub portion 10a can be 0.1 fL or more. The film formation method of the present embodiment is particularly effective when the volume of the bathtub portion 10a is 1 fL or more, and when the volume of the bathtub portion 10a is 1.5 fL or more, the advantages can be remarkable compared with the conventional film formation technology. The cross-sectional shape of the bathtub portion 10a may be set to a rectangular depression, a gently curved depression, or any other shape. Further, the shape of the bathtub portion 10a as viewed from the upper surface of the substrate may be set to a square shape, a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, a parallelogram shape, a trapezoidal shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, an L shape, or any other shape. Here, the height difference of the concavo-convex of the surface shape of the substrate 11a is, for example, about 1 nm to 1 mm, preferably about 1 nm to 10000 nm. Among these, in the region of the fine concavo-convex pattern where there are a plurality of grooves 10b (second recesses), it is preferable that the height difference of the concavo-convex of the surface shape is about 10 nm to 200 nm.

[0046] The substrate 11a is typically a silicon wafer, but is not limited thereto. The substrate 11a can be arbitrarily selected from semiconductor device substrates such as aluminum, titanium-tungsten alloy, aluminum-silicon alloy, aluminum-copper-silicon alloy, silicon oxide, and silicon nitride, and substrates such as quartz, glass, ceramics, metals, semiconductors, and resins. If necessary, a material different from the substrate 11a may be formed or laminated on its surface. Further, a plurality of materials may be formed or laminated. Note that the surface of the substrate 11a used or the outermost surface of the substrate 11a may have improved adhesion to the first material 13a and the second material 13b by surface treatment such as silane coupling treatment, silazane treatment, or formation of an organic thin film.

[0047] In step S102, the first material 13a is selectively supplied into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a. In this step, for example, the first material 13a can be supplied into the bathtub portion 10a using the first material supply unit 14a described in the first embodiment. As a result, the substrate 11b into which the first material 13a has been supplied into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a can be obtained.

[0048] Here, in step S102, the first material 13a can be supplied into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a as one or a plurality of droplets. At this time, each of the droplets preferably has a volume smaller than the volume of the bathtub portion 10a so that each droplet of the first material 13a fits inside the bathtub portion 10. For example, the volume of each droplet can be set to 2 pL or less. Also, each of the droplets preferably has a diameter smaller than the width diameter of the bathtub portion 10a so that each droplet of the first material 13a fits inside the bathtub portion 10. For example, the width diameter (for example, the width diameter at the time of landing on the substrate) of each droplet can be set to 8 μm or less.

[0049] Further, in step S102, the first material 13a may be selectively supplied into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a based on information regarding at least one of the position and volume of the bathtub portion 10a. Specifically, based on bathtub information 5 including bathtub data such as coordinates, volume, width diameter, depth, shape, etc. with reference to a reference point on the substrate, the first material 13a may be selectively supplied to the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a. Thereby, based on information regarding the volume, width diameter, depth, etc. of the bathtub portion 10a, the volume of the first material 13a to be supplied to the bathtub portion 10a can be appropriately set. Also, based on information regarding the coordinates, shape, etc. of the bathtub portion 10a, the position of the bathtub portion 10 to which the first material 13a is to be supplied can be appropriately set. That is, by controlling the supply of the first material 13a to the bathtub portion 10a based on the bathtub information 5, an appropriate amount of the first material 13a can be supplied into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a aiming at the inside of the bathtub portion 10a.

[0050] Generally, when a material undergoes a reaction (state change), a volume change of the material often occurs. Also in the first material 13a used in this embodiment, due to the molding (solidification) of the first material 13a in the later-described step S103, a volume change may occur in the first material 13a before and after the molding. Therefore, in this step S102, it is preferable to supply the first material 13a with an appropriate volume into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a in anticipation of the degree of the volume change. For example, a liquid material such as a curable composition that can be used as the first material 13a often undergoes curing shrinkage when undergoing a reaction (state change) such as curing (solidification). A typical curing shrinkage rate is about 5% to 15%. In this case, in this step S102, in anticipation of the degree of volume reduction that may occur when the curable composition, which is the first material 13a, is cured (solidified) and molded in the later-described step S103, it is preferable to supply the first material 13a with an appropriate volume into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a. As an example, it is preferable to supply an amount of the first material 13a that is more than the volume of the bathtub portion 10a into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a so that the volume of the first material 13a after molding approaches the volume of the bathtub portion 10a. Further, as the first material 13a, a liquid material that increases in volume (curing expansion) when undergoing a reaction (state change) such as curing (solidification) may be used, contrary to the above-described curing shrinkage material. Note that it is particularly preferable to use a material with little or no curing shrinkage or curing expansion as the first material 13a. In this case, it may be easy or unnecessary to anticipate the degree of volume change before and after molding.

[0051] The volume reduction of the first material 13a may also depend on the volatility of the first material 13a, the time from when the first material 13a is supplied onto the substrate 11a until it is cured, the process temperature, and the like. In this step S102, it is preferable to supply the first material 13a with an appropriate volume into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a in anticipation of the degree of the volume reduction. Furthermore, it is particularly preferable to use a material with low volatility or no volatility as the first material 13a. In this case, it may be easy or unnecessary to anticipate the degree of volume change before and after molding.

[0052] It is relatively difficult to comprehensively anticipate the degree of volume change of the first material 13a considering all factors related to the volume change (volume decrease or volume increase) of the first material 13a. Therefore, it is particularly preferable to feed back the results of a process of supplying and molding the first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a and supply an appropriate volume of the first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a. For example, the appropriate volume of the first material 13a to be supplied inside the bathtub portion 10a may be determined by feeding back the results so that the volume of the first material 13a after molding approaches the volume of the bathtub portion 10a. Further, when a plurality of bathtub portions 10a are formed on a single substrate 11a, the first material 13 may be supplied to each bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a one by one in order, or the first material 13a may be supplied to the plurality of bathtub portions 10a of the substrate 11a at once (collectively).

[0053] As the first material 13a, a curable composition (sometimes referred to as an uncured resin) that cures with the energy 20a applied by the first material molding mechanism 3 (the first energy source 15a) may be used. The curable composition may be a composition that cures by irradiation with electromagnetic waves such as light or by heating. Among these, a photocurable composition that cures by light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photoinitiator, and may contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent as necessary. Here, the polymerizable compound is a compound that reacts with a polymerization factor (radical, ion, etc.) generated from the photoinitiator and forms a solid composed of a high molecular compound by a chain reaction (polymerization reaction). Examples of such a polymerizable compound include radical polymerizable compounds. When the radical polymerizable compound is composed of a plurality of types of compounds having one or more acryloyl groups or methacryloyl groups, it preferably contains a monofunctional acrylic monomer and a polyfunctional acrylic monomer.

[0054] The photocurable composition may be composed of one type of polymerizable compound or may be composed of a plurality of types of polymerizable compounds. A photoinitiator is a compound that senses light of a predetermined wavelength and generates the above polymerization factor (radical). Specifically, a photoinitiator is a polymerization initiator (radical generator) that generates radicals by light (radiation such as infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, far ultraviolet rays, X-rays, charged particle beams such as electron beams, etc.). The photocurable composition may be composed of one type of photoinitiator or may be composed of a plurality of types of photoinitiators. 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.

[0055] Also, among the curable compositions, a thermosetting composition that cures by heat contains at least a polymerizable compound and a thermal polymerization initiator, and may contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent as necessary. Here, the polymerizable compound is a compound that reacts with a polymerization factor (radical, ion, etc.) generated from a thermal polymerization initiator and forms a solid composed of a high molecular compound by a chain reaction (polymerization reaction). Examples of such polymerizable compounds include radical polymerizable compounds. When the radical polymerizable compound is composed of a plurality of types of compounds having one or more acryloyl groups or methacryloyl groups, it preferably contains a monofunctional acrylic monomer and a polyfunctional acrylic monomer.

[0056] Here, as a typical example of the first material 13a, a liquid curable composition that cures to become a solid by supplying light or heat as energy 20a by the first material forming mechanism 3 is exemplified. However, the first material 13a is not limited to a liquid curable composition as long as it is a material that can be formed by the first material forming mechanism 3. For example, solids such as thermoplastic resins, metals, alloys, semiconductors, and gases such as vapors and reactive gases may be used as the first material 13a. When the first material 13a is a solid, it can be heated, supplied in a liquid or gaseous state, and then cooled to return to a solid for forming. It is more preferable to supply the first material in a solution state and then remove the solvent by heating, depressurization, etc. to return to a solid for forming.

[0057] In step S103, the first material 13a supplied inside the bathtub portion 10a in step S102 is molded. In this step, for example, the first material molding mechanism 3 described in the first embodiment can be used to mold the first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a. The molding in this step may include solidifying the first material 13a by the energy 20a supplied from the first energy source 15 in addition to making the shape of the first material 13a supplied inside the bathtub portion 10a into a desired shape. Thereby, a substrate 11c having the first material 13a solidified and molded inside the bathtub portion 10a can be obtained. Here, when a plurality of bathtub portions 10a are formed on one substrate 11b, the energy 20a may be supplied to each bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11b one by one in order, or the energy 20a may be supplied to the plurality of bathtub portions 10a of the substrate 11b at once (collectively).

[0058] The thickness of the first material 13a molded inside the bathtub portion 10a in this step preferably falls within the range of ±20% of the depth of the bathtub portion 10a. The thickness of the first material 13a more preferably falls within the range of ±10% of the depth of the bathtub portion 10a, and still more preferably falls within the range of ±5% of the depth of the bathtub portion 10a. Thereby, the flatness of the thin film formed in subsequent steps can be improved. Also, the surface of the first material 13a molded inside the bathtub portion 10a in this step is preferably higher than the height of the edge of the bathtub portion 10. Thereby, the unevenness of the first material 13a can be offset (reduced) by the second material 13b supplied in subsequent steps, and the flatness of the thin film formed on the substrate can be further improved.

[0059] In step S104, the second material 13b is supplied onto the substrate 11c having the solidified first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a. Specifically, in this step, the second material 13b is supplied onto the target region including the bathtub portion 10a (having the solidified first material 13a inside) and the plurality of grooves 10b of the substrate 11c. In this step, for example, the second material 13b can be supplied onto the target region using the thin film forming mechanism 4 (the second substrate holding portion 12b and / or the second material supply portion 14b) described in the first embodiment.

[0060] Here, in step S104, the second material 13b can be supplied onto the target region such that the plurality of grooves 10b (second recesses) are filled with the second material 13b and a planarized film of the second material 13b is formed over the entire target region. For example, in this step, the second material 13b having a volume calculated from the area of the target region and the desired average film thickness can be supplied so that the solid thin film (planarized film) of the second material 13b formed in the next step S105 has the desired average film thickness. It is preferable to supply the second material 13b onto the substrate 11c (target region) so that the volume per substrate area is uniform.

[0061] Also, in step S104 as well, similar to step S102, it is preferable to comprehensively anticipate the degree of volume change in consideration of all volume changes (volume reduction or volume increase) of the material, but this is relatively difficult. Therefore, it is particularly preferable to feed back the result of a trial of the step of forming a solid thin film of the second material 13b onto the substrate having the solidified and formed first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a, and supply an appropriate volume of the second material 13b onto the substrate (target region). Furthermore, it is preferable to use a material with little or no curing change and / or a material with low or no volatility. Thereby, it may be easy or unnecessary to anticipate the degree of volume change. As a result, it may be easy to form a thin film with little film thickness unevenness, that is, small surface roughness, on the substrate.

[0062] Furthermore, in step S104, it is preferable to supply the second material 13b onto the target area such that the surface of the thin film of the second material 13b to be formed in the subsequent step S105 is higher than the surface of the first material 13a formed inside the bathtub portion 10a. Thereby, the unevenness of the first material 13a can be offset (reduced) by the second material 13b, and the flatness of the thin film formed on the substrate can be further improved.

[0063] As the second material 13b, a curable composition (sometimes referred to as an uncured resin) that cures with the energy 20b applied by the thin film forming mechanism 4 (the second energy source 15b) can be used. The curable composition can be a composition that cures by irradiation with electromagnetic waves such as light or by heating. Among these, a photocurable composition that cures by light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photoinitiator, and may contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent as necessary. Here, the polymerizable compound is a compound that reacts with a polymerization factor (radical, ion, etc.) generated from the photoinitiator and forms a solid composed of a high molecular compound by a chain reaction (polymerization reaction). Examples of such a polymerizable compound include radical polymerizable compounds. When the radical polymerizable compound is composed of a plurality of types of compounds having one or more acryloyl groups or methacryloyl groups, it preferably contains a monofunctional acrylic monomer and a polyfunctional acrylic monomer.

[0064] The photocurable composition may be composed of one type of polymerizable compound or a plurality of types of polymerizable compounds. The photoinitiator is a compound that senses light of a predetermined wavelength and generates the above polymerization factor (radical). Specifically, the photoinitiator is a polymerization initiator (radical generator) that generates radicals by light (radiation such as infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, far ultraviolet rays, X-rays, charged particle beams such as electron beams). The photocurable composition may be composed of one type of photoinitiator or a plurality of types of photoinitiators. 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.

[0065] In addition, among curable compositions, a thermosetting composition that cures by heat contains at least a polymerizable compound and a thermal polymerization initiator, and may contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent as necessary. Here, the polymerizable compound is a compound that reacts with a polymerization factor (radical, ion, etc.) generated from the thermal polymerization initiator and forms a solid composed of a high molecular compound by a chain reaction (polymerization reaction). Examples of such a polymerizable compound include radical polymerizable compounds. When the radical polymerizable compound is composed of a plurality of types of compounds having one or more acryloyl groups or methacryloyl groups, it preferably contains a monofunctional acrylic monomer and a polyfunctional acrylic monomer.

[0066] As the curable composition of the second material 13b, a curable composition different from the curable composition of the first material 13a may be used, but it is preferable to use a curable composition similar or identical to the curable composition of the first material 13a. This is because the process can be facilitated in subsequent processes such as etching.

[0067] In addition, as another second material 13b, solutions such as polymers, oligomers, siloxanes, and silsesquioxanes can be used. Such materials are particularly preferable when forming a thin film by a solution coating method such as spin coating. Examples of such materials include SOC (Spin-On-Carbon) materials, SOG (Spin-On-Glass) materials, etc.

[0068] Here, as a typical example of the second material 13b, liquids and solutions that are cured by supplying light or heat as the energy 20b by the thin film forming mechanism 4 and become solids were exemplified. However, the second material 13b is not limited to liquids or solutions as long as it is a material capable of forming a thin film on the substrate 11c having the solidified first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a. For example, solids such as thermoplastic resins, metals, alloys, semiconductors, etc., or gases such as vapors and reactive gases may be used as the second material 13b. When the second material 13b is a solid, it can be heated to a liquid or gaseous state and then cooled back to a solid to form a thin film. Note that the second material 13b may be a material different from the first material 13a, or may be the same as or combined with the first material 13a.

[0069] In step S105, a solid thin film 27 (planarization film) of the second material 13b supplied on the substrate 11c (on the target region) in step S104 is formed. That is, the second material 13b is formed into a thin film, and the second material 13b is solidified by the energy 20b supplied from the second energy source 15b to form a solid thin film 27. The formation of the second material 13b may be understood to include the solidification of the second material 13b by the energy 20b. In this step, for example, the thin film forming mechanism 4 (the second material supply unit 14b and / or the driving unit 21 for thin film forming) described in the first embodiment can be used to form the second material 13b on the target region.

[0070] The solid thin film 27 can have an average film thickness of 0.1 nm or more and 1000 nm or less, although it varies depending on the intended use. The average film thickness is preferably 0.1 nm or more and 50 nm or less, and more preferably 0.11 nm or more and 10 nm or less. The thinner the average film thickness, the shorter or unnecessary the post-treatment such as CMP or etch-back of the solid thin film 27 becomes. As a result, it leads to an improvement in productivity and a reduction in manufacturing cost. Also, the surface roughness (3σ) of the solid thin film 27 can be 20 nm or less. The surface roughness is preferably 10 nm or less, and more preferably 4 nm or less. The smaller the surface roughness, various improvements are possible depending on the type of lithography performed after film formation, for example, in the case of NIL (nanoimprint lithography), the pattern accuracy of the transferred pattern can be improved.

[0071] In this step S105, it is particularly preferable to form the solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b by, for example, the spin coating method, the superstrate contact peeling method, the SST-NIL spread method, the thermal imprint method, the photoimprint method, or the like.

[0072] In step S106, the substrate 11e on which the solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b is formed in step S105 is carried out of the film forming apparatus 1. In this step, for example, the substrate 11e can be carried out from the substrate chuck 16b of the second substrate holding unit 12b using the substrate transfer unit 8.

[0073] <Third Embodiment> In the third embodiment, a specific example of the film formation method (second embodiment) described above will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6. Here, the description will be made according to the flowchart of the film formation method shown in FIG. 5. In the present embodiment, a photocurable composition is used as the first material 13a, a high-pressure mercury lamp is used as the first energy source 15a, and ultraviolet rays are used as the energy 20a supplied from the first energy source 15a. Also, a photocurable composition is used as the second material 13b, a high-pressure mercury lamp is used as the second energy source 15b, and ultraviolet rays are used as the energy 20b supplied from the second energy source 15b. As the thin film forming mechanism 4, an apparatus (also called a spin coater) including a second material supply unit 14b capable of implementing the spin coating method and a driving unit 21 for thin film forming is employed.

[0074] In step S101, a substrate 11a having a surface shape derived from a substrate processing step before applying the film formation method according to the present invention is carried into the film forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the surface shape of the substrate 11a has variations depending on the position on the substrate and may include a plurality of recesses in a target region for forming a thin film (planarization film). The plurality of recesses may include a bathtub portion 10a (first recess) constituting a trench region and a plurality of grooves 10b (second recesses) constituting a Dense region. Here, an example is given in which the edge of each recess of the substrate 11a has a rectangular shape, the height difference between the unevenness (depth of each recess) is 50 nm, the width of each groove 10b is 20 nm, the width of the bathtub portion 10a is 10 μm, and the volume of the bathtub portion 10a is 5 fL, but it is not limited thereto. These bathtub information 5 is measured in advance, and the first material 13a is supplied based on the input thereof.

[0075] In step S102, the first material 13a is selectively supplied to the inside of the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a. For example, as shown in FIG. 6(b), 50 droplets of the first material 13a with a volume of 0.1 fL per unit are supplied into the inside of the bathtub portion 10a on the substrate 11a using the first material supply unit 14a capable of supplying droplets with a volume of 0.1 fL. Thereby, the substrate 11b can be obtained. Next, in step S103, the first material 13a supplied to the inside of the bathtub portion 10a in step S102 is formed. In the case of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the first material 13a supplied to the inside of the bathtub portion 10a spreads inside the bathtub portion 10a, and the process waits until the inside (every corner) of the bathtub portion 10a is filled. Then, as shown in FIG. 6(d), energy 20a is irradiated onto the first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a by the first energy source 15a. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 6(e), a substrate 11c having the solidified and formed first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a can be obtained.

[0076] In steps S104 to S105, the second material 13b is supplied and formed on the substrate 11c (on the target area) such that each of the plurality of grooves 10b is filled with the second material 13b, and a solid thin film (planarization film) of the second material 13b is formed over the entire target area. In the case of the present embodiment, a solid thin film of the second material 13b is formed on the substrate 11c (on the target area) using the spin coating method. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(f), while rotating the substrate 11c, the second material 13b is supplied onto the substrate 11c (on the target area) by the second material supply unit 14b. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 6(g), a substrate 11d having a thin film of the second material 13b formed thereon can be obtained. Then, as shown in FIG. 6(h), energy 20b is irradiated from the second energy source 15b to the thin film of the second material 13b formed on the substrate 11d to solidify (cure) the second material 13b. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 6(i), a substrate 11e having a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b over the entire target area can be obtained. That is, a substrate 11e having the first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a, the second material 13b inside each groove 10b, and a solid thin film 27 (planarization film) of the second material 13b over the entire target area can be obtained.

[0077] In step S106, the substrate 11e having the solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b is carried out of the film forming apparatus 1.

[0078] <Fourth Embodiment> In the fourth embodiment, another specific example of the above-described film forming method will be described. This embodiment basically follows the third embodiment, but in steps S102 to S103, a thermosetting composition is used as the first material 13a, a hot plate is used as the first energy source 15a, and heat is used as the energy 20a from the first energy source 15a. Otherwise, the same processing as in the third embodiment can be performed.

[0079] <Fifth Embodiment> In the fifth embodiment, another specific example of the film forming method described above will be described. This embodiment basically follows the third embodiment. However, in steps S102 to S103, a thermoplastic resin is used as the first material 13a, a hot plate is used as the first energy source 15a, and heat is used as the energy 20a from the first energy source 15a. Otherwise, the same processing as in the third embodiment can be performed. Note that the thermoplastic resin may be supplied as a solution of the thermoplastic resin, and solvent removal and molding may be simultaneously performed by heat.

[0080] <Sixth Embodiment> In the sixth embodiment, another specific example of the film forming method described above will be described. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments. However, in steps S104 to S105, a thermosetting composition is used as the second material 13b, a hot plate is used as the second energy source 15b, and heat is used as the energy 20b from the second energy source 15b. Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments can be performed.

[0081] <Seventh Embodiment> In the seventh embodiment, another specific example of the film forming method described above will be described. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments. However, in steps S104 to S105, a thermoplastic resin is used as the second material 13b, a hot plate is used as the second energy source 15b, and heat is used as the energy 20b from the second energy source 15b. Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments can be performed. Note that the thermoplastic resin may be supplied as a solution of the thermoplastic resin, and solvent removal and molding may be simultaneously performed by spin coating and / or heat.

[0082] <Eighth Embodiment> In the eighth embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be described. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments. However, in steps S104 to S105, an SOC material is used as the second material 13b, a hot plate is used as the second energy source 15b, and heat is used as the energy 20b from the second energy source 15b. Other than that, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments can be performed. Note that the SOC material may be supplied as a solution of the SOC material, and solvent removal and shaping may be simultaneously performed by spin coating and / or heat.

[0083] <Ninth Embodiment> In the ninth embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be described. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments. However, in steps S104 to S105, an SOG material is used as the second material 13b, a hot plate is used as the second energy source 15b, and heat is used as the energy 20b from the second energy source 15b. Other than that, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments can be performed. Note that the SOG material may be supplied as a solution of the SOG material, and solvent removal and shaping may be simultaneously performed by spin coating and / or heat.

[0084] <Tenth Embodiment> In the tenth embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically inherits the third to fifth embodiments. However, when forming a solid thin film on a substrate (on a target region) in step S104 and / or step S105, the superstrate contact peeling method is used. Otherwise, the same processing as any of the third to fifth embodiments can be performed. Here, the superstrate contact peeling method is a method for planarizing a substrate in which a superstrate (planar template) having a flat surface is pressed against a liquid material and peeled off after curing. For example, a substrate planarization method shown in U.S. Patent No. 9,415,418, U.S. Patent No. 8,394,282, etc. can be adopted. This embodiment applies, as part of the present invention, a planarization (flattening) method in which a planar template (mold) is pressed against an uncured resist (curable composition, uncured resin) previously supplied (coated) on a substrate to perform local planarization within the substrate surface.

[0085] A specific example of the film formation method in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7. Here, the description will be made according to the flowchart of the film formation method shown in FIG. 5. Also, since the same processing as any of the third to fifth embodiments is performed in steps S101 to S103 and S106, the description here will be omitted. For example, FIGS. 7(a) to (e) are the same as FIGS. 6(a) to (e).

[0086] In step S104, the second material 13b is supplied onto the substrate 11c (on the target region). In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7(f), using a second material supply unit 14b capable of supplying droplets with a volume of one unit of 1 pL, the second material 13b of 1 pL is supplied onto the substrate 11c in the form of droplets or in an island shape or film shape formed by connecting a plurality of droplets. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7(g), a substrate 11d on which the second material 13b is supplied as a plurality of droplets onto the target region can be obtained.

[0087] In step S105, the second material 13b supplied on the substrate 11d (on the target area) is shaped. In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7(h), the super straight 28 is brought into contact with the second material 13b supplied on the substrate 11d (on the target area), and each of the plurality of grooves 10b is filled with the second material 13b, and the process waits until the second material 13b spreads over the entire target area. Then, as shown in FIG. 7(i), with the second material 13b and the super straight 28 in contact, energy 20b is irradiated from the second energy source 15b to the second material 13b through the super straight 28, and the second material 13b is solidified (cured). Further, the super straight 28 is peeled off from the solidified second material 13b. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7(j), a substrate 11e having a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b over the entire target area can be obtained.

[0088] The super straight 28 used in this embodiment is preferably a member (for example, a quartz substrate) having dimensions such that it can contact the entire surface of the substrate 11a having the bathtub portion 10a. For example, when the substrate 11a is a Φ300 mm wafer, as the super straight 28, a flattened Φ300 mm quartz substrate, a 300 mm square quartz substrate, a Φ450 mm quartz substrate, etc. with a small surface roughness can be used.

[0089] <The 11th Embodiment> In the 11th embodiment, another specific example of the film forming method described above will be described. This embodiment basically inherits the 3rd to 5th embodiments, but when forming a solid thin film on the substrate (on the target area) in step S104 and / or step S105, the photoimprint method is used. Otherwise, the same processing as any of the 3rd to 5th embodiments can be performed.

[0090] As an apparatus for forming a thin film by the photoimprint method, for example, a photoimprint apparatus such as a nanoimprint semiconductor manufacturing apparatus or a mass-production mask replica manufacturing apparatus manufactured by Canon can be used. At this time, it is preferable to imprint the second material 13b supplied on the substrate (on the target area) using a flat superstrate (planar template) without a pattern. For example, when the substrate 11a is a Φ300 mm wafer, as the superstrate, a flattened Φ300 mm quartz substrate, a 300 mm square quartz substrate, a Φ450 mm quartz substrate, etc. with a small surface roughness can be used. Further, when the substrate 11a is a replica template, as the superstrate, a flattened quartz template with a small surface roughness can be used.

[0091] In particular, when manufacturing a replica template, which is a replication of a master template (parent mold) for nanoimprint lithography (NIL), that is, a child mold, a grandchild mold, etc., it is preferable to adopt this embodiment. That is, in FIG. 7, instead of the superstrate contact peeling method, film formation is performed on the substrate 11 for the replica template using a mass-production mask replica manufacturing apparatus and a blank template without an uneven pattern.

[0092] <12th Embodiment> In the 12th embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be described. This embodiment basically inherits the 3rd to 5th embodiments, but when forming a solid thin film on the substrate (on the target area) in step S104 and / or step S105, the thermal imprint method is used. Otherwise, the same processing as any of the 3rd to 5th embodiments can be performed. In the case of this embodiment, it is preferable to use a thermoplastic resin as the second material 13b, a hot plate as the second energy source 15b, and heat as the energy 20b from the second energy source 15b. The thermoplastic resin may be supplied as a solution of the thermoplastic resin, and solvent removal and molding may be simultaneously performed by spin coating and / or heat.

[0093] <13th Embodiment> In the 13th embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be described. This embodiment basically follows the 3rd to 5th embodiments. However, when forming a solid thin film on a substrate (on a target region) in step S104 and / or step S105, the SST spread method is used instead of the spin coating method. Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the 3rd to 5th embodiments can be performed.

[0094] Here, the SST spread method is a method of discretely applying droplets of a curable composition (α2) having a lower interfacial energy than the curable composition (α1) onto a layer composed of a liquid film of the curable composition (α1) on a substrate. In this method, due to the Marangoni effect, the droplets can spread rapidly over a wide range to form a liquid film of a mixture of the curable composition (α1) and the curable composition (α2). For example, a spread method of a curable composition that is part of SST-NIL shown in Japanese Patent No. 6141500 etc. can be adopted. This embodiment applies this SST-NIL spread method to a part of the present invention.

[0095] A specific example of the film formation method in this embodiment will be described in detail. Here, it will be described according to the flowchart of the film formation method shown in FIG. 5. Also, since the same processing as in any of the 3rd to 5th embodiments is performed in steps S101 to S103 and S106, the description here will be omitted.

[0096] In step S104, the curable composition (α1) is supplied onto the substrate 11c (on the target region) by the spin coating method to form a liquid film, and droplets of the curable composition (α2) having a lower interfacial energy than the curable composition (α1) are discretely supplied onto the liquid film. In this embodiment, the curable composition (α1) and the curable composition (α2) are used as the second material 13b. Next, in step S105, the curable composition (α2) on the substrate 11d is irradiated with energy 20b by the second energy source 15b while spreading widely while mixing with the curable composition (α1). Thereby, a substrate 11e having a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b as a mixture of the curable composition (α1) and the curable composition (α2) can be obtained.

[0097] <Embodiment 14> In Embodiment 14, another specific example of the above-described film formation method will be described. This embodiment basically follows Embodiment 13. However, in step S105, a superstrate is brought into contact with the curable composition (α1) and the curable composition (α2) on the substrate 11d to form a thin film, and the thin film is irradiated with energy 20b. Thereby, a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b is formed on the substrate. Otherwise, the same processing as in Embodiment 13 can be performed. Here, for example, when the substrate 11a is a Φ300 mm wafer, a flattened Φ300 mm quartz substrate, a 300 mm square quartz substrate, a Φ450 mm quartz substrate, etc. with a small surface roughness can be used as the superstrate. Further, when the substrate 11a is a replica template, a flattened quartz template with a small surface roughness can be used as the superstrate.

[0098] <Embodiment 15> In Embodiment 15, a specific example of the above-described film formation method will be described with reference to FIG. 8. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8(a), as the first recess, a substrate 11a having a gently curved depression 10c in the target region is used. Further, it can be understood that the substrate 11a has, in the target region, as the second recess, a depression (groove, step, surface roughness) having a smaller volume than the depression 10c. In this embodiment, a solid thin film can be formed on the substrate by performing the same processing as any of Embodiments 3 to 14.

[0099] A specific example of the film formation method in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 8. Here, the film formation method shown in FIG. 5 will be described according to the flowchart. Further, since the same processing as any of Embodiments 3 to 14 is performed in steps S101 and S106, the description here will be omitted. Here, hereinafter, an example of forming a solid thin film on a substrate by performing the same processing as in Embodiment 3 will be described, but it is not limited thereto, and a solid thin film may be formed on the substrate by performing the same processing as any of Embodiments 4 to 14.

[0100] In steps S102 to S103, the first material 13a is selectively supplied into the recess 10c (first recess) of the substrate 11a, and the first material 13a is shaped. In the case of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the first material supply unit 14a selectively supplies the first material 13a to the recess 10c of the substrate 11a as a plurality of droplets. Thereby, the substrate 11b can be obtained. Next, the first material 13a supplied into the recess 10c spreads inside the recess 10c and waits until it is supplied to every corner inside the recess 10c. Then, as shown in FIG. 8(c), energy 20a is irradiated onto the first material 13a inside the recess 10c by the first energy source 15a. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 8(d), a substrate 11c having the solidified and shaped first material 13a inside the recess 10c can be obtained.

[0101] In steps S104 to S105, the recess as the second recess is filled with the second material 13b, and the second material 13b is supplied and shaped on the substrate 11c (on the target area) so that a solid thin film (planarized film) of the second material 13b is formed over the entire target area. In the case of the present embodiment, a solid thin film of the second material 13b is formed on the substrate 11c (on the target area) using the spin coating method. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8(e), while rotating the substrate 11c, the second material supply unit 14b supplies the second material 13b onto the substrate 11c (on the target area). Thereby, as shown in FIG. 8(f), a substrate 11d having a thin film of the second material 13b formed thereon can be obtained. Then, as shown in FIG. 8(g), energy 20b is irradiated from the second energy source 15b onto the thin film of the second material 13b formed on the substrate 11d to solidify (harden) the second material 13b. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 8(h), a substrate 11e having a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b over the entire target area can be obtained.

[0102] <The 16th Embodiment> In the 16th embodiment, another specific example of the above-described film formation method will be described. This embodiment basically inherits the 3rd to 15th embodiments, but a heating step is added between step S105 and step S106. Otherwise, the same processing as any of the 3rd to 15th embodiments can be performed. The heating step is a step of heating the substrate 11e on which the solid thin film is formed and / or the solid thin film on the substrate to a high temperature by the high-temperature treatment unit 9 after steps S102 to S105. In the heating step, although it varies depending on the material used for the substrate 11e, for example, baking at 200°C for 30 minutes may be performed.

[0103] <17th Embodiment> In the 17th embodiment, another specific example of the above-described film formation method will be described. This embodiment basically inherits the 3rd to 16th embodiments, but a measurement step for measuring the surface shape of the substrate and / or the molded article in each step is added. The measurement step is a step of measuring the surface shape of the substrate 11a, the surface shape of the first material 13a formed inside the bathtub portion 10a, and / or the surface shape of the solid thin film of the second material 13b formed on the target region by the measurement mechanism 6. Otherwise, the same processing as any of the 3rd to 16th embodiments can be performed.

[0104] FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of the film formation method of this embodiment. Since steps S101 to S106 in FIG. 9 are the same as steps S101 to S106 in FIG. 5, the description here is omitted.

[0105] Step S107 is a step of measuring the surface shape of the substrate 11a carried in at step S101, and can be carried out between step S101 and step S102. In step S107, for example, the measurement mechanism 6 measures at least one of the coordinates (position), volume, width diameter, depth, and shape of the bathtub portion 10a on the substrate 11a as bathtub information 5 (bathtub data 24). Based on the measurement result in step S107, the control unit 7 can determine the volume of the first material 13a to be selectively supplied into the bathtub portion 10a. In step S102, based on the determined volume of the first material 13a and the measured position of the bathtub portion 10a, the first material supply unit 14a can selectively supply the first material 13a into the bathtub portion 10a.

[0106] Step S108 is a step of measuring the surface shape of the first material 13a selectively supplied and formed inside the bathtub portion 10a by steps S102 to S103, and can be carried out between step S103 and step S104. In step S108, for example, the measurement mechanism 6 measures the thickness and / or surface roughness of the first material 13a formed inside the bathtub portion 10a. Based on the measurement result in step S108, the control unit 7 feeds back to the next step S102 so that the surface shape (thickness and / or surface roughness) of the first material 13a formed inside the bathtub portion 10a in the next target area falls within the allowable range. For example, based on the measurement result in step S108, the control unit 7 can determine the supply amount of the first material 13a applied in step S102 for the next target area (that is, the volume of the first material 13a supplied to the bathtub portion 10a). Thereby, in the next target area, since the first material 13a can be formed into a desired thickness and / or shape inside the first recess 10a, a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b that is flatter, that is, has a smaller surface roughness, can be formed on the substrate.

[0107] In step S107 and / or step S108, in step S107, the surface shape of the substrate 11a can be measured, and in step S108, the surface shape of the substrate 11c having the solidified first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a can be measured. Then, it is possible to determine whether it is in the bathtub portion (first recess), the fine uneven pattern portion (a plurality of grooves) (second recess), or other regions. Furthermore, at least one of the coordinates (positions), volume, width diameter, depth, and shape of the fine uneven pattern portion (a plurality of grooves) (second recess) and other regions can be measured. And the volume of the second material 13b to be supplied to each of the fine uneven pattern portion (a plurality of grooves) (second recess) and other regions can be determined. In step S104, based on the determined volume of the second material 13b and the measured positions of each of the fine uneven pattern portion (a plurality of grooves) (second recess) 10b and other regions, the second material 13a can be supplied so as to have a volume distribution corresponding to each part of the target region. The supply of the second material 13a can be performed by the second material supply unit 14b.

[0108] Step S109 is a step of measuring the surface shape of the solid thin film (planarization film) of the second material 13b formed on the target region by steps S104 to S105, and can be performed between step S105 and step S106. In step S109, for example, the thickness (film thickness) and / or surface roughness of the solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b formed on the target region are measured by the measurement mechanism 6. Based on the measurement result of step S109, the control unit 7 feeds back to the next step S102 and / or the next step S104 so that the surface shape (thickness and / or surface roughness) of the solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b formed on the next target region falls within the allowable range. For example, based on the measurement result in step S109, the control unit 7 can determine the supply amount of the first material 13a applied in step S102 for the next target region. Also, based on the measurement result in step S109, the control unit 7 can determine the supply amount of the second material 13b applied in step S104 for the next target region (that is, the volume of the second material 13a supplied onto the target region). Thereby, in the next target region, a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b that is flatter, that is, has a smaller surface roughness, can be formed on the substrate.

[0109] <Embodiment of a method for manufacturing an article> The present invention can also be applied to the manufacture of articles. Embodiments of the manufacture of articles to which the present invention is applied will be described. The method for manufacturing an article according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices such as semiconductor devices and elements having a fine structure. The method for manufacturing an article of the present embodiment includes a forming step of forming a film on a substrate using the above-described film forming method, and a processing step of processing the substrate on which the film has been formed in the forming 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 method for manufacturing an article of the present embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article as compared with the conventional method.

[0110] The processing step of processing the substrate on which the film has been formed may include a step of forming a pattern on the film (for example, a cured product of a curable composition) on the substrate using various lithography apparatuses. The pattern of the cured product of the curable composition formed using various lithography apparatuses is used permanently for at least a part of various articles, or temporarily when manufacturing various articles. An article is an electric circuit element, an optical element, a MEMS, a recording element, a sensor, or a mold, etc. Examples of the electric circuit element include volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, and semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensor, and FPGA. Examples of the optical element include a diffraction grating and a polarizing plate. Examples of the mold include a mold for imprint (replica mold).

[0111] The pattern of the cured product is used as it is as at least a part of the constituent members of the above article, or temporarily used as a resist mask. After etching or ion implantation or the like is performed in the processing step of the substrate, the resist mask is removed.

[0112] Next, a specific manufacturing method of the article will be described. Here, an example of a manufacturing method of an article using an imprint apparatus will be described, but it is not limited thereto. Various lithography apparatuses may be used.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 10(a), a substrate 1z such as a silicon wafer on which a solid thin film (planarization film) is formed by the film forming apparatus and / or the film forming method of the present invention, and a workpiece 2z such as an insulator is formed on the upper layer thereof is prepared. Subsequently, a curable composition 3z (for example, an imprint material) is supplied to the surface of the workpiece 2z by an inkjet method or the like. Here, a state in which a plurality of droplet-shaped curable compositions 3z are supplied onto the substrate is shown.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 10(b), an imprint mold 4z is opposed to the curable composition 3z on the substrate with the side on which the concavo-convex pattern is formed facing the curable composition 3z on the substrate. As shown in FIG. 10(c), the substrate 1z on which the curable composition 3z is supplied and the mold 4z are brought into contact with each other and pressure is applied. The curable composition 3z is filled in the gap between the mold 4z and the workpiece 2z. In this state, when light is irradiated as curing energy through the mold 4z, the curable composition 3z cures.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 10(d), after the curable composition 3z is cured and the mold 4z and the substrate 1z are separated from each other, a pattern of the cured product of the curable composition 3z is formed on the substrate 1z. The pattern of this cured product has a shape in which the concave portion of the mold corresponds to the convex portion of the cured product and the convex portion of the mold corresponds to the concave portion of the cured product, that is, the concavo-convex pattern of the mold 4z is transferred to the curable composition 3z.

[0116] As shown in FIG. 10(e), when etching is performed using the pattern of the cured product as an etching mask, among the surfaces of the workpiece 2z, the portions where no cured product exists or where the cured product remains thinly are removed to form grooves 5z. It is also preferable to remove the remaining portions in advance by etching different from the said etching. As shown in FIG. 10(f), when the pattern of the cured product is removed, an article with grooves 5z formed on the surface of the workpiece 2z can be obtained. For example, when a silicon wafer is used as the substrate 1z, electrical circuit elements such as semiconductor elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, etc. can be obtained as the article. Also, when quartz is used as the substrate 1z, replica molds, optical elements, etc. can be obtained as the article. Here, the pattern of the cured product has been removed, but it may also be used as a constituent member of the article, for example, a film for interlayer insulation included in a semiconductor element or the like, or a pattern structure of an optical material constituting an optical element, without being removed after processing.

[0117] Thus, the film forming apparatus and / or the film forming method of the present invention are also applicable in the embodiments of manufacturing articles. By using a substrate on which a solid thin film (planarizing film) is formed according to any one of the above-described first to seventeenth embodiments, an article with good performance can be manufactured.

[0118] 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

[0119] 1: Film forming apparatus, 2: First material supply mechanism, 3: First material forming mechanism, 4: Thin film forming mechanism, 5: Bathtub information, 6: Measuring mechanism

Claims

1. A film forming method for forming a planarized film on a substrate, wherein the substrate has a region including a first recess and a second recess, the first recess is wider than the second recess, the film forming method includes a first step of selectively supplying a first material to the inside of the first recess and shaping the first material; a second step of supplying the second material onto the region such that the second recess is filled with the second material and a planarized film of the second material is formed over the entire region, and contacting the second material with a superstrate to shape the second material; The film forming method is characterized by including the above.

2. In the first step, the first material is selectively supplied to the inside of the first recess based on information regarding at least one of the position and volume of the first recess. The film forming method according to claim 1, characterized by this.

3. The film forming method according to claim 2, further including a measurement step of measuring at least one of the position and volume of the first recess before the first step to obtain the information.

4. The first material is a material whose volume changes before and after shaping, In the first step, the first material is supplied to the inside of the first recess such that the volume of the first material after shaping approaches the volume of the first recess. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by this.

5. The first material is a material whose volume changes before and after shaping, In the first step, the first material is supplied to the inside of the first recess such that the thickness of the first material after shaping falls within the range of ±20% of the depth of the first recess. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by this.

6. The first material is a material whose volume decreases after shaping compared to before shaping, In the first step, an amount of the first material greater than the volume of the first recess is supplied to the inside of the first recess. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by this.

7. The shaping of the first material in the first step includes solidifying the first material supplied to the inside of the first recess. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by this.

8. In the first step, the first material is molded by waiting until the first material supplied into the first recess is filled in the first recess. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that.

9. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the first recess has a larger volume than the second recess.

10. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the first recess and the second recess each include at least one edge having a rectangular shape.

11. In the first step, the first material is supplied as droplets into the first recess. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the droplets have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first recess and / or a volume smaller than the volume of the first recess.

12. The film forming method according to claim 11, characterized in that the droplets have a diameter of 8 μm or less and / or a volume of 2 pL.

13. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the first recess has a diameter of 0.3 μm or more and / or a volume of 0.1 fL or more.

14. Based on the surface shape of the first material formed in the first step, the supply amount of the first material applied in the next first step is determined so that the surface shape of the first material formed in the next first step falls within an allowable range. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that.

15. In the second step, the second material is supplied onto the region so that the surface of the planarizing film of the second material is higher than the surface of the first material formed in the first recess. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that.

16. Based on the surface shape of the second material formed in the second step, the supply amount of the second material applied in the next second step is determined so that the surface shape of the second material formed in the next second step falls within an allowable range. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that.

17. In the second step, a planarizing film of the second material having an average film thickness in the range of 0.1 nm or more and 1000 nm or less is formed on the region. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that.

18. In the second step, a planarization film of the second material having a surface roughness of 20 nm or less is formed on the region, and the film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the method is characterized in that.

19. In the second step, a planarization film of the second material is formed on the region by using a super straight contact peeling method, and the film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the method is characterized in that.

20. A film forming step of forming a film on a substrate using the film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 19, A processing step of processing the substrate on which the film has been formed in the film forming step, and including, Manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step, and the manufacturing method of the article, wherein the method is characterized in that.

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