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

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous in terms of reducing illuminance unevenness.SOLUTION: A film forming apparatus forms a film of a curable composition on a substrate. The film forming apparatus has: a holding unit that holds the substrate; a light radiation unit that radiates light for curing the curable composition; a driving unit that drives to change the relative position of the holding unit and the light radiation unit; and a control unit that controls the drive of the driving unit and the timing at which the light radiation unit radiates the light on the basis of the illuminance distribution of light in an area where the light is radiated by the light radiation unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A technique has been proposed for planarizing a resin dispensed onto a substrate using a flat mold (also called a template or superstrate) (see Patent Document 1). The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 aims to improve the precision of planarization by dispensing a curable composition in an amount adjusted based on the uneven structure of the substrate, and curing the composition while bringing the dispensed composition into contact with a flat template. One example of a method for curing the composition is irradiation with ultraviolet light. If the illuminance distribution of light reaching the composition is uneven, the composition will be cured unevenly, which may result in insufficient planarization.

[0003] In Patent Document 2, a light-emitting element array having a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged two-dimensionally is used as a light source. Light emitted from the light source is guided to the composition via an optical element. Generally, regardless of whether the light source consists of a single light-emitting element or multiple light-emitting elements, the illuminance distribution of the light emitted from the light source is not uniform. Therefore, in Patent Document 2, the illuminance distribution of the light guided to the composition is made uniform by locally changing the reflectance and ease of diffusion of the optical element.

[0004] In Patent Document 3, collimated light emitted to cure a composition is passed through a diffusion element to be diffused, thereby reducing variations in the transmittance of the collimated light due to non-uniform geometric features of the template chuck. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5349588 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-167345 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-135504 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As described above, the uniformity of the illuminance distribution of light irradiated onto the composition affects the planarization performance, and therefore it is necessary to uniformize the illuminance distribution of light. However, although Patent Documents 2 and 3 aim to uniformize the illuminance distribution by shaping the light emitted from the light source, this does not necessarily result in a uniform illuminance distribution of light.

[0007] Therefore, an exemplary object of the present invention is to provide a technique that is advantageous in terms of reducing illuminance unevenness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a film forming device for forming a film of a curable composition on a substrate is characterized by comprising: a holding unit for holding the substrate; a light irradiation unit for irradiating light to cure the curable composition; a drive unit for driving the holding unit and the light irradiation unit to change the relative position between them; and a control unit for controlling the drive unit and the timing at which the light irradiation unit irradiates the light based on the illuminance distribution of the light in an area irradiated with the light by the light irradiation unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that is advantageous in terms of reducing uneven illuminance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a film forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a laminate. [Figure 3]10A and 10B are diagrams showing a first example of illuminance distribution, relative movement between a holding unit and a light irradiating unit, and control of light irradiation timing. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a second example of the illuminance distribution, the relative movement of the holding unit and the light irradiating unit, and the control of the light irradiation timing. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a third example of the control of the illuminance distribution, the relative movement of the holding unit and the light irradiating unit, and the timing of light irradiation. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a fourth example of the control of the illuminance distribution, the relative movement of the holding unit and the light irradiating unit, and the timing of light irradiation. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing in a film forming apparatus. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a profile determination step. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a forming process. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing details of an illuminance distribution acquisition step P3. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a film forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a film forming apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing an article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a film forming apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment. In this specification and the drawings, directions are indicated in an XYZ coordinate system, with the horizontal plane being the XY plane. Generally, a substrate 1a, which is an object to be processed, is placed on a holder 2 so that its surface is parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane). Therefore, in the following description, the directions perpendicular to each other in a plane along the surface of the substrate 1a are referred to as the X-axis and Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis is referred to as the Z-axis. In the following description, the directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are referred to as the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively, and the directions of rotation around the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are referred to as the θX-direction, θY-direction, and θZ-direction, respectively.

[0012] 1, the film forming apparatus 100 includes a holding unit 2 that holds the laminate 1, a light irradiation unit 3, a drive unit 4, an illuminance measurement unit 5, a first platen 6, a base 7, a first support 8, and a second platen 9. The film forming apparatus 100 further includes a member transport unit 10 and a control unit 200.

[0013] First, the laminate 1 will be described. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the laminate 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the laminate 1 includes a substrate 1a, a template 1b, and a composition 1c. After being placed (supplied) on the surface of the substrate 1a, the composition 1c is formed by the template 1b.

[0014] Composition 1c is a formable material, for example, a curable composition that cures upon irradiation with light, such as a UV-curable liquid. Typical examples of UV-curable liquids include monomers such as acrylates and methacrylates. The curable composition may also be referred to as a formable material. The composition may contain a polymerizable compound, a photopolymerization initiator, a non-polymerizable compound, or a solvent. The non-polymerizable compound may contain at least one of a sensitizer, a hydrogen donor, an internal mold release agent, a surfactant, an antioxidant, and a polymer component. The composition of this embodiment cures upon irradiation with light (ultraviolet rays) having a wavelength of 200 to 380 nm, for example. It cures upon irradiation with ultraviolet rays. However, this is not limited to this, and composition 1c may also be cured by electromagnetic waves other than ultraviolet rays.

[0015] The substrate 1a may be made of, for example, glass, ceramics, metal, semiconductor, or resin. If necessary, a member made of a material other than the substrate may be provided on the surface of the substrate. The substrate may be, for example, a silicon wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, or quartz glass. The substrate may also be a glass substrate for producing a replica mask from a master mask by imprint processing.

[0016] Template 1b has a surface that comes into contact with composition 1c and is a member (forming member) that forms composition 1c to conform to the contact surface upon contact. Template 1b is preferably a member having a flat surface as the contact surface, known as a superstrate, but may also be a member having an uneven pattern on the contact surface, such as an imprint mold. Furthermore, template 1b may be made of a light-transmitting material, taking into consideration the step of irradiating composition 1c on substrate 1a with light that cures composition 1c. When template 1b is a superstrate, it may be made of a quartz or borosilicate glass wafer or the like having a flat surface of approximately the same size as the substrate, and may have a thickness of, for example, 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm.

[0017] Next, the main components of the film forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The component transport unit 10 includes a transport hand and the like, and delivers the laminate 1 to the holding unit 2 from a position (not shown) outside or inside the film forming apparatus 100.

[0018] The holder 2 holds the laminate 1 including the substrate 1a, the composition 1c supplied on the substrate 1a, and the template 1b in contact with the composition 1c. The holder 2 holds the laminate 1 by, for example, vacuum suction, but the holding means is not limited to this. The holding means may be, for example, electrostatic suction or a clamp.

[0019] The light irradiation unit 3 has at least one light source, which generates light of a wavelength sufficient to cure the composition 1c and irradiates the light toward the composition 1c formed by the template 1b. This allows the composition 1c to cure according to the shape of the template 1b. The light source may be a UV lamp, a UV LED, or the like. The light sources may be concentrated in one location, evenly distributed within a surface, including a curved surface, or arranged in a grid, stripe, or ring pattern, but the arrangement is not limited to these. Generally, the illuminance distribution of light emitted by light sources such as UV lamps and UV LEDs is not uniform, and multiple optical elements may be used to homogenize the illuminance distribution. Examples of optical elements that may be used include fly's eye lenses and diffusers. These optical elements and other optical elements, such as mirrors, may be included in the light irradiation unit 3, but are not necessarily required in this embodiment.

[0020] The holding unit 2 and the light irradiation unit 3 are connected to the first platen 6 and the second platen 9, respectively, via the driving unit 4. Alternatively, only one of the holding unit 2 and the light irradiation unit 3 may be connected to the driving unit 4. In other words, when only the holding unit 2 is connected to the driving unit 4, the light irradiation unit 3 is fixed to the second platen 9, and when only the light irradiation unit 3 is connected to the driving unit 4, the holding unit 2 is fixed to the first platen 6.

[0021] The drive unit 4 includes, for example, an actuator such as a linear motor, rotary motor, or voice coil motor, a ball screw, a linear guide, a cam, or a crank, and drives both or one of the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3 relative to one another. The drive unit 4 drives the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3 to change their relative positions. Specifically, the drive unit 4 is preferably configured to enable at least one of the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3 to undergo at least one of translational movement in the X direction, translational movement in the Y direction, and rotational movement around the Z axis. Furthermore, the drive unit 4 may be configured to enable rotational movement around the X axis or the Y axis, or translational movement in the Z direction, of at least one of the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3.

[0022] The illuminance measurement unit 5 can be fixed to the holding unit 2. The illuminance measurement unit 5 scans directly below the light irradiation unit 3 by being driven by the driving unit 4, and measures the illuminance distribution of the light emitted by the light irradiation unit 3. The illuminance measurement unit 5 may be composed of a single illuminance meter or may be composed of multiple illuminance meters. Note that if the illuminance measurement unit 5 is equipped with a driving unit and can move independently on the first platen 6, it does not need to be fixed to the holding unit 2. The illuminance measurement unit 5 is necessary when measuring the illuminance distribution within the film formation apparatus 100, such as while the film formation apparatus 100 is in operation. Therefore, if the illuminance distribution is estimated using other methods described below, the illuminance measurement unit 5 does not need to be configured within the film formation apparatus 100.

[0023] The control unit 200 includes a processor such as a CPU, a storage unit such as a RAM, a ROM, or a HDD, and an interface unit for connecting the processor to an external device. The interface unit also includes a communication interface for communicating with a host computer. The host computer is, for example, a computer that controls the entire factory or a specific area of ​​the factory in which the film forming apparatus 100 is installed. The processor executes programs stored in the storage unit and controls the operation of the processing apparatus. The control unit 200 may have multiple circuit boards. Furthermore, all or part of the control unit 200 may be located on a rack inside the chamber (housing) of the film forming apparatus 100, or may be located outside the chamber.

[0024] The control unit 200 controls the operation of the film forming apparatus 100. Here, the operation of the film forming apparatus 100 includes the operation of each unit, and in particular, controls the light irradiation of the light irradiation unit 3 and the operation of the drive unit 4. The drive unit 4 may drive only the holder 2 that holds the laminate 1, or may drive only the light irradiation unit 3. Alternatively, it may drive both. In this case, the timing of light irradiation of the light irradiation unit 3 and the drive content of the drive unit 4 (relative movement between the holder 2 and the light irradiation unit 3) are determined based on the known illuminance distribution of the light irradiation unit 3. The drive content may include the movement direction, rotation axis, movement timing, movement speed, etc. of the holder 2 and the light irradiation unit 3.

[0025] The illuminance distribution of light formed on the illuminated surface by the light irradiation unit 3 can be obtained by having the control unit 200 control the operation of the drive unit 4 to cause the illuminance measurement unit 5 fixed to the holding unit 2 to scan directly below the light irradiation unit 3. In addition, the illuminance distribution on the illuminated surface within the film forming apparatus 100 can be estimated by performing arithmetic processing on the illuminance distribution measured before the start of operation of the film forming apparatus 100 or on an illuminance distribution known from the design. This arithmetic processing may be performed by the control unit 200, or the control unit 200 may receive and acquire the results of calculations performed by an external processing unit.

[0026] Another method for estimating the illuminance distribution is to measure the film thickness of the curable composition after curing. There is a correlation between the illuminance distribution during curing and the film thickness of the curable composition after curing. For this reason, the film thickness of a curable composition previously formed in the film-forming apparatus 100 can be measured outside the apparatus, and the illuminance distribution can be estimated from the film thickness distribution obtained as a result of this measurement. When using this method, the control unit 200 may receive and acquire film thickness distribution data from an external device, and then perform calculations to obtain the illuminance distribution. Alternatively, this calculation may be performed by an external processing unit, and the resulting illuminance distribution data may be received and acquired by the control unit 200.

[0027] The following describes the control of the relative movement of the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3 and the timing of light irradiation, which are determined based on the acquired irradiance distribution, using FIGS. 3 to 6. In FIGS. 3 to 6, the irradiance distribution is shown in grayscale. White areas indicate high irradiance, and black areas indicate low irradiance. That is, the lighter the gray, the higher the irradiance. In this embodiment, the drive content and light irradiation timing are determined so that irradiance unevenness in the region (area) of the composition 1c on the substrate 1a to be cured in the curing process is reduced, preferably uniformed. In other words, the drive content and light irradiation timing are determined so that the difference in the integrated light intensity between an arbitrary first region and an arbitrary second region different from the first region among the regions on the substrate to be irradiated with light is less than a predetermined value, preferably substantially the same.

[0028] Figure 3 shows a first example of the illuminance distribution, as well as the relative movement of the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3 and the control of the timing of light irradiation. Figure 3(A) shows a first example of the illuminance distribution. Figure 3(A) shows the illuminance distribution of light formed on the illuminated surface when the laminate 1 (holding unit 2) and the light irradiator 3 are stationary (not moving relative to each other). This first example simulates a situation in which the illuminance is distributed radially from a single point, decreasing as the radius increases. This type of illuminance distribution can occur when light sources are concentrated in one location. In this case, as shown in Figure 3(B), it is advisable to move the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3 relative to each other and switch the light source of the light irradiator 3 on and off. Figure 3(B) shows a first example of the control of the relative movement and the timing of light irradiation. Note that the center of the illuminance distribution is set to x = 0, y = 0. First, the illumination is turned on for a predetermined time while the relative positions of the laminate 1 and the light irradiator 3 are x = 0, y = 0. Then, the illumination is turned off, and the laminate 1 (holding unit 2) and the light irradiator 3 are moved relative to a predetermined position. In this example, the center of the laminate 1 is moved to x = d, y = 0. Then, the illumination is turned on, and the laminate 1 is moved in a circular motion with a radius d, centered directly below the center of the light irradiator 3. That is, in this example, light is emitted intermittently from the light irradiator 3. This results in a virtual illuminance distribution as shown in Figure 3(C). Here, the duration for which the illumination is turned on and the radius d can be determined arbitrarily. However, it is recommended to perform a simulation based on a known illuminance distribution and determine the duration for which the illumination is turned on and the radius d so that the virtual illuminance distribution as shown in Figure 3(C) is more uniform. In other words, the period during which the illumination is turned on and the radius d should be determined so that the difference in the integrated exposure dose between an arbitrary first region and an arbitrary second region different from the first region among the regions on the substrate to be irradiated with light is less than a predetermined value, preferably so that they are substantially the same. Furthermore, simultaneously with the circular motion, the laminate 1 may be rotated about the Z axis by the holding unit 2. Note that, although an example in which the illuminance is distributed radially from a single point has been described here, the movement to change the relative positions of the holding unit 2 and the light irradiating unit 3 may be an elliptical motion depending on the shape of the illuminance distribution.

[0029] Figure 4 shows a second example of the illuminance distribution, as well as the relative movement of the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3 and the control of the light irradiation timing. Figures 4(A) and (B) show a second example of the illuminance distribution. Figures 4(A) and (B) show the illuminance distribution of light formed on the illuminated surface when the laminate 1 (holding unit 2) and the light irradiator 3 are stationary. Figures 4(A) and (B) show the illuminance distributed in a line, with the illuminance periodically changing in the x direction. This type of illuminance distribution can occur when multiple light sources are arranged in a line. In this case, as shown in Figure 4(C), with the illumination turned on, the laminate 1 (holding unit 2) and the light irradiator 3 can be moved relatively at a constant speed a distance d in the x direction. This results in a virtual illuminance distribution on the illuminated surface, as shown in Figure 4(D). The distance d should be an integer multiple of the x-directional period of the illuminance distribution, but other values ​​are also acceptable. Furthermore, as shown by the plot of pattern 2 in Figure 4(C), the movement that changes the relative position between the holder 2 and the light irradiation unit 3 may be a reciprocating movement. Furthermore, the reciprocating movement may be repeated periodically. In this case, the movement distance in the x or y direction is reduced, which is advantageous for miniaturizing the device.

[0030] Figure 5 shows a third example of the illuminance distribution, as well as the relative movement of the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3 and the control of the light irradiation timing. Figures 5(A) and 5(B) show a third example of the illuminance distribution. Figures 5(A) and 5(B) show the illuminance distribution of light formed on the illuminated surface when the laminate 1 (holding unit 2) and the light irradiator 3 are stationary. Figures 5(A) and 5(B) show the illuminance distributed like a periodic point cloud. This type of illuminance distribution can occur when light sources are uniformly arranged within a certain plane. In this case, as shown in Figure 5(C), with the illumination on, the laminate 1 (holding unit 2) and the light irradiator 3 can be moved relatively at a constant speed by a distance dx in the x direction and a distance dy in the y direction. This results in a virtual illuminance distribution on the illuminated surface, as shown in Figure 5(D). The distance dx should be an integer multiple of the x-directional period of the illuminance distribution, and the distance dy should be an integer multiple of the y-directional period of the illuminance distribution. In this case, dx and dy should be determined so that one period of movement in the x direction results in two or more periods of movement in the y direction. Furthermore, as shown in the plot of pattern 2, the movement that changes the relative position between the holder 2 and the light irradiation unit 3 may be a reciprocating movement. Furthermore, the reciprocating movement may be repeated periodically. In this case, the movement distance in the x or y direction is reduced, which is advantageous for miniaturizing the device.

[0031] Figure 6 shows a fourth example of the illuminance distribution, as well as the relative movement of the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3 and the control of the light irradiation timing. Figure 6(A) shows a fourth example of the illuminance distribution. Figure 6(A) shows the illuminance distribution of light formed on the illuminated surface when the laminate 1 (holding unit 2) and the light irradiator 3 are stationary. Figure 6(A) shows the illuminance distributed like a circular point cloud. This type of illuminance distribution can occur when the light source is arranged in a circular ring shape. Note that the circular point cloud does not need to be arranged periodically. In this case, as shown in Figure 6(B), with the illumination on, it is advisable to rotate the laminate 1 (holding unit 2) and the light irradiator 3 by an angle θ relative to each other while their central axes in the Z direction are aligned. This allows for a uniform, circular virtual illuminance distribution on the illuminated surface, as shown in Figure 6(C). In this case, for example, when irradiating only the outer periphery of a substrate, or when irradiating a portion of the substrate with light, the illuminance unevenness in that portion can be reduced. The angle θ should be an integer multiple of the period if the point cloud is arranged periodically, or an integer multiple of 2π if the point cloud is non-periodic. Furthermore, as shown in the plot of pattern 2, the movement to change the relative position between the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3 may be a reciprocating movement. The reciprocating movement may also be repeated periodically. Furthermore, the laminate 1 and the light irradiator 3 may be rotated relative to each other by an angle θ while their central axes are offset by ε (epsilon). The relative positions and relative angles in this case are as shown in Figure 6(D). In this case, a virtual illuminance distribution such as that shown in Figure 6(E) can be obtained on the illuminated surface. By combining the relative position-changing movements shown in Figures 6(B) and 6(D), a circularly uniform virtual illuminance distribution such as that shown in Figure 3(C) can also be obtained on the substrate.

[0032] The above describes an example of controlling the illuminance distribution, the drive of the drive unit 4, and the timing of light irradiation by the light irradiator 3. However, the control of the illuminance distribution, the drive of the drive unit 4, and the timing of light irradiation by the light irradiator 3 is not limited to this. The illuminance distribution may be irregular. In this case, a computer is used to repeatedly calculate a virtual illuminance distribution for the laminate 1 and the light irradiator 3 while changing the drive content of the drive unit 4 and the timing of light irradiation. Then, the drive content and the timing of light irradiation may be determined so that the variation (unevenness) in the virtual illuminance distribution is reduced, preferably minimized.

[0033] As described above, the drive details of the drive unit 4 and the timing of light irradiation can be determined from a known illuminance distribution. This calculation process (determination process) may be performed by the control unit 200, or the control unit 200 may receive and acquire the results of calculations performed by an external processing unit. According to the determined drive details and light irradiation timing, the control unit 200 controls the operations of the light irradiation unit 3, drive unit 4, and other elements of the film forming apparatus 100, thereby forming the composition 1c.

[0034] Next, a series of processes of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 10. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the process in the film forming apparatus 100. The process of forming the composition 1c using the above-described film forming apparatus 100 includes a profile determination step P1 and a formation step P2, as shown in Figure 7.

[0035] The profile determination step P1 is a step of determining the drive content and light irradiation timing of the drive unit 4. Hereinafter, the drive content and light irradiation timing will be referred to as a profile.

[0036] The forming step P2 is performed after the profile determining step P1. The forming step P2 is a step in which the control unit 200 performs a forming process to form the composition 1c by controlling the driving to change the relative position between the holding unit 2 and the light irradiating unit 3 and the light irradiation of the light irradiating unit 3 based on the profile determined in the profile determining step P1.

[0037] 8 is a flowchart showing the details of the profile determination step P1. Each operation (step) shown in this flowchart can be executed under the control of the control unit 200. First, in S10, the control unit 200 determines whether or not a profile is stored in the storage unit. If a profile is stored in the storage unit (YES), S11 is executed, and the control unit 200 retrieves and acquires the profile from the storage unit, and the profile determination step P1 ends.

[0038] On the other hand, if the profile is not stored in the storage unit (No), a new profile needs to be acquired. Therefore, in S12, the control unit 200 determines whether or not to acquire a profile from an external device. If a profile is to be acquired from an external device (Yes), S13 is executed, and the control unit 200 communicates with the external device, receives and acquires the profile, and ends the profile determination step P1.

[0039] On the other hand, if a profile is not to be acquired externally (No), the process proceeds to illuminance distribution acquisition step P3. Details of illuminance distribution acquisition step P3 will be described later. After acquiring illuminance distribution data in illuminance distribution acquisition step P3, the control unit 200 executes S14, calculates and acquires a profile based on the illuminance distribution data, and ends profile determination step P1.

[0040] As described above, the control unit 200 calls the profile (S11), receives it (S13), and performs calculations (S14), thereby completing the profile determination step P1.

[0041] 9 is a flowchart showing the details of the forming step P2. Each operation (step) shown in this flowchart can be executed under the control of the control unit 200. First, in S21, the member transport unit 10 transfers the laminate 1 to the holding unit 2 from a position (not shown) outside or inside the film forming apparatus 100. Then, in S22, the drive unit 4 drives both or one of the holding unit 2 and the light irradiation unit 3 so that the laminate 1 (holding unit 2) faces the light irradiation unit 3 (curing position).

[0042] In S23, the curing step is started. In the curing step, the control unit 200 controls the drive unit 4 and the light irradiator 3 according to the profile determined in the profile determination step P1, thereby changing the relative position between the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3 and irradiating light. Specifically, in S24, the control unit 200 starts controlling the drive unit 4, controls the drive unit 4 according to the profile determined in the profile determination step P1, and changes the relative position between the holder 2 and the light irradiator 3. Then, in S25, the control unit 200 starts controlling the light irradiator 3, and causes the light irradiator 3 to irradiate light at a timing according to the profile determined in the profile determination step P1. S24 and S25 may be executed simultaneously, or one of the steps may be executed first.

[0043] After controlling the drive unit 4 and the light irradiation unit 3 according to the profile, the change in relative position and the control of the light irradiation are completed in S26 and S27, and the curing process is completed in S28. This causes the composition 1c on the substrate 1a to harden. Thereafter, in S29, the holding unit 2 transfers the laminate 1 to the member transport unit 10, which then transports the laminate 1 to a position (not shown) outside or inside the film forming apparatus 100, thereby completing the formation process. Thereafter, for example, outside the film forming apparatus 100, the template 1b is detached (peeled or separated) from the cured composition 1c on the substrate. This allows a planarized layer of the composition 1c with a flat surface to be formed over the entire surface of the substrate 1a. This process is referred to as the peeling process.

[0044] Next, the illuminance distribution acquisition step P3 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the details of the illuminance distribution acquisition step P3. Each operation (step) shown in this flowchart can be executed under the control of the control unit 200. The illuminance distribution acquisition step P3 is a sub-process of the profile determination step P1, and is a step in which the control unit 200 acquires an illuminance distribution in order to calculate a profile in the profile determination step P1.

[0045] First, in S30, the control unit 200 determines whether the illuminance distribution data is stored in the storage unit. If the illuminance distribution data is stored in the storage unit (Yes), S31 is executed, and the control unit 200 retrieves and acquires the illuminance distribution data from the storage unit, and the illuminance distribution acquisition step P3 is completed.

[0046] On the other hand, if the illuminance distribution data is not stored in the storage unit (No), new illuminance distribution data needs to be acquired. Therefore, in S32, the control unit 200 determines whether or not to acquire illuminance distribution data from the outside. If illuminance distribution data is to be acquired from the outside (Yes), S33 is executed, and the control unit 200 communicates with the outside, receives and acquires the illuminance distribution data, and ends the illuminance distribution acquisition step P3.

[0047] On the other hand, if a profile is not to be acquired from the outside (No), in S34 the control unit 200 determines whether or not to measure illuminance distribution data. If the film forming apparatus 100 is configured with an illuminance measurement unit 5 and illuminance distribution data is to be measured (Yes), S35 is executed and the control unit 200 causes the illuminance measurement unit 5 to measure the illuminance distribution.

[0048] On the other hand, if the illuminance distribution data is not measured (No), for example, when the film forming apparatus 100 does not have an illuminance measurement unit 5, it is necessary to estimate the illuminance distribution data. One method for estimating the illuminance distribution data is to perform arithmetic processing on reference illuminance distribution data that serves as a reference, such as an illuminance distribution measured before the film forming apparatus 100 starts operating or an illuminance distribution known from design. Therefore, in S36, the control unit 200 determines whether or not to estimate the illuminance distribution from the reference illuminance distribution data.

[0049] If the illuminance distribution is to be estimated from the reference illuminance distribution data (Yes), in S37 the control unit 200 determines whether or not the reference illuminance distribution data is stored in the memory unit. If the reference illuminance distribution data is stored in the memory unit of the control unit 200 (Yes), S38 is executed, and the control unit 200 retrieves and acquires the reference illuminance distribution data from the memory unit. On the other hand, if the reference illuminance distribution data is not stored in the memory unit of the control unit 200 (No), S39 is executed, and the control unit 200 communicates with the outside and receives and acquires the reference illuminance distribution data. The reference illuminance distribution data acquired in this way is subjected to arithmetic processing in S38, so that the illuminance distribution data can be acquired.

[0050] Furthermore, the irradiance distribution data can also be estimated from the film thickness distribution data. Therefore, when irradiance distribution is estimated from the film thickness distribution data (S36, No), in S41, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the film thickness distribution data is stored in the memory unit. If the reference irradiance distribution data is stored in the memory unit of the control unit 200 (Yes), S42 is executed, and the control unit 200 retrieves and acquires the film thickness distribution data from the memory unit. On the other hand, if the reference irradiance distribution data is not stored in the memory unit of the control unit 200 (No), S43 is executed, and the control unit 200 communicates with the outside to receive and acquire the film thickness distribution data. The film thickness distribution data thus acquired is then subjected to arithmetic processing in S40, whereby the irradiance distribution data can be acquired.

[0051] As described above, the control unit 200 acquires the illuminance distribution by calling the illuminance distribution data (S31), receiving the illuminance distribution data (S33), measuring the illuminance distribution data (S35), or calculating the illuminance distribution data (S40). Thereafter, the film forming apparatus 100 executes the steps from S14 onward in the profile determination step P1 to form the composition 1c.

[0052] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce unevenness in illuminance in the curing step, and to improve the flattening precision of the formed composition in the composition forming process.

[0053] Second Embodiment Next, a film forming apparatus according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a film forming apparatus 300 according to the second embodiment. The film forming apparatus 300 includes a holding unit 2 that holds a substrate 1a, a light irradiation unit 3, a driving unit 4, an illuminance measurement unit 5, a first platen 6, a base 7, a first support 8, a second platen 9, a mold holding unit 11 that holds a template 1b, a mold driving unit 12, and a composition supply unit 13. The film forming apparatus 300 further includes a member transport unit 10 and a control unit 200. In this embodiment, the laminate 1 is formed inside the film forming apparatus 300.

[0054] The member transport unit 10 includes at least one transport hand and transfers the substrate 1a to the holder 2 and the template 1b to the mold holder 11 from a position (not shown) outside or inside the film forming apparatus 300. At this time, a composition 1c may or may not be placed on the substrate 1a.

[0055] The holder 2 and the mold holder 11 hold the substrate 1 a and the template 1 b by, for example, vacuum suction, but the holding means is not limited to this. For example, the holding means may be electrostatic suction or a clamp.

[0056] The driving unit 4 has at least a first driving unit 4a that connects the holder 2 and the first platen 6, and may have a second driving unit 4b that connects the light irradiating unit 3 and the second platen 9. If the second driving unit 4b is not provided, the light irradiating unit 3 is fixed to the second platen 9.

[0057] The first driving units 4a and 4b are configured to include actuators such as linear motors, rotary motors, and voice coil motors, as well as ball screws, linear guides, cams, and cranks, and relatively drive the holding unit 2 and the light irradiation unit 3. Furthermore, the first driving unit 4a is configured to be able to move the holding unit 2 to a position directly below the mold holding unit 11 and the composition supply unit 13 described below.

[0058] The first driving unit 4a can move the holding unit 2 holding the substrate 1a to directly below the composition supplying unit 13, and the composition supplying unit 13 supplies the composition 1c onto the substrate 1a. However, if the composition 1c has already been supplied to the substrate 1a delivered by the member transporting unit 10, the first driving unit 4a does not have to move the holding unit 2 to directly below the composition supplying unit 13. The first driving unit 4a moves the holding unit 2 to directly below the mold holding unit 11 with the composition 1c supplied onto the substrate 1a.

[0059] The mold holding unit 11 is connected to the second base plate 9 via a mold driving unit 12. The mold driving unit 12 includes an actuator such as a linear motor or a voice coil motor, and is configured to be able to drive the mold holding unit 11 in the Z direction. Furthermore, the mold driving unit 12 may be configured to be movable in the X direction and Y direction and rotatable around the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis.

[0060] The mold driving unit 12 moves the holder 2 close to the mold holding unit 11 while the holder 2 is positioned directly below the mold holding unit 11. Then, the template 1b is brought into contact with the composition 1c on the substrate 1a. This forms a laminate 1 including the substrate 1a, the composition 1c, and the template 1b.

[0061] After the laminate 1 is formed, the mold holding unit 11 releases the template 1b, and the laminate 1 is now held by the holding unit 2. The first driving unit 4a moves the holding unit holding the laminate 1 to directly below the light irradiation unit 3, and the method shown in the first embodiment, specifically, S23 to S28 shown in Fig. 9, is performed to form the composition 1c.

[0062] When a member having a concave-convex pattern on the contact surface, such as an imprint mold, is used as the template 1b, the mold holding unit 11 may move to the curing step while holding the template 1b without releasing it. After completion of S28 shown in FIG. 9, the peeling step is performed in the film forming apparatus 300.

[0063] Third Embodiment Next, a film forming apparatus according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a film forming apparatus 400 according to the third embodiment. The film forming apparatus 400 includes a holder 2 for holding a substrate 1a, a light irradiation unit 3, a drive unit 4, an illuminance measurement unit 5, a first platen 6, a base 7, a first support 8, a second platen 9, a mold holder 11 for holding a template 1b, and a mold drive unit 12. The film forming apparatus 400 further includes a composition supply unit 13, a second support 14, a top plate 15, a member transport unit 10, and a control unit 200.

[0064] The second support column 14 is fixed to the second base plate 9 and supports the top plate 15 .

[0065] The light irradiation unit 3 is connected to the top plate 15 via the second drive unit 4b. Alternatively, the light irradiation unit 3 is fixed directly to the top plate 15 without using the second drive unit 4b. The light irradiation unit 3 is located directly above the mold holding unit 11, and the light emitted from the light irradiation unit 3 passes through the second base plate 9, the mold drive unit 12, and the mold holding unit 11, and reaches the template 1b or the laminate 1.

[0066] In this embodiment, the laminate 1 is formed inside the film-forming apparatus 400 in the same manner as in the second embodiment, and also the composition 1c is formed.

[0067] <Specific application examples of film formation equipment> The film-forming apparatus described above can be used as a planarization device for forming a planarizing film on a substrate using a curable composition. The planarization device uses a member with a flat surface (also called a superstrate) to form a planarizing layer on the substrate. The underlying pattern on the substrate has an unevenness profile caused by the pattern formed in the previous process. In particular, with the recent trend toward multilayer structures in memory devices, some processed substrates have steps of approximately 100 nm. Steps caused by the gentle waviness of the entire substrate can be corrected using the focus tracking function of the scanning exposure equipment used in photolithography. However, fine-pitch unevenness that falls within the exposure slit area of ​​the exposure equipment consumes the depth of focus (DOF) of the exposure equipment. Conventional methods for smoothing the underlying pattern on a substrate include forming a planarizing layer using techniques such as spin-on carbon (SOC) and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). However, these conventional techniques lack sufficient planarization performance, and the unevenness of the underlying surface is expected to increase further with the increasing number of layers in the future. To solve this problem, a planarization device supplies a composition to the entire surface of a substrate and brings the composition on the substrate into contact with a member having a flat surface (also called a superstrate), thereby performing a planarization process on the entire substrate at once.

[0068] The above-described film forming apparatus may also be an imprinting apparatus that transfers a pattern of a mold to the imprinting material by bringing an imprinting material, which is a composition on a substrate, into contact with a mold having a concave-convex pattern. In the imprinting apparatus, imprinting can be performed for each of a plurality of shot areas formed on the substrate. Alternatively, in the imprinting apparatus, imprinting (i.e., contact) can be performed collectively for a plurality of shot areas on the substrate (for the entire substrate, or for one or more rows of shot areas).

[0069] <Embodiment of an article manufacturing method> The pattern of the cured product formed using the imprinting apparatus is used permanently on at least a portion of various articles, or temporarily when manufacturing various articles. Examples of articles include electrical circuit elements, optical elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, and molds. Examples of electrical circuit elements include volatile or nonvolatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, and semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensors, and FPGAs. Examples of molds include molds for imprinting.

[0070] The pattern of the cured product may be used as it is as at least a part of a component of the article, or may be used temporarily as a resist mask, which is removed after etching or ion implantation in a substrate processing step.

[0071] Next, a specific method for manufacturing the article will be described. As shown in Fig. 12(A), a substrate 1z such as a silicon wafer is prepared, on the surface of which a workpiece 2z such as an insulator is formed. Next, an imprint material 3z is applied to the surface of the workpiece 2z by an inkjet method or the like. Here, a state in which multiple droplets of the imprint material 3z have been applied to the substrate is shown.

[0072] As shown in Figure 12(B), the imprinting mold 4z is placed with its side on which the concave-convex pattern is formed facing the imprinting material 3z on the substrate. As shown in Figure 12(C), the substrate 1z to which the imprinting material 3z has been applied is brought into contact with the mold 4z, and pressure is applied. The imprinting material 3z fills the gap between the mold 4z and the workpiece 2z. In this state, when light is irradiated through the mold 4z as hardening energy, the imprinting material 3z hardens.

[0073] 12(D), after the imprint material 3z is cured, the mold 4z and the substrate 1z are separated, forming a pattern of the cured imprint material 3z on the substrate 1z. In this cured material pattern, the recesses of the mold correspond to the protrusions of the cured material, and the protrusions of the mold correspond to the recesses of the cured material, i.e., the recess-protrusion pattern of the mold 4z is transferred to the imprint material 3z.

[0074] As shown in Figure 12(E), when etching is performed using the cured material pattern as an etching-resistant mask, portions of the surface of the workpiece 2z where no cured material or only a thin layer remains are removed, forming grooves 5z. As shown in Figure 12(F), when the cured material pattern is removed, an article is obtained in which grooves 5z are formed in the surface of the workpiece 2z. Here, the cured material pattern is removed, but it may also be used as an interlayer insulating film included in a semiconductor device or the like, i.e., a component of an article, without being removed after processing. Although the example has been described in which a mold for transferring a circuit pattern provided with a concave-convex pattern is used as the mold 4z, a member having a flat surface without a concave-convex pattern (flat template) may also be used.

[0075] <Other embodiments> Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0076] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0077] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration. (Configuration 1) A film forming apparatus for forming a film of a curable composition on a substrate, a holder for holding the substrate; a light irradiation unit that irradiates light to cure the curable composition; a drive unit that drives the holder and the light irradiator to change their relative positions; a control unit that controls the driving of the drive unit and the timing at which the light irradiation unit irradiates the light based on the illuminance distribution of the light in the area irradiated by the light irradiation unit.

[0078] (Configuration 2) the film-forming treatment includes a curing step of curing the curable composition with the light from the light irradiation unit, 2. The film forming apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein the driving of the driving unit and the timing of the light irradiation by the light irradiation unit are controlled in the curing step.

[0079] (Configuration 3) The film forming apparatus according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the control unit controls the driving of the drive unit and the timing at which the light irradiation unit irradiates the light so that the difference in integrated exposure amount between an arbitrary first region and an arbitrary second region different from the first region among the regions irradiated with the light is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

[0080] (Configuration 4) 4. The film forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, further comprising an illuminance measuring unit that measures the illuminance distribution.

[0081] (Configuration 5) 5. The film forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the driving includes translating at least one of the holding unit and the light irradiating unit.

[0082] (Configuration 6) 6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the translational motion includes a circular or elliptical motion.

[0083] (Configuration 7) 7. The film forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the driving includes rotating at least one of the holding unit and the light irradiating unit.

[0084] (Configuration 8) 8. The film forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the driving includes a periodic movement.

[0085] (Configuration 9) 9. The film forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the control unit causes the light irradiation unit to intermittently emit the light.

[0086] (Configuration 10) 10. The film forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the holding unit further holds a template in contact with the curable composition on the substrate.

[0087] (Method 1) A film forming method for forming a film of a curable composition on a substrate, comprising: The substrate is held by a holding portion; Irradiating the curable composition with light from a light irradiation unit; A film forming method characterized by controlling a drive that changes the relative position between the holding unit and the light irradiation unit and the timing of irradiating the light based on the illuminance distribution of the light in the area irradiated by the light irradiation unit.

[0088] (Method 2) the film-forming treatment includes a curing step of curing the curable composition with the light from the light irradiation unit, The film forming method according to Method 1, wherein the driving for changing the relative position and the control of the timing of the light irradiation are performed in the curing step.

[0089] (Method 3) The film forming method described in Method 1 or 2, characterized in that a drive for changing the relative position and a timing for irradiating the light are controlled so that the difference in the cumulative exposure amount between an arbitrary first region and an arbitrary second region different from the first region among the regions irradiated with the light is a predetermined value or less.

[0090] (Method 4) 4. The film forming method according to any one of Methods 1 to 3, further comprising a step of measuring the illuminance distribution by an illuminance measuring unit before performing the film forming process.

[0091] (Method 5) 4. The film forming method according to any one of Methods 1 to 3, further comprising a step of estimating the illuminance distribution from a measurement result of a film thickness distribution of the film formed by a previous process.

[0092] (Method 6) 6. The film forming method according to any one of methods 1 to 5, further comprising a step of determining the content of the driving based on the arrangement of the light source of the light irradiation unit.

[0093] (Article manufacturing method) forming a curable composition on a substrate using the film-forming apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 10 or the film-forming method according to any one of Methods 1 to 6; treating the substrate on which the composition is formed; and producing an article from the processed substrate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1 laminate 1a Substrate 1b Template 1c composition 2 Holding part 3 Light irradiation unit 4 Drive unit 5 Illuminance measurement section 100,300,400 Film forming equipment 200 control section

Claims

1. A film forming apparatus for forming a film of a curable composition on a substrate, a holder for holding the substrate; a light irradiation unit that irradiates light to cure the curable composition; a drive unit that drives the holder and the light irradiator to change their relative positions; a control unit that controls the driving of the drive unit and the timing at which the light irradiation unit irradiates the light based on the illuminance distribution of the light in the area irradiated by the light irradiation unit.

2. the film-forming treatment includes a curing step of curing the curable composition with the light from the light irradiation unit, 2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving of the driving unit and the timing of the light irradiation by the light irradiating unit are controlled during the curing step.

3. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit controls the driving of the drive unit and the timing at which the light irradiation unit irradiates the light so that the difference in integrated exposure amount between an arbitrary first area and an arbitrary second area different from the first area among the areas irradiated with the light is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

4. 2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an illuminance measuring unit that measures the illuminance distribution.

5. 2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving includes translating at least one of the holding unit and the light irradiating unit.

6. 6. The film forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the translational movement includes a circular or elliptical movement.

7. 2. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving includes rotating at least one of the holding unit and the light irradiating unit.

8. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the driving includes a periodic movement.

9. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit causes the light irradiation unit to intermittently emit the light.

10. The film forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holding unit further holds a template that is in contact with the curable composition on the substrate.

11. A film forming method for forming a film of a curable composition on a substrate, comprising: The substrate is held by a holding portion; Irradiating the curable composition with light from a light irradiation unit; A film forming method characterized by controlling a drive that changes the relative position between the holding unit and the light irradiation unit and the timing of irradiating the light based on the illuminance distribution of the light in the area irradiated by the light irradiation unit.

12. the film-forming treatment includes a curing step of curing the curable composition with the light from the light irradiation unit, 12. The film forming method according to claim 11, wherein the driving for changing the relative position and the control of the timing of the light irradiation are performed in the curing step.

13. The film forming method according to claim 11, characterized in that the driving for changing the relative position and the timing of irradiating the light are controlled so that the difference in integrated exposure amount between an arbitrary first region and an arbitrary second region different from the first region among the regions irradiated with the light is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

14. 12. The film forming method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of measuring the illuminance distribution by an illuminance measuring unit before performing the film forming process.

15. 12. The film forming method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of estimating the illuminance distribution from a measurement result of a film thickness distribution of the film formed by a previous process.

16. 12. The film forming method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of determining the content of the driving based on the arrangement of light sources of the light irradiation unit.

17. forming a curable composition on a substrate using the film forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10; treating the substrate on which the curable composition is formed; and producing an article from the processed substrate.

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