Imprint method, imprint device, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

To maintain good overlapping accuracy even when there is an area in which imprint processing is not performed.SOLUTION: An imprint method includes: a contact step of bringing a mold into contact with an imprint material on a substrate; a first irradiation step of irradiating the imprint material on the substrate with first light for curing the imprint material while the mold and the imprint material on the substrate are in contact with each other; a releasing step of separating the mold and the imprint material on the substrate from each other; and a second irradiation step of, when the substrate has, other than an imprint area in which imprint processing is performed including the contact step, first irradiation step, and releasing step, a skip area in which the imprint processing is skipped, irradiating the skip area with second light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Imprinting apparatuses are being put into practical use as one of the lithography technologies for mass production of magnetic storage media and semiconductor devices. Imprinting is a method of forming a pattern on a substrate, such as a silicon wafer or glass plate, by bringing a mold on which a fine circuit pattern has been formed into contact with a resin applied to the substrate. For example, when forming a circuit pattern for a semiconductor device, the accuracy of the alignment between the circuit pattern already formed on the wafer 11 and the circuit pattern to be formed is extremely important.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for reducing the effect on overlay accuracy of the wafer temperature caused by irradiation with light to harden a resin in order to improve overlay accuracy by ensuring that the imprinted areas are not adjacent to each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4964841 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, if a foreign object is detected and there is an area where imprinting does not occur, the effect of the light that hardens the resin on the adjacent area changes. In other words, if there is an area where imprinting does not occur, the effect of temperature on the surrounding area changes, and overlay accuracy deteriorates.

[0006] Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an imprinting method that can maintain good overlay accuracy even when there are areas that are not subjected to imprinting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an imprinting method as one aspect of the present invention is an imprinting method comprising: a contacting step of contacting a mold with an imprinting material on a substrate; a first irradiation step of irradiating a first light to harden the imprinting material on the substrate while the mold and the imprinting material on the substrate are in contact; a demolding step of separating the mold from the imprinting material on the substrate; and, if a skipped area, which is an area where the imprinting process is skipped, exists on the substrate other than an imprinting area where an imprinting process including the contacting step, the first irradiation step, and the demolding step is performed, a second irradiation step of irradiating the skipped area with a second light. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, even if there is an area that is not subjected to imprint processing, it is possible to maintain good overlay accuracy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an imprint apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart showing an imprint method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart showing an imprint method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a problem in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for calculating illuminance in the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing an article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] <Embodiment 1> 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an imprint apparatus 1. The configuration of the imprint apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0012] The imprint apparatus 1 is an apparatus (lithography apparatus) used in manufacturing devices such as semiconductor devices as articles. The imprint apparatus 1 functions as an apparatus that performs an imprint process that forms a pattern of resin (imprint material) on the wafer 11 by irradiating light while a mold is pressed against the uncured resin (uncured imprint material) on the wafer 11. That is, the imprint process is a process that uses a mold having a pattern portion to sequentially form patterns of imprint material in multiple imprint areas on a substrate. The imprint process will be described in detail later.

[0013] In this embodiment, the imprinting apparatus employs a photo-curing method. In Fig. 1, the Z axis is taken parallel to the optical axis of the illumination system that irradiates the imprinting material on the wafer 11 with ultraviolet light, and the X and Y axes are taken perpendicular to each other in a plane perpendicular to the Z axis.

[0014] The imprinting apparatus 1 has a curing light irradiation unit 2, a mold holding mechanism 3, a wafer stage 4, an application unit 5, a light transmitting member 13, an alignment measurement system (positional deviation detection unit) 22, a heating mechanism 60, an adjuster 63, an irradiation control unit 65, and a control unit 7.

[0015] During the imprinting process, the curing light irradiation unit 2 irradiates the mold 8 with light via a mirror 10. Specifically, it irradiates ultraviolet light 9. Although not shown, this curing light irradiation unit 2 includes a light source and an optical element for adjusting the ultraviolet light 9 irradiated from the light source to light appropriate for imprinting. Note that in this embodiment, the curing light irradiation unit 2 is installed in order to employ a photocuring method, but if, for example, a thermal curing method is employed, a heat source for curing the thermosetting resin is installed in place of the curing light irradiation unit 2.

[0016] The mold (die) 8 has a rectangular outer periphery and includes a pattern portion 8a (for example, a concave-convex pattern to be transferred, such as a circuit pattern) formed three-dimensionally on the surface facing the wafer 11. The mold 8 is made of a material such as quartz that is capable of transmitting ultraviolet light 9. Furthermore, the mold 8 may have a cavity (recess) 8b on the surface irradiated with ultraviolet light 9 to facilitate deformation of the mold 8. This cavity 8b has a circular planar shape, and the thickness (depth) is set appropriately depending on the size and material of the mold 8.

[0017] Alternatively, a light-transmitting member 13 may be installed in an opening region 17 in the mold holding mechanism 3 (described later) to seal the space 12 surrounded by a portion of the opening region 17 and the cavity 8b, and the pressure in the space 12 may be controlled by a pressure adjusting device (not shown). For example, when pressing the mold 8 against the imprint material (resin) 14 on the wafer 11, the pressure adjusting device may be set to a higher pressure in the space 12 than outside, causing the pattern portion 8a to bend convexly toward the wafer 11. As a result, the center of the pattern portion 8a comes into contact with the imprint material 14. This prevents gas (air) from being trapped between the pattern portion 8a and the imprint material 14, allowing the imprint material 14 to fill every corner of the uneven portions of the pattern portion 8a.

[0018] The mold holding mechanism 3 includes a mold chuck 15 that attracts and holds the mold 8 by vacuum suction or electrostatic force, and a mold drive mechanism 16 that holds the mold chuck 15 and moves the mold 8 (mold chuck 15). The mold chuck 15 and mold drive mechanism 16 have an opening area 17 in the center (inside) so that ultraviolet light 9 emitted from the light source of the curing light irradiation unit 2 is irradiated toward the wafer 11. Furthermore, the mold holding mechanism 3 includes a magnification correction mechanism (mold deformation mechanism) 18 on the mold 8 holding side of the mold chuck 15 that corrects the shape of the mold 8 (pattern portion 8a) by applying an external force or displacement to the side of the mold 8. The mold deformation mechanism 18 deforms the shape of the mold 8 so that the shape of the pattern portion 8a formed on the mold 8 matches the shape of a wafer-side pattern previously formed on the wafer 11.

[0019] The mold drive mechanism 16 moves the mold 8 in the Z-axis direction so as to selectively press or separate the mold 8 from the imprint material 14 on the wafer 11. Examples of actuators that can be used for this mold drive mechanism 16 include a linear motor or an air cylinder. Furthermore, to accommodate high-precision positioning of the mold 8, the mold drive mechanism 16 may be configured with multiple drive systems, such as a coarse drive system and a fine drive system. Furthermore, the mold drive mechanism 16 may be configured to have a position adjustment function not only in the Z-axis direction but also in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, or θ (rotation around the Z-axis) direction, as well as a tilt function for correcting the inclination of the mold 8. The pressing (contact) and separation operations in the imprint apparatus 1 may be achieved by moving the mold 8 in the Z-axis direction as described above, or by moving the wafer stage 4 in the Z-axis direction, or by moving both of them relatively.

[0020] The wafer (substrate) 11 is, for example, a single crystal silicon wafer or an SOI (Silicon on Insulator) wafer. An ultraviolet curable resin (hereinafter referred to as "imprint material") 14 formed by a pattern portion 8a formed on a mold 8 is applied to the surface to be processed of the wafer 11.

[0021] The wafer stage 4 holds the wafer 11 and aligns the mold 8 with the imprint material 14 when pressing the mold 8 against the imprint material 14 on the wafer 11. The wafer stage 4 has a wafer chuck (wafer holder) 19 that holds the wafer 11 by suction force, and a stage drive mechanism 20 that holds the wafer chuck 19 by mechanical means and enables it to move within the XY plane.

[0022] The wafer chuck 19 has a plurality of suction sections that can suction-hold the backside of the wafer 11 in a plurality of regions. Each of these suction sections is connected to a separate pressure adjusting device (not shown). This pressure adjusting device adjusts the pressure between the wafer 11 and the suction sections to reduce pressure and generate suction force to hold the wafer 11 on the surface of the wafer chuck 19, and also makes it possible to independently change the pressure value (suction force) at each suction section. The number of suction sections (number of sections installed) is not particularly limited and may be any number.

[0023] The wafer stage 4 also has a reference mark 21 on its surface that is used when aligning the mold 8. The stage drive mechanism 20 may use, for example, a linear motor as an actuator. The stage drive mechanism 20 may also be composed of multiple drive systems, such as a coarse drive system and a fine drive system, for each of the X-axis and Y-axis directions. Furthermore, the stage drive mechanism 20 may also be configured to have a drive system for adjusting the position in the Z-axis direction, a function for adjusting the position of the wafer 11 in the θ direction, or a tilt function for correcting the inclination of the wafer 11. The wafer stage 4 is an alignment means for aligning the wafer 11 with the mold 8.

[0024] The applicator 5 applies an imprint material 14, which is an uncured resin, onto the wafer 11. Here, the imprint material 14 is a photocurable resin that has the property of being cured by receiving ultraviolet light 9, and is appropriately selected depending on various conditions such as the semiconductor device manufacturing process. The amount of imprint material 14 discharged from the discharge nozzle of the applicator 5 is also appropriately determined depending on the desired thickness of the imprint material 14 to be formed on the wafer 11, the density of the pattern to be formed, etc.

[0025] The alignment measurement system 22 measures the positional deviation in the X-axis and Y-axis directions between an alignment mark formed on the wafer 11 and an alignment mark formed on the mold 8, for example, as wafer alignment.

[0026] The heating mechanism 60 irradiates light 62 to heat the imprint area (pattern formation area, shot area) on the wafer 11. This deforms the imprint area on the wafer 11 into a target shape. Here, the imprint area refers to the area where the pattern of the pattern portion 8a is formed in the imprint material 14 in one imprint process. The heating mechanism 60 corrects the shape of the imprint area, thereby reducing the difference in shape between the imprint area on the wafer 11 and the pattern portion 8a.

[0027] The heating mechanism 60 includes a light source 61, an adjuster 63 that adjusts the illuminance distribution and irradiation time period of light 62 emitted from the light source, and a mirror 64 that deflects the light from the adjuster 63 toward the wafer 11. The heating mechanism 60 further includes a focusing optical system (not shown) that focuses the light emitted from the light source 61, and a uniform illumination optical system (not shown) that uniformizes the intensity of the light from the focusing optical system to illuminate the adjuster 63. The uniform illumination optical system includes optical elements such as a microlens array (not shown).

[0028] The light (third light) 62 is light having a wavelength that does not cure the imprint material 14. Furthermore, the light 62 is also light having a wavelength for correcting the difference in shape between the imprint area on the wafer 11 and the pattern portion 8a. For example, the light 62 is preferably light having a wavelength different from that of the ultraviolet light 9 and existing in a wavelength band of 400 to 1200 nm. In particular, the light 62 is preferably light having a wavelength band that is hardly absorbed by the mold 8 but is easily absorbed by the wafer 11. If light other than the ultraviolet light 9 is used in the imprint apparatus 1, the light preferably has a wavelength other than that of the wavelength band of the light. Alternatively, the light may be light having a wavelength band of 200 to 400 nm, as long as it is light having a wavelength band to which the imprint material 14 is not easily photosensitive.

[0029] For example, a DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) is used as the adjuster 63. The DMD has a plurality of micro-mirrors (not shown) that reflect light, and whether or not to irradiate the light 62 is selected by tilting each micro-mirror at an angle of −12 degrees (ON state) or +12 degrees (OFF state) with respect to the micro-mirror array surface.

[0030] The irradiation control unit 65 has a CPU and selectively controls the switching of each micromirror between the ON state and the OFF state based on irradiation dose distribution data instructed by the control unit 7, which will be described later. The irradiation dose distribution data includes information regarding the length of time (timing) for which light from each micromirror in the ON state is irradiated onto the imprint area, and information regarding the illuminance distribution of the imprint area formed at the same time. The more micromirrors in the ON state and the longer the irradiation time of light 62, the greater the irradiation dose onto the imprint area. In other words, the greater the amount of heat imparted to the imprint area.

[0031] The heating mechanism 60 may change the irradiation amount by changing the intensity of the light 62, instead of adjusting the irradiation amount by changing the irradiation time. By applying an irradiation amount distribution using the heating mechanism 60, a heat amount distribution is formed within one imprint area. In this way, the processing area of ​​the wafer 11 is locally deformed into the desired shape. The irradiation control unit 65 also controls the timing of the emission of the light 62. Note that the adjuster 63 may be a liquid crystal device that can change the irradiation amount distribution by individually controlling the voltages applied to multiple liquid crystal elements. A mirror 64 is also arranged on the optical path of the ultraviolet light 9. The mirror 64 is, for example, a dichroic mirror that transmits the ultraviolet light 9 and reflects the light 62.

[0032] The control unit 7 can control the operation and adjustment of each component of the imprint apparatus 1. The control unit 7 is configured, for example, by at least one computer including a CPU, memory, etc., and is connected to each component of the imprint apparatus 1 via a line, and can control each component in accordance with a program, etc. The control unit 7 may be configured integrally with the other parts of the imprint apparatus 1 (in a common housing), or may be configured separately from the other parts of the imprint apparatus 1 (in a different housing).

[0033] The imprint apparatus 1 also includes a base surface plate 24 on which the wafer stage 4 is placed, a bridge surface plate 25 on which the mold holding mechanism 3 is fixed, and supports 26 extending from the base surface plate 24 to support the bridge surface plate 25. The imprint apparatus 1 also includes, although not shown, a mold transfer mechanism that transfers the mold 8 from outside the apparatus to the mold holding mechanism 3, and a wafer transfer mechanism (not shown) that transfers the wafer 11 from outside the apparatus to the wafer stage 4.

[0034] Next, the imprinting method performed by the imprinting apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figures 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing the imprinting method performed by the imprinting apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. Note that each operation (process) shown in the flowcharts of Figures 2 and 3 is controlled by the control unit 7 of the imprinting apparatus 1 executing a computer program stored in a memory or the like. Furthermore, each process (step) is represented by adding an S to the beginning of the process (step) to omit the notation of the process (step).

[0035] In S100, the control unit 7 controls the mold transport system to transport the mold 8 designated in the lot from the mold stocker to the mold holding mechanism 3 and fix it to the mold holding mechanism 3.

[0036] In S101, the control unit 7 controls the wafer transfer system to transfer the wafer 11 to be processed from the wafer carrier to the wafer chuck 19.

[0037] In S102, the control unit 7 uses a foreign matter inspection device (not shown) to inspect whether or not foreign matter exists on each imprint area (pattern formation area) before performing imprint processing on the multiple imprint areas on the wafer 11. In this embodiment, the foreign matter inspection device is disposed inside the imprint apparatus 1.

[0038] In S103, the control unit 7 determines whether or not to designate the imprint region where imprint processing is to be performed as a skip region (determination step). The skip region is a region where the mold 8 is not brought into contact with the imprint material 14 on the wafer 11, and the imprint processing is skipped so that a pattern of the imprint material is not formed on the imprint region. In other words, the skip region is a region other than the imprint region where imprint processing, which includes at least the contact step, first irradiation step, and release step described below, is performed, and the imprint processing is skipped. To determine whether to designate a region as a skip region, first, it is determined based on the inspection result of S102, based on the detection result of the foreign matter inspection device, whether or not a foreign matter has been detected in the imprint region where imprint processing is to be performed.

[0039] If the result of the determination is that no foreign matter is detected in the imprint region where imprint processing is to be performed, the process proceeds to S104. On the other hand, if a foreign matter is detected in the imprint region where imprint processing is to be performed, a further determination is made as to whether or not the pattern portion 8a of the mold 8 will be damaged or has the potential to be damaged, based on information such as the position and size of the foreign matter on the wafer 11. If the result of the determination is that the pattern portion 8a of the mold 8 will be damaged or has the potential to be damaged by the foreign matter, the imprint region where imprint processing is to be performed is determined to be a skip region, and the process proceeds to S105'. Note that, as a determination process when a foreign matter is detected in the imprint region where imprint processing is to be performed, for example, whether or not to designate the imprint region as a skip region may be determined by determining whether or not the detected foreign matter is equal to or smaller than a predetermined size. On the other hand, if there is no possibility that the pattern portion 8a of the mold 8 will be damaged or has the potential to be damaged by the foreign matter, the imprint region where imprint processing is to be performed is not determined to be a skip region, and the process proceeds to S104.

[0040] As described above, in this embodiment, foreign matter present in the imprint region on the wafer 11 is detected by a foreign matter inspection device (foreign matter detection unit) within the imprint apparatus 1. However, this is not limiting, and the detection may be performed using an external foreign matter inspection device. In this case, the wafer identification number and information regarding the position and size of the foreign matter on the wafer 11 acquired by the external foreign matter inspection device may be transmitted to the imprint apparatus 1 and stored in a storage medium (not shown) such as a memory or secondary storage device included in the imprint apparatus 1. In this case, the control unit 7 may determine whether or not to designate an imprint region where imprint processing is to be performed as a skip region based on the information about the foreign matter stored in the storage medium in S103. Furthermore, it may also be determined before imprint processing that a predetermined imprint region should be designated as a skip region based on the information about the foreign matter stored in the storage medium. In other words, the skip region does not have to be an imprint region where imprint processing is to be performed.

[0041] First, the process performed on the imprint area that was not determined to be a skip area in the process of S103 will be described below.

[0042] In S104, the control unit 7 moves the wafer stage 4 so that it is directly below the coating unit 5. Thereafter, the control unit 7 controls the coating unit 5 to coat (supply) the imprint material 14 onto the imprint region on the wafer 11 where the imprint process will be performed (coating step).

[0043] In S105, the control unit 7 drives the wafer stage 4 to position the imprint area of ​​the wafer 11, to which the imprint material 14 has been applied, at a predetermined position directly below the mold holding mechanism 3. Thereafter, the control unit 7 controls the mold holding mechanism 3 to drive the mold 8 in the Z direction, thereby bringing the pattern portion 8a formed on the mold 8 into contact with the imprint material 14 on the wafer 11 (contact step). That is, the pattern portion 8a formed on the mold 8 is pressed (imprinted) against the imprint material 14 on the wafer 11.

[0044] In S106, the control unit 7 simultaneously observes a mark (not shown) on the wafer side and a mark (not shown) on the mold side using the alignment measurement system 22. Then, to correct any deviation in relative position obtained through the observation, the control unit 7 drives the wafer stage 4 to align the wafer 11 and the mold 8 so that the amount of relative deviation falls within a predetermined tolerance (alignment step). Furthermore, in S106, in parallel with the alignment by the wafer stage, the control unit 7 performs a process of correcting the shape of the mold 8 by deforming the mold 8 using the mold deformation mechanism 18 (shape correction step). Additionally, the control unit 7 also performs a process of correcting the shape of the wafer 11 by irradiating the imprint region on the wafer 11 with light 62 from the light source 61 of the heating mechanism 60 to deform the wafer 11 (fourth irradiation step). The shape correction step and the fourth irradiation step may be performed in parallel with the alignment step, or one of the steps may be performed first, even if not in parallel, as long as it is completed before the start of S107.

[0045] In S106, the mold deformation mechanism 18 and the heating mechanism 60 correct deformations such as magnification components, trapezoidal components, and parallelogram components that occur due to the influence of a series of semiconductor device manufacturing processes, for example.

[0046] In the shape correction process, the mold deformation mechanism 18 corrects the mold 8 based on, for example, the results of observation of a plurality of marks on the wafer 11 and marks on the mold 8 by the alignment measurement system 22. Specifically, the control unit 7 calculates the magnification component, trapezoidal component, parallelogram component, etc. based on the results of the alignment measurement system 22, and calculates the external force or displacement to be applied to the side surface of the mold 8, whereby the mold deformation mechanism 18 corrects the shape of the pattern portion 8a.

[0047] In the fourth irradiation step, the heating mechanism 60 irradiates the imprint region of the wafer 11 with light 62 from the light source 61 so that the heat distribution in the imprint region becomes the desired distribution, i.e., so that the shape difference between the imprint region of the wafer 11 and the pattern portion 8a is reduced. Information regarding the shape difference between the imprint region of the wafer 11 and the pattern portion 8a is acquired, for example, by an external measurement device, and the control unit 7 calculates an illuminance distribution for reducing the shape difference based on the acquired shape difference information. For example, if the shape difference includes a deformation including a trapezoidal component, the heating mechanism 60 irradiates the imprint region with light 62 so that the amount of heat in the imprint region decreases linearly from the short side to the long side. This allows heat to be applied to the wafer 11 so that the temperature in the imprint region decreases linearly from the short side to the long side, and the imprint region with a shape difference including a trapezoidal component can be deformed to the target shape.

[0048] In S107, the control unit 7 controls the curing light irradiation unit 2 to irradiate ultraviolet light 9 from the rear surface of the mold 8 (the upper surface of the imprinting apparatus) while the pattern portion 8a of the mold 8 is in contact with the imprinting material 14. The ultraviolet light 9 irradiated by the curing light irradiation unit 2 passes through the mold 8 and is irradiated onto the imprinting material 14. In this manner, the curing light irradiation unit 2 irradiates ultraviolet light 9, thereby curing the imprinting material 14 (first irradiation step). In this embodiment, the ultraviolet light 9 irradiated in the step of S107 (first irradiation step) is the first light.

[0049] In S108, after the control unit 7 has cured the imprint material 14, the mold holding mechanism 3 widens the gap between the wafer 11 and the mold 8 and separates the mold 8 from the cured imprint material 14 (mold releasing process). This forms a pattern of the imprint material 14 on the wafer 11. That is, the pattern formed on the pattern portion 8a of the mold 8 is transferred to the imprint material 14 on the imprint region.

[0050] At this time, the control unit 7 controls the wafer chuck 19 to partially relax the pressure of the suction unit corresponding to the imprint region where the imprinting process was performed. This is done to reduce the force required to separate the mold 8 from the pattern of the imprint material 14 and prevent damage to the pattern of the imprint material 14. Additionally, the wafer 11 is held to the wafer chuck 19 at a pressure sufficient to prevent complete separation of the wafer 11 from the wafer chuck 19, preventing separation of the wafer 11 from the wafer chuck 19. This prevents the wafer 11 from separating from the wafer chuck 19, and partially relaxing the pressure reduces the force required to separate the mold 8 from the pattern of the imprint material 14. More specifically, the imprinted region of the wafer 11 and its surrounding area temporarily rise as the mold holding mechanism 3 drives the wafer 11, and bending deformation occurs in the wafer 11, reducing the force required to separate the mold 8 from the pattern of the imprint material 14. The operation (process) of partially relaxing the pressure of the suction unit corresponding to the imprint region is preferably performed simultaneously with or in conjunction with the mold release in S108.

[0051] In this way, for the imprint area determined not to be a skip area in S103, the imprint process includes the application process, contact process, alignment process, first irradiation process, and release process in that order, to form a pattern of the imprint material on the wafer 11. Note that the shape correction process and fourth irradiation process are also performed in parallel with the alignment process. In this embodiment, the shape correction process and fourth irradiation process are also included in the imprint process.

[0052] In S109, the control unit 7 determines whether there is an imprint area to be subjected to the next imprint process. If the result of the determination is that there is an imprint area to be subjected to the next imprint process, the process returns to S103 and sequentially performs the same process. That is, the imprint apparatus 1 sequentially drives the wafer stage 4 and repeats the imprint process for all imprint areas specified in the lot, thereby transferring the concave-convex pattern of the pattern portion 8a in the mold 8 over the entire surface of the wafer 11. On the other hand, if there is no imprint area to be subjected to the next imprint process, the process proceeds to S110.

[0053] In S110, it is determined whether or not there is any area that was determined to be a skip area in S103 and that underwent the processes of S105' to S108' (skip processing) within the entire imprint area on the wafer 11. If the result of the determination is that there is no area that was determined to be a skip area in S103 and that underwent the processes of S105' to S108', the process proceeds to S111. On the other hand, if there is an area that was determined to be a skip area in S103 and that underwent the processes of S105' to S108', the process proceeds to S111'.

[0054] In S111, the control unit 7 controls the wafer transport mechanism to collect the imprinted wafer 11 (the concave-convex pattern of the pattern portion 8a of the mold 8 has been transferred to the entire surface of the wafer 11) placed on the wafer chuck 19. The collected wafer 11 is stored in a wafer case for storage.

[0055] In S112, the control unit 7 determines whether there are any other wafers on which a pattern of the imprint material 14 is to be formed, i.e., whether there are any other wafers on which an imprint process similar to the process flow shown in Fig. 1 should be performed. If the result of the determination shows that there are other wafers on which a pattern of the imprint material 14 is to be formed, the process returns to S101 and similar processes are performed sequentially. On the other hand, if there are no other wafers on which a pattern of the imprint material 14 is to be formed, the process proceeds to S113.

[0056] In S113, the control unit 7 controls the mold transport mechanism to recover the mold 8 held by the mold chuck 15. Thereafter, the process ends.

[0057] The processing performed for the skip processing will be explained below. Note that the processing for the skip area (skip processing) is the processing that proceeds when it is determined in S103 that a predetermined imprint area is to be a skip area, and refers to the processing of S105' to S108'. Another feature is that when the skip processing is performed, the processing of S111' is also performed. Therefore, explanations of the same sequence when the skip processing described above is not performed will be omitted.

[0058] In S105', the control unit 7 performs dummy imprinting, which is an imprinting operation, without applying the imprint material 14 (first movement process). Dummy imprinting is a process in which the wafer stage 4 is driven to position the imprint area (skip area) of the wafer 11 at a predetermined position directly below the mold holding mechanism 3, and the mold 8 is driven in the Z direction to bring the mold 8 close to the imprint area of ​​the wafer 11. In dummy imprinting, the pattern portion 8a of the mold 8 is not brought into contact with the wafer 11. If the wafer 11 and mold 8 are brought into contact without the imprint material 14, they may be damaged, so it is desirable that they not be brought into contact.

[0059] In S106', the control unit 7 performs dummy alignment. Here, since high-precision alignment between the wafer 11 and the mold 8 is not required in S106', alignment by the alignment measurement system and mold deformation mechanism 18 are not performed. Here, only irradiation of light 62 from the heating mechanism 60 is performed (third irradiation step). With the wafer 11 and the mold 8 in close proximity, the heating mechanism 60 irradiates the wafer 11 with light 62 having the same wavelength, illuminance, and illuminance distribution as in S106 for the same time. In other words, the irradiation time of the light 62 (third light) in the third irradiation step performed in S106', as well as the wavelength, illuminance, and illuminance distribution of the light 62, are the same as those in the fourth irradiation step performed in S106. Thus, the light 62 irradiated in S106' is light having a wavelength that does not harden the imprint material, as in the fourth irradiation step.

[0060] In S107', the control unit 7 controls the curing light irradiation unit 2 to irradiate ultraviolet light 9 from the back surface of the mold 8, and performs dummy exposure (second irradiation step) in which the ultraviolet light 9 that has passed through the mold 8 is irradiated onto the imprint area (skip area) of the wafer 11. In this way, if a skip area, which is an area where the imprint process is skipped, exists on the wafer 11 other than the imprint area where the imprint process including the contact step, first irradiation step, and demolding step is performed, the skip area is irradiated with the second light. The dummy exposure is performed in a state where the mold 8 and the wafer 11 are in close proximity. In this embodiment, the ultraviolet light 9 irradiated in the step of S107' (second irradiation step) is the second light. In addition, in the dummy exposure, light having the same wavelength, illuminance, and illuminance distribution as the ultraviolet light 9 used in S107 is irradiated onto the wafer 11 for the same period of time. In other words, the irradiation time of the ultraviolet light 9, which is the second light, in the second irradiation step performed in S107', as well as the wavelength, illuminance, and illuminance distribution of the ultraviolet light 9, are the same as those in the first irradiation step performed in S107. In this way, the ultraviolet light 9 irradiated in S107' is light having a wavelength that hardens the imprint material, similar to the first irradiation step.

[0061] In S108', the control unit 7 controls the mold holding mechanism 3 to widen the gap between the wafer 11 and the mold 8 and perform dummy release (second movement step). In S108', similarly to S108, simultaneously with or in conjunction with the dummy release operation, the control unit 7 also performs a process of partially relaxing the pressure value (suction pressure) of the suction part on the wafer chuck 19 corresponding to the imprint area (skip area) subjected to dummy exposure (pressure control step).

[0062] In S111', the control unit 7 controls the wafer transport mechanism to recover the skip-processed wafer 11 placed on the wafer chuck 19. At this time, the wafer 11 recovered in S111' is stored in a wafer storage case different from the wafer recovered in S111.

[0063] It is desirable that the time required for each step (S105' to S108') of the skip processing performed on the skip region is the same as or approximately the same as the time required for S105 to S108.

[0064] In this way, the application process, contact process, alignment process, first irradiation process, and release process are not performed on the imprint region determined to be a skip region in S103. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the first movement process is performed before the second irradiation process, and the second movement process is performed after the second irradiation process. Furthermore, the pressure control process is performed after the second irradiation process. Furthermore, the third irradiation process is performed after the first movement process and before the second irradiation process. Furthermore, the fourth irradiation process is performed before the first irradiation process.

[0065] In the above-described process flow in the imprint apparatus 1, the fourth irradiation step is performed before the first irradiation step in S107. However, the fourth irradiation step may be performed before the first irradiation step. In this case, the temperature conditions of the wafer 11 will be different from those in the above-described process flow, so it is desirable to change the settings in advance.

[0066] Here, the problems with conventional imprint processing will be explained using Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram explaining that ultraviolet light 9 that hardens imprint material 14 affects the shape of adjacent imprint regions. The solid lines in Fig. 4 indicate the imprint regions.

[0067] In the imprint process, steps S104 to S108 are repeated to transfer the pattern of the mold 8 to each of the multiple imprint regions on the wafer 11. Therefore, assume that there is an imprint region (n-1) that has been imprinted before the target imprint region (n) that will be imprinted. In this case, when the imprint process of the target imprint region (n) is started, the imprint process of the imprint region (n-1) has already been completed. That is, the curing light irradiation unit 2 has already irradiated the wafer 11 with ultraviolet light 9 onto the imprint region (n-1). The imprint region (n-1) is shown as being irradiated with ultraviolet light 9 in line with the imprint region (hatched area). Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the target imprint region that will be imprinted will be referred to as the imprint region (n), and the imprint region (n-1) that will be imprinted before that will be referred to as the imprint region (n).

[0068] The ultraviolet light 9 hardens the imprint material 14, but at the same time, it also penetrates the imprint material 14 and reaches the wafer 11, where the absorbed heat causes the wafer 11 to expand. Furthermore, even if only the imprint region where the imprint process is performed is irradiated, the heat absorbed by the wafer diffuses within the wafer 11, as shown in FIG. 4(B), creating a temperature gradient in adjacent imprint regions (n). The contour diagram shown in FIG. 4(B) shows the temperature distribution of the wafer 11 after the imprint region (n-1) in FIG. 4(A) is irradiated with ultraviolet light 9, with darker colors indicating higher temperatures. As a result, the shape of the imprint region (n) may change (for example, as shown by the dotted line) as shown in FIG. 4(C).

[0069] As described above, the heating mechanism 60 acquires shape difference information from an external measurement device, and the control unit 7 calculates an illuminance distribution that reduces the shape difference. Here, this shape difference information already includes the influence of the previous imprint area (n-1) described above.

[0070] On the other hand, if the imprint region (n-1) is a skip region in S103, the adjacent target imprint region (n) where imprint processing is performed will not be deformed. In other words, depending on whether or not the previous imprint region (n-1) is skipped, it may be difficult to maintain accurate overlay between the mold 8 and wafer 11 in the target imprint region (n).

[0071] To reduce this effect, in this embodiment, when a skip region is determined to be present in S103, the above skip processing (S105' to S108') is performed. By reproducing the irradiation conditions for the ultraviolet light 9 and the correction conditions for the heating mechanism 60 in the skip region, it is possible to generate wafer deformation in the target imprint region (n) even when the previous imprint region (n-1) is skipped. In other words, stable overlay accuracy can be obtained even when the imprint region to be skipped dynamically changes for each wafer due to foreign substance inspection.

[0072] In this embodiment, the dummy imprinting is performed in S105' and the dummy release is performed in S108'. This is because, considering the thermal conduction of the heat absorbed by the wafer 11 caused by the dummy exposure performed in S105', it is desirable that the wafer 11 and the mold 8 are close to each other in a state similar to that in the case of the imprinting process.

[0073] However, if the gap between the wafer 11 and the mold 8 is too narrow, contact without the imprint material 14 may occur, potentially damaging the patterns on the wafer 11 and the mold 8. Therefore, a gap of, for example, 5 um to 50 um is desirable as the gap between the wafer 11 and the mold 8. The gap between the wafer 11 and the mold 8 may also be determined based on the size of foreign matter detected by a foreign matter inspection device. For example, if the particle size of a foreign matter detected by the foreign matter inspection device is 1 um, the gap between the wafer 11 and the mold 8 can be set to 5 um, thereby preventing the mold 8 from coming into contact with the foreign matter.

[0074] Furthermore, a light-shielding film (e.g., a metal film) that blocks ultraviolet light 9 may be provided on the outer periphery of the pattern portion 8a of the mold 8 outside the imprint region. In this case, it is desirable that the distance between the wafer 11 and the mold 8 be as close as possible as described above, taking into consideration the region where the light-shielding film is formed. This is because the range of light that reaches the imprint region on the wafer 11 changes depending on the distance between the mold 8 on which the light-shielding film is formed and the wafer 11, which can change the temperature distribution due to the absorbed heat and even the amount of deformation. Therefore, it is desirable to perform the dummy exposure in S107' in a state similar to that during the exposure process (first irradiation step) in S107.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wafer chuck 19 partially relaxes the pressure value of the suction part corresponding to the imprint region simultaneously with or in conjunction with the dummy release in S108'. This is because the amount of deformation of the wafer 11 due to irradiation with ultraviolet light 9 is affected by the friction generated between the wafer 11 and the wafer chuck 19, and therefore it is desirable to maintain the same level of friction as during imprint processing. In other words, it is desirable to partially relax the pressure value of the suction part corresponding to the imprint region subjected to dummy exposure, and to adsorb the region other than the dummy exposed region to the wafer chuck 19 with the same pressure as in S108. This makes it possible to make the deformation of the target imprint region (n) of the imprint processing due to dummy exposure the same as the deformation during the imprint processing. Furthermore, the pressure value of the suction part corresponding to the imprint region (n) subjected to dummy exposure may be partially increased.

[0076] Incidentally, even if the chucking pressure of the wafer chuck 19 is not released simultaneously with the dummy demolding operation, light may be irradiated at an illuminance that causes deformation exceeding the maximum static friction force acting between the wafer 11 and the wafer chuck 19. That is, the illuminance of the ultraviolet light 9, which is the second light, may be set to an illuminance that causes deformation exceeding the friction force between the wafer 11 and the wafer chuck 19 (between the substrate holders) that holds the wafer 11. In this case, it is desirable to determine in advance the relationship between the illuminance of the ultraviolet light 9, the pressure that chuks the wafer 11, and the amount of deformation of the wafer 11, and to set the pressure and illuminance to reach the amount of deformation that occurs during the actual imprint process. This makes it possible to cause deformation equivalent to that occurring during the imprint process even if the chucking pressure of the wafer chuck 19 is not released.

[0077] After the above skip processing (S105' to S108') is performed on the wafer 11, as described above, in S111' it is stored in a separate wafer storage case from the normal case, and the skipped area is subsequently imprinted using a separate mold that will not cause any problems if damaged.

[0078] As described above, according to the imprint method of the imprint apparatus 1 in the first embodiment, even if there is an area where the imprint process is not performed (skip area), it is possible to form a pattern while maintaining good overlay accuracy.

[0079] <Embodiment 2> Next, we will explain the imprint method in the imprint apparatus 1 of embodiment 2. In embodiment 2, the apparatus configuration, imprint processing method, etc. are similar to those in embodiment 1, so only the differences from embodiment 1 will be explained below, and explanations of similar parts will be omitted.

[0080] In the first embodiment, the dummy exposure (second irradiation step) of S107' uses ultraviolet light 9, which is light having a wavelength that cures the imprint material, but the second embodiment is characterized in that it uses light 62 provided in the heating mechanism 60. That is, in the second embodiment, the control unit 7 controls the heating mechanism 60 to irradiate light 62, which is the third light, rather than ultraviolet light 9, which is the second light, in the dummy exposure of S107'.

[0081] 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for calculating the illuminance of the light 62 provided in the heating mechanism 60. In this embodiment, first, the deformation of the imprint area (n) where imprint processing is performed when ultraviolet light 9 is irradiated onto the imprint area (n-1) before imprint processing is performed is obtained in advance. This can be confirmed, for example, by measuring the overlay results of the imprint area (n) when the previous imprint area (n-1) has been subjected to imprint processing and when it has not, using an external measuring device, and calculating the difference therebetween.

[0082] 5, the relationship between the illuminance of light 62 and the deformation of the imprint area is found, and in step S107', light 62 is irradiated at an illuminance I that causes deformation equivalent to that caused by ultraviolet light 9. The illuminance distribution of light 62 on the wafer 11 is uniform across the entire imprint area, similar to that of ultraviolet light 9.

[0083] Furthermore, regardless of the above example, the illuminance may be determined from the ratio of the wavelength dependencies of the ultraviolet light 9 and the light 62 on the wafer 11, for example.

[0084] Here, an example of the effect of using the light 62 provided in the heating mechanism 60 in the dummy exposure of S107' will be described. For example, in the first embodiment, the application of the imprint material is performed in S104 (the application step) immediately before imprinting. Here, when performing imprint processing on a wafer that has already been coated with the imprint material, the ultraviolet light 9 cannot be irradiated in the skip region. This is because, in the case of a wafer that has already been coated with the imprint material, the imprint material is already coated in the skip region, and irradiating the skip region with the ultraviolet light 9 would harden the imprint material in the skip region. In this state, it would be impossible to perform imprint processing on the skip region using a different mold that would not be damaged later. In this case, if the light 62 provided in the heating mechanism 60, rather than the ultraviolet light 9, were used, it would have a wavelength that does not harden the imprint material, and therefore the wafer 11 could be deformed by the dummy exposure without hardening the imprint material.

[0085] As described above, according to the imprinting method of the imprinting apparatus 1 in embodiment 2, even if there are areas on a coated wafer that are not imprinted, it is possible to form a pattern while maintaining good overlay accuracy, as in embodiment 1.

[0086] <Example of article manufacturing method> The method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices, such as semiconductor devices, and elements having a microstructure. The method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment includes a step of forming a pattern on a composition applied to a substrate using the imprinting apparatus 1 described above (a step of processing the substrate), and a step of processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in this step. Furthermore, this manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (oxidation, film formation, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, composition peeling, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment is advantageous over conventional methods in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article.

[0087] The pattern of the cured product formed using the imprinting apparatus 1 is used permanently on at least a part 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 non-volatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, and semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensors, and FPGA. Examples of molds include molds for substrate processing such as imprinting.

[0088] 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 composition mask, which is removed after etching or ion implantation or the like is performed in a substrate processing step.

[0089] Next, a specific method for manufacturing an article will be described with reference to Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 6(A), a substrate 1z such as a silicon substrate is prepared, on the surface of which a workpiece 2z such as an insulator is formed. Next, a composition 3z is applied to the surface of the workpiece 2z by an inkjet method or the like. Here, the state in which multiple droplets of the composition 3z are applied to the substrate 1z is shown.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 6(B), the mold 4z is placed with its concave-convex pattern facing the composition 3z on the substrate 1z. As shown in FIG. 6(C), the substrate 1z to which the composition 3z has been applied is brought into contact with the mold 4z, and pressure is applied (contact step). The composition 3z fills the gap between the mold 4z and the workpiece 2z. In this state, when light is irradiated through the mold 4z as curing energy, the composition 3z is cured (curing step). In this embodiment, the composition can be irradiated with light at an irradiation dose that will result in the optimal degree of photopolymerization, based on the spectral sensitivity characteristics acquired within the device.

[0091] 6(D), after the composition 3z is cured, the mold 4z and the substrate 1z are separated, and a pattern of the cured product of the composition 3z is formed on the substrate 1z (pattern formation step, molding step). In this cured product pattern, the recesses of the mold 4z correspond to the protrusions of the cured product, and the protrusions of the mold 4z correspond to the recesses of the cured product, i.e., the concave-convex pattern of the mold 4z is transferred to the composition 3z.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 6(E), etching is performed using the cured product pattern as an etching-resistant mask, removing the surface of the workpiece 2z where the cured product is absent or where only a thin layer remains, forming grooves 5z. As shown in FIG. 6(F), removing the cured product pattern results in an article with grooves 5z formed on the surface of the workpiece 2z. Here, the cured product pattern is removed, but it may be left untouched after processing and used as, for example, an interlayer insulating film included in a semiconductor device, i.e., a component of the article. While the mold 4z is described as a mold for transferring a circuit pattern with a concave-convex pattern, it may also be a flat template with a flat surface without a concave-convex pattern.

[0093] While 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 present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments may be combined and practiced.

[0094] Furthermore, a computer program that realizes the functions of the above-described examples, including part or all of the control in each of the above-described embodiments, may be supplied to the imprint apparatus 1 or the like via a network or various storage media. Then, a computer (or a CPU, MPU, or the like) in the apparatus may read and execute the program. In this case, the program and the storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention.

[0095] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations and methods.

[0096] (Configuration 1) 1. An imprint method comprising: a contacting step of contacting the mold with the imprint material on the substrate; a first irradiation step of irradiating the imprint material on the substrate with first light to harden the imprint material on the substrate while the mold and the imprint material on the substrate are in contact with each other; a demolding step of separating the mold from the imprint material on the substrate; and a second irradiation step of irradiating a skip area, which is an area where the imprint process is skipped, with a second light when the skip area is present on the substrate other than an imprint area where the imprint process including the contacting step, the first irradiation step, and the demolding step is performed. An imprint method comprising:

[0097] (Configuration 2) a first moving step of bringing the mold close to the substrate before the second irradiation step; and a second moving step of separating the mold from the substrate after the second irradiation step. 2. The imprint method according to claim 1,

[0098] (Configuration 3) 3. The imprint method according to configuration 1 or 2, further comprising, after the second irradiation step, a pressure control step of relaxing the chucking pressure on the substrate.

[0099] (Configuration 4) The imprinting method according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the second light irradiated in the second irradiation step is light having a wavelength that hardens the imprinting material.

[0100] (Configuration 5) An imprinting method described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that the irradiation time of the second light, and the wavelength, illuminance, and illuminance distribution of the second light in the second irradiation process are the same as those in the first irradiation process.

[0101] (Configuration 6) The imprinting method described in configuration 2, characterized in that it includes a third irradiation step of irradiating third light having a wavelength that does not harden the imprinting material after the first movement step and before the second irradiation step.

[0102] (Configuration 7) An imprinting method described in any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that in the second irradiation process, the second light is not irradiated, and third light having a wavelength that does not harden the imprinting material is irradiated.

[0103] (Configuration 8) The imprinting method according to configuration 6 or 7, wherein the third light is light having a wavelength for correcting a difference in shape between the imprint region on the substrate and a pattern portion on which a pattern is formed.

[0104] (Configuration 9) a fourth irradiation step of irradiating the imprint area with the third light having a wavelength for correcting a shape difference between the imprint area on the substrate and a pattern portion on which a pattern is formed, The imprinting method described in configuration 6, characterized in that the irradiation time of the third light irradiated in the third irradiation process, and the wavelength, illuminance, and illuminance distribution of the third light are the same as those in the fourth irradiation process.

[0105] (Configuration 10) An imprinting method described in any one of configurations 1 to 9, characterized in that the illuminance of the second light is an illuminance that causes deformation that exceeds the frictional force between the substrate and the substrate holder that holds the substrate.

[0106] (Configuration 11) a determination step of determining whether the imprint area to be subjected to the imprint processing is the skip area, An imprinting method described in any one of configurations 1 to 10, characterized in that for an imprinting area that is determined not to be a skip area in the determination process, the contact process, the first irradiation process, and the release process are performed in sequence to form a pattern of the imprinting material on the substrate.

[0107] (Configuration 12) 12. The imprint method according to configuration 11, wherein the determining step determines whether the imprint area is a skip area based on information about foreign matter on the imprint area.

[0108] (Configuration 13) 7. The imprinting method according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the skip area is an area where the imprinting material is not applied.

[0109] (Configuration 14) An imprint apparatus, an irradiation unit that irradiates a first light that hardens the imprint material on the substrate while the mold is in contact with the imprint material on the substrate; a control unit that, when a skip region, which is a region where the imprint process is skipped, exists on the substrate other than a plurality of imprint regions where the imprint process is performed, controls the light irradiated from the irradiation unit so that the skip region is irradiated with the second light, An imprinting apparatus comprising:

[0110] (Configuration 15) The imprinting apparatus described in configuration 14, characterized in that the imprinting process includes a step of irradiating the imprinting material on the substrate with the first light by the irradiation unit to harden the imprinting material while the mold and the imprinting material on the substrate are in contact with each other, and a step of separating the mold and the imprinting material on the substrate.

[0111] (Configuration 16) a pattern formation step of forming a pattern on the substrate using the imprint apparatus according to Configuration 15; a processing step of processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the pattern forming step; manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step; A method for manufacturing an article, comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1 Imprinting device 2 Curing light irradiation section 3 Mold holding mechanism 4 wafer stage 5. Application section 7 Control Unit

Claims

1. 1. An imprint method comprising: a contacting step of contacting the mold with the imprint material on the substrate; a first irradiation step of irradiating the imprint material on the substrate with first light to harden the imprint material on the substrate while the mold and the imprint material on the substrate are in contact with each other; a demolding step of separating the mold from the imprint material on the substrate; a second irradiation step of irradiating a skip region, which is a region where the imprint process is skipped, with a second light when the skip region is present on the substrate other than an imprint region where the imprint process including the contacting step, the first irradiation step, and the demolding step is performed, An imprint method comprising:

2. a first moving step of bringing the mold close to the substrate before the second irradiation step; and a second moving step of separating the mold from the substrate after the second irradiation step. The imprint method according to claim 1 .

3. 2. The imprint method according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure control step of relaxing the chucking pressure on the substrate after the second irradiation step.

4. 2. The imprint method according to claim 1, wherein the second light irradiated in the second irradiation step is light having a wavelength that hardens the imprint material.

5. 2. The imprint method according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation time of the second light, and the wavelength, illuminance, and illuminance distribution of the second light in the second irradiation step are the same as those in the first irradiation step.

6. The imprinting method according to claim 2, further comprising a third irradiation step of irradiating third light having a wavelength that does not harden the imprinting material after the first movement step and before the second irradiation step.

7. The imprinting method according to claim 1 , wherein in the second irradiation step, the second light is not irradiated, and third light having a wavelength that does not harden the imprinting material is irradiated.

8. The imprint method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the third light is light having a wavelength for correcting a difference in shape between the imprint region on the substrate and a pattern portion where a pattern is formed.

9. a fourth irradiation step of irradiating the imprint area with the third light having a wavelength for correcting a shape difference between the imprint area on the substrate and a pattern portion on which a pattern is formed, The imprint method according to claim 6, wherein the irradiation time of the third light irradiated in the third irradiation step, and the wavelength, illuminance, and illuminance distribution of the third light are the same as those in the fourth irradiation step.

10. 2. The imprint method according to claim 1, wherein the illuminance of the second light is an illuminance that causes deformation exceeding a frictional force between the substrate and a substrate holder that holds the substrate.

11. a determination step of determining whether the imprint area to be subjected to the imprint processing is the skip area, The imprinting method described in claim 1, characterized in that for an imprint area determined in the judgment process to not be a skip area, the contact process, the first irradiation process, and the release process are performed in sequence to form a pattern of the imprint material on the substrate.

12. 12. The imprint method according to claim 11, wherein in the determining step, it is determined whether or not the imprint area is a skip area based on information about a foreign substance on the imprint area.

13. The imprinting method according to claim 1 , wherein the skip area is an area where the imprinting material is not applied.

14. An imprint apparatus, an irradiation unit that irradiates a first light that hardens the imprint material on the substrate while the mold and the imprint material on the substrate are in contact with each other; a control unit that, when a skip region, which is a region where the imprint process is skipped, exists on the substrate other than a plurality of imprint regions where the imprint process is performed, controls the light irradiated from the irradiation unit so that the skip region is irradiated with the second light, An imprinting apparatus comprising:

15. The imprinting apparatus of claim 14, characterized in that the imprinting process includes a step of irradiating the imprinting material on the substrate with the first light by the irradiation unit to harden the imprinting material while the mold and the imprinting material on the substrate are in contact with each other, and a step of separating the mold and the imprinting material on the substrate.

16. a pattern forming step of forming a pattern on the substrate using the imprint apparatus according to claim 15; a processing step of processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the pattern forming step; manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step; A method for manufacturing an article, comprising:

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