Imprint device, imprint method, program, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

To achieve the appropriate concentration of gas supplied to an imprint region in a substrate.SOLUTION: An imprint device has: a gas supply unit that supplies gas to a space between a mold and a substrate; and a control unit that determines the interval between the substrate and the mold on the basis of the amount of supplied gas, in a period from when imprint processing on a first imprint region is completed until when a second imprint region on which the imprint processing is performed subsequent to the first imprint region is moved under the mold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] As the demand for miniaturization of semiconductor devices continues to grow, in addition to conventional photolithography technology, attention is being paid to a microfabrication technology in which an imprint material on a substrate is molded and hardened to form a pattern on the substrate. This technology is called imprint technology, and it is possible to form fine patterns on the order of a few nanometers on a substrate.

[0003] One example of imprinting technology is the photocuring method. An imprinting device using the photocuring method brings a mold into contact with a photocurable imprinting material supplied onto the device (imprinting), irradiates the imprinting material with light to harden it, and then separates the mold from the hardened imprinting material (mold release), thereby forming a pattern on a substrate. During imprinting, air (residual gas) between the mold and the imprinting material can become trapped in the unhardened imprinting material as air bubbles, resulting in unfilled defects (pattern defects).

[0004] Therefore, in Patent Document 1, the space between the mold and the substrate is saturated with a gas (hereinafter simply referred to as "gas") that is highly soluble, highly diffusible, or both in the imprint material, thereby preventing residual bubbles. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses an imprinting apparatus configured to supply gas while the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other, and then supply gas to the space between the mold and the substrate when the mold and the imprint material are separated. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses an imprinting apparatus that provides a technology for pre-exposing the imprint material to increase the viscoelasticity of the imprint material, reducing relative vibration between the mold and the substrate, and improving alignment accuracy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2007-509769 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-91741 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-54212 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In such an imprinting apparatus, when imprinting is performed successively on multiple regions on a substrate, the gas concentration may decrease. This may result in defects and reduce the productivity of the imprinting apparatus. Regarding the control of the viscoelasticity of the imprinting material by pre-exposure as described in Patent Document 3, if the gas concentration is low, viscoelasticity cannot be obtained within the specified pre-exposure irradiation time, resulting in poor alignment accuracy. On the other hand, if the gas concentration is high, excessive viscoelasticity occurs, resulting in alignment offset errors, so it is necessary to maintain an appropriate gas concentration.

[0007] Furthermore, during the exposure process (curing process) to harden the imprint material, exposure light leaks outside the imprint region, exposing the imprint material in adjacent imprint regions. This unexpected exposure increases the viscoelasticity of the imprint material, degrading alignment accuracy. If exposure progresses further, it can cause unfilled defects. Thus, the concentration of the replacement gas must be appropriately controlled in terms of the impact on adjacent imprint regions as well.

[0008] As described above, the concentration of the replacement gas has adverse effects other than filling performance, so simply increasing the gas concentration is not enough; it must be adjusted to an appropriate concentration. Furthermore, even if a constant amount of gas is supplied to each imprint region, there is a problem in that the gas concentration varies between the center and the periphery of the substrate. This is because the gas tends to diffuse into the gap between the edge of the substrate and the substrate holding member, resulting in a lower concentration at the periphery of the substrate.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an imprint apparatus that can adjust the concentration of gas supplied to an imprint region within a substrate to an appropriate level. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an imprint apparatus as one aspect of the present invention is characterized by having a gas supply unit that supplies gas to a space between a mold and a substrate, and a control unit that determines the distance between the substrate and the mold based on the amount of gas supplied during the period from when imprint processing of a first imprint area is completed to when a second imprint area, which is to be imprint processed next to the first imprint area, is moved under the mold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imprint apparatus that can adjust the concentration of gas supplied to an imprint region in a substrate to an appropriate level. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an imprint apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a substrate in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an imprint process. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a first schematic diagram of an XZ plane showing a gas supply method. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a first schematic diagram in the XY plane illustrating a gas supply method. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a first schematic diagram in the XY plane illustrating a gas supply method. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a second schematic diagram in the XY plane showing the gas supply method. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a second schematic diagram in the XY plane showing the gas supply method. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a third schematic diagram in the XY plane showing a gas supply method. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a third schematic diagram in the XY plane showing a gas supply method. [Figure 11] 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of the imprint apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing elements that depend on gas concentrations and allowable values ​​of gas concentrations in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a map of the optimized mold-substrate distance in the first embodiment. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of a method for creating an optimal gas supply map in the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the substrate of the first embodiment including a skip region in the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between mold height and gas concentration in the third embodiment. [Figure 17] 13 is a diagram showing an example of calibration of a gas concentration sensor in a mold holding unit in the third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing an article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. 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.

[0014] In this specification and the accompanying drawings, directions are indicated in an XYZ coordinate system, with the direction parallel to the surface of the substrate being the XY plane. The directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are defined as the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively, and rotation around the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are defined as θX, θY, and θZ, respectively. Control or drive with respect to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis refers to control or drive with respect to the direction parallel to the X-axis, the direction parallel to the Y-axis, and the direction parallel to the Z-axis, respectively. Positioning refers to control of position, orientation, or tilt. Alignment can include control of the position, orientation, or tilt of at least one of the substrate and mold.

[0015] <Embodiment 1> Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an imprint apparatus 10 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 1(A) is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the imprint apparatus 10. Fig. 1(B) is a diagram showing the mold 1 and gas supply unit 7 as viewed from the Z direction (as viewed from the +Z direction to the -Z direction). The imprint apparatus 10 is a lithography apparatus used in the manufacturing process of an article such as a semiconductor device.

[0016] The imprinting apparatus 10 brings the imprinting material supplied onto the substrate into contact with the pattern area PR of the mold 1 (imprinting), hardens the imprinting material by applying hardening energy to the imprinting material, and then separates the mold from the imprinting material (mold release). As a result, the concave-convex pattern of the pattern area of ​​the mold is transferred, and a hardened pattern is formed on the substrate. This series of processes is called the imprinting process.

[0017] The imprint material uses a curable composition (sometimes called an uncured resin) that hardens when curing energy is applied. The curing energy may be electromagnetic waves, heat, or the like. The electromagnetic waves may be, for example, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light, or the like, with a wavelength selected from the range of 10 nm to 1 mm.

[0018] The curable composition is a composition that cures by irradiation with light or by heating. Among these, the photocurable composition that cures by irradiation with light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photopolymerization initiator, and may contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent as needed. The non-polymerizable compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of a sensitizer, a hydrogen donor, an internal mold release agent, a surfactant, an antioxidant, a polymer component, and the like.

[0019] The imprint material may be applied to the substrate in the form of a film using a spin coater or slit coater. Alternatively, the imprint material may be applied to the substrate in the form of droplets, or in the form of islands or a film formed by connecting multiple droplets using a liquid jet head. The viscosity of the imprint material (at 25°C) is, for example, 1 mPa·s or more and 100 mPa·s or less.

[0020] The imprinting apparatus 10 includes, for example, a mold positioning unit 3 that holds and positions the mold 1, a substrate positioning unit 4 that holds and positions the substrate 2, a curing unit 6, a gas supply unit (gas supply unit) 7, and a control unit 8.

[0021] The mold 1 has, for example, a rectangular outer shape and is made of a material that is transparent to ultraviolet light, such as quartz. The mold 1 has a pattern region (pattern portion) PR on the surface facing the substrate 2. A three-dimensional concave-convex pattern to be transferred to the imprint material on the substrate 2 is formed in the pattern region PR. The pattern region PR is also called a mesa (mesa portion), and is formed as a convex portion of several tens to several hundreds of μm so that the area of ​​the mold 1 other than the pattern region PR does not come into contact with the substrate 2.

[0022] The substrate 2 is made of, for example, a semiconductor (e.g., silicon, compound semiconductor), glass, ceramics, metal, resin, etc. The substrate 2 may have one or more layers on a base material. In this case, the base material is made of, for example, a semiconductor, glass, ceramics, metal, resin, etc. If necessary, an adhesion layer may be provided on the substrate 2 to improve adhesion between the imprint material and the substrate 2. A plurality of imprint regions are formed on the substrate 2.

[0023] The mold positioning unit (mold moving unit) 3 may include a mold holding unit 3a and a mold driving mechanism 3b. The mold holding unit 3a holds the mold 1, for example, by vacuum suction or electrostatic force. The mold driving mechanism 3b is a driving system for changing the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2. The mold driving mechanism 3b drives (moves) the mold 1 in the Z-axis direction while holding it by driving the mold holding unit 3a. The mold driving mechanism 3b includes an actuator, for example, a linear motor or an air cylinder, and drives the mold holding unit 3a holding the mold 1. The mold driving mechanism 3b is configured to drive the mold 1 (mold holding unit 3a) about multiple axes (for example, three axes: the Z-axis, the θX-axis, and the θY-axis). To achieve high-precision positioning of the mold 1, the mold driving mechanism 3b may include multiple driving systems, such as a coarse driving system and a fine driving system. Furthermore, the mold driving mechanism 3b may have a function to drive the mold 1 not only in the Z-axis direction but also in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and θZ direction, and a function to correct the tilt of the mold 1.

[0024] The substrate positioning unit (substrate moving unit) 4 may include a substrate holding unit 4a that holds the substrate 2 and a substrate driving mechanism 4b. The substrate holding unit 4a holds the substrate 2, for example, by vacuum suction or electrostatic force. The substrate driving mechanism 4b drives the substrate holding unit 4a to drive (move) the substrate 2 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions while holding it. The substrate driving mechanism 4b includes an actuator such as a linear motor or an air cylinder, and drives the substrate holding unit 4a that holds the substrate 2. The substrate driving mechanism 4b may be configured to drive the substrate 2 (substrate holding unit 4a) about multiple axes (e.g., three axes: X-axis, Y-axis, and θZ-axis; preferably, six axes: X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis). The substrate driving mechanism 4b may include multiple driving systems, such as a coarse driving system and a fine driving system. The substrate driving mechanism 4b may have a function of driving the substrate 2 in the Z-axis direction or the θ direction (rotation around the Z-axis) and a function of correcting the tilt of the substrate 2.

[0025] The mold positioning unit 3 and the substrate positioning unit 4 are mechanisms that drive the mold 1 or the substrate 2 so as to adjust the relative position, relative attitude, and relative tilt in the XY plane between the mold 1 and the substrate 2, and determine the relative position between the mold 1 and the substrate 2. The mold positioning unit 3 and the substrate positioning unit 4 can be used to perform alignment to reduce error components related to the relative shift and rotation between the pattern region PR of the mold 1 and the imprint region of the substrate 2. The mold positioning unit 3 and the substrate positioning unit 4 may perform alignment by detecting alignment marks provided on the mold 1 and the substrate 2, respectively, using, for example, an alignment measurement unit (not shown).

[0026] Furthermore, the mold positioning unit 3 and the substrate positioning unit 4 are mechanisms that change the distance d and drive the mold 1 or the substrate 2 so as to adjust the relative position, relative posture, and relative inclination in the Z direction between the mold 1 and the substrate 2. The adjustment of the relative position in the Z direction by the mold positioning unit 3 or the substrate positioning unit 4 includes driving to contact (impress) the pattern area PR of the mold 1 with the imprint material on the substrate 2. It also includes driving to separate (release) the pattern area PR of the mold 1 from the cured imprint material (pattern of the cured product). The distance d can be detected, for example, by a laser interferometer or encoder provided in the mold positioning unit 3 or the substrate positioning unit 4, and can be changed based on this detection result. Note that the method of detecting the distance d is not limited to this.

[0027] The curing unit 6 cures the imprint material by supplying or irradiating energy for curing the imprint material (e.g., light such as ultraviolet light) via the mold 1 while the imprint material on the imprint region of the substrate 2 is in contact with the pattern region PR of the mold 1. This forms a pattern made of the cured imprint material. In this embodiment, the curing unit 6 has, for example, a light source that emits light (exposure light such as ultraviolet light) that cures the imprint material. The curing unit 6 may also include an optical element for adjusting the light emitted from the light source to light appropriate for the imprint process. In this embodiment, a photocuring method is employed, and therefore a light source that emits ultraviolet light is used. However, if a thermal cycle method is employed, for example, a heat source for curing a thermosetting resin as the imprint material may be used instead of the light source.

[0028] The gas supply unit 7 supplies a replacement gas (gas) to the space between the mold 1 and the substrate 2, replacing gas such as air in the space between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 with the replacement gas. If air bubbles are present between the mold 1 and the imprint material when the imprint material is cured, the imprint material will not fill the air bubbles, which may result in defects in the pattern of the cured product. The gas supply unit 7 replaces the gas in the space between the mold 1 and the imprint material with a permeable gas that easily permeates the mold 1 or the imprint material during imprinting. The gas may also be replaced with a condensable gas that condenses and liquefies due to the pressure increase that occurs when the mold 1 is brought into contact with the imprint material. For example, helium gas (He) is used as the permeable gas, and for example, pentafluoropropane (PFP) is used as the condensable gas. In this embodiment, the replacement gas may be a permeable gas or a condensable gas, and hereinafter, when simply referred to as "gas," this replacement gas is referred to.

[0029] The gas supply unit 7 may include a gas supply source 7a, gas control units 7bL, 7bR, 7bB (not shown), and 7bF (not shown), and gas supply paths 7dL, 7dR, 7dB, and 7dF. FIG. 1B shows the arrangement of the gas supply paths 7dL, 7dR, 7dB, and 7dF on the XY plane. The gas supply source 7a is a supply source of replacement gas and includes a tank filled with gas or is connected to an external gas supply source. The gas control units 7bL, 7bR, 7bB (not shown), and 7bF (not shown) control the gas flow rate and are implemented by, for example, mass flow controllers (MFCs). The gas control units 7bL, 7bR, 7bB, and 7bF are controlled by a control unit 8, which will be described later.

[0030] The gas supply paths 7dL, 7dR, 7dB, and 7dF are configured to be able to release gas from multiple supply ports provided around the mold 1 held by the mold positioning unit 3. The gas supply paths 7dL, 7dR, 7dB, and 7dF are connected to gas control units 7bL, 7bR, 7bB, and 7bF, respectively, and are configured to be able to individually control the gas flow rates. The gas supplied from the gas supply source 7a has its flow rate controlled by the gas control units 7bL, 7bR, 7bB, and 7bF, passes through the gas supply paths 7dL, 7dR, 7dB, and 7dF, and is released from around the mold 1. This supplies the replacement gas to the space between the mold 1 and the substrate 2.

[0031] The control unit 8 includes at least one CPU (processor), one or more memories, and is configured by at least one computer. The control unit 8 is also connected to each component of the imprint apparatus 10 via a line. The memory is configured by RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The RAM is a volatile memory, and for example, SRAM or DRAM can be used. The ROM is a non-volatile memory, and for example, EEPROM or flash memory can be used. Programs for realizing the functions of the exposure apparatus 100 and data used when the programs are executed are stored in the ROM or an auxiliary storage device. The control unit 8 also loads and executes the programs and each piece of data in the RAM as appropriate. This allows each component of the imprint apparatus 10 to function.

[0032] In this way, the control unit 8 controls the mold positioning unit 3, substrate positioning unit 4, curing unit (irradiation unit) 6, gas supply unit 7, etc., and controls the entire (operation) of the imprint apparatus 10. The control unit 8 also controls each unit of the imprint apparatus 10 to perform the imprint process. The control unit 8 may be configured integrally with the other units of the imprint apparatus 10 (in a common housing), or may be configured separately from the other units of the imprint apparatus 10 (in a different housing), or may be installed in a location separate from the imprint apparatus 10 and controlled remotely.

[0033] The control unit 8 may be configured, for example, by a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). Alternatively, it may be configured by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively, it may be configured by a general-purpose computer with an embedded program. Note that the control unit 8 may be configured by a combination of all or part of these.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of imprint areas on a substrate 2 and the order of imprinting. The circular substrate 2 is divided into regions in a grid pattern, which form each imprint area. As an example, the imprint areas on the substrate 2 are numbered IR01 to IR76. The order of imprint processing is generally such that imprinting is performed in order of adjacent imprint areas so as to shorten the movement distance. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, imprint processing is performed sequentially in the order of arrow A on imprint areas IR01 to IR76. Note that this imprint order is just an example, and the order may be reversed, for example, with IR76 being first and IR01 being last, or the imprint processing may be performed sequentially in another order.

[0035] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the imprint process of the imprint apparatus 10 according to the embodiment 1. Fig. 3 shows the process of sequentially forming patterns in multiple imprint regions on the substrate 2. This process is controlled by the control unit 8. That is, each process in Fig. 3 is realized by the control unit 8 of the imprint apparatus 10 executing a program stored in a memory or the like.

[0036] Here, the description of the loading of the mold 1 into the mold holding section 3a and the unloading of the mold 1 from the mold holding section 3a will be omitted. Also, by adding an S to the beginning of each process (step), the notation of the process (step) will be omitted.

[0037] In S101, the control unit 8 transports the substrate 2 that will undergo imprint processing to the substrate holding unit 4a. In this embodiment, the substrate 2 is transported into the imprint apparatus 10 with the imprint material already applied to it. In S102, the control unit 8 drives the substrate positioning unit 4 so that the imprint region on the substrate 2 that will be imprinted next is positioned opposite the pattern region PR of the mold 1.

[0038] In S103, the control unit 8 drives the mold positioning unit 3 to bring the pattern area PR of the mold 1 into contact with (press against) the imprint material applied to the substrate 2. In S104, the control unit 8 waits in a state in which the pattern area PR of the mold 1 and the imprint material on the substrate 2 are in contact with each other so that the imprint material fills every corner of the pattern formed in the pattern area PR of the mold 1. Also, in S104, the alignment process for aligning the relative positions of the mold 1 and the substrate 2 is also performed in parallel, thereby aligning the mold 1 and the substrate 2.

[0039] In S105, the control unit 8 controls the curing unit 6 to irradiate the imprint material with light while the mold 1 is in contact with the imprint material, thereby curing the imprint material. In S106, the control unit 8 drives the mold positioning unit 3 to separate the mold 1 from the substrate 2. That is, the pattern region PR of the mold 1 is separated from the imprint material on the substrate 2.

[0040] In S107, the control unit 8 determines whether there is a next imprint area. In other words, the control unit 8 determines whether there is a next imprint area to be imprint processed. If it is determined that there is a next imprint area to be imprint processed, the process returns to S102, and the substrate 2 is moved to the position of the next imprint area to be imprint processed. Thereafter, the same process as above is performed. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no next imprint area to be imprint processed, the process proceeds to S108. In S108, the control unit 8 unloads the substrate 2 from the substrate holding unit 4a, and then ends the process.

[0041] Next, the supply of gas by the gas supply unit 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. As an example, assume imprinting from imprint region IR43 to imprint region IR44 in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the XZ plane that mainly depicts the mold 1, substrate 2, gas supply channel 7dL, and gas supply channel 7dR. FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic views in the XY plane that mainly depict the mold 1 and gas distribution.

[0042] FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the filling step S104. At this time, the imprint apparatus 10 is performing imprint processing on imprint region IR43. The next region to be imprinted is imprint region IR44. At this time, gas is supplied from the gas supply channel located in the direction of the region to be imprinted next. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4A, gas is supplied from gas supply channel 7dL. The arrow VG indicates the direction of gas flow velocity. The region to which gas is supplied is simply shown in the figure as gas region GR1. Gas region GR2 indicates the remaining gas that was supplied when imprint processing was performed before imprint region IR43. Imprinting is performed by supplying additional gas to this gas region GR2.

[0043] Figure 5(A) is an XY plane view at the same time as Figure 4(A). When the state of Figure 4(A) is viewed on the XY plane, the expansion of gas region GR1 is mainly in the Y direction. When the pattern region PR of mold 1 and substrate 2 are in contact, the distance d between mold 1 and substrate 2 is several tens of micrometers, and not much gas flows through this gap. Therefore, the supplied gas spreads into the space on the side of the mask. Gas region GR2 exists around pattern region PR. In reality, the gas diffuses into the air over time, and the range of gas region GR2 gradually narrows.

[0044] FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the mold release step S106. In this step, mold 1 is separated from substrate 2 (pattern region PR of mold 1 is separated from the imprint material on substrate 2). When mold 1 and substrate 2 are separated, a space is created between them, into which gas flows from the surroundings. Because gas is supplied from gas supply path 7dL, the supplied gas flows toward the center of mold 1 in the direction from pattern region PR of mold 1 toward gas supply path 7dL (left side in the figure). In other locations, ambient air flows toward pattern region PR (not shown). In FIG. 4A, gas region GR2, which was previously imprinted, and gas region GR1, which is currently being supplied, are shown separately. However, because they gradually mix, they are shown as a single gas region GR3 in FIG. 4B.

[0045] Fig. 5(B) is an XY plane view at the same timing as Fig. 4(B). Gas flows into the gas region GR1 toward the center of the mold 1. Note that air flows into the region where there is no gas.

[0046] Figure 4(C) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the movement step S102. The substrate positioning unit 4 moves the substrate 2 so that the imprint region IR44 is positioned directly below the pattern region PR of the mold 1. The movement direction is indicated by arrow VW. As the substrate 2 moves, a Couette flow occurs between the mold 1 and the substrate 2, and the gas region GR1 moves at an average speed half the movement speed of the substrate 2. In other words, the gas moves only half the distance moved by the substrate 2. The gas movement direction is also indicated by arrow VG. The gas region GR3 moves toward the pattern region PR. In Figure 4(A), gas is supplied from the gas supply path 7dL on the imprint region IR44 side to facilitate gas supply to the pattern region PR, taking into account the gas movement in this step.

[0047] Figure 6(A) is a schematic diagram of the XY plane at the same timing as Figure 4(C). As the substrate 2 moves, the gas region GR3 moves as a whole in the direction of movement of the substrate 2. The direction of gas movement is indicated by the arrow VG.

[0048] 4(D) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the imprinting step S103 for the imprint region IR44. In the imprinting step, the space between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 narrows. The gas in the space between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 is then pushed out toward the outer periphery of the mold 1, causing the gas directly below the pattern region PR to flow across the entire mold 1. At this time, even if gas is supplied from the gas supply channel, the gas will not flow below the mold 1, so the gas supply can be stopped.

[0049] Fig. 6(B) is a schematic diagram of the XY plane at the same timing as Fig. 4(D). By moving the mold 1 toward the substrate 2, the gas region GR3 is pushed out from the center of the mold 1 toward the periphery.

[0050] In this way, gas is supplied to the space between the pattern region PR of the mold 1 and the imprint region of the substrate 2. When the movement direction of the substrate 2 changes in S102, as in imprint regions IR07, IR08, and IR09, the gas concentration can be improved by supplying additional gas. In other words, if additional gas is not supplied, the gas concentration may decrease when the movement direction of the substrate 2 changes. A change in the movement direction of the substrate 2 means the following: From imprint region IR07 to imprint region IR08, it moves in the -X direction. From imprint region IR08 to imprint region IR09, it moves in the +X direction. A change in the movement direction such that the sign of the movement direction is reversed is defined as a change in movement direction.

[0051] 7, 8, 9, and 10, the supply of gas when the movement direction changes between imprint regions will be described below using imprint regions IR07, IR08, and IR09 in Fig. 2 as an example. Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 are schematic diagrams of the XY plane that mainly depict the mold 1 and gas distribution.

[0052] FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram of the XY plane in the filling step S104 for imprint region IR07. The next imprint region, imprint region IR08, is in the direction of gas supply channels 7dL and 7dB. At this time, gas is supplied from gas supply channel 7dL or gas supply channel 7dB, as in the cases of FIGS. 4, 5, and 6. In the case of FIG. 7, gas is supplied from gas supply channel 7dL. Gas is also supplied from gas supply channel 7dR. This is the gas supply for imprinting imprint region IR09. FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram of the XY plane in the mold release step S106 for imprint region IR07. Because mold 1 is being separated from substrate 2, the supplied gas flows toward the center of mold 1. Because gas is also being supplied from gas supply channel 7dR, gas also flows into the space between the center of mold 1 and gas supply channel 7dR.

[0053] Figure 8(A) is a schematic diagram of the XY plane during movement S102 when moving from imprint region IR07 to imprint region IR08. At this time, the movement of substrate 2 causes the gas region GR3 to move. Figure 8(B) is a schematic diagram of the XY plane during the imprinting step (S103) in imprint region IR08. As the space between mold 1 and substrate 2 narrows, the gas between mold 1 and substrate 2 is pushed out, and the gas is pushed out from the center of mold 1 toward the periphery.

[0054] FIG. 9(A) is a schematic diagram of the XY plane in S104 of the filling step in imprint region IR08. The next imprint region, imprint region IR09, is in the direction of gas supply channel 7dR. Gas is supplied from gas supply channel 7dR. Gas region GR2 indicates the remaining gas from the imprint process (imprint region IR08) performed before imprint region IR09. At the stage of FIG. 7(A), gas was supplied from gas supply channel 7dR, so gas region GR2 also exists in the space between the center of mold 1 and gas supply channel 7dR. Additional gas is supplied to this space. FIG. 9(B) is a schematic diagram of the XY plane in S106 of the mold release step in imprint region IR08. Because mold 1 is being separated from substrate 2, the supplied gas flows toward the center of mold 1.

[0055] Figure 10(A) is a schematic diagram of the XY plane during movement S102 when moving from imprint region IR08 to imprint region IR09. At this time, the movement of substrate 2 causes the gas region GR3 to move. Figure 10(B) is a schematic diagram of the XY plane during the imprinting step S103 in imprint region IR09. As the space between mold 1 and substrate 2 narrows, the gas between mold 1 and substrate 2 is pushed out, and the gas is pushed out from the center of mold 1 toward the periphery.

[0056] In this way, the gas concentration in the space (imprint space) between the pattern region PR of the mold 1 and the substrate 2 can be increased even when the direction of movement changes between imprint regions. This reduces the probability of defects and increases the productivity of the imprint apparatus 10. If gas is not supplied from the gas supply path 7dR at the stage shown in FIG. 7A, the gas region GR2 will not exist in the space between the center of the mold 1 and the gas supply path 7dR in FIG. 9A. In this case, even if gas is introduced during the demolding process, the gas may not reach the center of the mold 1, which could reduce the gas concentration in the space between the pattern region PR of the mold 1 and the substrate 2. Therefore, it is desirable to supply gas from the gas supply path 7dR at the stage shown in FIG. 7A.

[0057] The gas supply process described so far is controlled by the control unit 8. A method for controlling gas supply by the control unit 8 will be described below using the flowchart in FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the process from when the control unit 8 acquires imprint conditions to when the imprint process is performed by the imprint apparatus 10. That is, each process in FIG. 11 is realized by the control unit 8 of the imprint apparatus 10 executing a program stored in a memory or the like. Furthermore, by adding an S to the beginning of each process (step), the notation of the process (step) is omitted.

[0058] In S201, the control unit 8 acquires the imprint conditions (recipe). The imprint conditions include all conditions related to imprinting, such as the size of the pattern region PR and the amount of curing energy used by the curing unit 6. The imprint conditions are determined, for example, by an operator of the imprint apparatus 10 inputting them based on design values. Alternatively, the imprint conditions may be determined based on actual results of previous imprint processes.

[0059] In S202, the control unit 8 acquires information on the coordinates and order of each imprint region from the imprint conditions acquired in S201. Note that the coordinates of the imprint material regions acquired in this process are information on the coordinates of all imprint regions to be subjected to imprint processing. Also, the order is information on the imprint order when imprint processing is performed on all imprint regions.

[0060] In S203, the control unit 8 determines (calculates) a reference gas supply profile (first gas supply information), which is a reference gas supply profile. The gas supply profile includes the gas supply amount and gas supply timing of each gas supply path. The gas supply amount and gas supply timing are adjusted in advance for each imprint region or are calculated by simulation and converted into a map. The gas supply amount and gas supply timing are adjusted for each process or for each imprint region layout and stored as an optimal gas supply map (gas supply map). In this way, the optimal gas supply map includes information on the gas supply amount and gas supply timing of each gas supply path. Furthermore, the optimal gas supply map also includes information on the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 for each imprint region, which will be described later. In this process, the control unit 8 acquires the optimal gas supply amount and gas supply timing for each imprint region by selecting an optimal gas supply map associated with the target process or target layout. Then, the control unit 8 determines a reference gas supply profile based on the information regarding the coordinates and order of the imprint regions acquired in S202 and the information regarding the optimal gas supply amount and gas supply timing for each imprint region acquired from the optimal gas supply map.

[0061] In S204, the control unit 8 determines whether the movement direction may change between imprint regions. The control unit 8 determines whether the imprint direction has changed based on the information acquired in S202, for example, whether the sign of the movement direction is reversed in each of the X and Y directions. The control unit 8 may also determine whether the movement direction has changed from the X direction to the Y direction, or from the Y direction to the X direction. The control unit 8 may also perform a determination based on a combination of these criteria. The term "no change in movement direction" refers to a case where movement occurs within the same row or column on the same substrate. For example, this refers to a case where movement occurs from imprint region IR43 to imprint region IR44. In such a case, the control unit 8 determines that the movement direction has not changed because movement occurs from the -X direction to the -X direction.

[0062] In S205, the control unit 8 determines (calculates) a preliminary gas supply profile (second gas supply information) based on the determination result of S204. When the movement direction changes between imprint regions, the control unit 8 sets an additional gas supply as described above with reference to Figures 7 to 10. The preliminary gas supply profile is determined so that gas is supplied in advance from the gas supply path for imprint after the movement direction has changed in the imprint region before the movement direction has changed.

[0063] In S206, the control unit 8 reflects the reference gas supply profile determined in S203 and the preliminary gas supply profile determined in S205 in the imprint conditions acquired in S201.

[0064] In S207, the control unit 8 performs the imprint process based on the imprint conditions that reflect the reference gas supply profile and the preliminary gas supply profile obtained in S206. In the imprint process, the control unit 8 controls the amount of gas supplied to the space between the pattern region PR of the mold 1 and the substrate 2 based on the imprint conditions. The imprint process is a process in which imprint processing is sequentially performed on each imprint region on the substrate 2, as shown in FIG.

[0065] For example, in this embodiment, the control unit 8 controls the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 for each imprint process based on the imprint conditions. Specifically, the control unit 8 controls the mold driving mechanism 3b so that the distance in the second imprint region is achieved by the time the mold 1 moves from the first imprint region, where the imprint process has been performed, to the second imprint region, where the next imprint process is performed. Here, it is preferable that the control unit 8 controls the mold driving mechanism 3b so that the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 is the distance in the second imprint region in accordance with the mold release operation in the first imprint region. Note that the control unit 8 may also control the mold driving mechanism 3b so that the distance in the second imprint region is achieved during movement from the first imprint region to the second imprint region. This operation is then repeated each time imprint processing is performed in the imprint region. Note that even in the imprint region where imprint processing is performed first, the control unit 8 controls the mold driving mechanism 3b so that the distance in the region where imprint processing is performed first is achieved based on information about the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 for each imprint region included in the optimal gas supply map.

[0066] A method for generating a gas supply profile for efficiently increasing the gas concentration in the space between the pattern region PR of the mold 1 and the substrate 2 has been described above.

[0067] Next, a method for creating a map of the optimum gas supply amount for each imprint region, as explained in S203, will be described. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing elements that depend on gas concentration and the allowable gas concentration for each element.

[0068] The pre-exposure of element (A) is a means for improving positioning accuracy. The effect of pre-exposure in increasing the viscoelasticity of the imprint material is highly dependent on the gas concentration. When the gas concentration is low, efficiency is poor, and therefore, in order to obtain the desired viscoelasticity within a certain exposure time, irradiation at a higher irradiance is required. The boundary at which the desired viscoelasticity can be obtained with the maximum irradiance possible in pre-exposure and the maximum exposure time that satisfies throughput is the lower limit of the allowable gas concentration. On the other hand, when the gas concentration is high, efficiency increases, but the reaction becomes more sensitive, making it difficult to control the desired viscoelasticity. In other words, the upper limit of the allowable gas concentration is the boundary at which viscoelasticity can be properly controlled.

[0069] Adjacent exposure of element (B) is a phenomenon in which adjacent, unprocessed imprint regions are slightly exposed to exposure light leaking outside the imprint region during the exposure step S105 shown in FIG. 3 . To prevent exposure outside the imprint region, a mechanism (not shown) is provided to block the exposure light using a light-shielding blade or the like. However, complete blocking is difficult, and light leaks at an intensity of, for example, several percent. The effect of this leaked light depends on the concentration of the gas filling the adjacent imprint region. When the gas concentration is high, even a small amount of leaked light can cause exposure. Even if complete hardening is not achieved, the viscoelasticity of the imprint material increases, which may affect alignment performance. In other words, the boundary for adjacent exposure of element (B) that does not affect alignment performance is the upper limit of the allowable gas concentration. On the other hand, when the gas concentration is low, exposure due to leaked light does not occur, so there is no restriction on the lower limit of the gas concentration.

[0070] Element (C), unfilled defects, is a phenomenon in which gas replacement is insufficient when the gas concentration is low, resulting in residual bubbles and defects. The allowable lower limit of gas concentration is determined based on the allowable amount of unfilled defects. On the other hand, when the gas concentration is high, gas replacement becomes saturated once a certain concentration is exceeded, so there is no upper limit on the gas concentration.

[0071] The climbing defect of element (D) is a phenomenon in which the imprint material accumulates on the outer edge of the mold 1 as the imprint process is repeated, resulting in insufficient imprinting at the outer periphery of the imprint area, causing a defect. This phenomenon occurs during the imprinting step S103 shown in Figure 3. The imprint material that has risen on the edge outside the pattern area of ​​the mold 1 is hardened by leaked light. During mold release, the hardened imprint material on the edge of the mold 1 peels off from the substrate 2 and adheres to the mold 1. The adhered imprint material accumulates as the imprint process is repeated. When the accumulation progresses to a certain extent, it causes imprinting defects near the outer periphery of the imprint area. Furthermore, as the accumulation progresses further, the accumulated imprint material peels off from the mold 1, and the imprint process for the peeled-off area can cause damage to the mold 1.

[0072] The overhang defect of element (D) is caused by exposure due to leakage of exposure light, just like the adjacent exposure of element (B). When the gas concentration is high, hardening occurs more easily, promoting deposition on the edge. On the other hand, when the gas concentration is low, hardening is suppressed, so deposition on the edge does not progress. In other words, the allowable upper limit of gas concentration is the boundary between whether or not deposition of resist material progresses on the edge of mold 1. Furthermore, experimental results have shown that the allowable upper limit is a lower concentration than the adjacent exposure of element (B). On the other hand, when the gas concentration is low, exposure to light at the edge of mold 1 is eliminated, so it is not constrained by the allowable lower limit.

[0073] It is desirable to adjust the gas concentration within the range (gas concentration range (E)) shown in element (E) so that the gas concentration satisfies all of the elements (A) to (D) described above. In other words, it is desirable to adjust the gas concentration by setting the gas supply amount within the gas concentration range (E) that allows elements (A) to (D). Note that the adjustment of the gas supply amount in this embodiment is performed according to the processing in the flowchart shown in FIG. 11, and the gas supply amount in S203 is repeatedly adjusted until the conditions of elements (A) to (D) are satisfied.

[0074] Even if the same gas supply rate is used to fill the substrate 2, the actual gas concentration differs between the center and the periphery. Because there is a gap between the outer edge of the substrate 2 and the substrate positioning unit 4, the filled gas diffuses through the gap, resulting in a lower gas concentration. In other words, when gas is filled at a constant supply rate, the gas concentration is lower at the periphery than near the center, resulting in concentration variations within the substrate 2. Therefore, adjusting the gas supply rate to achieve a substantially uniform gas concentration is desirable, and achieving uniformity is even more desirable. However, accurately measuring the gas concentration is extremely difficult. Therefore, the imprinting apparatus 10 of this embodiment makes it possible to indirectly determine the gas concentration that satisfies all of the elements (A) to (D) in Figure 12 for all imprint regions. Figure 12 shows that the allowable gas concentration range (E) that satisfies all of the conditions is determined by the allowable lower limit of element (A) and the allowable upper limit of element (D).

[0075] Therefore, during the preliminary exposure of item (A), the preliminary exposure conditions are fixed at the adjustable maximum irradiance and maximum exposure time. Thereafter, the mold positioning unit 3 is raised and the gas supply rate is increased until the relative vibration between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 during positioning is attenuated to the desired vibration level, thereby determining the lower limit of the gas supply rate. Alternatively, for example, the gas supply rate may be set high initially, and then the mold positioning unit 3 may be lowered and the gas supply rate reduced to determine the lower limit of the gas supply rate in order to find the boundary at which the relative vibration between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 cannot be attenuated to the desired vibration level.

[0076] In practice, in order to ensure an adjustment range for adjusting the relative vibration amount between the mold 1 and the substrate 2, which is the original purpose of pre-exposure, it is desirable to find a gas supply amount that allows for a margin at the maximum irradiance and maximum irradiation time, for example, 80 to 90% of the maximum dose (irradiance x irradiation time). Adjustments are made for each imprint region using the gas supply amount adjustment method described above, and an optimal gas supply map for the entire substrate 2 is created, as shown in Figure 13.

[0077] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a map of the optimized distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 for each imprint region in the first embodiment. The numerical values ​​shown for each imprint region in FIG. 13 indicate an example of the height (distance) [mm] between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 during gas supply. Specifically, this is the height (distance in the Z direction) from the pattern region PR of the mold 1 to the substrate 2. In this embodiment, the control unit 8 determines the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 so that it becomes narrower from the imprint region including the outer periphery of the substrate 2 toward the imprint region at the center of the substrate 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the distance is determined for each imprint region so that the height from the pattern region PR of the mold 1 to the substrate 2 is low at the center of the substrate 2 and increases toward the outer periphery. This is because a larger amount of gas is required from the inner periphery toward the outer periphery.

[0078] In this way, the control unit 8 determines the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 so that the gas concentration in the space between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 is within a predetermined range (a gas concentration that falls within the gas concentration range (E) that satisfies all of the elements (A) to (D) in FIG. 12). Specifically, the control unit 8 determines the distance between the substrate 2 and the mold 1 during the period from when the imprint process of the first imprint region is completed until when the second imprint region, which will be subjected to the next imprint process, is moved below the mold 1, based on the amount of gas (air) supplied.

[0079] Next, imprinting is performed multiple times according to the adjusted optimal gas supply MAP, and a defect inspection system is used to check whether the run-up defect of element (D) is within tolerance. If the defect is not tolerable, the boundary of the lower limit tolerance of the pre-exposure of element (A) is searched for more precisely in order to further reduce the gas supply amount. If element (D) is still not satisfied, this means that the current hardware configuration does not have a gas concentration range (E) that can tolerate all items, so measures are taken to improve the maximum irradiance of the pre-exposure or to reduce the throughput and extend the maximum irradiation time.

[0080] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing a process for creating an optimum gas supply map. Figure 14(A) is a flowchart showing a process for creating an optimum gas supply map by a first method. Figure 14(B) is a flowchart showing a process for creating an optimum gas supply map by a second method.

[0081] First, the flowchart shown in Fig. 14(A) will be described. Note that each process in Fig. 14(A) is realized by the control unit 8 of the imprint apparatus 10 executing a program stored in a memory or the like. Also, each process (step) is represented by adding an S to the beginning, thereby abbreviating the notation of the process (step).

[0082] In S301, the control unit 8 sets the position of the mold positioning unit 3 to a predetermined position for all shots (all imprint regions on the substrate 2). Here, the predetermined position may be, for example, the lowest position (lower limit position) of the movable range of the mold positioning unit 3, but is not limited to the lowest position, and may be any position lower than the highest position (upper limit position) of the movable range of the mold positioning unit 3. In S302, the control unit 8 performs imprint processing sequentially for each imprint region on the substrate 2.

[0083] In S303, the control unit 8 statistically processes the relative vibration amount between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 included in the imprint processing result in S302, and determines whether it has attenuated to the desired vibration amount (whether the vibration amount has attenuated to the desired vibration level). Statistical processing can be performed, for example, by time-slicing the time-series data of the alignment signal by time width to determine the standard deviation. If the determination result shows that it has not attenuated to the desired vibration amount, i.e., the desired vibration amount has not been achieved, the process proceeds to S304. On the other hand, if it has attenuated to the desired vibration amount, i.e., the desired vibration amount has been achieved, the process proceeds to S305.

[0084] In S304, the control unit 8 raises the mold positioning unit 3 by 0.1 mm in the imprint region where the desired vibration amount has not been achieved, increasing the gas supply amount (amount of gas supplied), and updates the set value. Note that the above-mentioned increase amount in this process is one example, and the update amount may be increased or decreased depending on the sensitivity of the effect to the gas flow rate value (hardening sensitivity of the imprint material). Also, the set value may be updated by raising the mold positioning unit 3 by a value less or more than 0.1 mm.

[0085] In S305, the control unit 8 determines whether the vibration magnitude in all imprint regions has attenuated to the desired vibration. If the vibration magnitude in all imprint regions has attenuated to the desired vibration, the adjustment of the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 in all imprint regions (the height between the pattern region PR of the mold 1 and the substrate 2) is considered complete, and the process ends. On the other hand, if the vibration magnitude in all imprint regions has not attenuated to the desired vibration, the process returns to S302 and repeats the same process from S302 using the updated setting values.

[0086] In this way, the control unit 8 performs processing to update the setting value for each imprint region by raising the mold positioning unit 3 in the target imprint region and increasing the gas supply amount. This makes it possible to determine the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 (the height between the pattern region PR of the mold 1 and the substrate 2) for each imprint region. In other words, it is possible to create an optimal gas supply map for the entire substrate 2, as shown in FIG.

[0087] Next, the flowchart shown in FIG. 14(B) will be described. The flowchart in FIG. 14(B) is a flow in which further constraints are placed on the determination method compared to FIG. 14(A). That is, the control unit 8 determines the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 for each imprint area by referring to defect information on the outer periphery of the imprint area in addition to the gas supply amount as shown in FIG. 14(A). Note that each process in FIG. 14(B) is realized by the control unit 8 of the imprint apparatus 10 executing a program stored in a memory or the like. Note that each process (step) is represented by adding an S to the beginning to omit the notation of the process (step). Here, S401, S402, and S404 in FIG. 14(B) are the same as S301, S302, and S304 in FIG. 14(A), respectively, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0088] In S403, the control unit 8 statistically processes the relative vibration magnitude between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 included in the imprint process result in S402 to determine whether it has attenuated to the desired vibration magnitude. Additionally, it also determines whether defects around the imprint area are within the tolerance. For example, statistical processing can be performed by time-slicing the time-series data of the alignment signal by time width to determine the standard deviation. Note that defects around the imprint area are measured using an external measuring device. If the determination result shows that the vibration magnitude has attenuated to the desired vibration magnitude and that the defects around the imprint area are within the tolerance, the process proceeds to S405. On the other hand, if the vibration magnitude has not attenuated to the desired vibration magnitude but the defects around the imprint area are not within the tolerance, or if the defects around the imprint area are not within the tolerance but have not attenuated to the desired vibration magnitude, the process proceeds to S404. Note that if the vibration magnitude has not attenuated to the desired vibration magnitude and the defects around the imprint area are not within the tolerance, the process also proceeds to S404.

[0089] In S405, the control unit 8 determines whether the vibration magnitudes in all imprint regions have attenuated to the desired vibration and whether defects in the periphery of the imprint regions are within the tolerance. If the vibration magnitudes in all imprint regions have attenuated to the desired vibration and defects in the periphery of the imprint regions are within the tolerance, adjustment of the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 (the height between the pattern area PR of the mold 1 and the substrate 2) is completed, and the process ends. On the other hand, if the vibration magnitudes in all imprint regions have not attenuated to the desired vibration and defects in the periphery of the imprint regions are not within the tolerance, the process returns to S402 and repeats the same process from S402 using the updated setting values.

[0090] It is desirable to create a gas supply map for each process, since the influence of elements (A) to (D) on the gas concentration varies depending on the base conditions of the substrate 2 and the imprint material. Also, since there is a gas concentration distribution within the substrate 2, it is desirable to create a gas supply map also depending on the layout conditions of the imprint area. The gas supply maps created for each process and each layout are managed in a database either in the equipment or external to the equipment, and the corresponding gas supply map is linked as part of the parameters of the recipe for setting various imprint conditions created by the user.

[0091] The gas supply map can be created by quoting the gas supply values ​​of the imprint region in an already created gas supply map that is closest to the target imprint region coordinates, thereby eliminating the need for adjustments for creating the gas supply map. The quoted supply values ​​may also be fine-tuned.

[0092] As described above, the imprint apparatus 10 determines a reference gas supply profile based on the optimal gas supply map for each imprint region adjusted in advance as described above, the position information of the imprint region, and information related to the imprint order. Then, a preliminary gas supply profile is determined based on the direction of movement between the imprint regions. The reference gas supply profile and the preliminary gas supply profile are then reflected in the imprint conditions, and the imprint process is performed on each imprint region based on the imprint conditions. This makes it possible to provide an imprint apparatus that can improve alignment accuracy and suppress the occurrence of defects while maintaining an appropriate concentration of gas supplied to the imprint region on a substrate.

[0093] <Embodiment 2> In the first embodiment, we have explained the flow for determining the height between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 that can satisfy all of the factors dependent on the gas concentration for consecutive imprint operations, and the method for adjusting the gas supply amount depending on the height between the mold 1 and the substrate 2. In the second embodiment, we will explain how to readjust the gas supply MAP when skipping an imprint region or changing the imprint order, using an adjusted gas supply MAP. That is, the control unit 8 in the second embodiment performs processing to change (adjust) the previously adjusted distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 for each imprint region, based on position information of the imprint region on the substrate and information on the order in the imprint process.

[0094] The configuration of the imprint apparatus 10 in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a case where an area where imprinting is skipped (skip area) is set for the imprint layout and imprint order shown in Fig. 2.

[0095] For example, when skipping the imprint region Skip111 shown in FIG. 15, the movement direction of the substrate 2 remains unchanged regardless of whether the region is skipped or not. In this case, the preliminary gas supply profile determined in S205 shown in FIG. 11 uses the gas supply value set for the imprint region IR110 from the optimal gas supply MAP, while leaving the gas supply nozzle unchanged. The optimal gas supply MAP is updated to lower the set value for the imprint region after the skip. The gas concentration in the target imprint region increases depending on the amount of movement before and after the skip in the imprint process. Therefore, the height of the mold positioning unit 3 is updated by multiplying the current set value by a coefficient inversely proportional to the amount of movement.

[0096] On the other hand, if imprint region Skip113 is skipped, substrate 2 is moved from IR113 to IR114. While the movement direction of substrate 2 is positive when not skipped, it will be moved in the negative direction. Therefore, the preliminary gas supply profile of S205 selects a nozzle in the direction in which substrate 2 will be moved, and the gas supply amount set value for IR113 is obtained from the optimal gas supply MAP to create the preliminary gas supply profile of S205. The optimal gas supply MAP can be updated using the method described in the example of imprint region Skip111.

[0097] As described above, even when an imprint region is skipped, the height of the mold positioning unit 3 when moving to the next skipped imprint region can be determined based on the position information of the imprint region, the direction of movement, and information on the optimal gas supply map created (adjusted) in advance. This makes it possible to provide an imprint apparatus 10 that enables good imprint processing.

[0098] <Embodiment 3> In the third embodiment, a method for determining the gap between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 using a gas concentration sensor that measures the gas concentration will be described. Fig. 16 is a graph showing a simulation of the relationship between the gap between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 and the gas concentration. As shown in Fig. 16, the gas concentration increases when the gap between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 is large.

[0099] That is, in embodiment 3, the control unit 8 uses a gas concentration sensor to detect the current gas concentration to achieve the desired gas concentration, and determines the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 for each imprint area based on the detection result.

[0100] 17, gas concentration sensors 8F, 8B, 8L, and 8R are provided on all four sides of the mold positioning section 3. Then, the gas concentration in the pattern region PR is predicted from the values ​​of the respective gas concentration sensors (8F, 8B, 8L, and 8R), and the height of the mold positioning section 3 can be determined (the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 for each imprint region is determined) by calculating the required distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2. This makes it possible to perform imprint processing on each imprint region at the desired gas concentration.

[0101] <Embodiment 4> In the fourth embodiment, a method for changing the gas concentration by moving the mold 1 in a tilted state using the mold positioning unit 3 will be described. In the fourth embodiment, the control unit 8, based on information about the order of imprint processing, moves the mold 1 in a tilted state using the mold positioning unit 3 from the first imprint region to the second imprint region, which is the region where the next imprint processing will be performed. For example, to decrease the gas concentration, the mold positioning unit 3 moves the mold 1 in a tilted state so that the side in the gas inflow direction is higher. Also, to increase the gas concentration, the mold positioning unit 3 moves the mold 1 in a tilted state so that the side opposite to the gas inflow direction is higher. This makes it possible to change the gas concentration efficiently.

[0102] In the above-described embodiments, the control unit 8 adjusts the height of the mold positioning unit 3, i.e., drives the mold driving mechanism 3b to control the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2. However, this is not limiting, and the control unit 8 may adjust the height of the substrate positioning unit 4, i.e., drive the substrate driving mechanism 4b to control the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2. The control unit 8 may also control the distance between the mold 1 and the substrate 2 by combining these.

[0103] <Embodiment of an 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 imprint apparatus 10 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.

[0104] The pattern of the cured product formed using the imprinting apparatus 10 can be 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 non-volatile 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 substrate processing such as imprinting.

[0105] 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.

[0106] Next, a specific method for manufacturing an article will be described with reference to Fig. 18. As shown in Fig. 18(A), a substrate 1z such as a silicon substrate having a workpiece 2z such as an insulator formed on its surface is prepared, and then 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.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 18(B), the mold 4z is placed with its side on which the concave-convex pattern is formed facing the composition 3z on the substrate 1z. As shown in FIG. 18(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 amount that will result in the optimal degree of photopolymerization, based on the spectral sensitivity characteristics acquired within the device.

[0108] 18(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.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 18(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. 18(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 remain after processing and be 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] Furthermore, a computer program that realizes part or all of the control in each of the above-described embodiments and the functions of each of the above-described embodiments may be supplied to the imprint apparatus 10 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.

[0112] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration, method, and program.

[0113] (Configuration 1) An imprint apparatus, a gas supply unit that supplies gas to a space between the mold and the substrate; a control unit that determines the distance between the substrate and the mold based on the amount of gas supplied during a period from when the imprint process of a first imprint region is completed until when a second imprint region, which is to be subjected to imprint process after the first imprint region, is moved under the mold, An imprinting apparatus comprising:

[0114] (Configuration 2) 2. The imprint apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein the distance between the mold and the substrate is the height from above the substrate to a pattern portion provided on the mold.

[0115] (Configuration 3) 3. The imprint apparatus according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the control unit determines the distance so that the concentration of the gas in the space falls within a predetermined range.

[0116] (Configuration 4) a mold moving unit that moves while holding the mold; a substrate moving unit that moves while holding the substrate, 4. The imprint apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the control unit controls the mold moving unit or the substrate moving unit based on the interval.

[0117] (Configuration 5) The imprinting apparatus described in configuration 4, characterized in that the control unit determines the spacing for each imprint area by setting the position of the mold moving part to a predetermined position, raising the mold moving part, and increasing the amount of gas supplied.

[0118] (Configuration 6) The imprint apparatus described in any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that the control unit determines first gas supply information based on a gas supply map including information on the distance between the mold and the substrate for each imprint region, position information of the imprint region on the substrate, and information on the order of the imprint process.

[0119] (Configuration 7) 7. The imprint apparatus according to configuration 6, wherein the gas supply map includes information on the supply amount and supply timing for each of the imprint regions when the gas supply unit supplies the gas.

[0120] (Configuration 8) The imprint apparatus described in configuration 6 or 7, wherein the control unit determines whether the direction of movement between the imprint regions changes during the imprint process, and determines second gas supply information based on the determination result.

[0121] (Configuration 9) 9. The imprint apparatus according to configuration 8, wherein the control unit controls the supply of the gas to the space for each imprint region based on the first gas supply information and the second gas supply information.

[0122] (Configuration 10) 5. The imprint apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the control unit determines the interval based on the amount of gas supplied and defect information in the outer periphery of the imprint area.

[0123] (Configuration 11) The imprint apparatus of any one of configurations 1 to 10, wherein the control unit changes the pre-adjusted interval based on position information of the imprint area on the substrate and information on the order in the imprint process.

[0124] (Configuration 12) 12. The imprint apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, wherein the control unit determines the interval based on a result of measurement by a sensor that measures the concentration of the gas in the space.

[0125] (Configuration 13) The imprinting apparatus described in configuration 4 or 5, characterized in that the control unit moves the mold from the first imprinting region to the second imprinting region in an inclined state using the mold moving unit based on information about the order in the imprinting process.

[0126] (Configuration 14) The imprint apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the control unit determines the interval so that the interval becomes narrower as it approaches the imprint area at the center of the substrate from the imprint area including the outer periphery of the substrate.

[0127] (Configuration 15) 15. The imprinting apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 14, wherein the imprinting process is a process of forming a pattern of an imprinting material using the mold having a pattern portion.

[0128] (Configuration 16) 1. An imprint method comprising: a gas supplying step of supplying a gas into the space between the mold and the substrate; a control step of determining the distance between the substrate and the mold based on the amount of gas supplied during a period from when the imprint process of a first imprint region is completed until when a second imprint region, which is to be subjected to imprint process after the first imprint region, is moved under the mold; An imprint method comprising:

[0129] (Configuration 17) A program for causing a computer to execute an imprint method, the program including: a gas supplying step of supplying a gas into the space between the mold and the substrate; a control step of determining the distance between the substrate and the mold based on the amount of gas supplied during a period from when the imprint process of the first imprint region is completed until when a second imprint region, which is to be subjected to the imprint process after the first imprint region, is moved under the mold; A program characterized by:

[0130] (Configuration 18) a pattern formation step of forming a pattern on the substrate using the imprint apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 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]

[0131] Type 1 2 boards 3-type positioning unit 4 PCB positioning section 7 Gas supply section 8 Control Unit 10 Imprinting device

Claims

1. An imprint apparatus, a gas supply unit that supplies gas to a space between the mold and the substrate; a control unit that determines the distance between the substrate and the mold based on the amount of gas supplied during a period from when the imprint process of a first imprint region is completed until when a second imprint region, which is to be subjected to imprint process after the first imprint region, is moved under the mold, An imprinting apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the mold and the substrate is a height from above the substrate to a pattern portion provided on the mold.

3. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines the distance so that the concentration of the gas in the space falls within a predetermined range.

4. a mold moving unit that moves while holding the mold; a substrate moving unit that moves while holding the substrate, The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the mold moving unit or the substrate moving unit based on the interval.

5. The imprint apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines the spacing for each imprint area by setting the position of the mold moving part to a predetermined position, raising the mold moving part, and increasing the amount of gas supplied.

6. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit determines the first gas supply information based on a gas supply map including information on the distance between the mold and the substrate for each imprint area, position information of the imprint area on the substrate, and information on the order of the imprint processing.

7. 7. The imprint apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the gas supply map includes information on a supply amount and supply timing for each of the imprint regions when the gas supply unit supplies the gas.

8. The imprint apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit determines whether the direction of movement between the imprint regions changes during the imprint process, and determines second gas supply information based on the determination result.

9. 9. The imprint apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control unit controls the supply of the gas to the space for each of the imprint regions based on the first gas supply information and the second gas supply information.

10. 2. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the distance based on the amount of gas supplied and defect information in the outer periphery of the imprint area.

11. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit changes the pre-adjusted interval based on position information of the imprint region on the substrate and information on the order in the imprint process.

12. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines the distance based on a result of measurement by a sensor that measures the concentration of the gas in the space.

13. The imprinting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit moves the mold from the first imprinting region to the second imprinting region in an inclined state using the mold moving unit based on information on the order in the imprinting process.

14. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines the interval so that the interval becomes narrower from an imprint area including an outer periphery of the substrate toward an imprint area at the center of the substrate.

15. 2. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imprint process is a process of forming a pattern of an imprint material using the mold having a pattern portion.

16. 1. An imprint method comprising: a gas supplying step of supplying a gas into the space between the mold and the substrate; a control step of determining the gap between the substrate and the mold based on the amount of gas supplied during a period from when the imprint process of a first imprint region is completed until when a second imprint region, which is to be subjected to the imprint process after the first imprint region, is moved under the mold, An imprint method comprising:

17. A program for causing a computer to execute an imprint method, the program including: a gas supplying step of supplying a gas into the space between the mold and the substrate; a control step of determining the distance between the substrate and the mold based on the amount of gas supplied during a period from when the imprint process of the first imprint region is completed until when a second imprint region, which is to be subjected to the imprint process after the first imprint region, is moved under the mold; A program characterized by:

18. a pattern forming step of forming a pattern on the substrate using the imprint apparatus according to claim 1 ; 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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