Imprint device, imprint method, and manufacturing method of article

Abstract

To provide an advantageous technique in terms of reproducibility of concentration of a given gas in a space between a mold and a substrate.SOLUTION: In an imprint device for forming a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, the imprint device comprises: a driving unit configured to relatively drive a mold held by a mold holding unit and a substrate held by a substrate holding unit; a measuring unit configured to measure a distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the substrate held by the substrate holding unit for each of a plurality of substrates carried into the imprint device; and a control unit that controls the driving unit so that the distances between the plurality of substrates are the same based on the distances measured by the measuring unit until the substrate is driven from a first position for disposing the imprint material on the substrate to a second position where the imprint material on the substrate and the mold face each other in a state where a predetermined gas is supplied to a space below the mold held by the mold holding unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Imprinting is a well-known lithography technique for manufacturing devices such as semiconductor elements, in which a pattern on the order of nanometers is formed by transferring a mold pattern onto an imprint material on a substrate. An imprinting device that applies imprinting technology forms the imprint material placed (supplied) on the substrate with a mold while curing it, thereby forming the imprint material pattern on the substrate.

[0003] One method for hardening an imprint material in an imprint apparatus is a photo-hardening method, in which the imprint material placed on a substrate is brought into contact with a mold and irradiated with light to harden the imprint material, and the mold is then removed from the hardened imprint material to form a pattern of the imprint material on the substrate.

[0004] In an imprinting device, when the imprinting material on the substrate is formed using a mold, air (atmospheric air) can accumulate in the processing space between the mold and the substrate, forming residual gas, which can cause bubbles to get mixed into the imprinting material. In this case, the areas of the mold where the imprinting material is not filled become defective (missing), and the pattern of the mold cannot be transferred accurately.

[0005] Therefore, a technology has been proposed in which a predetermined gas (process gas) is supplied to the processing space between the mold and the substrate (see Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which the processing space is filled with a permeable gas and the permeable gas remaining in the imprint material or mold is dissolved or diffused, thereby rapidly reducing the residual gas. There is also a technology in which the processing space is filled with a condensable gas and the mold is pressed against the imprint material, thereby reducing the condensable gas to one-hundredth of its original amount and suppressing the effects of the residual gas.

[0006] A predetermined gas is supplied to the processing space between the mold and the substrate from a gas supply unit located near the mold holder that holds the mold. Furthermore, a placement unit (such as a dispenser) for placing the imprint material on the substrate is generally located farther from the gas supply unit than the mold. Therefore, the predetermined gas can be drawn into the processing space by driving the substrate so that the imprint material placed on the substrate from the placement unit passes under the gas supply unit that supplies the predetermined gas and is positioned under the mold. However, the concentration of the predetermined gas in the processing space may decrease due to the influence of the air surrounding the processing space being drawn in along with the predetermined gas or the influence of air remaining in the processing space.

[0007] A technique for suppressing such a decrease in the concentration of a predetermined gas in the processing space has been proposed (see Patent Document 2). Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for suppressing a decrease in the concentration of a predetermined gas in the processing space by reducing the distance between the mold and the substrate during the period from when the supply of the predetermined gas starts until the imprint material on the substrate is positioned under the mold. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2007-509769 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6018405 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, the concentration of the predetermined gas in the processing space between the mold and the substrate contributes to the hardening of the imprint material on the substrate. Therefore, if the concentration of the predetermined gas in the processing space is too high, the hardening of the imprint material progresses before the alignment between the mold and the substrate is complete, resulting in a decrease in the overlay accuracy (alignment accuracy) between the mold and the substrate. On the other hand, if the concentration of the predetermined gas in the processing space is too low, it may take a long time for the imprint material on the substrate to harden, or air bubbles may be mixed into the imprint material, causing defects in the pattern formed on the substrate.

[0010] Thus, what is important in the processing space between the mold and the substrate is not to prevent the concentration of the specified gas from decreasing, but to maintain the concentration set as the imprint condition, i.e., to prevent problems from occurring due to changes in the imprint environment. On the other hand, when the mold or substrate is changed (replaced), the distance between the mold and the substrate changes due to differences in the thickness of the individual objects, which affects the concentration of the specified gas in the processing space.

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems in the prior art, and has an exemplary object to provide a technique that is advantageous in terms of reproducibility of the concentration of a predetermined gas in the space between the mold and the substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present invention is an imprinting apparatus that forms a pattern of imprinting material on a substrate using a mold, and is characterized by having: a drive unit that drives a mold held by a mold holding unit and a substrate held by a substrate holding unit relatively; a measurement unit that measures the distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the substrate held by the substrate holding unit for each of a plurality of substrates carried into the imprinting apparatus; and a control unit that controls the drive unit so that the distance between the plurality of substrates is the same based on the distance measured by the measurement unit while a predetermined gas is supplied to the space below the mold held by the mold holding unit, from a first position for placing imprinting material on the substrate to a second position where the imprinting material on the substrate faces the mold.

[0013] Further objects and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a technique that is advantageous in terms of reproducibility of the concentration of a predetermined gas in the space between the mold and the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an imprint apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an imprint process in the prior art. [Figure 3] 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining an imprint process in the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining an imprint process in the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining measurements required to determine the distance between the mold and the substrate. [Figure 6]1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing an article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] 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.

[0017] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an imprinting apparatus 10 according to one aspect of the present invention. The imprinting apparatus 10 is a lithography apparatus employed in a lithography process, which is a manufacturing process for devices such as semiconductor elements, liquid crystal display elements, and magnetic storage media, and forms a pattern on a substrate. The imprinting apparatus 10 brings an imprinting material placed (supplied) on the substrate into contact with a mold, and applies energy for curing to the imprinting material, thereby forming a pattern in the cured product to which the pattern of the mold has been transferred.

[0018] The imprint material is a material (curable composition) that hardens when curing energy is applied. The curing energy may be electromagnetic waves, heat, or the like. Electromagnetic waves include, for example, light having a wavelength selected from the range of 10 nm to 1 mm, specifically infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, and the like.

[0019] The curable composition is a composition that cures upon irradiation with light or heat. The photocurable composition that cures upon irradiation with light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photopolymerization initiator, and may further contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent, as necessary. The non-polymerizable compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of a sensitizer, a hydrogen donor, an internal mold release agent, a surfactant, an antioxidant, a polymer component, and the like.

[0020] The imprint material may be applied to the substrate in the form of a film using a spin coater or a 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.

[0021] The substrate may be made of glass, ceramics, metal, semiconductor, resin, etc., and may have a member made of a material different from the substrate formed on its surface as needed. Specifically, the substrate may be made of a silicon wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, quartz glass, etc.

[0022] In this specification and the accompanying drawings, directions are indicated in an XYZ coordinate system, with the direction parallel to the surface on which the substrate is placed being the XY plane. The directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively, and rotation around the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are respectively designated as θX, θY, and θZ.

[0023] The imprint apparatus 10 uses a mold 11 to mold an imprint material 33 on a substrate to form a pattern in the imprint material 33. As shown in Fig. 1, the imprint apparatus 10 has a mold holding unit MH, a mold driving unit 12, a substrate stage 22, a substrate driving unit 24, and a measurement unit 26. Furthermore, the imprint apparatus 10 has a gas supply unit 31, a placement unit 32, a curing unit CU, a substrate measurement unit 13, a mold measurement unit 23, a coarse alignment measurement unit 51, a fine alignment measurement unit 52, and a control unit 41.

[0024] The mold holding unit MH has a function of holding the mold 11. The mold holding unit MH holds the mold 11 by, for example, attracting the outer peripheral region of the mold 11 by vacuum suction force or electrostatic force.

[0025] The mold driver 12 is supported by a structure 14. The mold driver 12 drives the mold holder MH (the mold 11 held by it). The mold driver 12 is configured to drive the mold holder MH at least in a direction (Z direction) that moves the mold 11 and the substrate 21 closer to or further away from each other. Therefore, the mold driver 12 has the function of performing an imprinting operation in which the mold 11 contacts (imprints) the imprint material 33 on the substrate, and a releasing operation in which the mold 11 is released from the hardened imprint material 33 on the substrate. However, it is preferable that the mold driver 12 be configured to drive the mold holder MH in multiple directions (for example, three directions: Z direction, θX direction, and θY direction; preferably, six directions: X direction, Y direction, Z direction, θX direction, θY direction, and θZ direction).

[0026] The substrate stage 22 functions as a substrate holder that holds the substrate 21 via a substrate chuck. The substrate stage 22 attracts and holds the substrate 21 by vacuum suction force or electrostatic force.

[0027] The substrate driving unit 24 drives the substrate stage 22 (or the substrate 21 held by it) on the stage surface plate 25. The substrate driving unit 24 is configured to drive the substrate stage 22 at least in directions (X direction and Y direction) along the (upper surface of) the stage surface plate 25. Therefore, the substrate driving unit 24 has the function of transporting the substrate 21 along a transport path between a placement position (first position) for placing the imprint material 33 on the substrate and an imprinting position (second position) for imprinting the mold 11 onto the imprint material 33 on the substrate. The imprinting position is also a position where the imprint material 33 on the substrate and the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH face each other. However, the substrate driving unit 24 is preferably configured to drive the substrate stage 22 in multiple directions (for example, three directions: Z direction, θX direction, and θY direction; preferably six directions: X direction, Y direction, Z direction, θX direction, θY direction, and θZ direction).

[0028] In this embodiment, the mold driving unit 12 and the substrate driving unit 24 function as driving units that relatively drive the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH and the substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22 so that the relative positions of the mold 11 and the substrate 21 are adjusted.

[0029] The measurement unit 26 includes, for example, a laser interferometer or an encoder, and acquires stage position information by measuring the position of the substrate stage 22. The stage position information acquired by the measurement unit 26 is used for alignment of the substrate stage 22.

[0030] The gas supply unit 31 is disposed outside (around) the mold holding unit MH and the mold driving unit 12, specifically between the placement position and the imprinting position. The gas supply unit 31 supplies a predetermined gas (process gas) to a processing space PS below the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH. The processing space PS is also the space defined between the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH and the substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22 when the mold 11 and the substrate 21 face each other. The process gas includes, for example, a permeable gas and a condensable gas.

[0031] When imprinting the mold 11 onto the imprint material 33 on the substrate, if air (atmospheric air) accumulates in the processing space PS, it becomes residual gas, and air bubbles may become mixed into the imprint material 33. In this case, the portion of the mold 11 where the imprint material 33 is not filled becomes defective (missing), and the pattern of the mold 11 will not be accurately transferred. However, by supplying a permeable gas as a predetermined gas from the gas supply unit 31 to the processing space PS, filling the processing space with the permeable gas, and dissolving or diffusing the permeable gas remaining in the imprint material 33 and the mold 11, the residual gas can be quickly reduced.

[0032] The placement unit 32 is disposed at a placement position that is farther away from the gas supply unit 31 (a position further outward from the gas supply unit 31) when viewed from the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH. The placement unit 32 includes a dispenser that dispenses the imprint material 33, and places the imprint material 33 on the substrate 21 by supplying the imprint material 33 to the substrate 21 via the dispenser. The imprint material 33 is selected appropriately depending on various conditions such as the manufacturing process of an article such as a semiconductor element, but in this embodiment, it is a photocurable composition that has the property of being cured when irradiated with ultraviolet light (light).

[0033] The curing unit CU has a function of curing the imprint material 33 on the substrate. The curing unit CU includes a light source 16 that emits ultraviolet light, which is light for curing the imprint material 33, and an irradiation optical system 15 that irradiates the ultraviolet light from the light source 16 onto the imprint material 33 on the substrate via the mold 11. The irradiation optical system 15 may include an optical element that adjusts the ultraviolet light from the light source 16 to a state appropriate for the imprint process.

[0034] The substrate measurement unit 13 is disposed around the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH, for example, at a position farther away from the placement unit 32 as viewed from the mold 11 (at a position further outward than the placement unit 32), and has the function of measuring the substrate 21. The substrate measurement unit 13 includes, for example, a measuring instrument (distance sensor) that measures the distance in the Z direction from the substrate measurement unit 13 to the surface of the substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22, and a spectroscopic interference system that can measure the displacement of the substrate 21 in a non-contact manner. In this embodiment, the substrate measurement unit 13 acquires height position information regarding the height (position in the Z direction) of the surface of the substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22 relative to an apparatus reference of the imprint apparatus 10.

[0035] The mold measurement unit 23 is disposed below the mold 11, for example, on the substrate stage 22, and has the function of measuring the mold 11. The mold measurement unit 23 includes, for example, a measuring instrument (distance sensor) that measures the distance in the Z direction from the mold measurement unit 23 to the surface of the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH, and a spectroscopic interference system that can measure the displacement of the mold 11 in a non-contact manner. In this embodiment, the mold measurement unit 23 acquires height position information regarding the height (position in the Z direction) of the surface of the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH relative to the apparatus reference of the imprint apparatus 10.

[0036] The coarse alignment measurement unit 51 is disposed around the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH, for example, between the substrate measurement unit 13 and the placement unit 32. The coarse alignment measurement unit 51 includes an off-axis scope that detects coarse alignment marks provided on the substrate 21 at low magnification, and measures the positions of the coarse alignment marks (positional deviation of the substrate 21). The coarse alignment measurement unit 51 is used, for example, for pre-alignment to drive the substrate stage 22 to a position where the fine alignment marks provided on the substrate 21 can be detected by the fine alignment measurement unit 52.

[0037] The fine alignment measurement unit 52 is disposed, for example, above the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH. The fine alignment measurement unit 52 includes an on-axis scope that detects fine alignment marks provided on the substrate 21 at high magnification via the mold 11, and measures the positions of the fine alignment marks (positional deviation of the substrate 21). The fine alignment measurement unit 52 is used, for example, for fine alignment to determine the precise position of each shot area of ​​the substrate 21 (shot arrangement).

[0038] The control unit 41 is configured as an information processing device (computer) including a CPU, memory, etc. The control unit 41 comprehensively controls each unit of the imprint apparatus 10 in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit to operate the imprint apparatus 10. The control unit 41 controls the imprint process in which the pattern of the mold 11 is transferred to the imprint material 33 on the substrate to form the pattern of the imprint material 33 on the substrate.

[0039] Here, the imprint process as an operation of the imprint apparatus 10 will be specifically described. First, the substrate stage 22 is driven so that the substrate 21 is positioned at a placement position below the placement unit 32, and the placement unit 32 places the imprint material 33 in a target shot area on the substrate. Next, the substrate stage 22 is driven so that the target shot area on the substrate where the imprint material 33 is placed is positioned at an imprint position below the mold 11. Then, the mold holding unit MH is driven by the mold driving unit 12, causing the mold 11 to come into contact with the imprint material 33 on the substrate to be imprinted, and the imprint material 33 is formed by the mold 11. When the substrate stage 22 (or the substrate 21 held by it) is driven from the placement position to the imprint position, a predetermined gas is supplied from the gas supply unit 31 to the processing space PS. Note that the gas supply unit 31 starts supplying the predetermined gas at least before the substrate 21 moves to the imprint position, and preferably starts supplying the predetermined gas before the substrate 21 passes under the gas supply unit 31 arranged between the placement position and the imprint position. Next, with the imprint material 33 on the substrate and the mold in contact, ultraviolet light from the light source 16 is guided by the irradiation optical system 15 and irradiated onto the imprint material 33 on the substrate via the mold 11, thereby curing the imprint material 33. Next, the mold holding unit MH is driven by the mold driving unit 12, thereby separating the mold 11 from the cured imprint material 33 on the substrate. Through this series of steps, the pattern of the mold 11 is transferred to the imprint material 33 arranged in the target shot area on the substrate, and the pattern of the imprint material 33 is formed on the target shot area.

[0040] In the imprint process, as described above, the predetermined gas is supplied from the gas supply unit 31 to the processing space PS while the substrate stage 22 is driven to move the substrate 21 from the placement position to the imprint position, thereby drawing the predetermined gas into the processing space PS. However, along with the predetermined gas, the air (atmosphere) surrounding the processing space PS is also drawn into the processing space PS. Therefore, the concentration of the predetermined gas in the processing space PS is affected by the ratio of the predetermined gas drawn into the processing space PS to the air and the amount (difference) of air remaining in the processing space PS. Therefore, when the mold 11 or the substrate 21 is changed (replaced), the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 changes due to differences in the thickness of the individual components, which affects the concentration of the predetermined gas in the processing space PS.

[0041] 2(a) and 2(b), the imprint process according to the prior art will be described, focusing particularly on the process related to the supply of a predetermined gas to the processing space PS. FIG. 2(a) conceptually shows the imprint apparatus 10 when setting the imprint conditions for the imprint process. FIG. 2(b) conceptually shows the imprint apparatus 10 when at least one of the mold 11 and the substrate 21 has been changed (replaced) since the imprint conditions were set.

[0042] FIG. 2(a) shows that when the imprint conditions are set, the distance between the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH and the substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22 becomes the set distance d, which is preset as the imprint conditions. FIG. 2(b) shows that when at least one of the mold 11 and the substrate 21 is changed, the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 becomes distance d + Δd due to the difference Δd in the thickness of the individual mold 11 and the substrate 21. When the difference Δd is positive, the processing space PS below the mold 11 becomes larger than when the imprint conditions were set, and the concentration of the predetermined gas in the processing space PS is affected to decrease. On the other hand, when the difference Δd is negative, the processing space PS below the mold 11 becomes smaller than when the imprint conditions were set, and the concentration of the predetermined gas in the processing space PS is affected to increase.

[0043] The imprint process of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3(a), 3(b), 4(a), and 4(b), focusing particularly on the process related to the supply of a predetermined gas to the processing space PS. Figure 3(a) conceptually shows the imprint apparatus 10 when setting imprint conditions for the imprint process. Figure 3(b) conceptually shows the imprint apparatus 10 when at least one of the mold 11 and the substrate 21 has been changed (replaced) since the imprint conditions were set.

[0044] FIG. 3( a ) shows that, as in the prior art, when setting the imprint conditions, the distance between the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH and the substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22 becomes the set distance d, which was previously set as the imprint conditions. FIG. 3( b ) shows a state in which at least one of the mold 11 and the substrate 21 is changed, and the mold driver 12 drives the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH so as to cancel the difference Δd in thickness between the mold 11 and the substrate 21. In this manner, in this embodiment, when at least one of the mold 11 and the substrate 21 is changed, the distance between the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH and the substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22 is adjusted to the set distance d, which was previously set as the imprint conditions. This prevents the processing space PS below the mold 11 from expanding or contracting, and the concentration of a predetermined gas in the processing space PS is not affected, allowing the concentration at the time of setting the imprint conditions to be reproduced.

[0045] The thickness of the substrate 21 tends to vary greatly from one substrate to another compared to the mold 11. For example, the substrates 21 are basically processed in lots, but there is also a large variation in thickness among the multiple substrates included in a lot. Therefore, it is particularly useful to adjust the distance between the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH and the substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22 so that it is the same for each of the multiple substrates 21 carried into the imprint apparatus 10 (among the multiple substrates).

[0046] In this embodiment, first, for each of the multiple substrates 21 carried into the imprint apparatus 10, the substrate measurement unit 13 measures the height of the substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22 to obtain height position information (first height information). Furthermore, the mold measurement unit 23 measures the height of the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH to obtain height position information (second height information). The control unit 41 calculates the distance between the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH and the substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22 from the height position information obtained by the substrate measurement unit 13 and the height position information obtained by the mold measurement unit 23. In this way, in this embodiment, the substrate measurement unit 13, the mold measurement unit 23, and the control unit 41 function as a measurement unit that measures the distance between the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH and the substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22. Then, while a predetermined gas is being supplied to the processing space PS below the mold 11, the control unit 41 controls the mold driving unit 12 and the substrate driving unit 24 based on the distance obtained by the measurement unit so that the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 is the same for multiple substrates (set distance d). Note that in this embodiment, since the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 can be accurately measured, the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 can be accurately and arbitrarily adjusted.

[0047] 4(a) and 4(b) conceptually show the imprint apparatus 10 when the substrate 21 is driven from the arrangement position (FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b)) to the imprint position. As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), in this embodiment, the mold driving unit 12 and the substrate driving unit 24 are controlled so that the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 is the same for multiple substrates until the substrate 21 is driven from the arrangement position to the imprint position. It is also preferable to control the mold driving unit 12 and the substrate driving unit 24 so that the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 is the same for multiple substrates until the substrate 21 passes under the gas supply unit 31. It is also preferable to control the mold driving unit 12 and the substrate driving unit 24 so that the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 is kept the same for multiple substrates until the substrate 21 passes under the gas supply unit 31 and is positioned at the arrangement position. This makes it possible to make the ratio of the predetermined gas to air drawn into the processing space PS below the mold 11 and the amount of air remaining in the processing space PS the same for multiple substrates, which is advantageous in terms of reproducibility of the concentration of the predetermined gas in the processing space PS. For example, by maintaining the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 at the set distance d while the substrate 21 is being moved from the placement position to the imprinting position, the concentration of the predetermined gas in the processing space PS can be reproduced to the concentration at the time the imprint conditions were set.

[0048] Furthermore, when separating the mold 11 from the hardened imprint material 33 on the substrate, it is preferable to control the mold driver 12 so that the acceleration (related to driving) for raising the mold 11 is equal to the set acceleration previously set as an imprint condition. Furthermore, after separating the mold 11 from the hardened imprint material 33 on the substrate, it is preferable to control the mold driver 12 and the substrate driver 24 so that the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 is the same distance (set distance d) for multiple substrates. This is further advantageous in terms of reproducibility of the concentration of a predetermined gas in the processing space PS. For example, it is advantageous to reproduce the concentration at the time of setting the imprint condition as the concentration of a predetermined gas in the processing space PS.

[0049] Furthermore, as will be described below with reference to Figures 5(a) and 5(b), for the second substrate 21 (second substrate) in the lot, some of the measurements required to determine the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 can be omitted compared to the first substrate 21 (first substrate) in the lot.

[0050] Figure 5(a) shows the measurement process required to determine the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 for the first substrate 21 in the lot and for each of the second and subsequent substrates 21 in the lot during the first layer imprint process.

[0051] 5(a), for the first substrate 21, first, in S11, the mold measurement unit 23 measures the height of the mold 11 to obtain height position information (third height information). Next, in S12, the substrate measurement unit 13 measures the height of the first substrate 21 to obtain height position information (fourth height information). The control unit 41 calculates the distance between the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH and the first substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22 from the height position information of the mold 11 obtained in S11 and the height position information of the first substrate 21 obtained in S12.

[0052] For the second and subsequent substrates 21, in S21, the height of the mold 11 is not measured by the mold measurement unit 23, and the height position information of the mold 11 acquired in S11 is used. Next, in S22, the substrate measurement unit 13 measures the height of the second and subsequent substrates 21 to acquire height position information (fifth height information). The control unit 41 calculates the distance between the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH and the second and subsequent substrates 21 held by the substrate stage 22, from the height position information of the mold 11 acquired in S11 and the height position information of the second and subsequent substrates 21 acquired in S22.

[0053] In this way, in the imprint process for the first layer, measurement of the height of the mold 11 by the mold measurement unit 23 can be omitted for the second and subsequent substrates 21. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in throughput caused by measurement for determining the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21.

[0054] Figure 5(b) shows the measurement process required to determine the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21 for the first substrate 21 in the lot and for the second and subsequent substrates 21 in the lot in the imprint process for the second layer and beyond.

[0055] 5(b), for the first substrate 21, first, in S111, the mold measurement unit 23 measures the height of the mold 11 to obtain height position information (sixth height information). Next, in S112, the substrate measurement unit 13 measures the height of the first substrate 21 to obtain height position information (seventh height information). Next, in S113, when the coarse alignment measurement unit 51 measures the positional deviation of the first substrate 21 (the position of the alignment mark), the substrate measurement unit 13 measures the height of the first substrate 21 to acquire height position information (eighth height information). Here, the substrate position at which the substrate measurement unit 13 measures the height of the first substrate 21 differs between S112 and S113. For example, in S112, the substrate measurement unit 13 measures the height of the substrate 21 when the substrate 21 is located at a first substrate position, and in S113, the substrate measurement unit 13 measures the height of the substrate 21 when the substrate is located at a second substrate position different from the first substrate position. The control unit 41 calculates the distance between the mold 11 held by the mold holding unit MH and the first substrate 21 held by the substrate stage 22, from the height position information of the mold 11 acquired in S111 and the height position information of the first substrate 21 acquired in S112. Next, in S114, the precision alignment measurement unit 52 measures the positional deviation of the first substrate 21 (position of the alignment mark).

[0056] For the second and subsequent substrates 21, in S211, the mold measurement unit 23 does not measure the height of the mold 11, and the height position information of the mold 11 acquired in S111 is used. Next, in S212, when the coarse alignment measurement unit 51 measures the positional deviation (position of the alignment mark) of the second and subsequent substrates 21, the substrate measurement unit 13 measures the height of the second and subsequent substrates 21 to acquire height position information (ninth height information). Next, in S213, the control unit 41 corrects the height position information acquired in S212 with the height position information acquired in S112 and the height position information acquired in S113 to calculate height position information (height information) regarding the heights of the second and subsequent substrates 21. Specifically, the height position information regarding the heights of the second and subsequent substrates 21 is calculated by applying the difference between the height position information acquired in S112 and the height position information acquired in S113 to the height position information acquired in S212. This height position information corresponds to height position information acquired by the substrate measurement unit 13 measuring the heights of the second and subsequent substrates 21 when the second and subsequent substrates 21 are positioned at the first substrate position. Then, the control unit 41 calculates the distance between the mold 11 and the second and subsequent substrates 21 based on the height position information of the mold 11 acquired in S111 and the height position information relating to the heights of the second and subsequent substrates 21 calculated in S213. Next, in S214, the precision alignment measurement unit 52 measures the positional deviation (position of the alignment mark) of the second and subsequent substrates 21.

[0057] In this way, in the imprint processing for the second layer and onward, it is possible to omit measurement of the height of the mold 11 by the mold measurement unit 23 and measurement of the height of the substrate 21 by the substrate measurement unit 13 at the first substrate position for the second and subsequent substrates 21. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in throughput caused by measurements for determining the distance between the mold 11 and the substrate 21.

[0058] The pattern of the cured product formed using the imprinting apparatus 10 of this embodiment is used permanently on at least a portion of various articles, or temporarily when manufacturing various articles. Examples of articles include electrical circuit elements, optical elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, and molds. Examples of electrical circuit elements include volatile or 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 imprinting.

[0059] The pattern of the cured product may be used as it is as at least a part of a component of the above-mentioned article, or may be used temporarily as a resist mask, which is removed after etching or ion implantation is performed in a substrate processing step.

[0060] Next, a specific method for manufacturing the article will be described. As shown in Figure 6(a), a substrate such as a silicon wafer is prepared with a workpiece material such as an insulator formed on its surface. Next, an imprint material is applied to the surface of the workpiece by an inkjet method or the like. Here, the imprint material in the form of multiple droplets is shown applied to the substrate.

[0061] As shown in Figure 6(b), the imprinting mold is placed with the side on which the concave-convex pattern is formed facing the imprinting material on the substrate. As shown in Figure 6(c), the substrate on which the imprinting material has been applied is brought into contact with the mold, and pressure is applied. The imprinting material fills the gap between the mold and the workpiece. In this state, when light is irradiated through the mold as hardening energy, the imprinting material hardens.

[0062] As shown in Figure 6(d), after the imprint material is cured, the mold and substrate are separated, forming a pattern of the cured imprint material on the substrate. In this cured material pattern, the recesses of the mold correspond to the protrusions of the cured material, and vice versa. In other words, the recessed and protrusion patterns of the mold are transferred to the imprint material.

[0063] As shown in Figure 6(e), when etching is performed using the cured material pattern as an etching-resistant mask, the portions of the surface of the workpiece where no cured material is present or where only a thin layer remains are removed, forming grooves. As shown in Figure 6(f), when the cured material pattern is removed, an article with grooves formed on the surface of the workpiece can be obtained. Here, the cured material pattern was removed, but it may also be used as an interlayer insulating film included in semiconductor devices, i.e., a component of an article, without being removed after processing.

[0064] The disclosure of the present specification includes the following imprint apparatus, imprint method, and article manufacturing method.

[0065] (Item 1) An imprinting apparatus for forming a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, a drive unit that relatively drives the mold held by the mold holding unit and the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; a measurement unit that measures, for each of a plurality of substrates carried into the imprint apparatus, a distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; a control unit that controls the drive unit to drive the substrate from a first position for placing an imprint material on the substrate to a second position where the imprint material on the substrate faces the mold, while a predetermined gas is being supplied to a space below the mold held by the mold holding unit, so that the distances between the plurality of substrates are the same, based on the distances measured by the measurement unit; An imprinting apparatus comprising:

[0066] (Item 2) a supply unit provided between the first position and the second position and configured to supply the predetermined gas to the space; the control unit controls the drive unit so that the distances between the plurality of substrates become the same until the substrates pass under the supply unit. 2. The imprinting apparatus according to item 1,

[0067] (Item 3) The imprint apparatus described in item 2, characterized in that the control unit controls the drive unit to maintain the same distance between the multiple substrates until the substrates pass under the supply unit and are positioned at the second position.

[0068] (Item 4) The measurement unit a mold measurement unit that measures a height of the mold held by the mold holding unit to acquire first height information; a substrate measuring unit that measures the height of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit to acquire second height information; Including, determining the distance from the first height information and the second height information; 4. The imprinting apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein:

[0069] (Item 5) the plurality of substrates include a first substrate that is the first substrate in a lot and a second substrate that is the second or subsequent substrate in the lot; The measurement unit For the first substrate, the mold measurement unit measures the height of the mold to obtain third height information, the substrate measurement unit measures the height of the first substrate to obtain fourth height information, and calculates the distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the first substrate held by the substrate holding unit from the third height information and the fourth height information; For the second substrate, the height of the mold is not measured by the mold measurement unit, but the height of the second substrate is measured by the substrate measurement unit to obtain fifth height information, and the distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the second substrate held by the substrate holding unit is calculated from the third height information and the fifth height information. 5. The imprinting apparatus according to item 4,

[0070] (Item 6) further comprising an alignment measurement unit that measures the position of an alignment mark provided on the substrate; the plurality of substrates include a first substrate that is the first substrate in a lot and a second substrate that is the second or subsequent substrate in the lot; With regard to the first substrate, the mold measurement unit measures the height of the mold to obtain sixth height information, the substrate measurement unit measures the height of the first substrate when the first substrate is located at a first substrate position to obtain seventh height information, the substrate measurement unit measures the height of the first substrate when the alignment measurement unit measures the position of the alignment mark when the first substrate is located at a second substrate position different from the first substrate position to obtain eighth height information, and calculates the distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the first substrate held by the substrate holding unit from the sixth height information and the seventh height information, For the second substrate, the mold measurement unit does not measure the height of the mold, and when the alignment measurement unit measures the position of the alignment mark while the second substrate is located at the second substrate position, the substrate measurement unit measures the height of the second substrate to obtain ninth height information, and the distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the second substrate held by the substrate holding unit is calculated from the sixth height information and height information obtained by correcting the ninth height information with the seventh height information and the eighth height information. 5. The imprinting apparatus according to item 4,

[0071] (Item 7) The imprint apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 6, characterized in that the control unit controls the drive unit by driving the mold held by the mold holding unit so that the distances between the multiple substrates are the same.

[0072] (Item 8) The imprinting apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that the control unit controls the drive unit so that the distance becomes a set distance that is preset as an imprinting condition for an imprinting process that forms a pattern of imprinting material on the substrate.

[0073] (Item 9) The imprinting apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 8, characterized in that the control unit controls the drive unit so that the distances between the multiple substrates are the same after the mold is separated from the hardened imprinting material on the substrates.

[0074] (Item 10) The imprinting apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 9, characterized in that the control unit controls the drive unit so that, when the mold is pulled away from the hardened imprinting material on the substrate, the acceleration related to the drive of the mold becomes a set acceleration that is preset as an imprinting condition for the imprinting process that forms a pattern of the imprinting material on the substrate.

[0075] (Item 11) 11. The imprint apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 10, wherein the predetermined gas includes a permeable gas or a condensable gas.

[0076] (Item 12) An imprinting method for an imprinting apparatus that forms a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, comprising: a first step of measuring a distance between a mold held by a mold holding unit and a substrate held by a substrate holding unit for each of a plurality of substrates carried into the imprint apparatus; a second step of controlling driving of the mold and the substrates based on the distance measured in the first step, while supplying a predetermined gas to a space below the mold held by the mold holding unit, so that the distances between the plurality of substrates are the same, from a first position for placing an imprint material on the substrate to a second position where the imprint material on the substrate faces the mold; An imprint method comprising:

[0077] (Item 13) forming a pattern on a substrate using the imprint apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 11; processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the process; manufacturing an article from the processed substrate; A method for manufacturing an article, comprising:

[0078] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10: Imprint device 11: Mold 12: Mold drive unit 13: Substrate measurement unit 22: Substrate stage 23: Mold measurement unit 24: Substrate drive unit 41: Control unit MH: Mold holding unit

Claims

1. An imprinting apparatus for forming a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, a drive unit that relatively drives the mold held by the mold holding unit and the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; a measurement unit that measures, for each of a plurality of substrates carried into the imprint apparatus, a distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; a control unit that controls the drive unit to drive the substrate from a first position for placing an imprint material on the substrate to a second position where the imprint material on the substrate faces the mold, while a predetermined gas is being supplied to a space below the mold held by the mold holding unit, so that the distances between the plurality of substrates are the same, based on the distances measured by the measurement unit; An imprinting apparatus comprising:

2. a supply unit provided between the first position and the second position and configured to supply the predetermined gas to the space; the control unit controls the drive unit so that the distances between the plurality of substrates become the same until the substrates pass under the supply unit. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. 3. The imprint apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit so as to maintain the same distance between the plurality of substrates until the substrates pass under the supply unit and are positioned at the second position.

4. The measurement unit a mold measurement unit that measures a height of the mold held by the mold holding unit to acquire first height information; a substrate measuring unit that measures a height of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and acquires second height information; Including, determining the distance from the first height information and the second height information; The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 .

5. the plurality of substrates include a first substrate that is the first substrate in a lot and a second substrate that is the second or subsequent substrate in the lot; The measurement unit For the first substrate, the mold measurement unit measures the height of the mold to obtain third height information, the substrate measurement unit measures the height of the first substrate to obtain fourth height information, and calculates the distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the first substrate held by the substrate holding unit from the third height information and the fourth height information; For the second substrate, the height of the mold is not measured by the mold measurement unit, but the height of the second substrate is measured by the substrate measurement unit to obtain fifth height information, and the distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the second substrate held by the substrate holding unit is calculated from the third height information and the fifth height information.

5. The imprint apparatus according to claim 4.

6. further comprising an alignment measurement unit that measures the position of an alignment mark provided on the substrate; the plurality of substrates include a first substrate that is the first substrate in a lot and a second substrate that is the second or subsequent substrate in the lot; With regard to the first substrate, the mold measurement unit measures the height of the mold to obtain sixth height information, the substrate measurement unit measures the height of the first substrate when the first substrate is located at a first substrate position to obtain seventh height information, the substrate measurement unit measures the height of the first substrate when the alignment measurement unit measures the position of the alignment mark when the first substrate is located at a second substrate position different from the first substrate position to obtain eighth height information, and the distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the first substrate held by the substrate holding unit is calculated from the sixth height information and the seventh height information, For the second substrate, the mold measurement unit does not measure the height of the mold, and when the alignment measurement unit measures the position of the alignment mark while the second substrate is located at the second substrate position, the substrate measurement unit measures the height of the second substrate to obtain ninth height information, and the distance between the mold held by the mold holding unit and the second substrate held by the substrate holding unit is calculated from the sixth height information and height information obtained by correcting the ninth height information with the seventh height information and the eighth height information.

5. The imprint apparatus according to claim 4.

7. 2. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit by driving the mold held by the mold holding unit so that the distances between the plurality of substrates are the same.

8. 2. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit so that the distance becomes a set distance that is preset as an imprint condition for an imprint process that forms a pattern of imprint material on the substrate.

9. 2. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit so that the distances between the plurality of substrates are the same after the mold is separated from the hardened imprint material on the substrates.

10. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit controls the drive unit so that, when the mold is pulled away from the hardened imprint material on the substrate, the acceleration related to the drive of the mold becomes a set acceleration that is preset as an imprint condition for the imprint process that forms a pattern of the imprint material on the substrate.

11. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined gas includes a permeable gas or a condensable gas.

12. An imprinting method in an imprinting apparatus that forms a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, comprising: a first step of measuring a distance between a mold held by a mold holding unit and a substrate held by a substrate holding unit for each of a plurality of substrates carried into the imprint apparatus; a second step of controlling driving of the mold and the substrates based on the distance measured in the first step, while supplying a predetermined gas to a space below the mold held by the mold holding unit, so that the distances between the plurality of substrates are the same, from a first position for placing an imprint material on the substrate to a second position where the imprint material on the substrate faces the mold; An imprint method comprising:

13. forming a pattern on a substrate using the imprint apparatus according to claim 1; processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the process; manufacturing an article from the processed substrate; A method for manufacturing an article, comprising:

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