Fine structure transfer apparatus and fine structure transfer method

Abstract

To provide a fine structure transfer device and a fine structure transfer method excellent in mass productivity and capable of saving an installation area of the device.SOLUTION: A fine structure transfer apparatus 1 includes an imprint mechanism 2 and an inkjet mechanism 4, and the imprint mechanism 2 imprints a pattern on a photo-curable resin applied to a plurality of positions on a substrate 21 by the inkjet mechanism 4 in a step-and-repeat manner in a vacuum state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a microstructure transfer device and a microstructure transfer method for transferring a microstructure onto a substrate by using a mold having a fine concave-convex pattern on the surface, the pattern being on the order of nanometers or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Ultraviolet / electron beam lithography, a microfabrication technology used in exposure equipment for semiconductor manufacturing, is expensive and the process is complicated, posing problems in terms of improving the time and cost required for manufacturing. However, advances in nanoimprint lithography (NIL), which directly transfers a mold (also called a stamper or template) with a fine concave-convex pattern onto a resin material, have made it possible to easily realize fine patterns on the order of 10 nm to several hundred nm using simple equipment and processes, and this has given NIL an advantage in terms of equipment price and cost for mass production. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for manufacturing a wide nanoimprint roll for a roll-type imprinting device, which involves enlarging the transfer area by repeating a transfer operation using a transfer medium having a pattern transfer layer of a small-area master on which a positive (or negative) pattern of sub-wavelength structures is formed.The method describes using a narrow nanoimprint roll as the transfer medium, in which the positive (or negative) pattern surface of the master is directly pressed and transferred onto an ultraviolet-curable or electron-beam-curable polysiloxane layer, and then irradiated with ultraviolet light or an electron beam to form a cured polysiloxane layer on the roll surface having a negative (or positive) pattern of the sub-wavelength structures formed thereon.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses that a double-sided imprinting apparatus has a pattern transfer mechanism consisting of at least an upper stamper device supported by a lifting mechanism, and a lower stamper device and a transferee peeling device fixed to a moving table placed on a guide rail, and that the moving table can be moved back and forth on the guide rail by a moving drive mechanism, thereby allowing the lower stamper device and the transferee peeling device to move alternately to positions facing the upper stamper device, with the position of the upper stamper device as the center. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-203576 [Patent Document 2] JP 2011-150780 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, neither Patent Document 1 nor Patent Document 2 gives any consideration to reducing the installation area of ​​a micropattern transfer device equipped with an inkjet mechanism and an imprint mechanism.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a fine structure transfer device and a fine structure transfer method that are excellent in mass productivity and can reduce the installation area of ​​the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the microstructure transfer device of the present invention has an imprint mechanism and an inkjet mechanism, and is characterized in that the imprint mechanism imprints a pattern in a step-and-repeat manner in a vacuum state onto a photocurable resin that has been applied to multiple locations on a substrate by the inkjet mechanism.

[0008] Another aspect of the microstructure transfer device according to the present invention is a microstructure transfer device having a first imprint mechanism, a second imprint mechanism, and an inkjet mechanism, wherein the first imprint mechanism imprints one pattern at a predetermined position in the photocurable resin applied to the plurality of positions on a substrate by the inkjet mechanism in a step-and-repeat manner under vacuum, and the second imprint mechanism imprints the one pattern or a pattern different from the one pattern at a predetermined position in the photocurable resin applied to the plurality of positions in a step-and-repeat manner under vacuum.

[0009] Another aspect of the microstructure transfer device according to the present invention is characterized in that the imprint mechanism, or the first imprint mechanism and the second imprint mechanism, are equipped with an imprint head, the imprint head having a vacuum chamber, and imprinting the area positioned in step and repeat in a vacuum state.

[0010] Another aspect of the microstructure transfer device according to the present invention is characterized in that the imprint head is provided with a curing light irradiator above the vacuum chamber, and in the vacuum state, the curing light irradiator irradiates ultraviolet light onto the photocurable resin.

[0011] Another aspect of the microstructure transfer device of the present invention is characterized in that the inkjet mechanism applies a photocurable resin as a replica agent to the pattern portion of the individual mold, and the imprint head is positioned in the pattern portion of the individual mold and pressed against the photocurable resin in the pattern portion of the individual mold inside the vacuum chamber, and ultraviolet light is irradiated from the curing light irradiator to form a replica.

[0012] Another aspect of the microstructure transfer device of the present invention is characterized in that the imprint head has a buffer member inside the vacuum chamber, and the replica held by the buffer member is pressed against photocurable resin applied to multiple locations on a substrate by the inkjet mechanism, thereby forming a pattern of the individual mold.

[0013] The microstructure transfer method according to the present invention is characterized in that an inkjet mechanism applies a photocurable resin to multiple locations on a substrate, and an imprint mechanism imprints a pattern onto the photocurable resin applied to multiple locations on the substrate in a step-and-repeat manner in a vacuum state.

[0014] Another aspect of the microstructure transfer method according to the present invention is characterized in that the imprint head provided in the imprint mechanism has a vacuum chamber, and imprints the area positioned in the step-and-repeat manner under a vacuum state.

[0015] Another aspect of the microstructure transfer method according to the present invention is characterized in that a curing light irradiator provided in the imprint head above the vacuum chamber irradiates ultraviolet light onto the photocurable resin in the vacuum state.

[0016] Another aspect of the microstructure transfer method of the present invention is characterized in that the inkjet mechanism applies a photocurable resin as a replica agent to the pattern portion of the piece mold, the imprint head is positioned at the pattern portion of the piece mold, and is pressed against the photocurable resin in the pattern portion of the piece mold inside the vacuum chamber, and ultraviolet light is irradiated from the curing light irradiator to form a replica.

[0017] Another aspect of the microstructure transfer method of the present invention is characterized in that the imprint head has a buffer member inside the vacuum chamber, and the replica held on the buffer member is pressed against photocurable resin applied to multiple locations on a substrate by the inkjet mechanism, thereby forming a pattern of the individual mold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fine structure transfer device and a fine structure transfer method that are excellent in mass productivity and can reduce the installation area of ​​the device. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a micropattern transfer device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of the micropattern transfer device shown in FIG. 1, seen from the opposite direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a top view showing a schematic configuration of the micropattern transfer device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a main configuration including the imprint head shown in FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a configuration diagram of an imprint head constituting a fine structure transfer device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an imprint head that constitutes the fine structure transfer device according to the first embodiment, which is different from FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the imprint operation of the imprint head shown in FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the micropattern transfer device shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a replica creation process flow. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a pattern creation process flow. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when creating an individual replica from an individual mold. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of the operation when a pattern is produced on a substrate using an individual replica. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a micropattern transfer device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when creating an individual replica from an individual mold. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of the operation when a pattern is produced on a substrate using an individual replica. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] In this specification, the term "substrate" includes, for example, a glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate such as a wafer. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Example]

[0021] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a micropattern transfer device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the micropattern transfer device shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the opposite direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the microstructure transfer device 1 according to this embodiment includes an imprint mechanism 2 having an imprint head 3, an inkjet mechanism 4 as a coating device having an inkjet head 5, a gantry 6, a stage 7 (Yθ axis), a heater 8, a spin coater 9, an aligner 10, a robot 11, and a substrate cassette 12. The stage 7 (Yθ axis) is configured to be movable in the Y direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gantry 6 within a horizontal plane, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 , and to be displaceable in the rotational direction (θ). The imprint mechanism 2 is also configured to be movable in the X direction along the longitudinal direction of the gantry 6 within a horizontal plane, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 , and to be movable in the Z direction. Similarly, the inkjet mechanism 4 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a coating device) is also configured to be movable in the X direction along the longitudinal direction of the gantry 6 within a horizontal plane, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 , and to be movable in the Z direction. In other words, the imprint mechanism 2 and the inkjet mechanism 4 are freely movable in X-Y directions in cooperation with the stage 7. In this embodiment, the inkjet mechanism 4 has three inkjet heads 5, but the number of inkjet heads 5 is not limited to this. For example, the number of inkjet heads 5 may be set to a desired value based on the material such as the replica agent 23 (FIG. 5) or the patterning agent 25 (FIG. 12).

[0022] FIG. 3 is a top view showing the schematic configuration of the micropattern transfer apparatus shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the spin coater 9, the aligner 10, and the heater 8 located above the aligner 10 in the Z direction constitute the pretreatment section 13. The pretreatment process will now be described. When a substrate 21 (FIG. 4) is loaded from the substrate cassette 12, a primer or the like is applied to the surface of the substrate 21 by the spin coater 9 to improve adhesion between the substrate 21 and the replica agent 23 or patterning agent 25. The primer is then heated and dried by the heater 8. The pretreatment process is now complete, and the pretreated substrate 21 is roughly aligned by the aligner 10. The pretreated substrate 21 is then positioned (aligned) by mark detection (described later). The inkjet head 5 constituting the inkjet mechanism 4 applies the replica agent 23 to a predetermined position on the surface of the pretreated substrate 21. The pretreated substrate 21 (a glass substrate may be referred to as a replica base hereinafter) to which the replica agent 23 has been applied is then heated and dried by the heater 8. The pre-treated substrate 21, onto which the dried replica agent 23 has been applied, is imprinted onto a piece mold substrate 24 (FIG. 11) by an imprint head 3 constituting the imprint mechanism 2, whereby a replica 22, which is an inverse transfer of the mold pattern in the piece mold substrate 24, is collected by the imprint head 3. Details of the imprint operation will be described later.

[0023] In this embodiment, the pre-treatment unit 13 includes a spin coater 9 and a heater 8. However, this is not limiting. For example, if a substrate 21 that has been pre-treated in advance, i.e., a substrate 21 coated with the above-described primer and then heated and dried, is carried in, the spin coater 9 is not necessarily required. This is because the heating and drying of the substrate 21 after the primer coating by the heater 8 is performed to remove or evaporate the solvent contained in the primer. Furthermore, if the adhesion of the photo-curable resin used as the replica agent 23 or patterning agent 25 to the substrate 21 is improved, the application of the primer becomes unnecessary, and therefore the spin coater 9 and heater 8 are not necessarily required. Furthermore, if the photo-curable resin does not contain a solvent, the heating and drying by the heater 8 is unnecessary, and therefore the heater 8 is not required. The heater 8 may also be used as a degassing station. That is, a configuration may be adopted in which a vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump (not shown) are provided, and preliminary degassing (preliminary removal of air bubbles) is performed before the imprint operation in accordance with the characteristics of the photocurable resin applied onto the substrate 21 by the inkjet mechanism 4.

[0024] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the main components including the imprint head shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the microstructure transfer device 1 according to this embodiment includes an imprint head X-axis linear guide 15, a linear motor 14, a Z-axis actuator 16, an imprint head linear guide 17, a vacuum chamber linear guide 18, and an imprint head 3, which are provided on a gantry 6. The imprint head 3 includes a vacuum chamber 31, a buffer member 32, an inner cylinder 33, a spring 34 having one end fixed to a part of the imprint head X-axis linear guide 15 and the other end fixed to the upper end of the vacuum chamber 31, a glass window 35, and a seal member 36 provided at the lower end of the vacuum chamber 31 and making contact with and sealing the substrate 21.

[0025] The vacuum chamber 31 is formed in a cylindrical or hollow prismatic shape. However, a cylindrical shape is preferable. A seal member 36 is provided at the bottom end of the vacuum chamber 31 and comes into contact with the substrate 21 to seal it, and is made of an elastic material or a cushioning material. For example, it may be an O-ring, an elastic material made of silicone rubber, or the like, as long as it comes into contact with the substrate 21 and has a sealing function. For example, when the pattern formed on the individual mold is at the nano level, the parallelism and flatness of the buffer member 32 and stage 7 that come into contact with the pattern become important for the imprint head 3. For this reason, the buffer member 32 is made of, for example, an elastic body or air (gas phase), which enables it to conform to the pattern formed on the individual mold. Examples of materials for the buffer member 32 include elastic bodies such as silicone rubber or latex, or hollow bodies (air cushions) made of these materials.

[0026] The buffer member 32 and the glass window 35 are made of a light-transmitting material, and the light irradiated from the curing light irradiator 19 is, for example, ultraviolet (UV) light, which passes through the glass window 35 and the buffer member 32 and is irradiated onto the photocurable resin, which is the replica agent 23 or the pattern agent 25.

[0027] The vacuum chamber 31 is evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown) and is normally maintained at or below atmospheric pressure. Preferably, the pressure is maintained at several thousand Pa or less, depending on the material properties of the replica agent 23 or patterning agent 25. While a vacuum level sufficient to prevent air bubbles from being mixed into the photocurable resin (i.e., when the imprint head 3 is pressed against the photocurable resin) during imprinting (pressing the imprint head 3 against the replica agent 23 or patterning agent 25) using the imprint head 3, it is preferable to check for the presence or absence of air bubbles. For this reason, an observation camera 20 is installed, as shown in FIG. 4. The curing light irradiator 19 and the observation camera 20 are naturally positioned so that the light emitted from the curing light irradiator 19 and the observation camera 20 do not interfere with each other. The vacuum level at which no air bubbles are mixed in may be confirmed using a pressure sensor (not shown). One side of the vacuum chamber linear guide 18 is fixed to the imprint head linear guide 17, and the other side is fixed to the outer surface of the vacuum chamber 31 that constitutes the imprint head 3. This prevents the imprint head 3 from wobbling or tilting, even when the imprint head 3 is moved in the Z direction by the Z-axis actuator 16.

[0028] 4, the imprint head 3 is movable in the depth direction, i.e., in the front-to-rear direction relative to the drawing (the X direction described above), by a linear motor 14 and an imprint head X-axis linear guide 15. The imprint head 3 is also movable in the Z direction by a Z-axis actuator 16.

[0029] Fig. 5 is a configuration diagram of the imprint head 3 that constitutes the microstructure transfer device 1 according to this embodiment. The example shown in Fig. 5 shows a state in which the replica agent 23 is applied to the pattern portion of the piece-shaped mold substrate 24 by the inkjet head 5. As described above, the replica agent 23 is a photocurable resin, and when the piece-shaped mold substrate 24 is a glass substrate, the curing light irradiator 19 and the observation camera 20 are arranged below the piece-shaped mold substrate 24. In other words, the curing light irradiator 19 and the observation camera 20 may be arranged on the opposite side of the imprint head 3, with the piece-shaped mold substrate 24, which is a glass substrate, sandwiched therebetween.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a structural diagram of the imprint head 3 constituting the microstructure transfer device 1 according to this embodiment, which is different from FIG. 5. The example shown in FIG. 6 shows a state in which a replica agent 23 is applied to a pattern portion of a piece of mold substrate 24 by an inkjet head 5. What differs from FIG. 5 is that the piece of mold substrate 24 is a semiconductor substrate such as a wafer, and is not made of a material that transmits light. Therefore, the curing light irradiator 19 and the observation camera 20 cannot be placed below the piece of mold substrate 24, and are therefore arranged inside the inner cylinder 33 so as not to interfere with each other.

[0031] Next, the imprinting operation will be described. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the imprinting operation of the imprint head 3 shown in FIG. 7. In particular, FIG. 7 mainly describes the operation of obtaining a replica from a piece of mold. As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 7, first, the imprint head 3 is aligned with the piece of mold substrate 24, on which a replica agent 23, which is a photocurable resin, has been applied in advance to a pattern area of ​​the piece of mold substrate 24 by the inkjet head 5, and the vacuum chamber 31 constituting the inkjet head 5 is pressed against the piece of mold substrate 24 via a seal member 36. Thereafter, the inside of the vacuum chamber 31 is evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown), and the left diagram of FIG. 7 shows the state where the vacuum level is set to a level that prevents air bubbles from being mixed into the replica agent 23, which is a photocurable resin.

[0032] In the center diagram of FIG. 7 , the buffer member 32, glass window 35, and inner cylinder 33 that make up the imprint head 3 are pressed down together, pressing (stamping) the surface of the buffer member 32 against the photocurable resin replica agent 23. In this state, the curing light irradiator 19 irradiates the photocurable resin replica agent 23 with ultraviolet (UV) light to cure the replica agent 23. A control unit (not shown) controls the curing light irradiator 19 so that the integrated light amount of the ultraviolet (UV) light irradiated by the curing light irradiator 19 is an illuminance or irradiation time sufficient to cure the photocurable resin replica agent 23. The control unit (not shown) is realized by, for example, a processor (not shown) such as a CPU, a ROM (read only memory) that stores various programs, a RAM (random access memory) that temporarily stores data during the calculation process, and a storage device such as an external storage device. The processor (not shown) reads and executes the various programs stored in the ROM, and stores the execution results in the RAM or external storage device.

[0033] The right diagram in Figure 7 shows a state in which the vacuum chamber 31 constituting the imprint head 3 has been returned to atmospheric pressure, and the buffer member 32, glass window 35, and inner cylinder 33 constituting the imprint head 3 have been raised as a unit. At this time, a replica (piece replica 22) to which the pattern of the individual mold has been inversely transferred adheres (is held) to the surface of the buffer member 32. Note that due to the properties of the release agent, by controlling the load control timing, rise speed, and load for starting to raise the imprint head 3 as a unit at the same time as the vacuum chamber 31 begins to be returned to atmospheric pressure, the release performance is improved by reducing the load of the spring 34 of the imprint head 3 and the downward load of the imprint head 3 due to the pressure increase to atmospheric pressure (load reduction effect).

[0034] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the micropattern transfer device 1 according to this embodiment shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 8, in step S11, the inkjet head 5 constituting the micropattern transfer device 1 applies the replica agent 23 to the individual mold. In step S12, the imprint head 3 constituting the microstructure transfer device 1 is pressed against the individual mold, and in this state, ultraviolet light (UV) is irradiated from the curing light irradiator 19 onto the photocurable resin, which is the replica agent 23, to harden it, forming a replica (individual replica 22), also called a stamp mold, into which the pattern of the individual mold is inversely transferred.

[0035] In step S13, a patterning agent 25, which is a photocurable resin, is applied to the entire surface or part of the substrate 21. The application of this patterning agent 25 is carried out by the inkjet head 5 that constitutes the fine pattern transfer device 1. In step S14, the replicas (individual replicas 22) formed on the imprint head 3 are repeatedly pressed against the positions of the substrate 21 where the patterning agent 25 has been applied (step and repeat), and the patterning agent 25, which is a photocurable resin, is cured by irradiating it with ultraviolet light (UV) using the curing light irradiator 19. This operation is repeated until all patterns are arranged on the substrate 21. In step S15, the imprinted substrate is completed. That is, the substrate 21 on which the pattern of the piece mold is formed (the substrate 21 on which a plurality of patterns of the piece mold are formed) is completed.

[0036] Here, the replica creation process flow, which is steps S11 and S12 in Fig. 8, will be explained using Fig. 9. In Fig. 9, the upper diagram shows the process of applying a replica agent 23 (UV curable resin) to a mold that has undergone release treatment using an inkjet head 5. Here, "release-treated" means that a release agent has been applied in advance to the pattern formation portion (concave and convex portions) of the mold, or that a film of release agent has been formed on the surface.

[0037] The middle diagram of Figure 9 shows the process of pressing the replica base (glass substrate) against the replica agent 23 (UV-curable resin) in the state shown in the top diagram, and curing the replica agent 23 by irradiating it with ultraviolet light (UV) from a curing light irradiator 19. The lower diagram in Figure 9 shows the process of obtaining a replica (individual replica) by hardening the mold (individual mold) by raising the replica base (glass substrate) after irradiation with ultraviolet light (UV).

[0038] 8. The pattern creation process flow, which is steps S13 to S15 in Fig. 8, will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In Fig. 10, the upper diagram shows a process in which a pattern agent 25 (UV curable resin) is applied by an inkjet head 5 to a substrate 21 that has been treated with a primer or the like to improve adhesion. The middle diagram in Figure 10 shows a process in which a replica base (glass substrate) on which a replica (individual replica 22) has been formed is pressed against a patterning agent 25 (UV-curable resin) so that the replica (individual replica 22) faces the patterning agent 25 (UV-curable resin), and the patterning agent 25 (UV-curable resin) is cured by irradiating it with ultraviolet light (UV) using a curing light irradiator 19. The lower diagram in Figure 10 shows the process of lifting the replica base (glass substrate) and replica (individual piece replica 22) to separate them from the hardened pattern agent 25 (UV-curable resin), thereby obtaining an inverted transferred pattern (corresponding to the pattern of the individual piece mold) of the replica. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when creating a piece replica from a piece mold. An inkjet head 5 applies a replica agent 23 (UV-curable resin) to a pattern area of ​​a piece mold substrate 24, which is the piece mold shown in the left diagram of FIG. 11. In this case, alignment can be performed using a cross-shaped recognition mark. Then, an imprint head 3 is placed on the piece mold substrate 24 on which the replica agent 23 (UV-curable resin) has been applied, and a vacuum chamber 31 constituting the imprint head 3 is evacuated via a seal member 36. Then, a stamp (imprint) operation is performed by pressing a buffer member 32 constituting the imprint head 3, thereby creating a replica. Of course, with the buffer member 32 constituting the imprint head 3 still stamped, the replica agent 23 (UV-curable resin) in the pattern area is cured by ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation from a curing light irradiator 19, resulting in a replica (piece replica 22).

[0039] 12 is a diagram illustrating the operation when a pattern is produced on a substrate using an individual replica. As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 12, for example, an 8-inch wafer or the like is used as the substrate 21 to produce a substrate having the same pattern. As shown in the center diagram of Fig. 12, patterning agent 25 (UV curable resin) is applied to substrate 21 by inkjet head 5 so that the patterns are spaced apart at a predetermined interval. Then, as shown in the right diagram of Fig. 12, imprint head 3 is moved repeatedly over the patterning agent 25 (UV curable resin) portion as indicated by the dotted arrow, i.e., imprint head 3 performs a stamp (imprint) operation on the patterning agent 25 (UV curable resin) portion in a step and repeat manner, to produce all patterns.

[0040] As described above, in this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the individual replicas 22 are created from the individual mold, the imprint head 3 is moved in a step-and-repeat manner, and the individual replicas 22 are imprinted onto the patterning agent 25 (UV-curable resin) applied to the substrate 21, thereby forming the same pattern as the individual mold on one substrate 21. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which steps S11 and S12 shown in Fig. 8 are repeatedly performed to form multiple replicas of the same pattern on a replica base (glass substrate), thereby stopping at the creation of multiple replicas, and the multiple replicas formed on the replica base (glass substrate) are transported to a stamper device (having a vacuum chamber the size of the substrate) separate from the microstructure transfer device 1 according to this embodiment, and a pattern is formed by batch transfer (batch vacuum imprinting).

[0041] Furthermore, when the handling of the device is taken into consideration, it is desirable that the size of the substrate 21 on which the above-mentioned piece mold is formed and the size of the substrate 21 on which the pattern is formed by transfer are the same, but this is not limited to this. For example, the sizes of the substrates 21 may be different from each other. For example, the size of the substrate 21 on which the piece mold is formed may be smaller than the size of the substrate 21 on which the pattern is formed by transfer.

[0042] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a fine structure transfer apparatus and a fine structure transfer method that are excellent in mass productivity and can reduce the installation area of ​​the apparatus. [Example]

[0043] 13 is a perspective view of the exterior of a micropattern transfer device 1a according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that it is equipped with a first imprint mechanism 2a having a first imprint head 3a, and a second imprint mechanism 2b having a second imprint head 3b. The same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted below.

[0044] The microstructure transfer device 1a according to this embodiment comprises a first imprint mechanism 2a having a first imprint head 3a, and a second imprint mechanism 2b having a second imprint head 3b. Both the first imprint mechanism 2a and the second imprint mechanism 2b are configured to be movable in the X direction along the longitudinal direction of the gantry 6 and in the Z direction within a horizontal plane, as shown by the arrows in Figure 13.

[0045] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when creating a piece replica from a piece mold. As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 14, the piece mold according to this embodiment has two pattern areas (pattern portions) with mutually different pattern shapes. As shown in the center diagram of FIG. 14, a replica agent 23 is applied by an inkjet head 5 to each of the two pattern areas (pattern portions) formed on a piece mold substrate 24. In the right diagram of FIG. 14, imprinting is performed in a vacuum state using a first imprint head 3a and a second imprint head 3b, and then the pressure is returned to atmospheric pressure and the mold is released, thereby simultaneously obtaining replicas (two piece replicas 22) having two different patterns. Note that, depending on the characteristics of the release agent, starting mold release at the same time as the vacuum state begins to return to atmospheric pressure may be expected to improve mold release performance, rather than controlling mold release after the vacuum state is completely returned to atmospheric pressure.

[0046] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when a pattern is produced on a substrate using an individual piece replica. As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 15, two different patterns are formed in pairs on an 8-inch wafer or the like. In the center diagram of FIG. 15, a patterning agent 25 (UV-curable resin) is applied to a substrate 21 by an inkjet head 5 so that the patterns are spaced apart at a predetermined interval. Then, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 15, the first imprint head 3a and the second imprint head 3b are repeatedly applied to the patterning agent 25 (UV-curable resin) portion as indicated by the dotted arrows. That is, the first imprint head 3a and the second imprint head 3b stamp (imprint) the patterning agent 25 (UV-curable resin) portion in a step-and-repeat manner to produce all of the patterns. This allows the first imprint head 3a and the second imprint head 3b to form patterns in pairs in a step-and-repeat manner, thereby improving throughput.

[0047] Furthermore, because the mold patterns to be transferred are becoming increasingly finer or denser, when the first imprint head 3a and the second imprint head 3b are paired, it is expected that the total number of two different patterns that can be formed on the substrate 21 will be limited by the structure of the vacuum chamber 31 that constitutes the first imprint head 3a and the second imprint head 3b, i.e., if the vacuum chamber 31 is cylindrical, its diameter. In other words, it is expected that the total number of two different patterns that can be obtained from one substrate 21 will decrease, and although throughput will improve, the benefits of mass production cannot be expected. Needless to say, even in this case, the installation area of ​​the micropattern transfer apparatus 1a according to this embodiment can be reduced.

[0048] Therefore, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 15 , instead of the first imprint head 3a and the second imprint head 3b forming a pattern in pair using step and repeat, while the first imprint head 3a is forming a pattern using step and repeat, the second imprint head 3b is moved in the X direction from the area where the stage 7 shown in FIG. 1 is present toward the inkjet mechanism 4 and waits. It is also possible to configure the system so that after the first imprint head 3a forms a pattern at the desired position, the second imprint head 3b forms a pattern different from the first pattern using step and repeat. While the second imprint head 3b is forming a pattern using step and repeat, the first imprint head 3a is moved in the X direction from the area where the stage 7 shown in FIG. 1 is present toward the inkjet mechanism 4 and waits. This slightly reduces throughput, but still achieves the benefits of mass production, and it goes without saying that even in this case the installation area for the micropattern transfer apparatus 1a according to this embodiment can be reduced.

[0049] In other words, simultaneous stamping of two different patterns reduces the total number of two different patterns obtained from one substrate 21, and although throughput improves, it is expected that the effect of mass production cannot be expected. However, by performing operations such as stamping two different patterns separately, it is possible to contribute to higher resolution or higher density.

[0050] In addition, the microstructure transfer device 1a of this embodiment is expected to be applicable to the manufacture of glasses when, for example, the pattern formed on the glass on the right eye side of the AR glasses is different from the pattern formed on the glass on the left eye side.

[0051] It is also possible to use the same pattern as that of the first imprint mechanism 2a in the second imprint mechanism 2b for production, which can contribute to shortening the time required for production (improving throughput) or extending the time during which continuous production is possible without replacing damaged replicas (improving production efficiency).

[0052] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to improve the throughput in addition to the effect of embodiment 1. Furthermore, it is possible to form two mutually different patterns in plural.

[0053] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to an embodiment having all of the described configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1, 1a...Microstructure transfer device 2...Imprint mechanism 2a...First imprint mechanism 2b...Second imprint mechanism 3...Imprint head 3a...First imprint head 3b...Second imprint head 4...Inkjet mechanism 5...Inkjet head 6...Gantry 7...Stage (Yθ axis) 8...Heater 9...Spin coater 10...Alaina 11...Robot 12...Substrate cassette 13...Pre-processing section 14...Linear motor 15... Linear guide for imprint head X-axis 16...Z-axis actuator 17...Linear guide for imprint head 18...Linear guide for vacuum chamber 19…Curing light irradiator 20...Observation camera 21... Circuit board 22...Individual replica 23...Replica agent 24...Individual molded substrate 25...Pattern agent 31...Vacuum chamber 32...Buffer material 33…Inner cylinder 34...Spring 35...Glass window 36...Sealing member

Claims

1. A microstructure transfer device having an imprint mechanism and an inkjet mechanism, A micropattern transfer device characterized in that the imprint mechanism imprints a pattern in a step-and-repeat manner in a vacuum state onto the photocurable resin that has been applied to multiple locations on the substrate by the inkjet mechanism.

2. A microstructure transfer device having a first imprint mechanism, a second imprint mechanism, and an inkjet mechanism, The photocurable resin is applied to a plurality of locations on a substrate by the inkjet mechanism, and the first imprint mechanism imprints one pattern at a predetermined position of the photocurable resin applied to the plurality of locations in a step and repeat manner in a vacuum state; A microstructure transfer device characterized in that the second imprint mechanism imprints a pattern different from the first pattern or the first pattern at a predetermined position in the photocurable resin applied to the multiple locations in a step and repeat manner in a vacuum state.

3. 3. The micropattern transfer device according to claim 1, wherein: the imprint mechanism, or the first imprint mechanism and the second imprint mechanism, each include an imprint head; The imprint head has a vacuum chamber and imprints areas positioned in a step-and-repeat manner under a vacuum state.

4. 4. The micropattern transfer device according to claim 3, the imprint head includes a curing light irradiator above the vacuum chamber; A micropattern transfer device characterized in that, in the vacuum state, the photocurable resin is irradiated with ultraviolet light from the curing light irradiator.

5. 5. The micropattern transfer device according to claim 4, the inkjet mechanism applies a photocurable resin as a replica agent to a pattern portion of the individual mold; The imprint head is positioned in the pattern portion of the piece mold, and is pressed against the photocurable resin in the pattern portion of the piece mold inside the vacuum chamber, and ultraviolet light is irradiated from the curing light irradiator to form a replica.

6. 6. The micropattern transfer device according to claim 5, The imprint head has a buffer member inside the vacuum chamber, and the replica held by the buffer member is pressed against photocurable resin applied to multiple locations on a substrate by the inkjet mechanism, thereby forming a pattern of the individual mold.

7. A method for transferring a fine structure using a fine structure transfer device having an imprint mechanism and an inkjet mechanism, the inkjet mechanism applies a photocurable resin to a plurality of locations on a substrate; A microstructure transfer method, characterized in that the imprint mechanism imprints a pattern onto a photocurable resin applied to a plurality of locations on the substrate in a step-and-repeat manner in a vacuum state.

8. The method for transferring a fine structure according to claim 7, A method for transferring a fine structure, wherein the imprint head of the imprint mechanism has a vacuum chamber and imprints the area positioned in a step-and-repeat manner under a vacuum state.

9. 9. The method for transferring a microstructure according to claim 8, A method for transferring a fine structure, characterized in that a curing light irradiator provided in the imprint head above the vacuum chamber irradiates the photocurable resin with ultraviolet light in the vacuum state.

10. The method for transferring a microstructure according to claim 9, the inkjet mechanism applies a photocurable resin as a replica agent to a pattern portion of the individual mold; A microstructure transfer method characterized in that the imprint head is positioned at the pattern portion of the piece mold, pressed against the photocurable resin of the pattern portion of the piece mold inside the vacuum chamber, and irradiated with ultraviolet light from the curing light irradiator to form a replica.

11. The method for transferring a microstructure according to claim 10, A microstructure transfer method characterized in that the imprint head has a buffer member inside the vacuum chamber, and the replica held on the buffer member is pressed against photocurable resin applied to multiple locations on a substrate by the inkjet mechanism, thereby forming a pattern of the individual mold.

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