Control method, program, molding apparatus, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

This provides a technology that is advantageous for properly dismantling molds or substrates. [Solution] A control method for a molding apparatus that molds a composition on a substrate using a mold, comprising a mold holding section for suction and holding a mold and a substrate holding section for suction and holding a substrate, includes a demolding step of separating the mold from the composition on the substrate that has hardened while the mold is in contact with it by widening the gap between the mold holding section and the substrate holding section, and a elimination step of resolving the elimination of

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control method, a program, a molding apparatus, and an article manufacturing method.

Background Art

[0002] An imprint apparatus that forms an imprint material on a substrate using a mold having a concavo-convex pattern has attracted attention as one of the mass-production lithography apparatuses for semiconductor devices and the like. The imprint apparatus performs a curing step of curing the imprint material in a state where the mold and the imprint material on the substrate are in contact with each other, and a mold separation step of separating the mold from the imprint material cured by the curing step. Thereby, a concavo-convex pattern composed of a cured product of the imprint material can be formed on the substrate.

[0003] In an imprint apparatus, in the mold separation step, the mold may not be separated from the imprint material on the substrate, and the mold may be detached from the mold holding part that holds the mold, or the substrate may be detached from the substrate holding part that holds the substrate. Such a phenomenon is called de-chuck, and it may occur when the force (release force) required to separate the mold from the cured imprint material on the substrate is greater than the holding force (suction pressure) of the mold by the mold holding part or the holding force (suction pressure) of the substrate by the substrate holding part. If the imprint sequence is continued despite the occurrence of de-chuck, in some cases, the mold, the substrate, and the imprint apparatus may be damaged. Therefore, in an imprint apparatus, when de-chuck occurs, a process of re-holding the mold or the substrate that has been detached from the holding part in the holding part to eliminate de-chuck may be performed. Patent Document 1 describes an imprint apparatus that detects de-chuck and re-holds the mold or the substrate that has been detached from the holding part in the holding part. Further, Patent Document 2 describes abnormality detection when re-holding the mold or the substrate in the holding part.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7091138 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-134513 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Dechuck is resolved by bringing the mold or substrate that has detached from the holding part closer to the holding part and re-securing the mold or substrate to the holding part. However, the mold and the imprint material on the substrate may separate while being brought closer to the holding part, and the mold or substrate may be placed on the holding part. In this case, if the mold or substrate is brought further closer to the holding part, a part of the mold that has separated from the imprint material on the substrate may come into contact with the imprint material again. As a result, the raised and recessed patterns of the mold and / or the raised and recessed patterns transferred to the imprint material on the substrate may be damaged.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a technology that is advantageous for properly eliminating mold or substrate dechucks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, a control method as one aspect of the present invention is a control method for a molding apparatus that has a mold holding section for sucking and holding a mold and a substrate holding section for sucking and holding a substrate, and molds a composition on a substrate using the mold, comprising: a demolding step of separating the mold from the composition on the substrate that has hardened while the mold is in contact with the mold by widening the gap between the mold holding section and the substrate holding section; and a elimination step of resolving the elimination of

[0008] Further objects or other aspects of the present invention will be revealed by preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide an advantageous technique for properly carrying out the dechucking of a mold or substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram showing an example configuration of an imprint device. [Figure 2] Flowchart showing the imprinting method [Figure 3] A flowchart showing the imprint process performed on the target shot area. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the imprint device at each stage. [Figure 5] Diagram illustrating the detection of dechacking errors. [Figure 6] Flowchart showing the dechacking process [Figure 7]Figure 6 shows the operation of the imprint device in each step of the flowchart. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating an example of basic interval reduction operation. [Figure 9] A diagram illustrating the problems in conventional interval reduction operations. [Figure 10] A diagram illustrating the problems in conventional interval reduction operations. [Figure 11] A flowchart showing an example of the interval reduction operation in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] Diagram illustrating the process of dechucking molds. [Figure 13] A diagram illustrating a determination method using the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of a method that combines a determination method using the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head with a determination method using the suction pressure of the substrate chuck. [Figure 15] Diagrams to explain the manufacturing method of an item. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0012] In this specification and the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, directions are indicated in the XYZ coordinate system with the direction parallel to the surface of the substrate as the XY plane. The directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are referred to as the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively, and the rotations around the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are denoted as θX, θY, and θZ, respectively. Control or drive with respect to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis means control or drive in the directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. Also, control or drive with respect to the θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis means control or drive for rotation around an axis parallel to the X-axis, rotation around an axis parallel to the Y-axis, and rotation around an axis parallel to the Z-axis, respectively. Further, position is information that can be specified based on the coordinates of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and orientation is information that can be specified by the values of the θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis.

[0013] Also, the molding apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus that performs a molding process of pressing a mold against a composition on a substrate to mold the composition. Examples of the molding apparatus include an imprint apparatus and a planarization apparatus. The imprint apparatus is an apparatus that forms (transfers) a pattern on the composition by bringing a mold having a concavo-convex pattern into contact with the composition (imprint material) on the substrate. The molding process performed by the imprint apparatus is sometimes referred to as an imprint process. The planarization apparatus is an apparatus that planarizes the surface of the composition by bringing a mold having a flat surface into contact with the composition on the substrate. The molding process performed by the planarization apparatus is sometimes referred to as a planarization process. Hereinafter, the imprint apparatus will be exemplified and described as the molding apparatus, but the configuration and process of the imprint apparatus can also be applied to the planarization apparatus.

[0014] <First Embodiment> A first embodiment according to the present invention will be described. An imprint apparatus is a lithography apparatus that forms an imprint material (composition) on a substrate using a mold, and can be employed in a lithography process that is a manufacturing process of devices such as semiconductor devices and magnetic storage media. The imprint apparatus performs a process of bringing an uncured imprint material supplied onto the substrate into contact with the mold, and applying energy for curing to the imprint material, thereby forming a cured product pattern with the pattern of the mold transferred thereon on the substrate. Such a process is called an imprint process and is performed for each of a plurality of shot regions (imprint regions) on the substrate. In the present embodiment, an example of adopting a photocuring method of curing the imprint material on the substrate by irradiating light (ultraviolet light) will be described.

[0015] As the material of the substrate, for example, glass, ceramics, metal, semiconductor, resin, etc. are used. If necessary, a member made of a material different from the substrate may be provided on the surface of the substrate. The substrate is, for example, a silicon wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, or quartz glass. As the imprint material supplied onto the substrate, a curable composition (sometimes referred to as an uncured resin) that cures when energy for curing is applied is used. The curable composition is a composition that cures by irradiation with light or by heating. Among these, the photocurable composition that cures by irradiation with light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photoinitiator, 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, etc. The viscosity of the viscous body (viscosity at 25°C) is, for example, 1 mPa·s or more and 100 mPa·s or less.

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of the imprint apparatus 1. The imprint apparatus 1 is used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices and is a processing device that transfers the raised and recessed patterns of the mold 3 (template), which is the original plate, onto the substrate 5, which is the substrate to be processed. It is a device that employs the photocuring method among imprint technologies. In the following explanation, the direction parallel to the irradiation axis of the light irradiated onto the mold 3 is defined as the Z direction, the direction in which the substrate 5 moves in a plane perpendicular to the Z direction is defined as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction in that plane is defined as the Y direction. Here, the direction in which gravity acts on the template and substrate is defined as the Z direction.

[0017] The imprint device 1 may include a lighting unit 2, an imprint head 4, a stage 6, a supply unit 7, a first height measuring unit 8, a second height measuring unit 9, and a control unit 10. The control unit 10 is composed of a computer (information processing device) having, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit such as memory. The control unit 10 is connected to each part of the imprint device 1 by a line and controls each part of the imprint device 1 (controls the imprint process).

[0018] The illumination unit 2 (curing unit) cures the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 by irradiating it with light 17 (e.g., ultraviolet light) through the mold 3 while the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 are in contact during the imprint process. The illumination unit 2 may include, for example, a light source and a plurality of optical elements for adjusting the light emitted from the light source to light suitable for the imprint process. In the imprint apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1, the light 17 emitted from the illumination unit 2 is reflected by a half mirror 18 located above the imprint head 4 and irradiated onto the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 through the mold 3.

[0019] The imprint head 4 is a mechanism for holding and driving the mold 3 that has been transported by the mold transport unit 11. The imprint head 4 has a mold chuck 23 (mold chuck, mold holding unit) that sucks and holds the mold 3 by suction pressure such as vacuum suction pressure, and is configured to change the position and tilt of the mold 3 by driving the mold chuck 23. The imprint head 4 may include a Z-drive mechanism that drives the mold 3 in the Z direction to change the distance between the mold 3 and the substrate 5 in order to bring the mold 3 into contact with the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 or to separate the mold 3 from the hardened imprint material 14. The imprint head 4 may also include a tilt drive mechanism for tilting the mold 3.

[0020] The mold 3, held by the imprint head 4 (mold chuck 23), is usually made of a material that can transmit ultraviolet light, such as quartz glass. A portion of the mold 3 (pattern region) has a mesa portion configured in a mesa shape with a step of, for example, several tens of micrometers, and the substrate-side surface of the mesa portion functions as a molding surface that contacts the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 and shapes the imprint material 14. The molding surface of the mold 3 used in the imprint apparatus 1 is configured as a pattern surface in which a three-dimensional pattern of raised and recessed areas to be transferred to the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 is formed.

[0021] An alignment measurement unit 13 is provided above the imprint head 4 (specifically, above the half mirror 18). The alignment measurement unit 13 has a TTM (Through The Mold) scope and measures the relative position between the marks (alignment marks) provided on the mold 3 and the marks (alignment marks) provided on the substrate 5 via the half mirror 18. As a result, the control unit 10 can align the mold 3 (pattern area) and the substrate 5 (shot area) based on the measurement results of the alignment measurement unit 13, i.e., the relative positional displacement in the XY direction between the marks on the mold 3 and the marks on the substrate 5. The alignment measurement unit 13 may also be understood as detecting the position of the marks on the substrate 5 via the mold 3.

[0022] For example, the alignment measurement unit 13 has an optical system and an image sensor (photodetector) for imaging the marks on the mold 3 and the marks on the substrate 5, and can measure the relative positional shift in the XY direction between the marks on the mold 3 and the marks on the substrate 5 based on the image obtained by the image sensor. The optical system may include a light source that emits light to illuminate the marks, a wavelength filter that selects the wavelength of the light emitted from the light source, and an ND filter for adjusting the intensity of the light incident on the image sensor. As the image sensor (image sensor), a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor may be used.

[0023] Here, the alignment measurement unit 13 measures the marks on the mold 3 and the substrate 5 via a half mirror 18 so as not to obstruct the optical path of the light 17 emitted from the illumination unit 2. Furthermore, by arranging multiple alignment measurement units 13 (TTM scopes), it becomes possible to measure multiple marks simultaneously, and the relative position between the mold 3 (pattern area) and the substrate 5 (shot area) can be measured not only in the XY direction but also in the rotational and magnification directions. The alignment measurement units 13 can usually be positioned at the four corners of the pattern area of ​​the mold 3. In addition, the imprint apparatus 1 may be equipped with a mechanism to drive the alignment measurement units 13 in the XY direction. This is because various cases can be expected for the design coordinates of the marks depending on the design of the pattern formed on the mold 3. When multiple alignment measurement units 13 are arranged, it is desirable that each of the alignment measurement units 13 be able to be driven independently in the XY direction.

[0024] Stage 6 is configured to move in the XY direction on the stage base plate 15 while holding the substrate 5 that has been transported by the substrate transport unit 12. Stage 6 has a substrate chuck 24 (substrate holding unit) that holds the substrate 5 by suction pressure such as vacuum suction pressure, and is configured to change the position and tilt of the substrate 5 by driving the substrate chuck 24. Stage 6 may include, for example, a drive mechanism that drives the substrate 5 in the XY direction, Z direction and θZ direction (rotational direction around the Z axis), and a tilt drive mechanism that tilts the substrate 5 in the θX direction and θY direction.

[0025] In the imprint apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1, the mold 3 is driven in the Z direction by the imprint head 4 to perform a contact process in which the mold 3 is brought into contact with the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5, and a demolding process in which the mold 3 is separated from the hardened imprint material 14. However, the apparatus is not limited to this, and the contact process and demolding process may also be performed, for example, by driving the substrate 5 in the Z direction with the stage 6, or by driving the mold 3 and the substrate 5 relatively in the Z direction with both the imprint head 4 and the stage 6. In addition, in the example of the imprint apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1, the stage platen 15 is supported by a mount 16 (vibration isolater), and the structure is such that vibrations transmitted from the floor to the stage platen 15 are reduced by the mount 16.

[0026] The supply unit 7 (dispenser) supplies imprint material 14 (for example, uncured resin) onto the substrate 5. In this embodiment, the supply unit 7 supplies the imprint material 14 onto the substrate 5 as multiple droplets. As the imprint material 14, an ultraviolet-curing resin that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light can be used.

[0027] The first height measuring unit 8 measures the height of the substrate 5 by measuring the height of the surface (top surface) of the substrate 5. The first height measuring unit 8 includes, for example, a laser interferometer that irradiates the substrate 5 with light (laser light) to detect the distance to the substrate 5, and can measure the height (position in the Z direction) of the substrate 5 based on the distance detected by the laser interferometer. In this embodiment, the substrate 5 is moved in the XY direction by the stage 6 below the first height measuring unit 8, and the height of each of the multiple locations on the substrate 5 is measured by the first height measuring unit 8. As a result, the control unit 10 can determine the height and inclination of the substrate 5 based on the measurement results of the first height measuring unit 8 obtained at each of the multiple locations on the substrate 5.

[0028] The second height measuring unit 9 measures the height of the mold 3 by measuring the height of the surface (bottom surface) of the mold 3. The second height measuring unit 9 includes, for example, a laser interferometer that detects the distance to the mold 3 by irradiating the mold 3 with light (laser light), and can measure the height (position in the Z direction) of the mold 3 based on the distance detected by the laser interferometer. In this embodiment, the second height measuring unit 9 is provided on the stage 6, and the stage 6 moves the second height measuring unit 9 in the XY direction below the mold 3, causing the second height measuring unit 9 to measure the height of each of the multiple locations on the mold 3. As a result, the control unit 10 can determine the height and inclination of the mold 3 based on the measurement results of the second height measuring unit 9 obtained at each of the multiple locations on the mold 3.

[0029] Furthermore, the imprint device 1 of this embodiment is further provided with a detection unit 19 and an observation unit 22.

[0030] The detection unit 19 has an OAS (Off-Axis Scope) and detects marks on the substrate 5 without going through the mold 3. The detection unit 19 detects marks on the substrate 5 that are positioned below the detection unit 19 (i.e., within the detection field of the detection unit 19) by the stage 6. Therefore, unlike the alignment measurement unit 13 (TTM scope), the detection unit 19 does not need to be configured to be drivable in the XY direction. Also, because the detection unit 19 has fewer placement constraints compared to the alignment measurement unit 13 (TTM scope), it is easier to mount a scope with a high degree of optical freedom. For example, the detection unit 19 can have a larger field of view or higher measurement resolution than the alignment measurement unit 13. Note that the detection unit 19 may also be understood as detecting the position of marks on the substrate 5.

[0031] The observation unit 22 observes (detects) the contact state between the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5. In this embodiment, the observation unit 22 observes the contact state between the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 via a half mirror 18 so as not to obstruct the optical path of the light 17 emitted from the illumination unit 2 and the measurement field of view of the alignment measurement unit 13. The observation unit 22 may include, for example, an imaging unit (image sensor) that images the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 through the mold 3, and an imaging optical system that forms an image of the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 on the imaging surface of the imaging unit. A CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor may be used as the imaging unit. Here, the observation unit 22 is sometimes called a spread camera and can also be used to observe (image) how the imprint material 14 spreads on the substrate 5 and how the imprint material 14 fills the uneven pattern (recesses) of the mold 3.

[0032] Next, the imprint method performed by the imprint apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 2 is a flowchart of the imprint method. The flowchart in Figure 2 is a lot processing performed for one lot containing multiple substrates 5, and can be executed by the control unit 10. Note that the imprint method may also be understood as a control method for the imprint apparatus 1 (molding apparatus).

[0033] In step S101, the control unit 10 transports the mold 3 to the imprint head 4 using the mold transport unit 11, and holds the mold 3 in the imprint head 4 (mold chuck 23). The mold chuck 23 holds (chucks) the mold 3 by suction pressure such as vacuum suction pressure. As a result, the mold 3 is mounted on the imprint head 4.

[0034] In step S102, the control unit 10 measures the surface height of the mold 3 using the second height measuring unit 9. The height information of the mold 3 obtained in step S102 can be used to control the relative amount of drive in the Z direction between the mold 3 and the substrate 5 when the mold 3 is brought into contact with the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 during the imprint process. The control unit 10 can also obtain inclination information of the surface of the mold 3 by measuring the height at multiple locations on the surface of the mold 3 using the second height measuring unit 9. This inclination information can be used to adjust the relative inclination between the mold 3 and the substrate 5 so that the surface of the mold 3 and the surface of the substrate 5 are parallel.

[0035] In step S103, the control unit 10 measures the positional misalignment of the mold 3 relative to the imprint head 4 (mold mounting misalignment) by measuring the position of the marks on the mold 3 using the alignment measurement unit 13. For example, the control unit 10 drives the alignment measurement unit 13 (TTM scope) in the XY direction so that the marks on the mold 3 come into the field of view of the alignment measurement unit 13. In this state, the alignment measurement unit 13 measures the position of the marks on the mold 3 and calculates the positional misalignment of the marks from the design coordinates as the amount of misalignment of the mold 3 relative to the imprint head 4. The amount of misalignment obtained in step S103 can be used as a correction value when driving the stage 6 to position the target shot area of ​​the substrate 5 below the mold 3.

[0036] In step S104, the control unit 10 transports the substrate 5, which is to be imprinted, onto the stage 6 using the substrate transport unit 12, and holds the substrate 5 in the stage 6 (substrate chuck 24). The substrate chuck 24 holds (chucks) the substrate 5 by suction pressure such as vacuum suction pressure. As a result, the substrate 5 is mounted on the stage 6.

[0037] In step S105, the control unit 10 measures the surface height of the substrate 5 using the first height measuring unit 8. The height information of the substrate 5 obtained in step S105 can be used to control the relative amount of drive in the Z direction between the mold 3 and the substrate 5 when the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 are brought into contact during the imprint process. The control unit 10 can also obtain inclination information of the surface of the substrate 5 by measuring the height at multiple locations on the surface of the substrate 5 using the first height measuring unit 8. This inclination information can be used to adjust the relative inclination between the mold 3 and the substrate 5 so that the surface of the mold 3 and the surface of the substrate 5 are parallel.

[0038] In step S106, the control unit 10 measures the positional displacement (substrate mounting positional displacement) of the substrate 5 by detecting the positions of marks provided in each shot region of the substrate 5 using the detection unit 19. For example, the control unit 10 can calculate the amount of positional displacement in the XY direction of each shot region based on the detection result by having the detection unit 19 detect the position in the XY direction of at least one mark in each shot region of the substrate 5. The control unit 10 can also calculate the amount of rotational displacement (Zθ direction) of each shot region based on the detection result by having the detection unit 19 detect the positions in the XY direction of two or more marks in each shot region of the substrate 5. Furthermore, the control unit 10 can obtain arrangement information of multiple shot regions on the substrate 5 by having the detection unit 19 detect the positions of marks in each shot region of the substrate 5 and performing statistical processing such as function approximation on the detection result. The amount of positional displacement obtained in step S106 can be used as a correction value when driving the stage 6 to position the target shot region of the substrate 5 below the mold 3.

[0039] In step S107, the control unit 10 performs imprint processing on the shot areas on the substrate 5 that are to be imprinted (hereinafter sometimes referred to as target shot areas). Details of this step S107 will be described later.

[0040] In step S108, the control unit 10 determines whether or not a dechuck error was detected in the imprint process of step S107. A dechuck error indicates that, during the demolding process of the imprint process, the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 did not separate, resulting in the dechucking (detachment) of the mold 3 from the mold chuck 23, or the dechucking of the substrate 5 from the substrate chuck 24.

[0041] For example, as shown in Figure 1, the imprint apparatus 1 is equipped with a sensor 25a that detects the suction pressure of the mold chuck 23 (e.g., vacuum suction pressure) and a sensor 25b that detects the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 (e.g., vacuum suction pressure). The mold chuck 23 has a holding surface that sucks and holds the mold 3, and sensor 25a detects the pressure of the vacuum line communicating with an opening provided on the holding surface of the mold chuck 23 as the suction pressure of the mold chuck 23. The substrate chuck 24 has a holding surface that sucks and holds the substrate 5, and sensor 25b detects the pressure of the vacuum line communicating with an opening provided on the holding surface of the substrate chuck 24 as the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24. Based on the outputs from these sensors 25a to 25b, the control unit 10 can detect a dechuck error indicating the dechucking of the mold 3 from the mold chuck 23 or the dechucking of the substrate 5 from the substrate chuck 24.

[0042] If no dechuck error is detected in step S108, the process proceeds to step S109. In step S109, the control unit 10 determines whether or not imprint processing has been performed on all shot areas on the substrate 5. If there are any shot areas that have not been imprinted, the process proceeds to step S107, and imprint processing is performed on those shot areas as target shot areas. On the other hand, if imprint processing has been performed on all shot areas, the process proceeds to step S110.

[0043] In step S110, the control unit 10 determines whether or not imprint processing has been performed on all substrates 5. For example, the control unit 10 determines whether or not imprint processing has been performed on all substrates 5 included in a single lot. If there are substrates 5 that have not been imprinted, the substrates 5 on the stage 6 are removed by the substrate transport unit 12 and the process proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, if imprint processing has been performed on all substrates 5, the substrates 5 on the stage 6 are removed by the substrate transport unit 12 and the process ends. At this time, the mold 3 held by the imprint head 4 (mold chuck 23) may be removed by the mold transport unit 11.

[0044] Furthermore, if a decuck error is detected in step S108, the process proceeds to step S111. In step S111, the control unit 10 executes a process to resolve the decuck error (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the decuck resolution process). Details of this step S111 will be described later. Next, in step S112, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the decuck error has been resolved by the decuck resolution process in step S111. If the decuck error has been resolved, the process proceeds to step S109. On the other hand, if the decuck error has not been resolved, the lot processing is stopped. At this time, the control unit 10 may notify the operator of the imprint device 1 that the lot processing has been stopped via the user interface provided on the imprint device 1.

[0045] [Imprinting process] Next, the imprint process performed in step S107 will be described. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the imprint process performed on one shot area (target shot area). Figure 4 shows the operation of the imprint device 1 in each step of the flowchart in Figure 3.

[0046] In step S201, the control unit 10 supplies the imprint material 14 onto the target shot area of ​​the substrate 5 by the supply unit 7, as shown in Figure 4(A) (supply step). For example, the control unit 10 causes the supply unit 7 to dispense the imprint material 14 as multiple droplets while moving the target shot area with the stage 6 below the supply unit 7. This allows the imprint material 14 to be supplied onto the target shot area as multiple droplets. The arrangement of the multiple droplets on the target shot area can be predetermined according to the uneven pattern provided on the mold 3.

[0047] In step S202, the control unit 10 drives the substrate 5 with the stage 6 so that the target shot area of ​​the substrate 5 is positioned below the mold 3 (pattern area), as shown in Figure 4(B). Next, in step S203, the control unit 10 brings the mold 3 into contact with the imprint material 14 on the target shot area (contact step), as shown in Figure 4(C). Specifically, the control unit 10 drives the mold chuck 23 in the -Z direction with the imprint head 4, narrowing the gap between the mold chuck 23 and the substrate chuck 24, thereby bringing the mold 3 into contact with the imprint material 14 on the target shot area of ​​the substrate 5. Hereafter, the gap between the mold chuck 23 and the substrate chuck 24 may be referred to as the "chuck gap".

[0048] In step S204, the control unit 10 aligns the mold 3 (pattern area) and the substrate 5 (target shot area) while the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the target shot area are in contact (alignment step). Specifically, the control unit 10 has the alignment measurement unit 13 measure the relative position between the mark 20 on the mold 3 and the mark 21 on the target shot area, and based on the measurement result, aligns the mold 3 and the substrate 5 so that the relative position becomes the target relative position. This alignment can be performed by driving the mold chuck 23 (mold 3) and the substrate chuck 24 (substrate 5) relative to each other using the stage 6 and / or the imprint head 4.

[0049] In step S205, the control unit 10 waits until the filling time has elapsed for the imprint material 14 to fill the uneven pattern (recesses) of the mold 3 (filling process). Step S205 may be performed in parallel with step S204 (alignment process). For example, the alignment of the mold 3 and the substrate 5 in step S204 may be repeatedly performed while waiting for the filling time to elapse. Even if the filling time has elapsed in step S205, the alignment of the mold 3 and the substrate 5 may be performed until the relative position measured by the alignment measurement unit 13 falls within an acceptable range before proceeding to step S207. Furthermore, if it is determined that the filling of the imprint material 14 into the uneven pattern of the mold 3 is complete based on the image obtained by the observation unit 22 (imaging unit), the process may proceed to step S207 even if the filling time has not elapsed in step S205.

[0050] In step S206, as shown in Figure 4(D), the control unit 10 hardens the imprint material 14 on the target shot area while the mold 3 is in contact with the imprint material 14 (hardening step). Specifically, the control unit 10 hardens the imprint material 14 by controlling the illumination unit 2 to irradiate the imprint material 14 on the target shot area with light 17 (ultraviolet light). Next, in step S207, as shown in Figure 4(E), the control unit 10 separates the mold 3 from the hardened imprint material 14 on the target shot area (release step). Specifically, the control unit 10 separates the mold 3 from the hardened imprint material 14 on the target shot area by driving the mold chuck 23 in the +Z direction with the imprint head 4 to widen the chuck gap.

[0051] [Detection of dechacking errors] Next, we will explain the detection of detachment errors performed in step S108. In the demolding step of the imprint process (step S207), the substrate 5 may detach from the substrate chuck 24, as shown in Figure 5(A). If lot processing continues with the substrate 5 detached in this state, it may damage the mold 3, substrate 5, or imprint apparatus 1. For example, if the stage 6 is moved while the substrate 5, which has detached from the substrate chuck 24, is still attached to the mold 3, the substrate 5 may fall to a location other than the stage 6 if it separates from the mold 3 for some reason. Alternatively, the substrate 5 may come into contact with components inside the apparatus, such as structures on the stage 6, potentially damaging the substrate 5 and / or the components inside the apparatus. Also, in the demolding step, the mold 3 may detach from the mold chuck 23, as shown in Figure 5(B). In this case as well, the mold 3 may come into contact with components inside the apparatus, potentially damaging the mold 3 and / or the components inside the apparatus.

[0052] Therefore, the imprint apparatus 1 detects a dechuck error indicating the dechucking of the substrate 5 from the substrate chuck 24 or the dechucking of the mold 3 from the mold chuck 23, and performs a dechuck resolution process to resolve the dechuck error. As described above, the imprint apparatus 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a sensor 25a that detects the suction pressure (vacuum suction pressure) of the mold 3 by the mold chuck 23, and a sensor 25b that detects the suction pressure (vacuum suction pressure) of the substrate 5 by the substrate chuck 24. The control unit 10 can determine that no dechuck error was detected (i.e., it is in a normal state) if the suction force (vacuum suction pressure) detected by sensors 25a to 25b during or immediately after the demolding process is within a specified range. On the other hand, the control unit 10 can determine that a dechuck error was detected (i.e., it is in an abnormal state) if the suction pressure detected by sensors 25a to 25b during or immediately after the demolding process is outside a specified range (for example, when it approaches the atmospheric pressure value). In this case, the control unit 10 executes a decuck elimination process to resolve the decuck error.

[0053] [Dechuck removal process] Next, the dechuck release process performed in step S111 will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart of the dechuck release process. Here, an example of the substrate 5 being detached from the substrate chuck 24 will be described. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the operation of the imprint apparatus 1 in each step of the flowchart in Figure 6, and shows an example of releasing the substrate 5 from the substrate chuck 24.

[0054] In step S301, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the dechuck error can be resolved. For example, the control unit 10 can determine whether or not the dechuck error can be resolved depending on whether or not the stage 6 can be positioned at the location where the imprint process in step S107 was performed.

[0055] In the dechuck removal process, the imprint head 4 is driven in the -Z direction to narrow the chuck gap, thereby causing the substrate 5 to be re-held by the substrate chuck 24. Therefore, in the dechuck removal process, the stage 6 must be positioned at the same location where it was positioned during the imprint process (specifically, the demolding process) (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the imprint process position). Accordingly, as shown in Figure 7(A), the control unit 10 determines that the dechuck error can be resolved if the stage 6 is already positioned at the imprint process position, or if the stage 6 can be moved to the imprint process position. In this case, the process proceeds to step S302. On the other hand, if the control unit 10 cannot move the stage 6 to the position it was in during the imprint process due to a power outage or other trouble, it determines that the dechuck error cannot be resolved. In this case, the dechuck removal process is deemed to have failed and terminated.

[0056] In step S302, the control unit 10 performs a gap reduction operation to temporarily narrow the chuck gap by driving the imprint head 4 in the -Z direction, as shown in Figure 7(B). For example, the control unit 10 performs the gap reduction operation with the chuck gap at the start of the demolding process as the target gap.

[0057] In step S303, the control unit 10 causes the substrate chuck 24 to re-hold the substrate 5 by adjusting the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24. For example, the control unit 10 may adjust the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 to be greater than that during the imprint process.

[0058] In step S304, the control unit 10 drives the imprint head 4 in the +Z direction to widen the chuck gap, as shown in Figure 7(C). The gap widening operation may be understood as an operation to separate the mold 3 from the hardened imprint material 14 on the substrate 5. Next, in step S305, the control unit 10 determines whether the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 and the mold 3 have separated (i.e., whether the demolding was successful or not). For example, the control unit 10 can determine whether the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 and the mold 3 have separated based on the outputs of sensors 25a to 25b. If the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 and the mold 3 have separated, the dechuck removal process is considered successful and the dechuck removal process is terminated. On the other hand, if the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 and the mold 3 have not separated, the process proceeds to step S306.

[0059] In step S306, the control unit 10 determines whether the number of dechuck removal processes has reached the upper limit. If the number of dechuck removal processes has not reached the upper limit, the process proceeds to step S302, and the dechuck removal process is executed again. In the dechuck removal process executed again, conditions may be changed, such as increasing the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24. On the other hand, if the number of dechuck removal processes has reached the upper limit, the dechuck removal process is considered to have failed, and the dechuck removal process is terminated. The upper limit can be set to any value, but from the viewpoint of throughput, it is preferable to set it to a value of, for example, 10 or less.

[0060] Here, we will explain in detail the interval reduction operation (step S302) in the dechuck removal process. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a basic interval reduction operation in the dechuck removal process.

[0061] In step S401, the control unit 10 acquires the driving force of the imprint head 4. The driving force of the imprint head 4 can be understood as the force used to relatively drive the mold chuck 23 and the substrate chuck 24 in order to narrow the chuck gap, and can be acquired based on the current value flowing to the drive motor for driving the imprint head 4. For example, if an error occurs, such as the mold 3 and substrate 5, which were not separated from each other in the demolding process, colliding with a component in the apparatus, an abnormality may occur in the driving force of the imprint head 4. Therefore, by monitoring the driving force of the imprint head 4, it is possible to detect such an error. Here, an abnormality in the driving force of the imprint head 4 can be defined as a sudden change in the driving force of the imprint head 4, for example, when the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 exceeds a threshold.

[0062] In step S402, the control unit 10 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the driving force of the imprint head 4. If an abnormality has occurred in the driving force of the imprint head 4, the process proceeds to step S405, where the control unit 10 stops the interval reduction operation and also stops the lot processing. On the other hand, if there is no abnormality in the driving force of the imprint head 4, the process proceeds to step S403, where the control unit 10 continues the interval reduction operation.

[0063] In step S404, the control unit 10 determines whether the chuck spacing has reached the target spacing. As mentioned above, the target spacing can be set to, for example, the chuck spacing at the start of the demolding process. If the chuck spacing has reached the target spacing, the spacing reduction operation is terminated and the process proceeds to step S303 in Figure 6. On the other hand, if the chuck spacing has not reached the target spacing, the process proceeds to step S401.

[0064] Once the dechuck removal process is complete, step S112 in Figure 2 determines whether the dechuck error has been resolved. If the dechuck error is resolved, the process returns to normal lot processing. On substrate 5 where the dechuck occurred, the imprint material 14 has already hardened and the uneven pattern has been formed, so lot processing can continue. On the other hand, if the dechuck error is not resolved, lot processing is terminated.

[0065] Incidentally, during the dechuck removal process, the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 may separate during the gap reduction operation, causing the substrate 5 to fall onto the substrate chuck 24. In this case, if the chuck gap is further narrowed, a part of the mold 3 that has separated from the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 may come into contact with the imprint material 14 again. As a result, the uneven pattern of the mold 3 and / or the uneven pattern transferred to the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 may be damaged.

[0066] Figure 9 illustrates the situation where the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 separate during the gap reduction operation. Figure 9(A) shows the state in which the substrate 5 is detached from the substrate chuck 24 without the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 separating during the demolding process. Figure 9(B) shows the state in which the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 separate during the gap reduction operation and the substrate 5 falls onto the substrate chuck 24. If the chuck gap is narrowed to the target gap without noticing this state, the uneven pattern of the imprint material 14 formed on the substrate 5 after the curing process will come into contact with the uneven pattern of the mold 3, as shown in Figure 9(c). Since the uneven patterns of the imprint material 14 and the mold 3 are very fine, ranging from a few nanometers to tens of nanometers, it is unlikely that the separated uneven patterns will interlock again. Also, it is unlikely that the substrate 5, which has separated (fallen) from the mold 3, will be placed back into its original position on the substrate chuck 24. In other words, the raised and recessed patterns of the imprint material 14 and the mold 3 come into contact with each other, potentially damaging one or both of the patterns. Damage to the pattern of the expensive mold 3 is more serious than damage to the pattern of the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5.

[0067] Generally, the higher the height of the raised and recessed areas in the pattern of the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5, the greater the force required to separate the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 during the demolding process (demolition force), making demolition errors more likely. Also, the higher the density of the pattern of raised and recessed areas, the greater the demolition force, which in turn makes demolition errors more likely. High density of the pattern of raised and recessed areas means that the recesses and protrusions of the pattern of raised and recessed areas are arranged at a fine pitch. Thus, the height and / or density of the pattern of raised and recessed areas can also increase the likelihood of damage to the pattern of raised and recessed areas on the mold 3 and / or the pattern of raised and recessed areas on the imprint material 14 during the demolition process.

[0068] Another possible method involves detecting the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 using sensor 25b while performing a gap reduction operation, and terminating the gap reduction operation when the suction pressure reaches a specified value, indicating that the substrate 5 has been re-held by the substrate chuck 24. However, this method also has problems. As shown in Figure 10(A), the substrate 5, after being detached from the substrate chuck 24, may have some degree of deflection due to its own weight. In this case, if the gap reduction operation is performed, as shown in Figure 10(B), the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 may reach a specified value when the outer periphery of the deflected substrate 5 comes into contact with the substrate chuck 24. If, in this state, it is determined that the substrate 5 has been re-held by the substrate chuck 24, the gap expansion operation to widen the chuck gap will start before the chuck gap reaches the target gap. In this case, because the contact between the substrate chuck 24 and the substrate 5 is insufficient, the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 cannot be separated, and the substrate 5 may be detached from the substrate chuck 24 again.

[0069] In other words, when the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a specified value during the gap reduction operation, there are two states for the state of the substrate 5: one in which the substrate 5 has separated from the mold 3 and fallen onto the substrate chuck 24, and another in which the substrate 5 has not yet separated from the mold 3. As mentioned above, if the substrate 5 is separated from the mold 3, continuing the gap reduction operation and further narrowing the chuck gap may damage the uneven pattern of the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 and / or the uneven pattern of the mold 3. Therefore, it is necessary to stop the gap reduction operation. On the other hand, if the substrate 5 is not separated from the mold 3, it is necessary to continue the gap reduction operation and further narrow the chuck gap to the target gap in order to avoid the substrate 5 being detached from the substrate chuck 24 again.

[0070] One method for determining whether the substrate 5 has separated from the mold 3 is to use the image obtained by the observation unit 22. However, image processing requires advanced technology and takes a considerable amount of time. Therefore, it is difficult to determine in real time whether the substrate 5 has separated from the mold 3 based on the image obtained by the observation unit 22 during the interval reduction operation.

[0071] Therefore, the control unit 10 of this embodiment controls the gap reduction operation while detecting the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 using the sensor 25b. When the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a predetermined value during the gap reduction operation, the control unit 10 decides whether or not to continue the gap reduction operation based on the chuck gap at that time. Specifically, if the chuck gap is less than a threshold when the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a predetermined value, the control unit 10 determines that the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 have not yet separated, and continues the gap reduction operation to further narrow the chuck gap. On the other hand, if the chuck gap is greater than or equal to the threshold when the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a predetermined value, the control unit 10 determines that the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 have separated, and stops the gap reduction operation. In this case, the chuck gap is widened without further narrowing it.

[0072] Here, the default value in this embodiment may be set to a suction pressure value at which it can be determined that the substrate 5 is being held in the substrate chuck 24. The default value may also be set to the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 (or its vicinity) detected by the sensor 25b at the start of the demolding process, when the substrate chuck 24 is holding the substrate 5. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(B), the threshold value in this embodiment may be set to the chuck spacing at which a part of the substrate 5 (e.g., the outer periphery) in the dechucked state begins to contact the substrate chuck 24 during the spacing reduction operation. The threshold value may be set in advance by experiments or simulations that take into account the amount of deflection of the substrate 5. For example, the threshold value may be set to a range of several micrometers to several tens of micrometers.

[0073] As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10(B), a threshold TH is set for the chuck spacing G when the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a specified value. If the chuck spacing G when the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a specified value is less than the threshold TH, it can be determined that a part of the substrate 5 (for example, the outer periphery) is in contact with the substrate chuck 24, while the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 are not separated. In this case, the spacing reduction operation continues because there is a low possibility of damage to the uneven pattern of the mold 3 and / or the uneven pattern of the imprint material 14 even if the chuck spacing G is further narrowed. On the other hand, if the chuck spacing G when the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a specified value is greater than or equal to the threshold TH, it can be determined that the substrate 5 has separated from the mold 3 and fallen onto the substrate chuck 24. In this case, the spacing reduction operation is stopped because there is a high possibility of damage to the uneven pattern of the mold 3 and / or the uneven pattern of the imprint material 14 if the chuck spacing G is further narrowed.

[0074] The following describes the interval reduction operation of this embodiment in the decuck removal process. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the interval reduction operation of this embodiment in the decuck removal process.

[0075] In step S501, the control unit 10 obtains the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 using the sensor 25b. Next, in step S502, the control unit 10 determines whether the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 obtained in step S501 has reached a specified value. If the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 has reached the specified value, the process proceeds to step S503; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S504.

[0076] In step S503, the control unit 10 determines whether the chuck spacing G when the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a specified value is greater than or equal to a threshold TH. For example, if a measuring unit (sensor) for measuring the chuck spacing G is provided in the imprint device 1, the control unit 10 can obtain the chuck spacing G based on the measurement results of the measuring unit. Alternatively, the control unit 10 may obtain the chuck spacing G based on the amount of drive of the mold chuck 23 by the imprint head 4 and the amount of drive of the substrate chuck 24 by the stage 6.

[0077] If the chuck spacing G is greater than or equal to the threshold TH when the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a specified value, the process proceeds to step S504, and the control unit 10 stops the spacing reduction operation. In this case, the process proceeds to step S303 in Figure 6, where the control unit 10 adjusts the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 in step S303, and then in step S304, drives the mold chuck 23 in the +Z direction with the imprint head 4 to perform a spacing expansion operation to widen the chuck spacing. On the other hand, if the chuck spacing G is less than the threshold TH when the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a specified value, the process proceeds to step S505 to continue the spacing reduction operation. When continuing the spacing reduction operation, the control unit 10 should set the speed at which it narrows the chuck spacing G after the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a specified value to be slower than before the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a specified value.

[0078] In step S505, the control unit 10 acquires the driving force of the imprint head 4. Next, in step S506, the control unit 10 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the driving force of the imprint head 4. If an abnormality has occurred in the driving force of the imprint head 4, the process proceeds to step S509, where the control unit 10 stops the interval reduction operation and stops the lot processing. On the other hand, if there is no abnormality in the driving force of the imprint head 4, the process proceeds to step S507, where the control unit 10 continues the interval reduction operation. In step S508, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the chuck interval G has reached the target interval. If the chuck interval G has reached the target interval, the interval reduction operation is terminated, and the process proceeds to step S303 in Figure 6. On the other hand, if the chuck interval G has not reached the target interval, the process proceeds to step S501. Note that steps S505 to S509 are the same processes as steps S401 to S405 in the flowchart of Figure 8, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0079] As described above, in the dechuck removal process of this embodiment, the gap reduction operation is controlled while detecting the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24. When the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 reaches a specified value during the gap reduction operation, it is decided whether or not to continue the gap reduction operation based on the chuck gap at that time. This makes it possible to appropriately perform the dechuck removal process in such a way that damage to the uneven pattern of the mold 3 and / or the uneven pattern of the imprint material 14 due to the gap reduction operation is reduced.

[0080] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the substrate 5 was detached from the substrate chuck 24 during the demolding process. However, in the demolding process, the mold 3 may also be detached from the mold chuck 23. In this case as well, as shown in Figure 12, the detachment process described above can be used to detach the mold 3 from the mold chuck 23. This is particularly effective in the configuration example of the imprint apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1, when the positions of the mold chuck 23 and the substrate chuck 24 are reversed, that is, when the mold chuck 23 is located below the substrate chuck 24.

[0081] In other words, in this embodiment, if dechuck occurs in one of the mold chuck 23 and the substrate chuck 24, the control unit 10 controls the gap reduction operation while detecting the suction pressure of the chuck in question. The chuck in question may be the lower chuck of the mold chuck 23 and the substrate chuck 24. When the suction pressure of the chuck in question reaches a predetermined value during the gap reduction operation, the control unit 10 decides whether to continue the gap reduction operation based on the chuck gap at that time. Specifically, if the chuck gap is less than a threshold when the suction pressure of the chuck in question reaches a predetermined value, the control unit 10 determines that the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 have not yet separated, and continues the gap reduction operation to further narrow the chuck gap. On the other hand, if the chuck gap is greater than or equal to a threshold when the suction pressure of the chuck in question reaches a predetermined value, the control unit 10 determines that the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 have separated, and stops the gap reduction operation. In this case, the zipper spacing is widened without further narrowing it.

[0082] The default value may be set to a suction pressure value that allows it to be determined that the mold 3 or substrate 5 is being held by the chuck that has de-chucked, whichever of the substrate chuck 24 and mold chuck 23 has de-chucked. For example, if the chuck that has de-chucked is the substrate chuck 24, the default value may be set to a suction pressure value that allows it to be determined that the substrate chuck 24 is holding the substrate 5. The default value may also be set to the suction pressure (or its vicinity) of the substrate chuck 24 detected by sensor 25b at the start of the demolding process when the substrate chuck 24 is holding the substrate 5. If the chuck that has de-chucked is the mold chuck 23, the default value may be set to a suction pressure value that allows it to be determined that the mold chuck 23 is holding the substrate 5. The default value may also be set to the suction pressure (or its vicinity) of the mold chuck 23 detected by sensor 25a at the start of the demolding process when the mold chuck 23 is holding the mold 3.

[0083] The threshold can be set to the chuck spacing at which a portion of the mold 3 or substrate 5 (e.g., the outer periphery) begins to contact the chuck during the gap reduction operation after being detached from one of the chucks, either the mold chuck 23 or the substrate chuck 24. For example, if the chuck from which detachment occurred is the substrate chuck 24, the threshold can be set to the chuck spacing at which a portion of the substrate 5 (e.g., the outer periphery) begins to contact the substrate chuck 24 during the gap reduction operation. If the chuck from which detachment occurred is the mold chuck 23, the threshold can be set to the chuck spacing at which a portion of the mold 3 (e.g., the outer periphery) begins to contact the mold chuck 23 during the gap reduction operation. These thresholds can be set in advance through experiments or simulations that take into account the amount of deflection of the mold 3 or substrate 5.

[0084] <Second Embodiment> A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In this embodiment, a determination is made as to whether the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 have separated during the dechuck release process (i.e., a determination of whether the substrate 5 will fall during the gap reduction operation) based on the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4. That is, a determination is made as to whether or not to continue the gap reduction operation based on the force required to relatively drive the mold chuck 23 and the substrate chuck 24 in order to narrow the chuck gap. Note that this embodiment basically follows the first embodiment, and all matters other than those mentioned below may be followed in accordance with the first embodiment.

[0085] In this embodiment, the interval reduction operation can basically be controlled according to the flowchart in Figure 11, but it differs from the first embodiment in that in step S506, an abnormality (change) in the driving force of the imprint head 4 is used to determine whether the substrate 5 will fall. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating an example in which an abnormality in the driving force of the imprint head 4 is used to determine whether the substrate 5 will fall.

[0086] Figure 13(A) shows the state in which the substrate 5 is detached from the substrate chuck 24 and the gap reduction operation is being performed. The height of the imprint head 4 and the driving force of the imprint head 4 in this state are shown in the graph on the left. During the gap reduction operation, the imprint head 4 is driven in the -Z direction, either continuously or in small steps. The height of the imprint head 4 decreases in proportion to the elapsed time of the gap reduction operation. At this time, the driving force of the imprint head 4 also increases in proportion to the elapsed time as a downward force (-Z direction). Depending on the structure of the imprint head 4, in this example it is assumed that the imprint head 4 is held by a spring, and the neutral point of the spring is located above the imprint head 4. This position is sometimes called the safe position and can be understood as a position where there is no interference with other structures due to the driving of the stage 6. Therefore, the driving force to drive the imprint head 4 downward can be generated as a downward force to counteract the spring force. This driving force is proportional to the height of the imprint head 4.

[0087] Figure 13(B) shows the state where the substrate 5 is sufficiently close to the substrate chuck 24. The height of the imprint head 4 and the driving force of the imprint head 4 in this state are shown in the graph on the left. In this state, a downward force (-Z direction) is applied to the substrate 5 due to the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24. When the substrate 5 is attached to the mold 3 held by the mold chuck 23, a downward force is also applied to the imprint head 4. As a result, the driving force required to drive the imprint head 4 downward against the spring becomes smaller. In other words, the magnitude of the downward force of the imprint head 4 in this state is smaller than the value estimated from the previous driving force (dotted line), as shown in Figure 13(B).

[0088] Figure 13(C) shows the state in which the substrate 5 has separated from the mold 3 and fallen onto the substrate chuck 24. The height of the imprint head 4 and the driving force of the imprint head 4 in this state are shown in the graph on the left. In this state, the substrate 5, which is subjected to a downward force due to the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24, separates from the mold 3, and the downward force applied to the imprint head 4 is also eliminated. As a result, the driving force for driving the imprint head 4 downward returns to the value shown by the dotted line.

[0089] As described above, when the substrate 5 separates from the mold 3 and falls onto the substrate chuck 24, the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 increases instantaneously. Therefore, the control unit 10 can determine whether the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 have separated during the de-chuck release process based on whether the rate of change is above a threshold. For example, if the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 is below the threshold, the control unit 10 determines that the mold 3 and the substrate 5 (imprint material 14) have not yet separated and continues the gap reduction operation to further narrow the chuck gap. On the other hand, if the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 is above the threshold, the control unit 10 determines that the mold 3 and the substrate 5 (imprint material 14) have separated and stops the gap reduction operation. In this case, the chuck gap is widened without further narrowing the chuck gap.

[0090] Conventionally, the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 was used to determine contact with the structure of the stage 6. In contrast, in this embodiment, the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 is used to determine whether or not the mold 3 and the imprint material 14 on the substrate 5 have separated during the chuck release process. In other words, the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 is used to determine whether or not to continue the gap reduction operation. By determining whether to continue or stop the gap reduction operation according to the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4, it is possible to reduce damage to the uneven pattern of the mold 3 and / or the uneven pattern of the imprint material 14. Such a determination method using the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 can be applied to step S506 in the flowchart of Figure 11. In this case, in step S506, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 is above a threshold. If the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 is above the threshold, the process proceeds to step S509, and if the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 is below the threshold, the process proceeds to step S507.

[0091] In this embodiment, the downward force applied to the substrate 5 by the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 is not sufficiently large unless the substrate 5 is sufficiently close to the substrate chuck 24. In other words, if the height of the imprint head 4 is relatively high and the substrate 5 is not sufficiently close to the substrate chuck 24, it is difficult to determine from the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 that the substrate 5 has separated from the mold 3 and fallen onto the substrate chuck 24. For this reason, it is preferable to use the determination method using the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 in combination with the determination method using the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 (see the first embodiment). Figure 14 shows an example in which the determination method using the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 and the determination method using the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 are used in combination.

[0092] The method of determining separation using the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4 is difficult to apply unless the height of the imprint head 4 is relatively low and the substrate 5 is sufficiently close to the substrate chuck 24. On the other hand, the method of determining separation using the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24 is difficult to apply when the chuck gap G is smaller than the threshold TH. Therefore, by using both methods in combination, it becomes possible to determine the separation of the substrate 5 from the mold 3 regardless of the height of the imprint head 4. In other words, as shown in Figures 14(A) to (B), if the imprint head 4 is higher than the height threshold, it is better to apply the method of determining separation using the suction pressure of the substrate chuck 24. On the other hand, if the imprint head 4 is higher than the height threshold, it is better to apply the method of determining separation using the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4.

[0093] As described above, in this embodiment, the decision to continue the spacing reduction operation is made based on the rate of change of the driving force of the imprint head 4. This allows the dechuck removal process to be performed appropriately so as to reduce the risk of damage to the uneven pattern of the mold 3 and / or the uneven pattern of the imprint material 14 caused by the spacing reduction operation.

[0094] In the first and second embodiments described above, the mold 3 is pressed against the substrate 5 from above, so the dechuck is naturally resolved by the substrate 5 falling due to its own weight. However, in the case where the substrate 5 is on top and the mold 3 is pressed against it from below, it is thought that the dechuck of the mold 3 will be resolved naturally. The first and second embodiments are also applicable in this case.

[0095] <Embodiment of Article Manufacturing Method> The article manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices, semiconductor devices, and elements having microstructures. The article manufacturing method of this embodiment includes a molding step of molding a composition on a substrate using the molding apparatus described above, a processing step of processing the substrate having the composition molded in the molding step, and a manufacturing step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step. An imprint apparatus or a planarization apparatus may be used as the molding apparatus. Furthermore, the article manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (oxidation, film formation, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The article manufacturing method of this embodiment is advantageous over conventional methods in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article.

[0096] The patterns of the cured material formed using the above-described molding apparatus are used permanently on at least a portion of various articles, or temporarily during the manufacturing of various articles. Articles include electrical circuit elements, optical elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, or molds. Examples of electrical circuit elements include volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, as well as semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensors, and FPGAs. Examples of molds include molds for imprinting.

[0097] The pattern of the cured material is either used as is as a component of at least a part of the above-mentioned article, or temporarily used as a resist mask. After etching or ion implantation is performed during the substrate processing process, the resist mask is removed.

[0098] Next, we will explain a specific method for manufacturing articles when using an imprint apparatus as the molding device. As shown in Figure 15(a), a substrate 1z such as a silicon wafer is prepared on which a workpiece 2z such as an insulator is formed on its surface, and then an imprint material 3z is applied to the surface of the workpiece 2z by an inkjet method or the like. Here, we show how multiple droplet-shaped imprint material 3z are applied to the substrate.

[0099] As shown in Figure 15(b), the mold 4z for imprinting is positioned opposite the imprint material 3z on the substrate, with the side where the uneven pattern is formed facing it. As shown in Figure 15(c), the substrate 1z to which the imprint material 3z is applied is brought into contact with the mold 4z, and pressure is applied. The imprint material 3z fills the gap between the mold 4z and the workpiece 2z. In this state, when light is shone through the mold 4z as curing energy, the imprint material 3z hardens.

[0100] As shown in Figure 15(d), after the imprint material 3z has hardened, when the mold 4z and substrate 1z are separated, a pattern of the hardened imprint material 3z is formed on the substrate 1z. In this pattern, the recesses of the mold correspond to the protrusions of the hardened material, and the protrusions of the mold correspond to the recesses of the hardened material. In other words, the uneven pattern of the mold 4z has been transferred to the imprint material 3z.

[0101] As shown in Figure 15(e), when etching is performed using the cured material pattern as an etching-resistant mask, the parts of the workpiece 2z surface that are free of or have a thin remaining cured material are removed, forming grooves 5z. As shown in Figure 15(f), when the cured material pattern is removed, an article with grooves 5z formed on the surface of the workpiece 2z can be obtained. Here, the cured material pattern was removed, but it may also be used without removal after processing, for example, as an interlayer insulating film included in semiconductor devices, i.e., as a component of the article.

[0102] <Other examples> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0103] <Summary of Embodiments> The disclosures herein include at least the following control methods, programs, molding apparatuses, and methods for manufacturing articles. (Item 1) A control method for a molding apparatus having a mold holding section for suctioning and holding a mold, and a substrate holding section for suctioning and holding a substrate, wherein a composition on a substrate is molded using the mold, A release step is performed to separate the mold from the composition on the substrate that has hardened while the mold is in contact with it, by widening the gap between the mold holding portion and the substrate holding portion. If the mold and the composition are not separated in the demolding step and dechuck occurs in one of the mold holding part and the substrate holding part, a dechucking step is performed to resolve the dechuck by detecting the suction pressure of the one holding part and narrowing the gap, Includes, The control method is characterized in that, in the relief step, when the suction pressure reaches a predetermined value during the operation, a decision is made on whether or not to continue the operation based on the interval at that time. (Item 2) The control method according to item 1, characterized in that, in the relief step, if the interval when the suction pressure reaches the specified value is less than a threshold, the operation is continued, and if the interval when the suction pressure reaches the specified value is equal to or greater than the threshold, the operation is stopped. (Item 3) The control method according to item 2, characterized in that, in the resolution step, if the operation is stopped, the interval is widened without further narrowing the interval. (Item 4) The control method according to item 2 or 3, characterized in that the threshold is set to the interval at which the mold or a part of the substrate begins to come into contact with one of the holding parts during the operation. (Item 5) The control method according to any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that, in the relief step, if the operation is continued, the speed at which the interval is narrowed after the suction pressure reaches the specified value is slower than before the suction pressure reached the specified value. (Item 6) The control method according to any one of items 1 to 5, characterized in that in the resolution step, a decision is made whether or not to continue the operation based on the force used to relatively drive the mold holding part and the substrate holding part in order to narrow the gap. (Item 7) The control method according to any one of items 1 to 6, characterized in that the specified value is set to a suction pressure value that allows it to be determined that the mold or the substrate is being held in the one holding part. (Item 8) The control method according to any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that the specified value is set to the suction pressure of one of the holding parts at the start of the demolding process. (Item 9) The control method according to any one of items 1 to 8, characterized in that the one holding portion is a holding portion located on the lower side of the mold holding portion and the substrate holding portion. (Item 10) The control method according to any one of items 1 to 9, characterized in that in the release step, the operation is performed with the interval at the start of the demolding step as the target interval. (Item 11) A program to cause the control unit of a molding apparatus to execute one of the control methods described in any one of items 1 to 10. (Item 12) A molding apparatus for forming a composition on a substrate using a mold, A mold holding unit that sucks and holds the mold, A substrate holding unit that holds the substrate by suction, A control unit controls a mold release process that separates the mold from the composition on the substrate that has hardened while the mold is in contact with it, by widening the gap between the mold holding portion and the substrate holding portion. Equipped with, The molding apparatus is characterized in that, if the mold and the composition are not separated in the demolding step and dechucking occurs in one of the holding parts, the control unit performs a dechucking process to resolve the dechucking by detecting the suction pressure of the one holding part and narrowing the gap, and when the suction pressure reaches a predetermined value during the operation, it decides whether or not to continue the operation based on the gap at that time. (Item 13) A molding step in which a composition on a substrate is formed using the molding apparatus described in item 12, A processing step for processing the substrate having the composition molded in the molding step, A manufacturing process for producing an article from the substrate processed in the above-mentioned processing step, A method for manufacturing articles, characterized by including the following:

[0104] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0105] 1: Imprint device, 2: Illumination unit, 3: Mold, 4: Imprint head, 5: Substrate, 6: Stage, 10: Control unit, 23: Mold chuck (mold holding unit), 24: Substrate chuck (substrate holding unit)

Claims

1. A control method for a molding apparatus having a mold holding section for suctioning and holding a mold, and a substrate holding section for suctioning and holding a substrate, wherein a composition on a substrate is molded using the mold, A release step is performed to separate the mold from the composition on the substrate that has hardened while the mold is in contact with it, by widening the gap between the mold holding portion and the substrate holding portion. If the mold and the composition are not separated in the demolding step and dechuck occurs in one of the mold holding part and the substrate holding part, a dechucking step is performed to resolve the dechuck by detecting the suction pressure of the one holding part and narrowing the gap, Includes, The control method is characterized in that, in the relief step, when the suction pressure reaches a predetermined value during the operation, a decision is made on whether or not to continue the operation based on the interval at that time.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the relief step, if the interval when the suction pressure reaches the specified value is less than a threshold, the operation is continued, and if the interval when the suction pressure reaches the specified value is equal to or greater than the threshold, the operation is stopped.

3. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the resolution step, if the operation is stopped, the interval is widened without further narrowing the interval.

4. The control method according to claim 2, characterized in that the threshold is set to the interval at which the mold or a part of the substrate begins to come into contact with one of the holding portions during the operation.

5. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the relief step, if the operation is continued, the speed at which the interval is narrowed after the suction pressure reaches the specified value is slower than before the suction pressure reaches the specified value.

6. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that the resolution step further determines whether or not to continue the operation based on the force used to relatively drive the mold holding portion and the substrate holding portion in order to narrow the gap.

7. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that the specified value is set to a suction pressure value that allows it to be determined that the mold or the substrate is being held in the one holding part.

8. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that the specified value is set to the suction pressure of one of the holding parts at the start of the demolding process.

9. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that the one holding portion is a holding portion located on the lower side of the mold holding portion and the substrate holding portion.

10. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that the elimination step is performed with the interval at the start of the demolding step as the target interval.

11. A program for causing the control unit of a molding apparatus to execute the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A molding apparatus for forming a composition on a substrate using a mold, A mold holding unit that sucks and holds the mold, A substrate holding unit that holds the substrate by suction, A control unit controls a mold release process that separates the mold from the composition on the substrate that has hardened while the mold is in contact with it, by widening the gap between the mold holding portion and the substrate holding portion. Equipped with, The molding apparatus is characterized in that, if the mold and the composition are not separated in the demolding step and dechucking occurs in one of the holding parts, the control unit performs a dechucking process to resolve the dechucking by detecting the suction pressure of the one holding part and narrowing the gap, and when the suction pressure reaches a predetermined value during the operation, it decides whether or not to continue the operation based on the gap at that time.

13. A molding step of molding a composition on a substrate using the molding apparatus described in claim 12, A processing step for processing the substrate having the composition molded in the molding step, A manufacturing process for producing an article from the substrate processed in the above-mentioned processing step, A method for manufacturing articles, characterized by including the following:

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