Imprinting apparatus and method for manufacturing article

Abstract

To provide an imprint device that is advantageous for preventing damage to a mold while preventing a phenomenon of transition of a temperature of a holding member.SOLUTION: An imprint device performs imprint processing of forming a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate by using a mold 2, and the imprint device has: a spring member 23 that connects a holding member 21b to the mold 2; a driving unit 22 that is provided between the holding member 21b and a base part 21a and drives the holding member 21b in a vertical direction with respect to the base part 21a; and a regulation surface 27a that regulates a drive end facing the base part 21a within a range in which the holding member is driven in the vertical direction by the driving unit 22. The driving unit 22 performs first drive for bringing the mold 2 into contact with the imprint material on the substrate and second drive for pressing the holding member against the regulation surface 27a, and in the second drive, generates heat while pressing the holding member against the regulation surface 27a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] As the demand for miniaturization of semiconductor devices increases, in addition to conventional photolithography technology, attention is being paid to a microfabrication technology in which an imprint material on a substrate is molded and the fine uneven pattern formed on the mold is formed on the substrate. This microfabrication technology is also called an imprint technology, and it is possible to form a fine pattern (structure) on the order of several nanometers on a substrate.

[0003] In imprint technology, one of the methods for hardening the imprint material is the photo-hardening method, in which the imprint material supplied to the shot area on the substrate is brought into contact with a mold and irradiated with light to harden the imprint material, and the mold is then separated from the hardened imprint material to form a pattern of the imprint material on the substrate.

[0004] In an imprinting apparatus using imprint technology, the mold holding unit (stamping unit) includes a holding member (movable unit) that holds the mold, an actuator that is the driving source of the holding member, and a base unit that supports the holding member. The holding member and the base unit are connected via a spring member that holds and compensates for the actuator and the holding member (their weight). In the mold holding unit, the actuator and spring member are arranged in parallel, and the holding member is held by the spring member. Therefore, when driving the holding member, the actuator only needs to generate a force according to the expansion and contraction of the spring member that corresponds to the position of the holding member, thereby reducing the drive load.

[0005] When such an imprint apparatus is used to perform imprint processing continuously, the temperature of the holding member rises due to heat generation by the actuator. The thermal time constant of the holding member is large, and it takes several tens of minutes from the start of the imprint processing until the temperature of the holding member reaches a state that can be considered constant (steady state), so at least a plurality of substrates are processed during that time. Therefore, the temperature state of the holding member differs between a substrate processed when the holding member is in a thermally transient state and a substrate processed when the holding member is in a thermally steady state, and as a result of the imprint processing, for example, variations occur in the overlay accuracy.

[0006] Therefore, a technique has been proposed for suppressing the temperature transient phenomenon of the holding member that occurs in the early stage of the imprint process (see Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, when the holding member is in an idle state, the root mean square current value of the current applied to the actuator is made equal to that when the imprint process is performed continuously, so that the holding member is kept on standby at a position (standby position) higher than the balance position with the spring member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-17726 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In recent years, further improvement in throughput is required for imprinting apparatuses, and in order to meet such requirements, for example, it is considered to improve the driving performance of the mold holding unit. However, in order to improve the driving performance of the mold holding unit, it is necessary to increase the current given to the actuator that drives the holding member, which leads to an increase in the amount of heat generated by the actuator. Therefore, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the holding member is put into an idle state, the standby position where the holding member is standby must be raised according to the amount of heat generated by the actuator. In such a situation, if the power supply of the device is unintentionally lost, the holding member held by the spring member falls in the vertical direction and vibrates, and the amplitude of the vibration increases in proportion to the height of the standby position of the holding member. Therefore, if the holding member (attitude) falls in an inclined state, the mold held by the holding member may come into contact with the substrate, and the mold or the substrate, or both, may be damaged.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems in the conventional technology, and has an exemplary object to provide an imprinting apparatus that is advantageous in preventing damage to the mold while suppressing temperature transients in the holding member that holds the mold. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, an imprinting apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is an imprinting apparatus which performs an imprinting process to form a pattern of an imprinting material on a substrate using a mold, and which includes a holding member which holds the mold, a spring member which connects the holding member to a base portion which supports the holding member, a drive unit which is provided between the holding member and the base portion and drives the holding member in a vertical direction relative to the base portion, and a restriction surface which restricts a drive end on the side of the base portion within a vertical drive range of the holding member by the drive unit, the drive unit performing a first drive for bringing the mold into contact with the imprinting material on the substrate and a second drive for pressing the holding member against the restriction surface, and in the second drive, heat is generated while the holding member is pressed against the restriction surface. The regulating surface is disposed on the side of the base portion with respect to a first position of the holding member when the gravity acting on the holding member in a state in which the mold is held and the elastic force of the spring member are balanced, and the distance between the regulating surface and the first position is disposed so as to be shorter than the distance between a second position of the holding member and the first position when the imprint material on the substrate contacts the mold. It is characterized by:

[0011] Further objects or other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide an imprinting apparatus that is advantageous in preventing damage to the mold while suppressing temperature transients in a holding member that holds the mold. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an imprint apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a mold holding unit of the imprint apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a diagram showing the positional relationship of holding members of the mold holding unit shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the imprint apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the imprint apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the imprint apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing an article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0015] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an imprinting apparatus 100 according to one aspect of the present invention. The imprinting apparatus 100 is a lithography apparatus that is employed in a lithography process, which is a manufacturing process for devices such as semiconductor elements, liquid crystal display elements, and magnetic storage media as articles, and forms a pattern on a substrate. The imprinting apparatus 100 brings uncured imprinting material supplied onto the substrate into contact with a mold, and imparts energy for curing to the imprinting material, thereby forming a pattern of a cured material to which the pattern of the mold has been transferred.

[0016] The imprint material is a material (curable composition) that is cured by applying energy for curing. The energy for curing may be electromagnetic waves, heat, or the like. The electromagnetic waves include, for example, light having a wavelength selected from the range of 10 nm to 1 mm, specifically infrared rays, visible rays, ultraviolet rays, and the like.

[0017] The curable composition is a composition that is cured by irradiation with light or by heating. The photocurable composition that is cured by irradiation with light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photopolymerization initiator, and may further contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent, as necessary. The non-polymerizable compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of a sensitizer, a hydrogen donor, an internal mold release agent, a surfactant, an antioxidant, a polymer component, and the like.

[0018] The imprint material may be applied in the form of a film on the substrate by a spin coater or a slit coater. The imprint material may also be applied in the form of droplets, or in the form of islands or a film formed by connecting a plurality of droplets, by a liquid jet head. The viscosity of the imprint material (at 25° C.) is, for example, 1 mPa·s or more and 100 mPa·s or less.

[0019] The substrate may be made of glass, ceramics, metal, semiconductor, resin, etc., and may have a member made of a material different from that of the substrate formed on its surface as required. Specifically, the substrate may be made of a silicon wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, quartz glass, etc.

[0020] In this specification and the accompanying drawings, directions are shown in an XYZ coordinate system in which the XY plane is a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate 1. The directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively, and rotation around the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are θX, θY, and θZ, respectively.

[0021] The imprint apparatus 100 has a substrate holding unit 10 that holds a substrate 1 and drives it in a horizontal direction (X direction or Y direction), and a substrate transport unit 31 that transports the substrate 1 between a substrate storage unit (not shown) and the substrate holding unit 10. The imprint apparatus 100 also has a mold holding unit 20 (imprinting unit) that holds a mold 2 and drives it in a vertical direction (Z direction), and a mold transport unit 32 that transports the mold 2 between the mold storage unit (not shown) and the mold holding unit 20.

[0022] The substrate holding unit 10 holds the substrate 1 by, for example, vacuum adsorbing the substrate 1 and maintains the holding position. The mold holding unit 20 holds the mold 2 by, for example, vacuum adsorbing the mold 2 and maintains the holding position. The substrate holding unit 10 and the mold holding unit 20 may hold the substrate 1 and the mold 2 by an electrostatic method instead of an adsorption method.

[0023] The imprint apparatus 100 also has a first measurement unit 41 provided on a housing HG (fixing surface) of the imprint apparatus 100, and a second measurement unit 42 provided on the substrate holding unit 10.

[0024] By scanning the substrate holding unit 10 in the horizontal direction relative to the first measuring unit 41, the first measuring unit 41 can measure the distance to the substrate 1 held by the substrate holding unit 10. By scanning the substrate holding unit 10 in the horizontal direction relative to the mold 2, the second measuring unit 42 provided on the substrate holding unit 10 can measure the distance to the mold 2. For the first measuring unit 41 and the second measuring unit 42, for example, a laser displacement meter or a spectroscopic interferometer is used, but another measuring instrument may be used as long as it is possible to measure the distance accurately without contact.

[0025] The imprint apparatus 100 also has an adjustment unit 50 that adjusts the temperature of the mold holding unit 20. The adjustment unit 50 uses a fluid coolant including liquid or gas, specifically, by flowing the fluid coolant through the mold holding unit 20 to cool the mold holding unit 20. The adjustment unit 50 employs an air-cooling method using clean dry air (CDA) or a liquid-cooling method using pure water or brine, but the type of coolant is not limited. In the adjustment unit 50, the control target of the fluid for adjusting the temperature of the mold holding unit 20 is at least one of the temperature, flow rate, and pressure of the fluid. For example, when compressed clean dry air and a vortex cooler are used in the adjustment unit 50, it is possible to control the temperature of the mold holding unit 20 by changing any of the temperature, flow rate, and pressure of the fluid. However, from the viewpoint of temperature control of the mold holding unit 20, the load required for temperature control (e.g., calculation, etc.) can be reduced by making any one of the temperature, flow rate, and pressure of the fluid variable and fixing (maintaining constant) the others.

[0026] The imprint apparatus 100 also has a control unit 60 configured with a computer including a CPU, a memory, and the like. The control unit 60 generally controls each unit of the imprint apparatus 100 in accordance with, for example, a program stored in a storage unit, to operate the imprint apparatus 100. The control unit 60 controls the imprint process for forming a pattern of the imprint material on the substrate using the mold 2. In this embodiment, the control unit 60 controls the current value provided to the actuator 22, and controls (for example, feedback control) the controlled target of the fluid supplied from the adjustment unit 50.

[0027] The mold holding unit 20 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the mold holding unit 20. As shown in Fig. 2, the mold holding unit 20 includes a holding member 21b that holds the mold 2, and a base portion 21a that supports the holding member 21b. The base portion 21a is provided in a housing HG of the imprint apparatus 100. The holding member 21b is connected to the base portion 21a via a plurality of actuators 22 and a plurality of spring members 23 that are arranged in parallel.

[0028] The actuator 22 is a holding member 21 b and base part 21 a The holding member 21 is provided between the base portion 21a and the b In addition, the holding member 21 for holding the mold 2 functions as a driving unit for driving the mold 2 in the vertical direction. b functions as a movable part that is driven in the vertical direction by the actuator 22. The actuator 22 is, for example, configured as a voice coil actuator, and includes a stator 22a on the magnet side and a mover 22b on the coil side. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the stator 22a is provided on the base part 21a, and the mover 22b is provided on the holding member 21b, but the mover 22b may be provided on the base part 21a, and the stator 22a may be provided on the holding member 21b. The actuator 22 may also be replaced with another driving part that can drive the holding member 21b in the vertical direction (linearly move) by current control or voltage control.

[0029] The spring member 23 connects the holding member 21b to the base portion 21a that supports the mold 2. The spring member 23 supports (the weight of) the mold 2 and the holding member 21b, thereby reducing the driving load of the actuator 22. The spring member 23 can also be replaced with an elastic member including rubber or the like.

[0030] The actuators 22 and the spring members 23 are provided at equal intervals (equal angles) with respect to the center of the mold holding portion 20 (holding member 21b) so that the driving loads of the actuators are equal.

[0031] Here, the balanced position is the position of the holding member 21b when the weight of the holding member 21b (gravity acting on the holding member 21b) holding the mold 2 is balanced with the tension (elastic force) of the spring member 23 in a state where no current is applied to the actuator 22. The state where no current is applied to the actuator 22 refers to a state where the actuator 22 is not generating a force (driving force) for driving the holding member 21b.

[0032] The amount of drive of holding member 21b from the balanced position by actuator 22 is D(t), the current value applied to actuator 22 at that time is I(t), the composite thrust constant of actuator 22 is Km, and the composite spring constant of spring member 23 is Ks. In this case, the force F (driving force) generated by actuator 22 is expressed by the following equation (1). F = Km × I(t) = Ks × D(t) (1)

[0033] Referring to the formula (1), the drive amount D(t) of the holding member 21b and the current value I(t) are in a proportional relationship.

[0034] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the mold holding unit 20 further includes a position measurement unit 24 that measures the vertical position (vertical position) of the holding member 21b, a temperature control target portion 25, and a temperature measurement unit 26 that measures the temperature of the holding member 21b.

[0035] The position measurement unit 24 is provided on the base unit 21a, and measures the vertical position of the holding member 21b in response to the drive of the holding member 21b. For example, an encoder is used as the position measurement unit 24. The drive of the holding member 21b may be controlled based on the current value applied to the actuator 22, or may be controlled based on the measurement result of the position measurement unit 24.

[0036] The temperature adjustment target portion 25 is a portion that is provided between the base portion 21a and the actuator 22 (the stator 22a) and is a target of temperature adjustment by the adjustment portion 50. By supplying the temperature-adjusted fluid from the adjustment portion 50 to the temperature adjustment target portion 25, the temperature of the holding member 21b can be adjusted (the holding member 21b can be cooled) via the actuator 22. For example, when the adjustment portion 50 employs an air-cooling method, the temperature of the holding member 21b can be adjusted by flowing a temperature-adjusted gas between the stator 22a and the movable member 22b via the temperature adjustment target portion 25. Also, when the adjustment portion 50 employs a liquid-cooling method, the temperature of the holding member 21b can be adjusted by flowing a temperature-adjusted liquid through the temperature adjustment target portion 25 that is in direct contact with the stator 22a. In this embodiment, the temperature adjustment target portion 25 is provided between the base portion 21a and the actuator 22, but it may be provided between the actuator 22 (the movable member 22b) and the holding member 21b.

[0037] Furthermore, with regard to the temperature control target part 25, whether the adjustment unit 50 employs an air-cooling system or a liquid-cooling system, consideration must be given to not only the cooling efficiency and cooling capacity, but also to the fact that the flow of the fluid does not become a disturbance factor for the holding member 21b. For example, when the adjustment unit 50 employs a liquid-cooling system, the temperature control target part 25 is in direct contact with the stator 22a, so the cooling efficiency and cooling capacity (heat transfer efficiency) are higher than when the adjustment unit 50 employs an air-cooling system. However, pulsation of the temperature control target part 25 caused by the flow of liquid may become a disturbance factor for the holding member 21b.

[0038] It is sufficient to provide at least one temperature measuring unit 26. In the present embodiment, the temperature measuring unit 26 is provided in the holding member 21b, but it may be provided in the actuator 22.

[0039] Furthermore, the mold holding unit 20 is a holding member 21 by an actuator 22. b In order to restrict the vertical driving range (driving region) of the holding member 21, a regulating member 27 is included. bThe restricting member 27 forms a restricting surface 27a that restricts the driving end (upper end of the driving range) on the base portion 21a side of the driving range of the holding member 21 in the vertical direction. b If the driving range of the base portion 21a and the holding member 21 can be restricted, b It may be provided on either the stator 22 a or the mover 22 b of the actuator 22 .

[0040] The regulating member 27 is made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy or a stainless steel alloy, or a resin material such as POM or PTFE. However, since the regulating member 27 directly contacts the base portion 21a or the holding member 21b, or the stator 22a or the mover 22b, as described above, it is preferable to make the regulating member 27 out of a resin material. In the present embodiment, the regulating member 27 is fixed to the base portion 21a, but is not limited thereto. For example, the regulating member 27 may be provided on the base portion 21a via an actuator to be driven in the vertical and horizontal directions, and the position of the regulating member 27, i.e., the position of the regulating surface 27a, may be variable.

[0041] 3(a) to 3(e) are diagrams showing the positional relationship of the mold holding section 20, specifically, the holding member 21b. FIG. 3(a) shows a balance position Zwt (first position), which is the position of the holding member 21b when the weight of the holding member 21b holding the mold 2 is balanced with the tension of the spring member 23. FIG. 3(b) shows an imprinting position Zimp (second position), which is the position of the holding member 21b when the imprint material on the substrate comes into contact with the mold 2. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the distance between the balance position Zwt and the imprinting position Zimp is defined as D_imp.

[0042] FIG. 3(c) shows a home position (release completion position) Zhome, which is the position of the holding member 21b when the releasing operation is completed, in which the holding member 21b is driven in the +Z direction from the imprinting position Zimp to separate the mold 2 from the imprint material on the substrate. When the imprint process is performed continuously, an imprinting operation is started in which the holding member 21b is driven in the -Z direction from the home position Zhome. The home position Zhome may also be set to the same position as the balance position Zwt. As shown in FIG. 3(c), the distance between the balance position Zwt and the home position Zhome is defined as D_home.

[0043] Fig. 3(d) shows the standby current position Zidle, which is the position of the holding member 21b when the holding member 21b is driven in the +Z direction with a current value equal to the root mean square current value I_mean of the current applied to the actuator 22 when the imprint process is performed continuously. As shown in Fig. 3(d), the distance between the equilibrium position Zwt and the standby current position Zidle is defined as D_idle.

[0044] Fig. 3(e) shows a restriction position Zfix, which is the position of the holding member 21b when the holding member 21b comes into contact with the restriction surface 27a of the restriction member 27. As shown in Fig. 3(e), the distance between the balance position Zwt and the restriction position Zfix is ​​defined as D_fix.

[0045] 3(e), the regulating member 27 is provided so that the regulating surface 27a is located on the side of the base portion 21a (+Z direction) with respect to the balance position Zwt, i.e., above the balance position Zwt. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the regulating member 27 is provided so that the distance between the regulating surface 27a and the balance position Zwt is shorter than the distance between the imprint position Zimp and the balance position Zwt.

[0046] The current values ​​applied to the actuator 22 corresponding to the positions of the holding member 21b shown in Figures 3(b), 3(c), 3(d), and 3(e) are respectively designated as I_imp, I_home, I_idle, and I_fix. In this case, the relationship between the distances D_imp, D_home, D_idle, and D_fix and the current values ​​I_imp, I_home (I_mean), I_idle, and I_fix are expressed by the following equations (2) and (3). D_imp>D_idle>D_fix≧D_home≧0 ···(2) I_imp>I_idle=I_mean>I_fix≧I_home≧0 ···(3)

[0047] 3(e), the current value required for the holding member 21b to be positioned at the restriction position Zfix (to maintain the restriction position Zfix) is I_fix. However, in FIG. 3(e), a current value equal to the root-mean-square current value I_mean is applied to the actuator 22 to press the holding member 21b against the restriction surface 27a of the restriction member 27. Considering mass production, the imprinting position Zimp (distance D_imp) differs depending on the mold 2 (its weight) used in the imprint apparatus 100. For example, even in the case of using a mold 2 that is thick and in which the distance D_imp is effectively shortened, it is preferable that the holding member 21b contacts the restriction surface 27b of the restriction member 27 when the root-mean-square current value I_mean is applied to the actuator 22. Therefore, the manufacturing error in the thickness of the mold 2 (distance D If the change in the impulse response (_imp) is D_err, it is preferable that the distance D_fix corresponding to the restriction position Zfix satisfies the following formula (4). D_fix <D_idle-D_err ···(4)

[0048] Further, the force F_fix that the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27 receives from the holding member 21b (the force with which the holding member 21b presses the regulating surface 27a) is expressed by using the composite thrust constant Km of the actuator 22, as in the following equation (5). F_fix=Km×(I_mean-I_fix) ···(5)

[0049] In this embodiment, in the idle state, in addition to the current value I_fix necessary to maintain the holding member 21b at the restriction position Zfix, a current value corresponding to the force F_fix with which the holding member 21b presses the restriction surface 27a is applied to the actuator 22. As a result, a current value equal to the squared current average value I_mean is applied to the actuator 22, so that the amount of heat generated by the actuator 22 can be made equivalent to the amount of heat generated by the actuator 22 when the imprint process is performed continuously. Note that the idle state is the state before the imprint process is started.

[0050] In this manner, in this embodiment, in the idle state, as shown in Fig. 3(e), the holding member 21b is pressed against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27, and in this state, the actuator 22 generates heat. Specifically, the value of the current supplied to the actuator 22 is controlled so that the root mean square current value of the current supplied to the actuator 22 becomes equal to the root mean square current value of the current supplied to the actuator 22 when the imprint processes are continuously performed. This makes it possible to suppress the transient phenomenon of the temperature of the holding member 21b that occurs at the beginning of the imprint processes when the imprint processes are continuously performed from the idle state.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the regulating member 27 is provided above the balance position Zwt so that the distance between the regulating surface 27a and the balance position Zwt is shorter than the distance between the imprinting position Zimp and the balance position Zwt. Therefore, even if the device power is unintentionally lost and the holding member 21b vibrates in an idle state, that is, in a state where the holding member 21b is pressed against the regulating surface 27a, the mold 2 held by the holding member 21b will not come into contact with the substrate 1. Therefore, damage to the mold 2 and the substrate 1 caused by contact between the mold 2 and the substrate 1 can be prevented.

[0052] In addition, in the present embodiment, the state in which the imprint process is continuously performed and the idle state before the imprint process is started are described as examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The actuator 22 performs a first drive (drive for the imprint process) for bringing the mold 2 into contact with the imprint material on the substrate, and a second drive (drive for the idle state) for pressing the holding member 21b against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27. At this time, the actuator 22 drives the holding member 21b in the direction opposite to the base portion 21a side (-Z direction) in the first drive, and drives the holding member 21b in the direction toward the base portion 21b side (+Z direction) in the second drive. In this case, the actuator 22 may generate heat in the state in which the holding member 21 is pressed against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27 in the second drive.

[0053] The operation of the imprint apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. This operation is performed by the control unit 60 comprehensively controlling each unit of the imprint apparatus 100. Fig. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the imprint apparatus 100. Here, the explanation will focus particularly on the sequence up to the continuous performance of imprint processes.

[0054] As described above, in the imprint apparatus 100, the position of the holding member 21b (imprint position Zimp) when the imprint material on the substrate comes into contact with the mold 2 differs depending on the thickness of the mold 2 used in the imprint apparatus 100. Therefore, the root mean square current value of the current applied to the actuator 22 when the imprint process is performed continuously also differs depending on the thickness of the mold 2 used in the imprint apparatus 100. In the imprint apparatus 100, the mold 2 is a consumable item, and is therefore replaced with a new mold 2 periodically or irregularly. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain the standby current value in an idle state, that is, the root mean square current value of the current applied to the actuator 22 when the imprint process is performed continuously, without actually performing the imprint process, depending on the mold 2 used in the imprint apparatus 100.

[0055] 4, in S402, a reference mold having a reference thickness is carried into the imprint apparatus 100. Specifically, the reference mold is carried from the outside to the inside of the imprint apparatus 100 via the mold carrying unit 32, and the reference mold is held by the mold holding unit 20 (holding member 21b).

[0056] In S404, the thickness (height) of the reference mold carried in in S402 is obtained. Specifically, while the substrate holder 10 is scanned horizontally relative to the reference mold, the second measuring unit 42 measures the distance to the reference mold, thereby obtaining the thickness H_mld_ref of the reference mold.

[0057] In S406, a contact process is performed to actually bring the reference mold into contact with the substrate 1. Since the components used in the imprint apparatus 100 have manufacturing errors and assembly errors, the contact process must be performed in order to obtain an accurate imprint position (the distance between the balance position and the imprint position).

[0058] In S408, based on the result of the contact process, a reference imprint position, which is the position of the holding member 21b when the reference mold and the substrate 1 come into contact, and a reference imprint position current value are obtained. Specifically, the reference imprint position D_imp_ref is obtained using the measurement result of the position measurement unit 24 when the reference mold and the substrate 1 come into contact. In addition, the current value given to the actuator 22 when the holding member 21b reaches the reference imprint position is obtained as the reference imprint position current value I_imp_ref.

[0059] In S410, the imprint process is continuously performed using the reference mold. Specifically, the imprint material arranged on the substrate is brought into contact with the reference mold, the imprint material is hardened in this state, and the reference mold is separated from the hardened imprint material on the substrate. By repeating such a process for each shot area on the substrate, for example, the imprint process is continuously performed.

[0060] In S412, a reference root mean square current value is obtained, which is the root mean square current value of the current applied to the actuator 22 when the imprint process is continuously performed using the reference mold. For example, if the current applied to the actuator 22 is I(t) and the time for which the imprint process is continuously performed (continuous imprint process time) is T, the reference root mean square current value I_mean_ref can be obtained by integrating the following formula (6) in the range from 0 to T. I_mean_ref = ∫ {I(t) 2 ÷T}dt ···(6)

[0061] Note that the reference root mean square current value I_mean_ref can also be obtained from the drive profile of the holding member 21b by the actuator 22 when the imprint process is performed continuously, even if the imprint process is not performed continuously using the reference mold. Specifically, when the drive profile of the holding member 21b is Dm(t), the current value Im(t) corresponding to the position of the holding member 21b during the imprint process is expressed by the following formula (7). Im(t)=I_imp_ref×(Dm(t)÷D_imp_ref) ···(7)

[0062] In addition, in a state where the imprint material on the substrate and the reference mold are in contact with each other, the reference mold presses the substrate 1 with a certain force, but the position of the holding member 21b holding the reference mold does not change. In this case, if the force with which the reference mold presses the substrate 1 is F_imp, the current value If(t) corresponding to the applied force F_imp is expressed by the following formula (8). If(t) = F_imp(t) ÷ Km (8)

[0063] Since the force F_imp(t) is zero when the imprint material on the substrate and the reference mold are not in contact with each other, the current value If(t) is also zero when the imprint material on the substrate and the reference mold are not in contact with each other. The current I(t) applied to the actuator 22 when the imprint process is performed continuously is expressed by the following equation (9) using the current values ​​Im(t) and If(t). I(t)=Im(t)+If(t) (9)

[0064] When the holding member 21b performs the same operation continuously, the continuous imprint processing time T may include the time for the holding member 21b to perform the same operation at least once. For example, the result of imprint processing performed on all of the substrates 1 in one lot may be used, or the result of imprint processing performed on only one substrate 1 may be used. Furthermore, if the minimum unit of the same operation of the holding member 21b is imprint processing on one shot area, the result of imprint processing performed on one shot area may be used.

[0065] There are cases where the imprinting process is performed continuously by supplying the imprinting material to the entire area of ​​the substrate 1 at once, and cases where the imprinting process is performed by supplying the imprinting material to each shot area. In these cases, a reference root mean square current value may be obtained from the current I(t) in the imprinting process for each shot area.

[0066] Furthermore, there are cases where imprint processing is performed continuously on a different number of shot areas, or where the drive profile of the holding member 21b differs between the peripheral shot areas of the substrate 1 and the other shot areas. In this case, it is better to obtain the reference root mean square current value from the results of performing imprint processing on all shot areas on the substrate. The imprint profile here includes the time when the holding member 21b is located at the imprint position and the posture at that time. However, with regard to the posture of the holding member 21b, if the difference in tilt of the holding member 21b between the peripheral shot areas of the substrate 1 and the other shot areas is 0.2 to 0.3 mrad or less, the influence is small, at 1 to 2% or less, and can be ignored.

[0067] In S414, a reference standby current value (reference current value) to be applied to the actuator 22 in an idle state before (immediately before) the start of the imprint process is determined based on the reference root mean square current value acquired in S412. In this embodiment, as shown in the following formula (10), the reference root mean square current value I_mean_ref is set to the reference standby current value I_idle_ref. I_idle_ref=I_mean_ref ···(10)

[0068] Various pieces of information related to the reference mold obtained in this manner are stored in a storage unit of the imprint apparatus 100. The various pieces of information related to the reference mold include a thickness H_mld_ref of the reference mold, a reference imprint position D_imp_ref, a reference imprint position current value I_imp_ref, a reference root mean square current value I_mean_ref, and a reference standby current value I_idle_ref.

[0069] In S416, the reference mold is carried out from the imprint apparatus 100. Specifically, the reference mold is removed from the mold holding unit 20 (holding member 21b) via the mold transport unit 32, and the reference mold is transported from the inside of the imprint apparatus 100 to the outside.

[0070] The steps S402 to S416 do not need to be performed every time, but may be performed at least once, for example, when the imprint apparatus 100 is installed.

[0071] In S418, the mold 2 is carried into the imprint apparatus 100. Specifically, the mold 2 is carried from the outside to the inside of the imprint apparatus 100 via the mold transport unit 32, and the mold 2 is held by the mold holding unit 20 (holding member 21b).

[0072] In S420, the thickness (height) of the mold 2 carried in in S418 is obtained. Specifically, similarly to S404, while the substrate holding unit 10 is scanned horizontally relative to the mold 2, the second measuring unit 42 measures the distance to the mold 2, thereby obtaining the thickness H_mld of the mold 2.

[0073] In S422, the thickness H_mld_ref of the reference mold obtained in S404 is compared with the thickness H_mld of mold 2 obtained in S420.

[0074] In S424, based on the comparison result in S422, the imprint position, which is the position of the holding member 21b when the imprint material on the substrate comes into contact with the mold 2, and the imprint position current value are acquired. Specifically, first, the imprint position D_imp is acquired according to the following formula (11). D_imp=D_imp_ref-H_mld+H_mld_ref ···(11)

[0075] Furthermore, since the drive amount of the holding member 21b is proportional to the current value applied to the actuator 22, the imprint position current value I_imp applied to the actuator 22 when the holding member 21b reaches the imprint position is expressed by the following equation (12). I_imp=I_imp_ref×(D_imp÷D_imp_ref) ···(12)

[0076] In S426, the difference in the root mean square current value applied to the actuator 22 between the case where the imprint process is continuously performed using the reference mold and the case where the imprint process is continuously performed using mold 2 is obtained. The difference in the root mean square current value applied to the actuator 22 when the imprint process is continuously performed between the case where the reference mold is used and the case where mold 2 is used is the difference in the current value caused by the difference in the imprint position. Therefore, if the time during which the holding member 21b is located at the imprint position during the continuous imprint process time T is Ts, the difference I_mean_dif in the root mean square current value between the case where the reference mold is used and the case where mold 2 is used is expressed by the following formula (13). I_mean_dif=(I_imp 2 -I_imp_ref 2 ) × Ts ÷ T (13)

[0077] In S428, a differential standby current value (difference current value) due to the difference between the reference mold and mold 2 in the idle state before (immediately before) the start of the imprint process is obtained based on the difference in the root mean square current value obtained in S426. The differential standby current value I_idle_dif is expressed by the following equation (14). I_idle_dif=I_mean_dif ···(14)

[0078] In S430, in an idle state before the start of the imprint process, a standby current value to be applied to the actuator 22 is determined. In this embodiment, as shown in the following equation (15), the sum of the reference standby current value I_idle_ref and the differential standby current value I_idle_dif is determined as the standby current value I_idle. I_idle=I_idle_ref+I_idle_dif ···(15)

[0079] In S432, the standby current value determined in S430 is applied to the actuator 22 to drive the holding member 21b in the vertical direction (+Z direction). This causes the holding member 21b to be pressed against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27. Also, in the idle state, the amount of heat generated by the actuator 22 can be made equivalent to the amount of heat generated by the actuator 22 when the imprint process is continuously performed using the mold 2. Therefore, by maintaining the state in which the holding member 21b is pressed against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27 for a predetermined time, the temperature of the holding member 21b can be made equivalent to the steady state when the imprint process is continuously performed.

[0080] In S434, the imprint process is continuously performed using the mold 2. Specifically, the imprint material arranged on the substrate is brought into contact with the mold 2, the imprint material is hardened in this state, and the mold 2 is separated from the hardened imprint material on the substrate. By repeating such a process for each shot area on the substrate, for example, the imprint process is continuously performed.

[0081] In S434, the mold 2 is carried out from the imprint apparatus 100. Specifically, the mold 2 is removed from the mold holding part 20 (holding member 21b) via the mold transport part 32, and the mold 2 is transported from the inside of the imprint apparatus 100 to the outside.

[0082] According to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the transient phenomenon in the temperature of the holding member 21b that occurs at the beginning of the imprint process, depending on the mold 2 used in the imprint apparatus 100, without actually performing the imprint process.

[0083] Another aspect of the present invention is to change the standby current value applied to the actuator 22 in an idle state before the start of the imprint process in accordance with the thickness of the mold 2 used in the imprint process. In this case, it is not necessarily required to drive the holding member 21b in the vertical direction (+Z direction) and press it against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27, i.e., the regulating member 27 is not necessarily required. Even with this configuration, it is possible to change the standby position of the holding member 21b in the idle state in response to the variation in the imprint position according to the thickness of the mold 2. Therefore, the temperature of the holding member 21b can be made equivalent to the steady state when the imprint process is performed continuously.

[0084] 4, after the reference mold is unloaded from the imprint apparatus 100 and the mold 2 is loaded into the imprint apparatus 100, the holding member 21b is driven in the vertical direction (+Z direction) to be pressed against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27. However, as shown in FIG. 5, after the reference mold is unloaded from the imprint apparatus 100 and before the mold 2 is loaded into the imprint apparatus 100, the holding member 21b may be driven in the vertical direction (+Z direction) to be pressed against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27. For example, in S417 between S416 and S418, the reference standby current value determined in S414 is applied to the actuator 22 to drive the holding member 21b in the vertical direction (+Z direction). As a result, the holding member 21b is pressed against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27, and the temperature of the holding member 21b can be brought closer to a steady state when the imprint process is continuously performed. Therefore, the waiting time required after the mold 2 is transported into the imprint apparatus 100 and before the imprint process can be started (the predetermined time during which the holding member 21b is kept pressed against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27 in S432) can be shortened.

[0085] 6, the temperature of the holding member 21b may be controlled (adjusted) after the holding member 21b is driven in the vertical direction (+Z direction) to be pressed against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27. Note that steps related to the reference mold, i.e., steps S402 to S416, are not shown in FIG.

[0086] In S602, temperature control of the holding member 21b is started. Specifically, the temperature measurement unit 26 measures the temperature of the holding member 21b, and based on the temperature measured by the temperature measurement unit 26, a fluid is supplied from the adjustment unit 50 to the temperature adjustment target portion 25 so that the holding member 21b reaches the target temperature. At least one of the flow rate, temperature, and pressure of the fluid supplied from the adjustment unit 50 to the temperature adjustment target portion 25 is adjusted so that the temperature of the holding member 21b reaches the target temperature.

[0087] In S604, it is confirmed that the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit 26 has reached the target temperature. Once the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit 26 has reached the target temperature, the temperature is further maintained within the threshold value of the target temperature, and the system waits until the controlled object (at least one of the flow rate, temperature, and pressure) of the fluid supplied from the adjustment unit 50 becomes approximately constant.

[0088] In S605, the control target of the fluid supplied from the adjustment unit 50 becomes approximately constant, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the control target of the fluid supplied from the adjustment unit 50 is maintained (fixed) constant.

[0089] In this way, by continuously performing the imprint process after the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit 26, i.e., the temperature of the holding member 21, has been adjusted to the target temperature and a predetermined time has elapsed, the temperature transient phenomenon of the holding member 21b that occurs at the beginning of the imprint process can be suppressed. In addition, the temperature shift component of the holding member 21b can also be adjusted. For example, by providing a temperature measuring unit in the substrate holding unit 10, it is possible to match the temperature of the holding member 21b with the temperature of the substrate holding unit 10. Furthermore, by maintaining the controlled object of the fluid supplied from the adjustment unit 50 to the temperature controlled portion 25 constant, it is possible to suppress disturbances caused by the fluid, and the overlay accuracy can be improved.

[0090] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which temperature control of the holding member 21b is started after the holding member 21b is pressed against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27, but the temperature control of the holding member 21b may also be started before the mold 2 is transported into the imprint apparatus 100.

[0091] In addition, in the idle state, the adjustment unit 50 is controlled so that the temperature of the holding member 21b is adjusted to the target temperature, and after a predetermined time has elapsed since the temperature of the holding member 21b was adjusted to the target temperature, the imprint process is continuously performed. In the idle state, as described above, the current value given to the actuator 22 is controlled so that the root mean square current value of the current given to the actuator 22 is equal to the root mean square current value of the current given to the actuator 22 when the imprint process is continuously performed. In this case, it is not necessarily required to drive the holding member 21b in the vertical direction (+Z direction) and press it against the regulating surface 27a of the regulating member 27, that is, the regulating member 27. Even in such a configuration, it is possible to keep the controlled object of the fluid supplied from the adjustment unit 50 to the temperature control target portion 25 constant, so that disturbances caused by the fluid can be suppressed and the overlay accuracy can be improved.

[0092] The pattern of the cured material formed by using the imprint apparatus 100 is used permanently on at least a part of various articles, or temporarily when manufacturing various articles. The articles include electric circuit elements, optical elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, and molds. Examples of the electric circuit elements include volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, and semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensors, and FPGA. Examples of the molds include molds for imprinting.

[0093] The pattern of the cured product may be used as it is as at least a part of the component of the above-mentioned article, or may be used temporarily as a resist mask, which is removed after etching or ion implantation is performed in a substrate processing step.

[0094] Next, a specific method for manufacturing the article will be described. As shown in Fig. 7(a), a substrate such as a silicon wafer with a workpiece such as an insulator formed on its surface is prepared, and then an imprint material is applied to the surface of the workpiece by an inkjet method or the like. Here, the state in which the imprint material in the form of multiple droplets is applied to the substrate is shown.

[0095] As shown in Fig. 7(b), the imprinting mold is placed so that the side on which the concave and convex patterns are formed faces the imprinting material on the substrate. As shown in Fig. 7(c), the substrate on which the imprinting material has been applied is brought into contact with the mold, and pressure is applied. The imprinting material fills the gap between the mold and the workpiece. When light is irradiated through the mold in this state as hardening energy, the imprinting material hardens.

[0096] As shown in Fig. 7(d), when the imprint material is cured and then the mold and the substrate are separated, a pattern of the cured product of the imprint material is formed on the substrate. In this cured product pattern, the recesses of the mold correspond to the protrusions of the cured product, and the protrusions of the mold correspond to the recesses of the cured product, i.e., the recessed and protruding patterns of the mold are transferred to the imprint material.

[0097] As shown in Fig. 7(e), when etching is performed using the pattern of the cured material as an etching-resistant mask, the portions of the surface of the workpiece where there is no cured material or where only a thin portion remains are removed to form grooves. As shown in Fig. 7(f), when the pattern of the cured material is removed, an article having grooves formed on the surface of the workpiece can be obtained. Here, the pattern of the cured material is removed, but it may be used as an interlayer insulating film included in a semiconductor element or the like, that is, a component of an article, without being removed after processing.

[0098] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 100: Imprinting apparatus 1: Substrate 2: Mold 20: Mold holding section 21a: Base section 21b: Holding member 22: Actuator 23: Spring member 27: Regulating member 27a: Regulating surface 60: Control section

Claims

1. An imprinting apparatus for performing an imprinting process to form a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, A holding member for holding the mold; a spring member that connects the holding member to a base portion that supports the holding member; a drive unit provided between the holding member and the base portion and configured to drive the holding member in a vertical direction relative to the base portion; a restriction surface that restricts a drive end of the holding member on the side of the base portion within a vertical drive range of the driving portion, The drive unit is performing a first drive for bringing the mold into contact with the imprint material on the substrate and a second drive for pressing the holding member against the regulating surface; In the second drive, heat is generated in a state where the holding member is pressed against the regulating surface, The regulating surface is the spring member is disposed on the side of the base portion with respect to a first position of the holding member when a balance is established between a gravity force acting on the holding member in a state in which the mold is held and an elastic force of the spring member; An imprinting apparatus characterized in that the distance between the regulating surface and the first position is arranged to be shorter than the distance between the second position of the holding member and the first position when the imprinting material on the substrate comes into contact with the mold.

2. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the driving unit drives the holding member in a direction opposite to the base portion side in the first driving, and drives the holding member in a direction toward the base portion side in the second driving.

3. 3 . The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the driving unit performs the first driving during the imprint process, and performs the second driving in an idle state before starting the imprint process. 4 .

4. A control unit controls a current value applied to the drive unit to drive the holding member, An imprint apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control unit controls the current value supplied to the driving unit during the second drive so that the root mean square current value of the current supplied to the driving unit is equal to the root mean square current value of the current supplied to the driving unit when the imprint process is performed continuously.

5. Further comprising a control unit that controls a current value applied to the drive unit to drive the holding member, The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit changes a standby current value applied to the drive unit in an idle state before starting the imprint process, depending on a thickness of a mold used in the imprint process.

6. A measuring unit that measures a thickness of a mold used in the imprint process, The imprint apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit changes the standby current value in accordance with the thickness measured by the measurement unit.

7. the standby current value includes a reference current value to be applied to the driving unit when the imprint process is continuously performed using a reference mold having a reference thickness, and a differential current value obtained from a difference between the reference thickness and a thickness of a mold used in the imprint process, The imprint apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit changes the standby current value by changing the differential current value.

8. The imprint apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit sets the reference current value to a current value equal to the root mean square current value of the current applied to the drive unit when the imprint process is performed continuously using the reference mold.

9. The imprint apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit sets the reference current value to a current value obtained from a driving profile of the holding member by the driving unit when the imprint process is continuously performed using the reference mold.

10. An adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the holding member; A control unit, The control unit is controlling the adjustment unit so that the temperature of the holding member is adjusted to a target temperature while controlling a current value applied to the driving unit so that a root mean square current value of a current applied to the driving unit becomes equal to a root mean square current value of a current applied to the driving unit when the imprint process is continuously performed in an idle state before the start of the imprint process; 2 . The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the imprint process is continuously performed after a predetermined time has elapsed since the temperature of the holding member was adjusted to the target temperature.

11. The imprint apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the temperature of the holding member by using a fluid.

12. The imprint apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the fluid includes a liquid or a gas.

13. 13. The imprint apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit maintains at least one of a temperature, a flow rate, and a pressure of the fluid constant once the temperature of the holding member has been adjusted to the target temperature.

14. forming a pattern on a substrate using the imprint apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13; processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the process; producing an article from the processed substrate; A method for producing an article, comprising the steps of:

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