Evaluation method, substrate processing apparatus, method for manufacturing substrate processing apparatus, and method for manufacturing article

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous for evaluating in a short time a state in a substrate processing device in relation to particles existing inside of the device.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to an evaluation method for evaluating a state in a substrate processing device which processes a substrate, in relation to particles existing inside of the device. The evaluation method includes: a first step of disposing a plate in a charged state inside, and acquiring the number of particles deposited on the plate by performing a dummy operation different from an operation for processing the substrate; and a second step of evaluating the state in the device based on a coefficient indicating a ratio of the number of particles deposited on the plate by performing the dummy operation on the plate in a non-charged state, and the number of particles deposited on the plate in the charged state, and the number of particles acquired in the first step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] As the demand for miniaturization of semiconductor devices and MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) increases, imprinting technology is attracting attention in addition to conventional photolithography technology. Imprinting technology is a microfabrication technology that uses a mold to mold an imprinting material on a substrate and form a pattern of the imprinting material on the substrate. With imprinting technology, it is possible to form fine structures on the order of a few nanometers on a substrate.

[0003] Imprint technology uses a photocuring method as one of the methods for hardening the imprint material. The photocuring method is a method in which the imprint material supplied (placed) on a substrate is brought into contact with a mold and irradiated with light such as ultraviolet 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 addition, the imprinting technology is being developed to planarize substrates in semiconductor processes. For example, the surface of the mold that comes into contact with the imprinting material is made flat, and the imprinting material on the substrate is filled between the flat surface of the mold and the substrate to achieve planarization.

[0005] In an imprinting apparatus to which such imprinting technology is applied, in order to perform pattern formation or planarization, it is necessary to perform an operation of directly contacting and separating the imprinting material on the substrate and the mold, but such an operation has a significant effect on the life of the mold. For example, one of the factors that affect the life of the mold is particles (foreign matter) that adhere to the substrate or the original. If pattern formation or planarization is performed in a state in which particles are adhered to the substrate or the original, the pattern (microstructure) of the mold may be damaged or unevenness may occur on the flat surface of the mold, leading to defects in the semiconductor device manufactured as an article.

[0006] In an imprinting apparatus, it is expected that particles will be generated due to the operation of the apparatus, i.e., the operation (sliding, friction) of the stage, the transport robot, various actuators, etc. When the method for supplying the imprinting material onto the substrate is an inkjet method, when droplets of the imprinting material are discharged, the imprinting material may float as a mist, dry, solidify, and turn into particles. In addition, it is also possible that particles that adhere to the surfaces of each component or unit when assembling the imprinting apparatus may detach from the surface due to a slight change in condition after the apparatus is operated. When maintaining the imprinting apparatus, particles may be generated from the maintenance worker (human body) or may flow in from the atmosphere of the clean room. These particles float and adhere to places where the air flow is stagnant inside the imprinting apparatus.

[0007] In an imprint apparatus, it is necessary to keep the particles present in the apparatus below a certain level (cleanliness) before the apparatus can be operated. For this reason, the imprint apparatus is operated as a dummy for a long period of time to ensure that the particles in the apparatus are below a certain level, for example, below a certain number density, but this results in long downtime and requires a long time before the apparatus can be operated again. Therefore, a technique has been proposed to more actively remove (clean) particles present in the apparatus, for example, a technique of carrying a charged substrate into the apparatus and adsorbing the particles to the substrate by electrostatic attraction (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0008] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a corona discharge charging unit is used to charge a dust (particle) adsorbing wafer with an insulating film formed on its surface, and the wafer is transported inside a semiconductor manufacturing device to adsorb dust present inside the device to the wafer. In addition, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2, a corona discharge charging unit is used to charge a cleaning substrate made of an insulating material before transporting the substrate to a substrate processing device, and the substrate is transported inside the device to adsorb dust present inside the device to the substrate. In this way, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose cleaning technologies in which a charged substrate is used inside the device to adsorb (attract) particles to the substrate by electrostatic attraction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-260671 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2015-126092 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] However, Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not disclose the concept or method of verifying (ensuring) that the number of particles present in the apparatus is below a certain level after the inside of the apparatus has been cleaned.

[0011] Generally, there are two methods for monitoring particles (generation state) present in a device. The first method is to use a particle counter to suck in and count particles floating in the device. This method can easily monitor particles present in the device in real time, but in order to count the particles, it is necessary to suck in a part of the device. Therefore, if particles exist (are generated) near the suction point, the particles can be counted, but particles present in a place away from the suction point cannot be counted. Therefore, the method using the particle counter works effectively when the place where the particles exist (the place where the particles are generated) is predictable, but does not work effectively when the place where the particles exist is unpredictable.

[0012] The second method is to carry a bare wafer into the equipment and count the number of particles adhering to the bare wafer. This method makes it possible to count particles directly adhering to the bare wafer carried into the equipment, and to monitor particles present in the equipment under conditions close to the actual equipment operation. However, in equipment in which the particles present in the equipment are kept at a certain level, the number of particles present in the equipment is extremely small, and the air in the vicinity of the bare wafer is designed to maintain a laminar flow. Therefore, the possibility that particles present in the equipment will adhere to the bare wafer is very low; for example, according to the inventor's experiments, only about 1% of the generated particles adhere to the bare wafer.

[0013] As described above, with the conventional techniques, it is very difficult to accurately monitor particles present within an apparatus.

[0014] The present invention has been made in view of the problems with the conventional techniques, and has an exemplary object to provide a technique that is advantageous for evaluating, in a short period of time, the internal state of a substrate processing apparatus with respect to particles present therein. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an evaluation method as one aspect of the present invention is a method for evaluating a state within a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate with respect to particles present therein, and is characterized by having a first step of placing a charged plate within the apparatus and performing a dummy operation different from the operation of processing the substrate to obtain the number of particles adhering to the plate, and a second step of evaluating the state within the apparatus based on a coefficient indicating the ratio between the number of particles adhering to the plate in an uncharged state by performing the dummy operation with the plate in an uncharged state and the number of particles adhering to the plate in an charged state, and the number of particles obtained in the first step.

[0016] 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

[0017] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a technique that is advantageous for evaluating the state inside a substrate processing apparatus with respect to particles present therein in a short period of time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an imprint apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process of acquiring an acceleration coefficient. [Diagram 3] 11 is a flowchart for explaining an evaluation process for evaluating a state within an apparatus regarding particles. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a plate. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a charging unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 shows a state in which the plate is positively charged. [Figure 7]11 is a flowchart for explaining an imprint operation. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart for explaining an accelerated PAT operation. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a substrate transport pod. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing an article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] 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.

[0020] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an imprint apparatus 1 according to one aspect of the present invention. The imprint apparatus 1 is a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate. The imprint apparatus 1 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 is embodied as a lithography apparatus that forms a pattern on the substrate. The imprint apparatus 1 brings uncured imprint material supplied (placed) on the substrate into contact with a mold, and applies energy for curing to the imprint material, thereby forming a pattern of a cured material to which the pattern of the mold has been transferred.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] In this embodiment, the imprinting apparatus 1 employs a photo-curing method in which the imprinting material is cured by irradiating it with light (ultraviolet rays). In each drawing, the direction parallel to the axis of irradiation of light onto the mold is defined as the Z direction in the XYZ coordinate system, and two directions perpendicular to each other in a plane perpendicular to the Z axis are defined as the X direction and the Y direction.

[0026] Each part of the imprint apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The imprint apparatus 1 includes an irradiation unit 115, a mold driving unit 116, a mold holding unit 117, a substrate chuck 118, a substrate stage 119, a supply unit 122, an alignment scope (not shown), and a gas supply unit (not shown). The imprint apparatus 1 also includes substrate transport robots 112a and 112b for transporting a substrate 101 housed in a substrate transport container 106 and a plate 102 as a test substrate, ionizers 113a and 113b, and a processing station 114. The imprint apparatus 1 also includes mold transport robots 109a and 109b for transporting a mold 100 housed in a mold transport container 105, an ionizer 110, a stocker 111, a charging unit 108, and a control unit CU.

[0027] The mold 100 has a rectangular outer periphery and includes a pattern area including a three-dimensional pattern (a concave-convex pattern to be transferred to the substrate 101, such as a circuit pattern) on the surface facing the substrate 101. The mold 100 is made of a material that can transmit light, such as quartz.

[0028] The mold holding unit 117 includes a mold chuck that attracts and holds the mold 100 by vacuum suction force or electrostatic force. The mold driving unit 116 holds and drives the mold holding unit 117 to move the mold 100 held by the mold holding unit 117. The mold driving unit 116 drives the mold holding unit 117 (mold 100) in the Z direction so as to selectively press (imprint) the mold 100 onto the imprint material on the substrate and separate (release) the mold 100 from the imprint material on the substrate. Actuators applicable to the mold driving unit 116 include, for example, a linear motor and an air cylinder. The mold driving unit 116 may be composed of a plurality of driving systems, such as a coarse movement driving system and a fine movement driving system, in order to position the mold 100 with high accuracy. The mold driving unit 116 may be configured to be able to move the mold 100 not only in the Z direction but also in the X direction and Y direction. Furthermore, the mold driving unit 116 may be configured to have a tilt function for adjusting the position of the mold 100 in the θ direction (rotation around the Z axis) and the inclination of the mold 100.

[0029] In the imprint process, the irradiation unit 115 irradiates light such as ultraviolet light onto the imprint material on the substrate through the mold 100. The irradiation unit 115 includes a light source and optical members (lenses, mirrors, light shields, etc.) for adjusting the state of light from the light source (intensity distribution, irradiation area, etc.) to a state appropriate for the imprint process. In this embodiment, since a photocuring method is adopted, the imprint apparatus 1 includes the irradiation unit 115. However, when a thermal curing method is adopted, a heat source unit for curing the thermally curable imprint material is provided instead of the irradiation unit 115.

[0030] The alignment scope detects an alignment mark provided on the mold 100 and an alignment mark provided on the substrate 101, and measures the positional deviation between these alignment marks in the X and Y directions.

[0031] The supply unit 122 ejects droplets of the imprint material toward the substrate 101 based on a preset drop recipe, and supplies (places) the imprint material on the substrate. The supply positions on the substrate and the supply amount of the droplets of the imprint material ejected from the supply unit 122 are set as a drop recipe according to, for example, the thickness (residual film thickness) of the pattern of the imprint material formed on the substrate 101, the density of the pattern of the imprint material, etc.

[0032] The gas supply unit supplies gas to prevent particles generated inside the imprint apparatus 1 (inside the apparatus) from entering the periphery of the mold 100 and the substrate 101.

[0033] The substrate chuck 118 attracts and holds the substrate 101 and the plate 102 by vacuum suction force or electrostatic force. In this manner, the substrate chuck 118 is configured to be able to hold the substrate 101 and the plate 102. The substrate chuck 118 is provided with a charging unit 108 capable of applying a voltage to the plate 102 from the rear surface of the plate 102 to charge the plate 102, as described later. The substrate chuck 118 is supported by a substrate stage 119 and driven in the XY plane via the substrate stage 119. When the mold 100 and the imprint material on the substrate are brought into contact with each other, the position of the substrate stage 119 is adjusted to match (align) the positions of the mold 100 and the substrate 101 with each other. Actuators applicable to the substrate stage 119 include, for example, a linear motor and an air cylinder. The substrate stage 119 may be configured to move the substrate 101 not only in the X direction and the Y direction but also in the Z direction.

[0034] In this embodiment, as described above, the pressing and separating operations of the mold 100 are realized by driving the mold holding unit 117 holding the mold 100 in the Z direction. However, the pressing and separating operations of the mold 100 may also be realized by driving the substrate chuck 118 holding the substrate 101 in the Z direction, or may also be realized by driving both the mold holding unit 117 and the substrate chuck 118 relatively in the Z direction.

[0035] The substrate transport container 106 is a mini-environment type FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) that transports and manages substrates such as the substrate 101 and the plate 102. As will be described later, the plate 102 is a substrate whose surface can be charged and to which particles can adhere. The substrate transport container 106 accommodates substrates such as the substrate 101 and the plate 102.

[0036] The substrate transport robots 112a and 112b are robots that transport the substrate 101 and the plate 102. The substrate transport robot 112a takes out a substrate accommodated in the substrate transport container 106, and transports the substrate to a processing station 114. The processing station 114 performs rough alignment (pre-alignment) and temperature control of the substrate transported from the substrate transport container 106. The substrate transport robot 112b takes out a substrate from the processing station 114, and transports the substrate to a substrate chuck 118.

[0037] The substrates transported between the substrate transport container 106 and the substrate chuck 118 are attracted to and removed from various members, and are therefore easily charged by friction with the various members. Therefore, ionizers 113a and 113b are disposed on the transport path between the substrate transport container 106 and the substrate chuck 118. By supplying ions generated by the ionizers 113a and 113b to the transport path between the substrate transport container 106 and the substrate chuck 118, it is possible to prevent the substrates from being charged more than necessary.

[0038] The mold-transporting container 105 is a mini-environment type SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) pod that transports and stores the mold 100. In the mold-transporting container 105, the mold 100 is accommodated.

[0039] The mold transport robots 109a and 109b are robots that transport the mold 100. The mold transport robot 109a takes out the mold 100 contained in the mold transport container 105, and transports the mold 100 to a stocker 111 that temporarily stores the mold and enables mold exchange. The mold transport robot 109b takes out the mold 100 from the stocker 111, and transports the mold 100 to a mold holding unit 117.

[0040] The mold 100 transported between the mold transport container 105 and the mold holding unit 117 is easily charged by friction with various members because it is attracted to and detached from various members. Therefore, an ionizer 110 is disposed on the transport path between the mold transport container 105 and the mold holding unit 117. By supplying ions generated by the ionizer 110 to the transport path between the mold transport container 105 and the mold holding unit 117, it is possible to prevent the mold 100 from being charged more than necessary.

[0041] The control unit CU is composed of, for example, a computer (information processing device) including a CPU, memory, etc., and performs overall control of each part of the imprint apparatus 1 in accordance with a program stored in a storage unit, etc. The control unit CU controls the operation and adjustment of each part of the imprint apparatus 1, thereby controlling the imprint process of forming a pattern of imprint material on a substrate using the mold 100. The control unit CU also controls an evaluation process of evaluating (monitoring) the state inside the imprint apparatus 1 regarding particles present therein, specifically, the cleanliness. The control unit CU may be configured integrally with other parts of the imprint apparatus 1 (in a common housing), or may be configured separately from other parts of the imprint apparatus 1 (in a different housing).

[0042] In this embodiment, in order to quickly evaluate the state (cleanliness) inside the imprint apparatus 1 with respect to particles present inside the apparatus, the frequency of particles adhering to the plate 102 (hereinafter referred to as "particle adhesion frequency") is improved. The inventor defines the particle adhesion frequency as follows:

[0043] [Particle adhesion frequency] = [Dust generation frequency] x [Transport efficiency] x [Probability of adhesion] Here, "dust generation frequency" refers to the frequency of dust generation from the dust-generating part (the part where particles are generated) in the device. Normally, it is difficult to identify (understand) the dust-generating part in the device, so it is not realistic to control the "dust generation frequency." Also, "transport efficiency" refers to the efficiency (ease of transport) of particles when they are transported (moved) from the dust-generating part in the device to the plate 102. Normally, "transport efficiency" is determined by the design and structure of the device, so it is difficult to control after the device is assembled. Therefore, in order to improve the "particle adhesion frequency," it is necessary to improve the "adhesion probability."

[0044] Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to improve the "adhesion probability", the adhesion of particles to the plate 102 is accelerated by using the electrostatic force generated on the plate 102 by charging the plate 102. For example, when repeating an apparatus operation simulating an imprint operation related to a normal imprint process, that is, a so-called dummy operation different from an operation for processing a substrate, an electric charge is applied to the plate 102 to charge its surface. This improves the adhesion probability of particles present in the apparatus to the plate 102. Then, by inspecting the particles adhering to the plate 102 with the charged surface, for example by counting the number of particles, it becomes possible to evaluate the state (cleanliness) inside the apparatus regarding particles in a short time.

[0045] Specifically, in this embodiment, before evaluating the particle-related state inside the apparatus, the following three steps are performed to obtain an acceleration factor. Here, the acceleration factor is a coefficient that indicates the ratio between the number of particles adhering to the plate 102 in a non-charged state and the number of particles adhering to the plate 102 in a charged state by performing a dummy operation inside the apparatus, as described later.

[0046] The process of acquiring the acceleration coefficient (third step) will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In this embodiment, this process is performed by the control unit CU comprehensively controlling each unit of the imprint apparatus 1.

[0047] In S102, a Particle Adder Test (PAT) is performed. Specifically, first, the plate 102 accommodated in the substrate transport container 106 is transported to a substrate holding unit consisting of a substrate chuck 118 and a substrate stage 119 via the substrate transport robots 112a and 112b, and is held by the substrate chuck 118. Next, a dummy operation is repeated a predetermined number of times for the plate 102 held by the substrate chuck 118. As described above, the dummy operation is an apparatus operation that simulates an imprint operation related to a normal imprint process. In this embodiment, the supply of the imprint material, the pressing and pulling of the mold 100 are not performed, and the other operations are performed in the same manner as in a normal imprint process (when manufacturing a device). Then, the number of particles attached to the plate 102 by performing the dummy operation is measured (inspected), and the number N0 [number / operation] of particles attached per operation is obtained. It should be noted that an external measuring device (inspection device) capable of measuring the number of particles may be used to measure the number of particles adhering to the plate 102. In this manner, in S102, the plate 102 in an uncharged state is placed inside the imprint apparatus 1, and a dummy operation is performed to obtain the number of particles adhering to the plate 102 (first number).

[0048] In S104, an accelerated particle adder test (accelerated PAT) is performed. Specifically, first, the plate 102 accommodated in the substrate transport container 106 is transported to a substrate holding unit consisting of a substrate chuck 118 and a substrate stage 119 via the substrate transport robots 112a and 112b, and is held by the substrate chuck 118. The plate 102 used in the accelerated PAT may be the plate 102 used in the PAT (S102). In this case, however, it is necessary to remove (clean) particles that have adhered to the plate 102 by performing the PAT. Next, the plate 102 held by the substrate chuck 118 is charged, and a dummy operation is repeated a predetermined number of times for the charged plate 102. Then, the number of particles that have adhered to the plate 102 by performing the dummy operation is measured, and the number of particles adhered per operation N1 [number / operation] is calculated. In the accelerated PAT, the probability of particles adhering to the plate 102 is improved, so that the number of particles adhering N1>the number of particles adhering N0. Thus, in S104, the plate 102 in a charged state is placed inside the imprint apparatus 1, and a dummy operation is performed to obtain the number of particles adhering to the plate 102 (second number). Note that, in order to charge the plate 102 held by the substrate chuck 118, for example, the charging unit 108 provided on the substrate chuck 118 may be used. Also, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the plate 102 held by the substrate chuck 118 in an uncharged state is charged, but the plate 102 in a charged state may be carried in and held by the substrate chuck 118.

[0049] In S106, an acceleration coefficient K is calculated from the adhesion number N0 (first number) calculated in S102 and the adhesion number N1 (second number) calculated in S104. Specifically, the acceleration coefficient K is calculated by K=N1 / N0. The acceleration coefficient K is also an index indicating how much the adhesion of particles to the plate 102 is accelerated by the accelerated PAT with respect to the PAT. The acceleration coefficient K calculated in S106 is stored in, for example, a storage unit included in the imprint apparatus 1.

[0050] By acquiring the acceleration coefficient K in this manner, when evaluating the particle-related state inside the equipment, even if accelerated PAT is performed, the particle-related state inside the equipment can be estimated taking the acceleration coefficient K into consideration. Therefore, it becomes possible to evaluate the particle-related state inside the equipment in a short time.

[0051] The process of acquiring the acceleration factor K is performed when the imprint apparatus 1 is shipped and the components constituting the imprint apparatus 1 are assembled at a user's factory or the like, that is, when the imprint apparatus 1 is assembled. In addition, if the acceleration factor K changes over time, it is advisable to perform a process of acquiring the acceleration factor K periodically or when the imprint apparatus 1 is maintained.

[0052] An evaluation process for evaluating the internal state of the apparatus regarding particles will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The evaluation process is performed, for example, after assembly or maintenance of the imprint apparatus 1. This is because, once the assembly or maintenance of the imprint apparatus 1 is completed, it is necessary to check the internal state of the apparatus regarding particles present inside the imprint apparatus 1.

[0053] In S302, accelerated PAT is performed. Accelerated PAT is the same as S104 described with reference to FIG. 2, so detailed description thereof will be omitted here. By performing accelerated PAT, the number of particles adhering per operation M1 [number / operation] is obtained. Thus, in S302 (first step), a charged plate 102 is placed inside the imprint apparatus 1, and a dummy operation is performed to obtain the number of particles adhering to the plate 102.

[0054] In S304, it is determined whether the particle-related state inside the apparatus is good based on the acceleration coefficient K and the number of particles M1 found in S302. For example, it is assumed that the number of particles that adhere per operation is specified as M0 [pieces / operation] as a specification value of PAT. It can also be said that M0 is the number of particles that adhere to the plate 102 in an uncharged state by performing a dummy operation when the number of particles present in the apparatus satisfies the specification value. In this case, if M1 / K≦M0 is not satisfied, it is determined (evaluated) that the particle-related state inside the apparatus is not good (bad), and the process proceeds to S306. On the other hand, if M1 / K≦M0 is satisfied, it is determined that the particle-related state inside the apparatus is good, and the process proceeds to S308. In this way, in S304 (second step), the particle-related state inside the apparatus is evaluated based on the acceleration coefficient K and the number of particles M1 found in S302.

[0055] In S306, the inside of the apparatus is cleaned (i.e., particles present in the apparatus are removed), and the process returns to S302. Any technique known in the art can be used to clean the inside of the apparatus.

[0056] In S308, after it has been confirmed (guaranteed) that the particle-related condition inside the apparatus is good, the imprint apparatus 1 is released. Here, releasing the imprint apparatus 1 includes, for example, notifying the user that the imprint apparatus 1 is operable and switching the operation mode of the imprint apparatus 1 to an operation mode for device manufacturing.

[0057] In this manner, in this embodiment, by using the acceleration coefficient K, it becomes possible to perform accelerated PAT when evaluating the state inside the apparatus regarding particles. Therefore, the state inside the apparatus regarding particles present inside the imprint apparatus 1 can be evaluated in a short time. Furthermore, if sufficient time can be secured to perform accelerated PAT, adhesion of particles to the plate 102 is accelerated, which can also be used for cleaning inside the apparatus (removal of particles).

[0058] It is preferable to obtain the acceleration coefficient K for each imprint apparatus. However, if there is little difference between the multiple imprint apparatuses, it is also possible to use the acceleration coefficient K obtained from a certain imprint apparatus in common for the multiple imprint apparatuses.

[0059] Next, a specific configuration for performing accelerated PAT will be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a plate 102 used in accelerated PAT. The plate 102 is configured so that the surface can be charged and particles can be attached to the surface. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the plate 102 is configured of a silicon substrate 102a and an insulating layer 102b formed on the silicon substrate 102a.

[0060] The surface of the plate 102 generally has a cleanliness and smoothness that allows inspection by an inspection device generally used in semiconductor manufacturing. Specifically, the surface of the plate 102 is made of bare silicon or a metal surface, and a native oxide film having a thickness on the order of nanometers is formed on the outermost surface.

[0061] An insulating layer 102b is formed on the back surface of the plate 102. In this embodiment, the insulating layer 102b is formed on the back surface of the plate 102 so that a portion of the back surface of the plate 102, i.e., the surface held by the substrate chuck 118 (silicon substrate 102a) is exposed. The insulating layer 102b is made of a film that ensures sufficient electrical insulation, such as a silicon thermal oxide film having a thickness of 1 μm or more, a polyimide resin that is commonly used in semiconductor materials, or an acrylic resin, a polyolefin resin, a polyamide resin, or the like.

[0062] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the charging unit 108 that charges the plate 102. In this embodiment, the charging unit 108 is provided in a substrate chuck 118 of a substrate stage 119. As shown in Fig. 5, the substrate chuck 118 is formed of a vacuum chuck, and the contact portion with the substrate is pin-shaped in order to reduce the contact area with the substrates including the substrate 101 and the plate 102.

[0063] The charging unit 108 includes a probe 200 that comes into contact with the plate 102, a power supply unit 201 that applies a voltage to the plate 102 via the probe 200, and a switching unit 210 that switches the polarity with which the plate 102 is charged.

[0064] The probe 200 is a contactor that is inserted into a through-hole TH that penetrates the substrate chuck 118 and comes into direct contact with the rear surface of the plate 102 held by the substrate chuck 118, more specifically, with an exposed portion of the rear surface of the plate 102 where the insulating layer 102b is not provided. Therefore, in order to ensure conductivity and to minimize dust generation, the probe 200 has, for example, a spherical tip and is made of a metal material that is less prone to wear and oxidation.

[0065] The power supply unit 201 is configured to be able to change the polarity with which the plate 102 is charged, and includes, for example, a plurality of types of power supplies. Specifically, the power supply unit 201 includes a power supply 201a having a negative electrode grounded and a positive electrode connected to the probe 200 via the switching unit 210, and a power supply 201b having a positive electrode grounded and a negative electrode connected to the probe 200 via the switching unit 210.

[0066] The switching unit 210 is configured as a switch for switching the power source electrically connected to the probe 200 between the power source 201a and the power source 201b in order to selectively charge the plate 102 to the first polarity or the second polarity. The first polarity and the second polarity are opposite to each other, one being a positive polarity and the other being a negative polarity. For example, when the plate 102 is to be positively charged, the switching unit 210 connects the power source 201a to the probe 200, and when the plate 102 is to be negatively charged, the switching unit 210 connects the power source 201b to the probe 200. The switching unit 210 also functions as a switch for switching ON / OFF of the application of a voltage to the probe 200.

[0067] In this embodiment, when the plate 102 is held (vacuum-adsorbed) by the substrate chuck 118, the probe 200 automatically contacts the back surface of the plate 102 to establish electrical continuity. At this time, as described above, the probe 200 contacts the exposed portion of the back surface of the plate 102 where the insulating layer 102b is not provided, so that good electrical continuity is ensured. When the insulating layer 102b is provided on the entire back surface of the plate 102, the probe 200 may be configured to penetrate the insulating layer 102b and contact the back surface (silicon substrate 102a) of the plate 102 to enable electrical continuity. It is also possible to make electrical continuity easier by extending the metal layer provided on the front surface of the plate 102 to the back surface. The probe 200 may also contact the side surface of the plate 102.

[0068] In the charging unit 108 configured in this manner, the probe 200 is brought into contact with the rear surface of the plate 102, and a voltage is applied to the plate 102 from the power supply unit 201 (power supply 201a or 201b) via the probe 200, thereby supplying an electric charge to the plate 102. Then, when a predetermined amount of electric charge is accumulated on the plate 102, the probe 200 is separated from the plate 102 while the probe 200 and the power supply unit 201 are connected. This allows the plate 102 to be charged and to maintain the charged state of the plate 102. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the plate 102 held by the substrate chuck 118 is positively charged. Since the plate 102 is conductive, the electric charge supplied to the plate 102 is uniformly distributed. Furthermore, since the plate 102 and the substrate chuck 118 are in contact with each other via the insulating layer 102b, no current flows even when a voltage is applied to the plate 102.

[0069] In the present embodiment, the case where the charging unit 108 is provided on the substrate chuck 118 configured as a vacuum chuck has been described as an example. However, the substrate chuck 118 may be configured as an electrostatic chuck. In this case, it is possible to charge the plate 102 by controlling a voltage applied to an electrode inside the electrostatic chuck. In other words, when the substrate chuck 118 is an electrostatic chuck, a voltage application unit that applies a voltage to an electrode inside the electrostatic chuck may be used as the charging unit 108 that charges the plate 102. In this way, regardless of the type of the substrate chuck 118, it is sufficient that the plate 102 can be charged in the substrate holding unit configured as the substrate chuck 118 and the substrate stage 119.

[0070] As described above, the imprint apparatus 1 is provided with the ionizers 113a and 113b. Therefore, when the ionizers 113a and 113b are operating, ions generated by the ionizers 113a and 113b may flow toward the substrate chuck 118 and may neutralize the plate 102 charged by the charging unit 108. Therefore, when performing accelerated PAT, it is necessary to stop the operation of the ionizers 113a and 113b. As a result, while the accelerated PAT is being performed, the plate 102 can be constantly maintained in a constant charged state by applying a voltage from the charging unit 108.

[0071] The difference between an imprint operation related to a normal imprint process in device manufacturing and an accelerated PAT operation related to an accelerated PAT for evaluating a state inside an apparatus related to particles will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the imprint operation, and Fig. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the accelerated PAT operation.

[0072] The imprint operation shown in Fig. 7 will be described. In S702, the ionizers 113a and 113b arranged on the transfer path between the substrate transport container 106 and the substrate chuck 118 are operated. This makes it possible to remove charge from the substrate 101 being transferred from the substrate transport container 106 to the substrate chuck 118.

[0073] In S704, the substrate 101 to be subjected to the imprint processing is transported (loaded) from the substrate transport container 106 to the processing station 114 via the substrate transport robot 112a.

[0074] In S706, pre-alignment and temperature adjustment are performed on the substrate 101 transported to the processing station 114. For example, a notch provided in the substrate 101 is detected to roughly align the substrate 101, and the temperature of the substrate 101 is adjusted to the temperature inside the apparatus.

[0075] In S708, the substrate 101, which has been pre-aligned and temperature-controlled, is transported from the processing station 114 to the substrate chuck 118 via the substrate transport robot 112b, and the substrate 101 is held by the substrate chuck 118. At this time, normal imprint processing is performed on the substrate 101 held by the substrate chuck 118. Therefore, the charging unit 108 provided on the substrate chuck 118 simply brings the probe 200 into contact with the rear surface of the substrate 101, and does not apply a voltage to the substrate 101, which is at ground potential (0 V).

[0076] In S710, various calibrations are performed. The various calibrations include, for example, calibration of the substrate stage 119 and calibration of the mold driving unit 116, as well as various types of advance measurements.

[0077] In S712, the imprint material is supplied to a target shot area on the substrate. Specifically, the substrate stage 119 is driven so that the target shot area of ​​the substrate 101 held by the substrate chuck 118 is positioned under the supply unit 122, and droplets of the imprint material are ejected from the supply unit 122 toward the substrate 101. As a result, the imprint material is supplied to the target shot area on the substrate.

[0078] In S714, a pattern of the imprint material is formed in the target shot area on the substrate. Specifically, the substrate stage 119 is driven so that the target shot area on the substrate to which the imprint material has been supplied is positioned under the mold 100, and the mold 100 and the imprint material on the substrate are brought into contact with each other via the mold driving unit 116. Next, while the mold 100 and the imprint material on the substrate are in contact with each other, the irradiation unit 115 irradiates light to harden the imprint material. Then, the mold 100 is separated from the hardened imprint material on the substrate via the mold driving unit 116. As a result, a pattern of the imprint material is formed in the target shot area on the substrate.

[0079] In S716, it is determined whether or not a pattern of the imprint material is formed in a predetermined number of shot regions. If a pattern of the imprint material is not formed in the predetermined number of shot regions, the process proceeds to S712 with the shot regions in which the pattern of the imprint material is not formed being the target shot region. On the other hand, if a pattern of the imprint material is formed in the predetermined number of shot regions, the process proceeds to S718.

[0080] In S718, the substrate 101 on which the imprint material pattern has been formed is transported (unloaded) from the substrate chuck 118 to the substrate transport container 106 via the substrate transport robots 112a and 112b.

[0081] In S720, it is determined whether imprint processing has been completed for a predetermined number of substrates. If imprint processing has not been completed for the predetermined number of substrates, the process proceeds to S704 to perform imprint processing on a new substrate. On the other hand, if imprint processing has been completed for the predetermined number of substrates, the imprint operation is terminated.

[0082] The accelerated PAT operation shown in Fig. 8 will be described. In S802, the operation of the ionizers 113a and 113b arranged on the transport path between the substrate transport container 106 and the substrate chuck 118 is stopped. This is to charge the plate 102 held by the substrate chuck 118 by the charging unit 108 provided on the substrate chuck 118.

[0083] In S804, the plate 102 is transferred (loaded) from the substrate transfer container 106 to the processing station 114 via the substrate transfer robot 112a.

[0084] In S806, pre-alignment and temperature adjustment are performed on the plate 102 transported to the processing station 114. For example, a notch provided on the plate 102 is detected to roughly align the plate 102, and the temperature of the plate 102 is adjusted to the temperature inside the apparatus.

[0085] In S808, the plate 102, which has been pre-aligned and temperature-controlled, is transported from the processing station 114 to the substrate chuck 118 via the substrate transport robot 112b, and the plate 102 is held by the substrate chuck 118. At this time, the charger 108 provided on the substrate chuck 118 brings the probe 200 into contact with the back surface of the plate 102 held by the substrate chuck 118, and applies a voltage from the power supply unit 201 to the plate 102 via the probe 200. As a result, the plate 102 is uniformly charged and maintained at a predetermined potential.

[0086] In S810, various calibrations are performed. The various calibrations include, for example, calibration of the substrate stage 119 and calibration of the mold driving unit 116, as well as various types of advance measurements.

[0087] In S812, a dummy supply operation is performed simulating the operation of supplying the imprint material to a target shot area on the substrate. Specifically, the substrate stage 119 is driven so that the target area of ​​the plate 102 held by the substrate chuck 118 is positioned under the supply unit 122. However, droplets of the imprint material are not ejected from the supply unit 122 toward the plate 102, and the imprint material is not supplied to the target area on the substrate. Note that the target area of ​​the plate 102 corresponds to the target shot area on the substrate.

[0088] In S814, a dummy formation operation is performed to simulate an operation of forming a pattern of an imprint material in a target shot area on a substrate. Specifically, the substrate stage 119 is driven so that the target area on the plate is positioned under the mold 100, and the mold 100 and the plate 102 are brought close to each other via the mold driving unit 116 within a range where the mold 100 and the plate 102 do not come into contact with each other. Then, the mold 100 and the plate 102 are moved away from each other via the mold driving unit 116.

[0089] In S816, it is determined whether the dummy forming operation for the predetermined number of regions is completed. If the dummy forming operation for the predetermined number of regions is not completed, the process proceeds to S812. If the dummy forming operation for the predetermined number of regions is completed, the process proceeds to S818.

[0090] In S818, the plate 102 held by the substrate chuck 118 is transferred (unloaded) from the substrate chuck 118 to the substrate transport container 106 via the substrate transport robots 112a and 112b.

[0091] In S820, it is determined whether or not the dummy forming operation of the predetermined number of loops has been completed for the plate 102. If the dummy forming operation of the predetermined number of loops has not been completed, the process proceeds to S804. On the other hand, if the dummy forming operation of the predetermined number of loops has been completed, the accelerated PAT operation is ended.

[0092] The plate 102 on which the accelerated PAT operation has been performed (i.e., the plate 102 transported to the substrate transport pod 106 in S818) is transported to an external measurement device (inspection device). Then, the number of particles adhering to the plate 102 is counted in the external measurement device, and the number of particles adhering per operation N1 [number / operation] is obtained.

[0093] The PAT operation for PAT is the same as the accelerated PAT operation except that in S808, the plate 102 is not charged but is maintained at 0 V. In addition, the plate 102 that has undergone the PAT operation is transported to an external measuring device (inspection device). Then, the number of particles attached to the plate 102 is counted in the external measuring device, and the number of particles attached per operation N0 [number / operation] is obtained.

[0094] In this manner, in this embodiment, the acceleration coefficient K is calculated from the adhesion number N0 obtained from the PAT and the adhesion number N1 obtained from the accelerated PAT. Then, after the acceleration coefficient K is calculated, when evaluating the particle-related state inside the apparatus, the accelerated PAT is performed and the particle-related state inside the apparatus (the number of particles present in the apparatus) is estimated taking into account the acceleration coefficient K. This makes it possible to evaluate the particle-related state inside the apparatus in a short time, specifically, in 1 / K of the time required when performing PAT.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the substrate 101 and the plate 102 are described as different substrates. However, if the substrate 101 is provided with an insulating layer, the substrate 101 can also be used as the plate 102.

[0096] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, a case has been described in which a charging section 108 is provided on a substrate chuck 118 and a substrate stage 119 (substrate holding section), and a plate 102 held on the substrate chuck 118 is charged. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the plate 102 is charged on the transport path between the substrate transport container 106 and the substrate chuck 118.

[0097] In this embodiment, the charging unit 108A is provided in the substrate transport pod 106, as shown in Fig. 9, and charges the plate 102 inside the substrate transport pod 106. As described above, the substrate transport pod 106 is configured as a FOUP that is typically used for transporting and managing substrates, but it is possible to provide the charging unit 108A by making simple modifications to the FOUP. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the substrate transport pod 106.

[0098] Use of a FOUP provides the following advantages. The FOUP can be placed on a load port of an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) of the imprint apparatus 1. In addition, while the plate 102 with particles attached thereto is housed in the FOUP, the FOUP can be transported from the imprint apparatus 1 to an external inspection device, and the particles attached to the plate 102 can be inspected. Furthermore, since the plate 102 is charged outside the main body of the imprint apparatus 1 (the processing section that performs the imprint process), as described above, it is only necessary to make a simple modification to the FOUP, and there is no need to make a modification to the main body of the imprint apparatus 1.

[0099] The charging unit 108A provided in the substrate transport pod 106 includes a probe 200A that contacts the plate 102, a power supply unit 201A that applies a voltage to the plate 102 via the probe 200A, and a switching unit 210A that switches the polarity with which the plate 102 is charged.

[0100] In this embodiment, the probe 200A is a contactor that directly contacts the surface of the plate 102. Therefore, in order to ensure electrical conductivity and to minimize dust generation, the probe 200A has, for example, a spherical tip and is made of a metal material that is less susceptible to wear and oxidation. Note that, in order to prevent dust generated when the probe 200A is brought into contact with the plate 102 from reaching the surface, the probe 200A may be brought into contact with the side of the plate 102 instead of the surface of the plate 102.

[0101] The power supply unit 201A is configured to be able to change the polarity with which the plate 102 is charged, and includes, for example, a plurality of types of power supplies. Specifically, the power supply unit 201A includes a power supply 201Aa having a negative electrode grounded and a positive electrode connected to the probe 200A via the switching unit 210A, and a power supply 201Ab having a positive electrode grounded and a negative electrode connected to the probe 200A via the switching unit 210A.

[0102] The switching unit 210A is configured as a switch for switching the power source electrically connected to the probe 200A between the power source 201Aa and the power source 201Ab in order to selectively charge the plate 102 to the first polarity or the second polarity. The first polarity and the second polarity are opposite to each other, one being a positive polarity and the other being a negative polarity. For example, when the plate 102 is to be positively charged, the switching unit 210A connects the power source 201Aa to the probe 200A, and when the plate 102 is to be negatively charged, the switching unit 210A connects the power source 201Ab to the probe 200A. The switching unit 210A also functions as a switch for switching ON / OFF of the application of a voltage to the probe 200A.

[0103] In the charging unit 108A configured in this manner, the probe 200A is brought into contact with the plate 102, and a voltage is applied from the power supply unit 201A (power supply 201Aa or 201Ab) to the plate 102 via the probe 200A, supplying an electric charge to the plate 102. Then, when a predetermined amount of electric charge is accumulated on the plate 102, the probe 200A is separated from the plate 102 while the probe 200A and the power supply unit 201A are connected. This charges the plate 102 and makes it possible to maintain the charged state of the plate 102. Since the plate 102 is conductive, the electric charge distribution on the plate 102 can be made uniform, and the surface potential of the plate 102 can be easily controlled and reproducibility can be ensured.

[0104] Furthermore, inside the substrate transport pod 106 (FOUP), it is necessary to prevent the charge accumulated on the plate 102 from escaping from the members that the plate 102 comes into contact with. For example, the substrate transport pod 106 is provided with a grooved plate component 121 (Teeth) on which the plate 102 and the substrate 101 are placed. The grooved plate component 121 is a component that comes into contact with the plate 102, and is therefore made of an insulating material. Thus, in the substrate transport pod 106, the components that come into contact with the plate 102 are made of an insulating material. On the other hand, the components that do not come into contact with the plate 102, for example, the container body 123, are made of a conductive material and have the same potential as the ground.

[0105] In this embodiment, when performing accelerated PAT, it is not necessary to charge the plate 102 in the substrate chuck 118 (by the charging unit 108). Therefore, in S808 shown in Fig. 8, it is sufficient to hold the plate 102 in the substrate chuck 118, and it is not necessary to apply a voltage to the plate 102. Note that other operations are similar to the accelerated PAT operation shown in Fig. 8. Also, when performing PAT, it is not necessary to charge the plate 102 in the substrate transport pod 106 (by the charging unit 108A).

[0106] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the plate 102 is charged in (the inside of) the substrate transport pod 106, which is one of the transport paths between the substrate transport pod 106 and the substrate chuck 118. However, the location where the plate 102 is charged is not limited to the substrate transport pod 106, and may be any location on the transport path between the substrate transport pod 106 and the substrate chuck 118. For example, the plate 102 may be charged in the processing station 114, which performs pre-alignment and temperature control. In this case, similar to the first embodiment, a charging unit 108 may be provided in the processing station 114 to charge the plate 102.

[0107] <Third embodiment> In the second embodiment, a case has been described in which a charging unit 108A is provided in a substrate transport pod (FOUP) 106 to charge the plate 102. Since the back surface of the plate 102 is insulated, the charge accumulated on the plate 102 does not escape when the charged plate 102 is transported to a substrate chuck 118 and a substrate stage 119 (substrate holder). However, the charged voltage of the plate 102 may vary depending on the transport path of the plate 102. In this embodiment, a method for suppressing the variation in the charged voltage of the plate 102 will be described.

[0108] When a predetermined voltage is applied to the plate 102 in the substrate transport pod 106, the charge voltage of the plate 102 is determined depending on the capacitance of a capacitor formed between the plate 102 and the container body 123 connected to the ground. Generally, the capacitance C of a parallel plate capacitor is defined as C=εS / d, where ε is the dielectric constant, S is the surface area, and d is the gap distance between the parallel plates. Therefore, the capacitance C of the parallel plate capacitor is inversely proportional to the gap distance between the parallel plates. On the other hand, the charge Q accumulated on the parallel plates is expressed as Q=CV, where V is the charge voltage. Therefore, the charge voltage V depends on the capacitance C. Considering these, the charge voltage of the plate 102 may vary due to the difference in capacitance at each point of the transport path in the device.

[0109] Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to suppress the fluctuation of the charged voltage of the plate 102, a capacitor structure is provided for the plate 102. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, an SiO2 insulating layer 102d and a silicon layer 102c are formed in this order on the surface of a silicon substrate 102e. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a cross section of the plate 102 having a capacitor structure. The configuration shown in FIG. 10 is generally called an SOI (Silicon on Insulator) wafer. In this embodiment, a capacitor structure is provided for the plate 102, and charges are stored in the capacitor structure, as in the case of an SOI wafer. In this case, since the capacitance of the capacitor structure provided for the plate 102 does not fluctuate, the fluctuation of the charged voltage of the plate 102 can be suppressed even if the plate 102 is transported in the device. Note that, since the essence of this embodiment is to provide a capacitor structure for the plate 102, for example, the silicon layer 102c may be replaced with a metal layer.

[0110] In this embodiment, when performing accelerated PAT, in S808 shown in Fig. 8, similarly to the second embodiment, it is not necessary to charge the plate 102 by the charger 108 provided on the substrate chuck 118, and it is sufficient to simply hold the plate 102 by the substrate chuck 118. Note that other operations are similar to the accelerated PAT operation shown in Fig. 8. Also, when performing PAT, it is not necessary to charge the plate 102 in the substrate transport pod 106 (by the charger 108A).

[0111] <Fourth embodiment> The pattern of the cured material formed by using the imprint apparatus 1 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] Next, a specific method for manufacturing the article will be described. As shown in Fig. 11(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.

[0114] As shown in Fig. 11(b), the imprinting mold is placed with the side on which the concave-convex pattern is formed facing the imprinting material on the substrate. As shown in Fig. 11(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.

[0115] As shown in Fig. 11(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.

[0116] As shown in Fig. 11(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. 11(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 also 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.

[0117] Another aspect of the present invention also includes a manufacturing method of the imprint apparatus 1 including the evaluation process shown in Fig. 3. This manufacturing method includes a step of assembling each component constituting the imprint apparatus 1, and a step of evaluating an internal state of the imprint apparatus 1 configured by assembling each component, related to particles present inside the apparatus, using the evaluation process shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention also includes a manufacturing method of an article including a step of manufacturing the imprint apparatus 1 using such a manufacturing method, and a step of using the imprint apparatus 1 to perform the operations shown in Figs. 11(a) to 11(f).

[0118] In the above embodiments, an imprinting apparatus for forming a pattern on a substrate by forming an imprint material on the substrate with a mold has been described as an example of a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the substrate processing apparatus includes a planarizing apparatus for planarizing a composition on a substrate using a mold having a flat surface, and a lithography apparatus for forming a pattern on a substrate. Examples of the lithography apparatus include an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate through an original and transferring the pattern of the original to the substrate, and a drawing apparatus for drawing a pattern on a substrate using a charged particle beam (such as an electron beam or an ion beam). The substrate processing apparatus also includes an apparatus used in a process other than the lithography process, such as a coating apparatus for coating a substrate with a photosensitive medium and a developing apparatus for developing a substrate on which a latent image pattern has been formed.

[0119] 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]

[0120] 1: Imprinting apparatus 100: Mold 101: Substrate 102: Plate 108, 108A: Charger 118: Substrate chuck 119: Substrate stage

Claims

1. 1. A method for evaluating a state within a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a first step of placing a charged plate inside the substrate and performing a dummy operation different from the operation of processing the substrate to obtain the number of particles attached to the plate; a second step of evaluating a state inside the apparatus based on a coefficient indicating a ratio between the number of particles adhering to the plate in a non-charged state when the dummy operation is performed with the plate in a charged state and the number of particles obtained in the first step; The evaluation method according to claim 1,

2. 2. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein in the second step, a state inside the apparatus is evaluated by estimating the number of particles present inside the apparatus from the coefficient and the number of particles acquired in the first step.

3. Let K be the coefficient, M1 be the number of particles obtained in the first step, and M0 be the number of particles that adhere to the plate in an uncharged state by performing the dummy operation when the number of particles present inside satisfies the specification value.

2. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein in the second step, the condition within the device is evaluated as being good if M1 / K≦M0 is satisfied.

4. The method further includes a third step of obtaining the coefficients before the first step, In the third step, placing the plate in an uncharged state inside the plate and performing the dummy operation to obtain a first number indicating a number of particles attached to the plate; placing the plate in a charged state inside the device and performing the dummy operation to obtain a second number indicating the number of particles attached to the plate; calculating the coefficient from the first number and the second number; 4. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation method comprises:

5. 5. The evaluation method according to claim 4, wherein the third step is performed when the substrate processing apparatus is assembled or when maintenance of the substrate processing apparatus is performed.

6. 6. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein in the first step, the plate is brought into the interior in an uncharged state and the plate is charged inside the interior.

7. 6. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein in the first step, the plate is carried into the interior in an electrically charged state.

8. 8. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein the state inside the apparatus includes a degree of cleanliness inside the apparatus.

9. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, A holder for holding the substrate; a charging portion provided on the holding portion, the holding unit is configured to be capable of holding a plate to which particles present inside the substrate processing apparatus are attached, The charging unit includes: a contact that is inserted into a through hole that penetrates the holding portion and that contacts the plate held by the holding portion; 2. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a contact member that is in contact with the plate; a voltage being applied to the contact member; and a contact member that is separated from the plate while the voltage is being applied to the contact member, thereby charging the plate.

10. the plate includes an insulating layer provided on a surface on a side held by the holding portion such that a portion of the surface is exposed, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the contactor contacts a portion of the surface on which the insulating layer is not provided.

11. A manufacturing method of a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: assembling each member constituting the substrate processing apparatus; evaluating an internal state of the substrate processing apparatus with respect to particles present therein; having The step of evaluating a condition within the device includes: a first step of placing a charged plate inside the substrate and performing a dummy operation different from the operation of processing the substrate to obtain the number of particles attached to the plate; a second step of evaluating a state inside the apparatus based on a coefficient indicating a ratio between the number of particles adhering to the plate in a non-charged state when the dummy operation is performed with the plate in a charged state and the number of particles obtained in the first step; A manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

12. forming a pattern on a substrate by using the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9; processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed; producing an article from the processed substrate; A method for producing an article, comprising the steps of:

Images