Planarization apparatus and article manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a technology advantageous for reduction of troubles caused by loading a pressing member in a wrong state onto a flattening apparatus that uses the pressing member to form a flattened film on a substrate.SOLUTION: Provided is a flattening apparatus in which a flat surface of a pressing member and a material on a substrate are brought into contact with each other to form on the substrate a flattened film made of the material. The pressing member has a first surface including the flat surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The flattening apparatus has: a determination unit that determines whether a top face of the pressing member mounted on a predetermined mounting surface is the first surface or the second surface; and a control unit that controls transportation of the pressing member on the basis of a result of determination made by the determination unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Imprint technology is being put to practical use as a technology that allows the production of microstructure devices according to nanometer-order design rules and is suitable for mass production. Imprint technology is a technology in which a mold (also called a template) having a nanometer-scale uneven structure pattern produced using an electron beam lithography device or exposure device is brought into contact with a moldable material (imprint material) on a substrate to transfer the pattern. One imprint technology is, for example, the photocuring method. An imprint device that employs the photocuring method forms a photocurable imprint material supplied to a shot area on a substrate with a mold, irradiates light to harden the imprint material, and forms a pattern on the substrate by separating the mold from the hardened imprint material.

[0003] In addition, a technique (flattening technique) for flattening the steps of a substrate by forming a coating film on the substrate using a coating device such as a spin coater is known, but the flattening technique using this coating device is insufficient for flattening the steps of the substrate on a nanoscale. Therefore, in recent years, it has been proposed to flatten the substrate using an imprinting technique. Patent Document 1 describes a technique for improving the accuracy of flattening by dropping a composition based on the steps of the substrate and curing the composition while a plate is in contact with the dropped composition. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2011-529626 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Planarization using the imprint technique may include a step of curing the composition by light irradiation while the plate, which is a pressing member, is in contact with the composition on the substrate. For this reason, a material that transmits light, such as quartz glass, is used for the plate. Since the purpose is planarization, the surface of the plate that contacts the composition on the substrate does not have a physical shape such as a concave-convex pattern, and is a featureless flat surface. In addition, the surface opposite to the flat surface is also flat. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to judge the state of the upper and lower surfaces of the plate by visual inspection or the like. If the plate is loaded in an incorrect state into the planarization device, trouble may occur in the planarization device. For example, if the plate is loaded into the planarization device upside down, the surface of the plate that contacts the composition on the substrate may be rubbed by transportation in the planarization device, causing scratches and making it unusable. In addition, scratches on the plate or dust attached thereto may cause the pattern formed on the substrate to be damaged during the planarization process.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an advantageous technique for reducing problems caused by a pressing member being loaded in an incorrect state in a planarization apparatus that uses a pressing member to form a planarized film on a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a planarization apparatus for forming a planarized film made of a material on a substrate by contacting a flat surface of a pressing member with the material on the substrate, the pressing member having a first surface including the flat surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the planarization apparatus comprising: before There is provided a flattening device comprising: a determination unit that determines whether the upper surface of the pressing member is the first surface or the second surface; and a control unit that controls the transportation of the pressing member based on a result of the determination by the determination unit. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an advantageous technique for reducing problems caused by a pressing member being loaded in an incorrect state in a planarization apparatus that uses a pressing member to form a planarized film on a substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a planarization apparatus. [Diagram 2] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a planarization process. [Diagram 3] 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining the transportation of a plate by a plate transport unit. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining a method for determining whether a plate is on the front or back. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the planarization apparatus. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the planarization apparatus. [Figure 7] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing examples of inclined portions formed on the outer edge of a plate. [Figure 8] 13A to 13C are diagrams for explaining a method for determining whether a plate is on the front or back in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example regarding the arrangement of measuring instruments. [Figure 10] 13A to 13C are diagrams for explaining a method for determining whether a plate is upside down in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] 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.

[0011] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a flattening apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. In this specification and the drawings, directions are indicated in an XYZ coordinate system with a horizontal plane as the XY plane. In general, a substrate 1, which is an object to be processed, is placed on a substrate stage 3 so that its surface is parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane). Therefore, in the following, directions perpendicular to each other in a plane along the surface of the substrate 1 are referred to as the X-axis and Y-axis, and a direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis is referred to as the Z-axis. In the following, directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are referred to as the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively, and the rotation direction around the X-axis, the rotation direction around the Y-axis, and the rotation direction around the Z-axis are referred to as the θX-direction, the θY-direction, and the θZ-direction, respectively.

[0012] The base pattern on the substrate has a roughness profile caused by the pattern formed in the previous process. In particular, with the recent trend toward multi-layered structures for memory elements, some process substrates have steps of around 100 nm. The steps caused by the gentle waviness of the entire substrate can be corrected by the focus tracking function of the scanning exposure device used in the photo process. However, fine-pitched unevenness that falls within the exposure slit area of ​​the exposure device may be outside the depth of focus (DOF) of the exposure device. Conventionally, methods for forming planarizing layers such as SOC (Spin On Carbon) and CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) have been used to smooth the base pattern on the substrate. However, there is a problem that sufficient planarization performance cannot be obtained with conventional technologies, and the unevenness of the base due to multi-layering is likely to increase further in the future.

[0013] In order to solve this problem, a planarization device that uses imprint technology to planarize a substrate is being considered. The planarization device brings the flat surface of a member or a member (flat template) on which no pattern is formed into contact with an uncured composition that has been previously supplied to the substrate, thereby locally planarizing the substrate surface. The composition is then cured while in contact with the flat template, and the flat template is separated from the cured composition. This forms a planarization layer on the substrate. The planarization device using imprint technology drops an amount of composition according to the step of the substrate, and is therefore expected to improve the accuracy of planarization compared to existing methods.

[0014] 1 can be realized by a molding apparatus that uses a plate 9, which is a pressing member, to mold a composition on a substrate 1. The planarizing apparatus 100 hardens the composition while the material on the substrate 1 is in contact with the plate 9, and forms a planarized layer of the material on the substrate 1 by separating the plate 9 from the hardened composition.

[0015] The substrate 1 may be, for example, a silicon wafer, but is not limited thereto. The substrate 1 may be made of a material arbitrarily selected from aluminum, titanium-tungsten alloy, aluminum-silicon alloy, aluminum-copper-silicon alloy, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and the like. The substrate 1 may be a substrate having an adhesion layer formed by surface treatment such as silane coupling treatment, silazane treatment, and organic thin film formation to improve adhesion to the composition. The substrate 1 is typically a circle with a diameter of 300 mm, but is not limited thereto.

[0016] The plate 9 may be made of a light-transmitting material in consideration of the light irradiation process. Examples of such materials include glass, quartz, light-transmitting resins such as PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate) and polycarbonate resin, transparent metal deposition films, flexible films such as polydimethylsiloxane, photocured films, and metal films. The plate 9 is preferably a circle with a diameter larger than 300 mm and smaller than 500 mm, but is not limited to this. The thickness of the plate 9 is preferably 0.25 mm or more and less than 2 mm, but is not limited to this.

[0017] The composition may be a curable composition that is cured by irradiation with light, for example a UV-curable liquid. Typically, a monomer such as an acrylate or methacrylate may be used as the UV-curable liquid. The curable composition may be called a moldable material. Hereinafter, the moldable material may also be simply called "material".

[0018] 1, the planarization apparatus 100 includes a substrate chuck 2, a substrate stage 3, a base surface plate 4, a support 5, a top plate 6, a guide bar 7, a support 8, a plate chuck 11, a head 12, and an alignment shelf 13. The planarization apparatus 100 further includes a pressure adjustment unit 15, a supply unit 17, a substrate transport unit 18, an alignment scope 19, a light source 20, a stage drive unit 21, a plate transport unit 22, a cleaning unit 23, an input unit 24, and a control unit 200. The substrate chuck 2 and the substrate stage 3 can hold and move a substrate 1. The plate chuck 11 and the head 12 can hold and move a plate 9.

[0019] The substrate 1 is carried in from outside the planarization apparatus 100 by a substrate transport unit 18 including a transport hand and the like, and is held by the substrate chuck 2. The substrate stage 3 is supported by a base surface plate 4, and is driven in the X and Y directions to position the substrate 1 held by the substrate chuck 2 at a predetermined position. The stage driving unit 21 includes, for example, a linear motor or an air cylinder, and drives the substrate stage 3 at least in the X and Y directions, but may also have a function of driving the substrate stage 3 in two or more axial directions (for example, six axial directions). The stage driving unit 21 also includes a rotation mechanism, and can rotationally drive the substrate chuck 2 or the substrate stage 3 in the θZ direction.

[0020] The plate 9, which is a pressing member, is carried in from the outside of the flattening apparatus 100 by a plate transport unit 22 including a transport hand and the like, and is held by the plate chuck 11. The plate 9 has, for example, a circular or rectangular outer shape, and has a first surface including a flat surface 10 that contacts a material arranged on the substrate, and a second surface opposite to the first surface. In this embodiment, the flat surface 10 has a size equal to or larger than that of the substrate 1. The plate chuck 11 is supported by the head 12, and can have a function of correcting the position of the plate 9 in the θZ direction (tilt around the Z axis). Each of the plate chuck 11 and the head 12 includes an opening that passes light (ultraviolet light) irradiated from the light source 20 through a collimator lens. The plate chuck 11 functions as a holding unit that mechanically holds the plate 9. For example, the plate chuck 11 holds the plate 9 by attracting the second surface of the plate 9 with the second surface facing upward. The head 12 also mechanically holds the plate chuck 11. The plate chuck 11 and the head 12 constitute a forming section 50 that performs a process of forming a planarizing film. The head 12 constitutes a driving mechanism (not shown) for positioning the gap between the substrate 1 and the plate 9 when the plate 9 is brought into contact with the material on the substrate 1 and separated from the material, and moves the plate 9 in the Z direction. The driving mechanism of the head 12 can be constituted by an actuator such as a linear motor, an air cylinder, or a voice coil motor. In addition, a load cell for measuring the pressing force (impression force) of the plate 9 against the material on the substrate can be disposed on the plate chuck 11 or the head 12. The plate deformation mechanism (plate deformation section) first includes a sealing member 14 that seals a spatial region A formed by the space inside the plate chuck 11 and the internal space surrounded by the plate 9. In addition, the plate deformation mechanism includes a pressure adjustment section 15 that is installed outside the plate chuck 11 and adjusts the pressure in the spatial region A. The sealing member 14 is formed of a light-transmitting flat member such as quartz glass, and includes a connection port (not shown) for a pipe 16 connected to the pressure adjustment unit 15. The pressure adjustment unit 15 increases the pressure in the spatial region A, thereby increasing the amount by which the plate 9 deforms convexly toward the substrate side.Moreover, the pressure adjusting unit 15 can reduce the amount of convex deformation of the plate 9 by reducing the pressure in the spatial region A. Support columns 5 supporting a top plate 6 are arranged on the base surface plate 4. A guide bar 7 is suspended from the top plate 6, passes through an alignment shelf 13, and is fixed to the head 12. The alignment shelf 13 is suspended from the top plate 6 via support columns 8. The guide bar 7 passes through the alignment shelf 13. Furthermore, a height measuring system (not shown) is arranged on the alignment shelf 13 for measuring the height (flatness) of the substrate 1 held by the substrate chuck 2, for example, by using an oblique incidence image shift method.

[0021] The alignment scope 19 includes an optical system and an imaging system for observing a reference mark provided on the substrate stage 3 and an alignment mark provided on the plate 9. However, if no alignment mark is provided on the plate 9, the alignment scope 19 does not have to be provided. The alignment scope 19 is used for alignment to measure the relative position between the reference mark provided on the substrate stage 3 and the alignment mark provided on the plate 9 and correct the positional deviation.

[0022] The supply unit 17 includes a dispenser including an outlet (nozzle) for discharging uncured material onto the substrate 1, and supplies (coats) the material onto the substrate. The supply unit 17 employs, for example, a piezo jet system or a micro solenoid system, and can supply a minute volume of material of about 1 pL (picoliter) onto the substrate. There is no limit to the number of outlets in the supply unit 17, and it may be one (single nozzle) or multiple (for example, 100 or more). A linear nozzle array of one or multiple rows may be configured by multiple nozzles.

[0023] The cleaning unit 23 cleans the plate 9 while the plate 9 is held by the plate chuck 11. In this embodiment, the cleaning unit 23 removes the material adhering to the plate 9, particularly the flat surface 10, by separating the plate 9 from the hardened material on the substrate. The cleaning unit 23 may, for example, wipe off the material adhering to the plate 9, or may remove the material adhering to the plate 9 using UV irradiation, wet cleaning, dry plasma cleaning, or the like.

[0024] The control unit 200 is configured by a computer device including a CPU and a memory, and controls the entire planarization apparatus 100. The control unit 200 functions as a processing unit that performs planarization processing by comprehensively controlling each part of the planarization apparatus 100. Here, the planarization processing is processing in which the flat surface 10 of the plate 9 is brought into contact with the material on the substrate and the flat surface 10 is made to conform to the surface shape of the substrate 1, thereby planarizing the material. Note that the planarization processing is generally performed on a lot-by-lot basis, that is, for each of the multiple substrates included in the same lot.

[0025] Next, the planarization process will be described with reference to FIG. 2. First, the material IM is supplied by the supply unit 17 to the substrate 1 on which the base pattern 1a is formed. FIG. 2(a) shows a state before the plate 9 is brought into contact with the material IM after it is placed on the substrate. Next, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the material IM on the substrate 1 is brought into contact with the flat surface 10 of the plate 9. The plate 9 presses the material IM, so that the material IM spreads over the entire surface of the substrate 1. FIG. 2(b) shows a state in which the entire flat surface 10 of the plate 9 is in contact with the material IM on the substrate 1, and the flat surface 10 of the plate 9 follows the surface shape of the substrate 1. Then, in the state shown in FIG. 2(b), light is irradiated from the light source 20 to the material IM on the substrate 1 through the plate 9, thereby hardening the material IM. Then, the plate 9 is separated from the hardened material IM on the substrate. As a result, a layer of the material IM (flattened layer) of uniform thickness is formed over the entire surface of the substrate 1. FIG. 2(c) shows a state in which a flattened layer made of the material IM is formed on the substrate 1. Hereinafter, the contact (adhesion) between the flat surface 10 of the plate 9 and the material IM on the substrate or the separation between them will be simply expressed as the plate 9 and the material IM on the substrate coming into contact (adhesion) or being separated, respectively.

[0026] Next, the transportation of the plate will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration related to the plate transport unit 22. The load port 25 is used to transfer the plate between the inside and outside of the flattening apparatus 100. The load port 25 is an interface unit that transfers the substrate in the FOUP to and from the flattening apparatus 100, and in this embodiment, the plate is stored in the FOUP. The plate 9 to be replaced after the flattening process is also transferred to the outside of the apparatus by the load port 25. The transport hand 26 grasps and transports the plate 9. The transport hand 26 may be equipped with an edge clamp using a pad that holds the plate 9, vacuum suction, or the like. The transport hand 26 acquires the plate 9 transported from the load port 25 and transports it to the determination unit 27. The determination unit 27 determines whether the upper surface of the plate placed on a predetermined placement surface is a first surface (surface that contacts the substrate 1, also referred to as the "front surface") including the flat surface 10, or a second surface opposite to the first surface (surface that contacts the plate chuck 11, also referred to as the "back surface") (hereinafter, this determination is also referred to as "front / back determination"). Depending on the result of the determination by the determination unit 27, the plate 9 can be transported by the transport hand 26 to the inversion unit 28. The inversion unit 28 inverts the top and bottom (front and back) of the plate 9. The inversion unit 28 can include a gripping mechanism that grips the plate 9, and a rotating mechanism that rotates the gripping mechanism 180 degrees. The inversion unit 28 can further include a holding mechanism 29 that temporarily holds the inverted plate. The plate 9, which is placed on the holding mechanism 29 so that the downward direction of the plate is the first surface (front surface) and the upward direction of the plate is the second surface (reverse surface), can be obtained by the transport hand 26 and transported to the adjustment unit 30. The adjustment unit 30 adjusts the pre-alignment state of the plate 9. For example, the adjustment unit 30 aligns the center position of the plate 9 with the rotational direction so that the feed position when transporting the plate 9 to the plate chuck 11 is always constant. Therefore, the adjustment unit 30 may be called a pre-aligner. The adjustment unit 30 may include a drive stage, a plate chuck, and a measurement unit. The drive stage may include drive mechanisms for each of the X, Y, Z, θX, θY, and θZ directions. The plate chuck adsorbs and holds the plate 9 by an adsorption pad or the like. Note that the adsorption method may be vacuum adsorption, electrostatic adsorption, or other adsorption methods.The plate can be pre-aligned by, for example, acquiring position information of the outer periphery of the plate using a measuring unit while rotating the plate. The measuring unit can include an imaging device such as a CCD camera, and a processing device that processes the image to detect the position of an object on the image.

[0027] The transport hand 26 picks up the plate 9 whose pre-alignment state has been adjusted by the adjustment unit 30, and transports it to the plate chuck 11 in the forming unit. After the flattening process is performed in the forming unit, the transport hand 26 picks up the plate 9 from the plate chuck 11, and transports it to the FOUP of the load port 25.

[0028] The plate 9 after the planarization process may be carried into the determination unit 27 by the transport hand 26, and the determination of the front and back sides of the plate may be performed. Also, instead of performing the front and back side determination during a series of plate transport flows, the determination unit 27 may perform the front and back side determination of the plate only during a specific transport, such as when the power of the planarization apparatus is turned on again after a power outage or power interruption of the planarization apparatus. The control device 31 controls the operations of the plate chuck 11, the reversal unit 28, the transport hand 26, the adjustment unit 30, the load port 25, and the determination unit 27. The control device 31 may be realized by the control unit 200.

[0029] A method for determining whether a plate is on the front or back by the determination unit 27 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing the configuration of the determination unit 27. The determination unit 27 can include a drive stage 36, a support unit 37, a plate chuck 38, a camera 39 (imaging unit), and an image processing device 40. The drive stage 36 has drive mechanisms (not shown) for the X, Y, and θZ directions. The support unit 37 supports the drive stage 36. The plate chuck 38 holds the plate 9. The camera 39 is disposed at a position where it can capture an image of the outer periphery of the plate 9. The plate 9 placed on the plate chuck 38 (a specified mounting surface) by the transport hand 26 is held by the plate chuck 38.

[0030] As will be described later, a mark for identifying the first surface (front side) or the second surface (back side) of the plate 9 is formed on the outer periphery of the plate 9 (the region on the outer periphery side of the flat surface 10). The mark is imaged by the camera 39. Specifically, the outer periphery of the plate 9 is imaged by the camera 39 while the drive stage 36 is rotated in the θZ direction. The image acquired by the camera 39 is transferred to the image processing device 40. The image processing device 40 processes the image of the mark extracted from the image acquired by the camera 39 to determine whether it is the front or back.

[0031] FIG. 4(b) shows a part of the plate 9. A mark 41 for identifying the first surface (front surface) or the second surface (back surface) of the plate 9 is formed on the outer periphery of the plate 9. The mark 41 is formed in an area on the outer periphery side of the flat surface 10, so the mark 41 does not hinder flattening. The mark 41 may be, for example, a T7 mark according to the SEMI standard. This mark is composed of a two-dimensional binary data matrix code symbol with a rectangular outline and is machine-readable. The mark 41 has a plurality of code symbols (dots) arranged asymmetrically. FIG. 4(c) shows an example of the configuration of the mark 41. The mark 41 is composed of a plurality of dots 42. Each of the plurality of dots 42 is a local area whose reflectance is different from that of the surrounding surface, and is written on the plate 9 by, for example, a laser. The solid border 43 is a group of dots arranged in an L-shape at the end of the mark 41. FIG. 4(c) shows the mark 41 when the upper surface of the plate 9 placed on the plate chuck 38 that constitutes the predetermined placement surface is the first surface. In this case, the shape of the solid border 43 is recognized as an L-shape. On the other hand, FIG. 4(d) shows the mark 41 when the upper surface of the plate 9 placed on the plate chuck 38 is the second surface, that is, when the plate 9 is placed in the opposite direction to that of FIG. 4(c). In this case, the shape of the solid border 43 is recognized as an inverted L-shape. Therefore, the image processing device 40 can detect the mark 41 from the image and recognize the shape of the solid border 43 of the detected mark 41 to determine whether it is the front or back.

[0032] The form of the mark 41 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 4(c) and may be any feature that allows the front and back of the plate to be determined. For example, the mark 41 may be a directional notch formed on the outer periphery of the plate.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the planarizing apparatus 100 from the loading of the plate to the planarizing process.

[0034] In S701, the control device 31 controls the transfer hand 26 to acquire the plate 9 placed on the load port 25 and transfer it to the determination unit 27. The transferred plate 9 is placed on the plate chuck 38 and held by the plate chuck 38.

[0035] In S702, the control device 31 controls the determination unit 27 to measure the mark on the plate 9. The measurement is performed by capturing an image of the outer periphery of the plate 9 with the camera 39 while rotating the drive stage 36 in the θZ direction. The image captured by the camera 39 is transferred to the image processing device 40. The image processing device 40 extracts an image of the mark from the image obtained by the camera 39.

[0036] In S704, the image processing device 40 determines whether the upper surface of the plate 9 placed on the plate chuck 38 is the first surface (front surface) or the second surface (back surface) by, for example, recognizing the orientation of the solid border 43 in the image of the extracted mark. If it is determined that the upper surface of the plate 9 is the first surface, in S705, the control device 31 controls the transport hand 26 to transport the plate 9 to the inversion unit 28. The inversion unit 28 inverts the top and bottom (front and back) of the plate 9. As a result, the upper surface of the plate 9 becomes the second surface, and the lower surface becomes the first surface. Thereafter, in S707, the control device 31 controls the transport hand 26 to transport the plate 9 to the adjustment unit 30. If it is determined in S704 that the upper surface of the plate 9 is the second surface (back surface), the plate 9 is transported to the adjustment unit 30 without being inverted by the inversion unit 28. Note that the next transport destination may be set in advance depending on the front and back state of the plate 9, or the state may be notified to the user so that the user can select the transport destination.

[0037] In S707, the adjustment unit 30 adjusts the pre-alignment state of the transported plate 9. Thereafter, in S708, the control device 31 controls the transport hand 26 to transport the plate 9 adjusted by the adjustment unit 30 to the forming unit 50 (specifically, directly below the plate chuck 11). As a result, the plate chuck 11 attracts the second surface of the plate 9 with the second surface facing upward, and holds the plate 9.

[0038] Thereafter, the control unit 200 controls the forming unit 50 to perform a planarization process on the substrate 1 using the plate 9.

[0039] Here, the sequence has been described in which the plate 9 is ultimately transported to the plate chuck 11 regardless of the result of the front / back determination of the plate 9 by the determination unit 27, but the sequence is not limited to this. For example, the user can set the plate 9 to be immediately removed when it is found that the plate 9 is in an incorrect state (the upper surface of the plate 9 is the second surface). When such a setting is made, if it is determined in S704 that the upper surface of the plate 9 is the second surface, it may be determined that an abnormal state exists and the plate 9 may be transported to the load port 25 by the transport hand 26. In this case, an alarm may be output to notify the occurrence of the abnormal state.

[0040] Furthermore, the adjustment unit 30 does not necessarily have to be installed in the planarization apparatus 100, and may be provided outside the planarization apparatus 100. When the adjustment unit 30 is outside the planarization apparatus 100, the plate is carried into the planarization apparatus 100 with the pre-alignment state adjusted in advance. In that case, the process of S707 is eliminated, and the plate 9 inverted by the inversion unit 28 is transported directly to the formation unit 50. Furthermore, when the determination unit 27 determines that the upper surface of the plate 9 is the second surface (NO in S704), the plate 9 is transported to the formation unit 50 (not to the adjustment unit 30).

[0041] While Fig. 5 shows an example in which the front / back determination of the plate 9 is performed before the flattening process (S709), the front / back determination of the plate 9 may be performed after the flattening process as shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the process up to the unloading of the plate after the flattening process.

[0042] In S711, the control device 31 controls the transfer hand 26 to acquire the plate 9 on the plate chuck 11 and transfer it to the determination unit 27. The transferred plate 9 is placed on the plate chuck 38 and held by the plate chuck 38.

[0043] In S712, the control device 31 controls the determination unit 27 to measure the mark on the plate 9. The measurement is performed by capturing an image of the outer periphery of the plate 9 with the camera 39 while rotating the drive stage 36 in the θZ direction. The image captured by the camera 39 is transferred to the image processing device 40. The image processing device 40 extracts an image of the mark from the image obtained by the camera 39.

[0044] In S714, the image processing device 40 determines whether the upper surface of the plate 9 placed on the plate chuck 38 is the first surface (front surface) or the second surface (back surface) by, for example, recognizing the orientation of the solid border 43 in the extracted mark image. If it is determined that the upper surface of the plate 9 is the second surface, in S715, the control device 31 controls the transport hand 26 to transport the plate 9 to the inversion unit 28. The inversion unit 28 inverts the top and bottom (front and back) of the plate 9. As a result, the upper surface of the plate 9 becomes the first surface and the lower surface becomes the second surface. Thereafter, in S717, the control device 31 controls the transport hand 26 to transport the plate 9 to the load port 25 (a carrier arranged on the load port 25).

[0045] An example in which the front / back determination of the plate 9 is performed after the flattening process has been described above with reference to Fig. 6. The front / back determination of the plate and the corresponding inversion of the plate may be performed before the flattening process, may be performed after the flattening process, or may be performed before or after the flattening process. Note that although the flow in Fig. 6 does not describe transporting the plate 9 to the adjustment unit 30 for alignment, an alignment step may be included if there is a high possibility that the plate 9 will cause physical interference in the carry-out path.

[0046] By following the above process, problems caused by improperly loading a plate onto the flattening device can be reduced.

[0047] <Second embodiment> A method for determining whether the plate 9 is on the front or back side according to the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, an inclined portion is formed on the outer edge of at least the first surface of the plate, and the determination unit 27 determines whether the plate 9 is on the front or back side by detecting the inclined portion. A specific example will be described below.

[0048] 7(a) is a perspective view showing an example of the shape of plate 9 in this embodiment. Plate 9 can be a circle with a diameter of 300 mm to 500 mm, made of a light-transmitting material, taking into consideration the light irradiation process. Plate 9 has an inclined portion formed on the outer periphery of the contact surface (first surface) side that comes into contact with the substrate, for the purpose of uniformly spreading the material to the outer periphery of the substrate during the planarization process.

[0049] FIG. 7(b) is a top view of the plate 9, and FIG. 7(c) is a side view showing the end surface of the plate 9. The inclination start position from the plate center side of the inclined portion S1 connecting the end surface 32 of the plate 9 and the plane of the first surface 9a of the plate 9 is T1. The inclination start position from the plate center side of the inclined portion S2 connecting the end surface 32 of the plate 9 and the plane of the second surface 9b of the plate 9 is T2. The inclined portion S2 does not have to be formed. θ1 indicates the inclination angle of the inclined portion S1 on the contact surface (first surface 9a) side of the plate 9 that contacts the substrate. θ2 indicates the inclination angle of the inclined portion S2 on the second surface 9b side of the plate 9. θ1 and θ2 are not the same. For example, θ1 is smaller than θ2 because the purpose is to uniformly spread the material to the outer periphery of the substrate during the planarization process.

[0050] With reference to FIG. 8, a method for determining whether the plate 9 is on the front or back side according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 8(a), two displacement sensors 33 and 34, which are measuring instruments, are arranged at positions facing each other vertically with respect to the plate 9. The two displacement sensors 33 and 34 are arranged so as to be equidistant from the plate 9. The plate 9 held by the transport hand 26 is transported within the measurement range of the two displacement sensors 33 and 34. In the horizontal direction (XY direction), it is desirable that the two displacement sensors are arranged at the same position. The determination unit 27 performs the front or back determination by detecting the inclined portion based on the measurement result by the two displacement sensors 33 and 34 when the plate 9 is scanned. FIG. 8(b) shows a measurement graph in the case where the distance is measured while the plate 9 is advanced relative to the two displacement sensors 33 and 34. The horizontal axis represents the plate moving distance, and the vertical axis represents the plate measured distance. The measurement value (distance) of the outer periphery of the plate by the two displacement sensors 33 and 34 changes depending on the inclination angle of the inclined portion of the plate 9. The more acute the inclination angle θ1, the greater the inclination α of the graph 60 of the plate movement distance and the plate measurement distance. Conversely, the more obtuse the inclination angle θ2, the smaller the inclination β of the graph 61. The distances of the outer periphery of the plate are measured simultaneously using the two displacement sensors 33 and 34. When α>β, it can be determined that the upper surface of the plate 9 is the first surface (front surface) and the lower surface is the second surface (rear surface). Conversely, when α<β, it can be determined that the upper surface of the plate is the rear surface and the lower surface is the front surface. FIG. 5(c) shows a case where the two displacement sensors 33 and 34 are arranged at unequal distances from the plate 9. Even in this configuration, the front and back surfaces can be determined by the difference in inclination. FIG. 5(d) and FIG. 5(e) are graphs of the plate movement distance and the plate measurement distance when the conveying hand 26 moves the plate in a direction away from the two displacement sensors 33 and 34. In this case, the front and back surfaces can also be determined by the inclination of the plate movement distance and the plate measurement distance.

[0051] Therefore, the two displacement sensors 33 and 34 can determine whether the plate 9 is on or off when the transport hand 26 is using them. The positions of the two sensors 33 and 34 do not need to be at the same distance from the plate 9. For example, if the difference in the distance between the two sensors and the plate 9 is measured in advance and the difference is used as a correction value for determination, then the two sensors do not need to be located at the same distance from the plate 9.

[0052] Fig. 9(a) shows a modified example of the arrangement of the measuring instruments in Fig. 8(a). In Fig. 9(a), photoelectric sensors 35 are arranged at predetermined positions on the top and bottom surfaces of the outer periphery of the plate. Light from the photoelectric sensor 35 is irradiated onto the inclined portion of the outer periphery of the plate. The front and back of the plate 9 are determined based on the refraction angle of the light that enters from the inclined portion and transmits through the plate 9. For example, the light projector of the photoelectric sensor 35 is arranged on the top of the plate, and the light that transmits through the plate 9 enters a sensor on the light receiver side arranged on the underside of the plate.

[0053] FIG. 9(b) is a schematic diagram showing the optical path of light irradiated onto the inclined surface of the upper surface of the plate. Inside The light travels through the plate at a refraction angle of α2. The light that travels through the plate has an incident angle of α3 at the boundary between the plate 9 and the air, and is irradiated into the air at a refraction angle of α4. The light at this refraction angle α4 is received by the sensor on the light receiving side.

[0054] FIG. 9(c) is a schematic diagram showing the optical path of the photoelectric sensor when the plate 9 is turned upside down with the photoelectric sensor disposed as in FIG. 9(b). InsideIn this case, the light travels at a refraction angle β2. The light that travels through the plate has an incident angle β3 at the boundary between plate 9 and the air, and is irradiated into the air at a refraction angle β4. This light at a refraction angle β4 is not received by the light-receiving sensor. As a result, if a measurement is performed with plate 9 facing inverted, the light irradiated from the light-projecting side cannot be received by the light-receiving sensor due to the difference in the inclination angle of the inclined portion. Therefore, the front and back of plate 9 can be determined based on whether or not the light is received. Note that in the example of Figure 9, the light-projecting sensor is placed above the plate and the light-receiving sensor is placed below it, but the reverse arrangement is also possible.

[0055] <Third embodiment> A method for determining whether a plate is on the front or back in the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In the third embodiment, a coating film is formed on the first surface of plate 9, and the intensity distribution of reflected light is measured when light is irradiated toward the upper surface of the plate. Determination unit 27 performs the determination of whether the plate is on the front or back based on the result of the measurement. A specific example will be described below.

[0056] FIG. 10(a) is a diagram showing the configuration of the determination unit 27 according to this embodiment. The determination unit 27 is composed of a plate chuck (not shown) and a displacement meter 44 as a measuring device. The plate chuck holds the plate 9. The displacement meter 44 may include, for example, a spectroscopic interferometer (spectroscopic interferometric laser displacement meter). Alternatively, the displacement meter 44 may include a multilayer film thickness measuring device. The displacement meter 44 measures the position of the plate 9. Plate 9 is located above top surface To Irradiate light do. Plate 9 is coated with coating material 45 to protect the surface from damage and to make it easier to separate plate 9 from the hardened material. Coating material 45 is sufficiently thinner than the thickness of plate 9. Light irradiated by displacement meter 44 is reflected by surface A of coating material 45, surface B of plate 9 coated with coating material 45, and back surface C of plate 9, and returns to displacement meter 44. Optical path 46 shows the light reflected by each surface.

[0057] FIG. 10(b) is a graph showing the optical path length and light intensity measured by the displacement meter 44. The positions of the surfaces of the plate 9 and the coating material 45 are shown as optical path length and light intensity peaks. Since the coating material 45 is thinner than the plate 9, the distance between the surface B of the plate 9 and the back surface C of the plate 9 is greater than the distance between the surface A and the surface B of the coating material 45. FIG. 10(c) is a graph showing the optical path length and light intensity measured by the displacement meter 44 when the plate 9 is turned over. The light irradiated by the displacement meter 44 is reflected by the back surface A' of the plate 9, the surface B' of the plate 9, and the surface C' of the coating material 45, and returns to the displacement meter 44. This allows the arrangement of the plate 9 and the coating material 45 to be determined. In this way, the front and back of the plate 9 can be determined by the positions of the optical path lengths and the peaks of the light intensity.

[0058] In the above-described embodiment, the flattening apparatus 100 includes a determination unit 27 that determines whether the upper surface of the plate 9 placed on a predetermined placement surface is a first surface including a flat surface or a second surface opposite to the first surface. However, the determination unit 27 may be realized in the adjustment unit 30, for example.

[0059] <Embodiment of the article manufacturing method> Next, a method for manufacturing an article (such as a semiconductor IC element, a liquid crystal display element, a color filter, or a MEMS) using the above-mentioned planarization device will be described. The manufacturing method includes a step of contacting a composition arranged on a substrate (such as a wafer or a glass substrate) with a mold to planarize the composition, a step of curing the composition, and a step of separating the composition from the mold, using the above-mentioned planarization device. This results in a planarization film being formed on the substrate. Then, the substrate on which the planarization film has been formed is subjected to a process such as forming a pattern using a lithography device, and the processed substrate is processed in other well-known processing steps to manufacture an article. Other well-known processes include etching, resist peeling, dicing, bonding, packaging, and the like. This manufacturing method makes it possible to manufacture an article of higher quality than before.

[0060] 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]

[0061] 9: plate (pressing member), 26: transport hand, 27: determination unit, 28: inversion unit, 100: flattening device, 200: control unit

Claims

1. A planarization apparatus for forming a planarized film of a material on a substrate by contacting a flat surface of a pressing member with the material on the substrate, the planarization apparatus comprising: The pressing member has a first surface including the flat surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, The planarization device includes: a determination unit that determines whether the upper surface of the pressing member is the first surface or the second surface; a control unit that controls the conveyance of the pressing member based on a result of the determination by the determination unit; A planarization apparatus comprising:

2. Further, an inversion unit that inverts the pressing member upside down is provided, The control unit transports the pressing member to the reversing unit in response to a result of the determination by the determination unit.

2. The planarization apparatus according to claim 1.

3. a holding section that holds the pressing member by attracting the second surface of the pressing member in a state in which the second surface of the pressing member faces upward, and a forming section that forms the planarization film by using the pressing member held by the holding section, The control unit is When the determination unit determines that the upper surface of the pressing member is the first surface, the pressing member is transported to the inversion unit, and the pressing member inverted by the inversion unit is transported to the formation unit, When the determining unit determines that the upper surface of the pressing member is the second surface, the pressing member is transported to the forming unit without being turned over by the turning unit.

3. The planarization apparatus according to claim 2.

4. an adjustment unit that adjusts a pre-alignment state of the pressing member; a holding unit that holds the pressing member by attracting the second surface of the pressing member with the second surface facing upward, and a forming unit that performs a forming process of the planarization film using the pressing member held by the holding unit, The control unit is When the determination unit determines that the upper surface of the pressing member is the first surface, the pressing member is transported to the inversion unit, the pressing member inverted by the inversion unit is transported to the adjustment unit, and the pressing member adjusted by the adjustment unit is transported to the formation unit, When the determination unit determines that the upper surface of the pressing member is the second surface, the pressing member is transported to the adjustment unit without being inverted by the inversion unit, and the pressing member adjusted by the adjustment unit is transported to the formation unit.

3. The planarization apparatus according to claim 2.

5. a mark for identifying the first surface or the second surface is formed on the pressing member; The determination unit performs the determination by detecting the mark.

5. The planarization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the planarization apparatus is a flattening apparatus.

6. An imaging unit that images the mark, the determination unit performs the determination by processing an image of the mark extracted from the image obtained by the imaging unit.

6. The planarizing apparatus according to claim 5.

7. An inclined portion is formed on an outer edge portion of the first surface of the pressing member, The determination unit performs the determination by detecting the inclined portion.

5. The planarization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the planarization apparatus is a flattening apparatus.

8. The measuring device further includes a measuring device for measuring a surface of the pressing member, the determination unit performs the determination by detecting the inclined portion based on a result of measurement by the measuring device when the pressing member is scanned.

8. The planarization apparatus according to claim 7.

9. a coating film is formed on the first surface of the pressing member, a measuring device that measures an intensity distribution of reflected light when light is irradiated onto the upper surface of the pressing member, The determination unit performs the determination based on a result of the measurement by the measuring device.

5. The planarization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the planarization apparatus is a flattening apparatus.

10. The planarization apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the measuring instrument includes a spectroscopic interferometer.

11. The planarization apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the measuring device includes a multi-layer film thickness measuring device.

12. forming a planarization film on a substrate using the planarization apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11; processing the substrate on which the planarization film is formed; and producing an article from the processed substrate.

Images