Film forming method, article manufacturing method, supply device, film forming device, and substrate

Abstract

To provide a technology which is advantageous for forming a film on a substrate accurately.SOLUTION: In a film formation method for forming a film on a substrate, the substrate has an area including a first recessed part and a second recessed part. The first recessed part is wider than the second recessed part. The film formation method includes: a first step in which a first material is selectively supplied to an interior of the first recessed part to shape the first material; and a second step in which a second material is supplied onto the area to shape the second material so that the second recessed part is filled with the second material and a flatten film of the second material is formed over the entire area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming method, a method for manufacturing an article, a supply device, a film forming device, and a substrate.

Background Art

[0002] The technology of forming a flat film on the surface of a substrate such as a wafer is one of the important technologies in the semiconductor manufacturing process that requires multilayer wiring. In Patent Document 1, a method of forming a planarizing film on a substrate having a plurality of concavo-convex processed portions on the surface has been proposed. Further, in Patent Document 2, a method of forming a planarizing film on a substrate having topography has been proposed. In the methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a resist is dropped onto the substrate, and the resist is cured in a state where a blank template is pressed against the resist, and then the blank template is peeled off from the resist to form a flat resist film on the substrate. Further, Patent Document 2 also discloses changing the volume of a material (resist) supplied onto the substrate according to the variation in the topography of the substrate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0006] To achieve the above objective, a film forming method as one aspect of the present invention is a film forming method for forming a film on a substrate, wherein the substrate has a region including a first recess and a second recess, the first recess being wider than the second recess, and the film forming method is characterized by comprising: a first step of selectively supplying a first material into the interior of the first recess and forming the first material; and a second step of supplying the second material onto the region and forming the second material such that the second recess is filled with the second material and a planarized film of the second material is formed over the entire region.

[0007] Further objects or other aspects of the present invention will be revealed by preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a technique that is advantageous for accurately forming a film on a substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Diagram illustrating the challenges of conventional technology [Figure 2] Diagram illustrating the challenges of conventional technology [Figure 3] Block diagram showing an example configuration of the film forming apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 4] Schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of each mechanism of the film forming apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 5] Flowchart illustrating the film formation method according to the present invention [Figure 6] A diagram showing a specific example of the film formation method according to the present invention. [Figure 7] A diagram showing a specific example of the film formation method according to the present invention. [Figure 8] A diagram showing a specific example of the film formation method according to the present invention. [Figure 9] Flowchart showing a modified example of the film formation method according to the present invention [Figure 10] A diagram illustrating the manufacturing method of an article. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0011] The technology of forming a flat film on the surface of a substrate such as a wafer is one of the important technologies in semiconductor manufacturing processes that require multilayer wiring. For example, if a further wiring layer is directly laminated on top of a wiring layer on a substrate surface that has a surface irregular pattern such as wiring, distortion corresponding to the irregularities of the lower layer occurs in the laminated structure, leading to problems such as poor connections between upper and lower layers. Furthermore, in the case of a substrate with an irregular pattern of uneven width, diameter, and depth, the non-uniformity increases as material layers are repeatedly laminated on that irregular pattern, making it even more difficult to flatten the surface of the laminated film. Therefore, it is necessary to flatten the substrate surface for each individual wiring layer (wiring layer, material layer).

[0012] Improving flatness offers several advantages. For example, in ArF immersion (ArFi) lithography, it can improve depth of focus (DOF), critical dimension (CD), and critical dimension uniformity (CDU). In extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, it can improve pattern positional accuracy and DOF. In nanoimprint lithography (NIL), which forms a fine textured pattern of a curable composition by transferring a fine textured pattern from a template surface onto a substrate, it can improve resist filling into the template and the CD and CDU of the transferred pattern.

[0013] With further miniaturization and multilayerization progressing for performance improvement of semiconductor devices, MEMS, etc., the processing requirements for fine dimension patterns in the order of several nm to a dozen or so nm are increasing. At the same time, more advanced planarization technologies are required to achieve unevenness accuracy at the order of several nm.

[0014] In the semiconductor industry, the most common planarization technology is chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). However, CMP developed mainly targeting hard materials such as metals and dielectrics is difficult to apply to soft materials such as organic materials and requires strict process control. Also, in a substrate having a recess wider than several μm, dishing (a phenomenon where it is polished more excessively than the surroundings) occurs in that portion, and a decrease in flatness is inevitable.

[0015] As another planarization technology, the method proposed in Patent Document 1 above is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a method for planarizing a substrate in which a resist is dropped onto a substrate having a plurality of processed portions with uneven shapes on the surface, pressed against a blank template, the resist is cured, and then the blank template is separated from the resist.

[0016] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, depending on the substrate to be processed, a bathtub portion (first recess), which is a recess wider than others, often exists on the same substrate as the fine uneven pattern (second recess) in the order of several nm to several tens of nm. However, in many of the conventional technologies for planarizing a pattern substrate, a film is formed by uniformly supplying a material. Therefore, in the bathtub portion, the material is insufficient and steps and depressions occur, and it is difficult to achieve planarization up to the unevenness accuracy at the order of several nm required for the process of the fine uneven pattern in the order of several nm to several tens of nm.

[0017] For example, the underlying pattern of a device has a concavo-convex distribution within an exposure shot according to the function to be formed, and the period of the concavo-convex pattern in the XY direction may have a width of several tens to several hundred micrometers depending on the design. For example, in a memory device, it is common for the average pattern height due to pattern design to be different at the memory cell part within the chip, the scribe line that becomes the boundary between chips, the memory peripheral circuit, and the boundary part of the memory cell area.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a diagram schematically showing a cross-section of a substrate on which a resist is applied by a spin coater. FIG. 1(a) shows a cross-section of the substrate before the resist is applied, and FIG. 1(b) shows a cross-section of the substrate after the resist is applied. As an example, on a substrate (wafer) on which an underlying pattern is formed, there may be three types: a Dense region, an Open region, and a trench region (also called a bathtub part) as shown in FIG. 1(a). The Dense region is, for example, a region where a plurality of grooves (second recesses) of a fine pattern such as a line & space with a fine pitch are formed (printed), and the Open region is a region where no pattern is arranged. The trench region is a region where a groove (bathtub part, first recess) having a larger diameter width than the Dense region is formed. When a resist is spin-coated on such a wafer, as shown in FIG. 1(b), since the resist surface generally follows the shape of a thin film that follows the average height of the wafer, it becomes a topographic shape that reflects the long-period concavo-convexity of the wafer lower surface. That is, it becomes difficult to planarize the concavo-convex accuracy at the level of several nanometers.

[0019] Patent Document 2 discloses a substrate planarization method in which a resist is dropped onto a substrate having topography, pressed onto a blank template, the resist is cured, and then the blank template is released from the resist. Although Patent Document 2 discloses a process of changing the volume of material to be extruded according to the variation in the substrate's topography, material is supplied to areas other than the bathtub area, and the material is brought into contact with a superstraight to planarize it before curing and peeling. As a result, the effect of volume change due to curing shrinkage of organic material (usually around 5-15%) is greater in the bathtub area than in other areas, resulting in larger steps and depressions, and there is a risk that planarization with a surface roughness accuracy of a few nanometers may not be possible (see Figure 2). Below, an embodiment of the present invention that can accurately form a film (planarization film) on the surface of a substrate will be described.

[0020] <First Embodiment> [Film forming device] In the first embodiment, a film forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described. The film forming apparatus of this embodiment is an apparatus for forming a film on a substrate and may be configured to accurately form a thin film (planarization film) on a substrate having variations in surface shape. For example, the substrate on which a thin film is to be formed has a region including a plurality of recesses, and at least one of the plurality of recesses (first recess) may be configured as a bathtub portion that is wider and / or has a larger volume than the other recesses (second recess). The film forming apparatus of this embodiment may be configured to accurately form a thin film (planarization film) over the entire region of such a substrate including a plurality of recesses. The film forming apparatus of this embodiment may include, for example, a first material supply means for supplying a first material into the bathtub portion (first recess), a first material forming means for forming the first material, a second material supply means for supplying a second material onto the substrate, and a second material forming means for forming the second material. The second material forming means may be understood as a thin film forming means for forming a thin film (planarization film) of the second material on the substrate.

[0021] Figure 3 shows an example configuration of the film forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment. The film forming apparatus 1 may include a first material supply mechanism 2 (supplying device), which is a means for supplying a first material to the bathtub section, and a first material molding mechanism 3 (first molding device), which is a means for molding the first material. The film forming apparatus 1 may also include a thin film forming mechanism 4 (second molding device), which is a means for supplying a second material and for forming a thin film (planarized film) of the second material. In the example shown in Figure 3, a common control unit 7 is provided for the first material supply mechanism 2, the first material molding mechanism 3, and the thin film forming mechanism 4, but the apparatus is not limited to this, and a control unit may be provided individually for each mechanism. The control unit 7 is composed of a computer having a CPU and memory, for example, and can comprehensively control the processing performed by the film forming apparatus 1.

[0022] The first material supply mechanism 2 is a mechanism that selectively supplies the first material 13a to the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a. The first material supply mechanism 2 may include, for example, a first substrate holding portion 12a that fixes, holds, and moves the substrate 11a, and a first material supply portion 14a that supplies the first material 13a to the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a, as shown in Figure 4(a). In addition to the bathtub portion 10a (first recess), the substrate 11a shown in Figure 4(a) has a plurality of grooves 10b (second recesses) formed as fine-pitched line and space. Here, the plurality of grooves 10b (second recesses) are not limited to line and space, but may be grooves around pillars, holes, etc.

[0023] The first substrate holder 12a may include a substrate chuck 16a for fixing and holding the substrate 11a, and a substrate drive mechanism 17a for controlling the position of the substrate 11a with respect to at least two axes in the X-axis and Y-axis directions in the XYZ coordinate system. The first substrate holder 12a may also be provided with a plurality of reference mirrors 18a on its side corresponding to the X, Y, Z, ωx, ωy, and ωz directions. In this case, the first material supply mechanism 2 includes a plurality of laser interferometers 19a (length measuring devices) that measure the position of the first substrate holder 12a (i.e., the position of the substrate 11a) by irradiating each of these reference mirrors 18a with a beam. The laser interferometers 19a measure the position of the first substrate holder 12a, and the control unit 7 performs positioning control of the substrate 11a (first substrate holder 12a) based on the measured value. The first material supply mechanism 2 may also measure the position of the first substrate holder 12a using encoders instead of the reference mirrors 18a and laser interferometers 19a. This enables alignment between the substrate 11a and other parts, and for example, it is possible to improve the positional accuracy between the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a and the first material supply unit 14a.

[0024] The first material supply unit 14a is a unit for supplying the first material 13a into the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a, and can be configured, for example, as a discharge unit that discharges the first material 13a toward the substrate 11a. Based on bathtub information 5 regarding the position of the bathtub portion 10, the control unit 7 controls the relative position between the first material supply unit 14a and the substrate 11a so that the first material 13a discharged from the first material supply unit 14a (discharge unit) is selectively supplied into the bathtub portion 10a. This relative position can be changed or adjusted, for example, by the substrate driving mechanism 17a. This makes it possible to obtain a substrate 11b in which the first material 13a has been supplied into the bathtub portion 10a.

[0025] Here, the first material supply unit 14a may be configured to dispense (supply) the first material 13a as one or more droplets into the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a. In this case, it is preferable that each droplet of the first material 13a dispensed from the first material supply unit 14a has a volume smaller than the volume of the bathtub portion 10a so that the first material 13a fits inside the bathtub portion 10a. For example, the volume of each droplet dispensed from the first material supply unit 14a may be 2 pL or less. Furthermore, it is preferable that each droplet of the first material 13a dispensed from the first material supply unit 14a has a diameter smaller than the width of the bathtub portion 10a so that the first material 13a fits inside the bathtub portion 10a. For example, the width of each droplet dispensed from the first material supply unit 14a (for example, the width of each droplet when it lands on the substrate) may be 8 μm or less.

[0026] Furthermore, the first material supply unit 14a is preferably composed of a dispenser equipped with one or more nozzles capable of supplying (dispensing) droplets in volumes ranging from subfemtoliters to picoliters. For example, the first material supply unit 14a can supply minute droplets of the first material 13a onto the substrate using a supply method such as a piezoelectric method, a microsolenoid method, or an electrostatic discharge method. As an example, the first material supply unit 14a may use a Xaar dispenser capable of supplying droplets in volumes on the order of picoliters using a piezoelectric method, or a SIJ Technology dispenser capable of supplying droplets in volumes on the order of subfemtoliters. The first material supply unit 14a may be equipped with multiple dispensers of the same or different types. The first material 13a supplied by the first material supply unit 14a is not limited to a liquid, as long as it is a material that can be molded by the first material molding mechanism 3. An appropriate first material supply unit 14a may be provided depending on the state of the substance of the first material 13a. Furthermore, the first material supply unit 14a may be equipped with a drive mechanism that controls the position of the first material supply unit 14a with respect to at least two axes in the XYZ coordinate system, namely the X-axis and Y-axis directions. In this case, the relative position of the first material supply unit 14a and the substrate 11a may be changed or adjusted by the drive mechanism of the first material supply unit 14a, or by both the drive mechanism of the first material supply unit 14a and the substrate drive mechanism 17a.

[0027] The first material molding mechanism 3 is a mechanism for molding the first material 13a that has been selectively supplied into the bathtub section 10a by the first material supply mechanism 2, and may include, for example, a first energy source 15a as shown in Figure 4(b). The first energy source 15a can supply energy 20a to the first material 13a for molding (e.g., solidifying) the first material 13a supplied into the bathtub section 10a. As the first energy source 15a, an electromagnetic wave source, a heat source, etc., can be used. That is, electromagnetic waves, heat, etc., can be used as the energy 20a for molding the first material 13a. As electromagnetic waves, for example, light such as microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, etc., whose wavelength is selected from the range of 10 nm to 1 mm. In addition, radiation such as electron beams and gamma rays can also be used as electromagnetic waves. Examples of the first energy source 15a include, but are not limited to, high-pressure mercury lamps, xenon lamps, halogen lamps, laser oscillators, electron beam accelerators, hot plates, Peltier elements, magnetrons, filaments, heaters, etc. When electromagnetic waves or the like are used as the energy 20a for forming the first material, the first material forming mechanism 3 may include a mechanism to supply electromagnetic waves or the like to the first material 13a directly from above the substrate 11b having the first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a, or through an optical system such as a lens. On the other hand, when heat or the like is used as the energy 20a for forming the first material, the first material forming mechanism 3 may include a mechanism to supply heat or the like to the first material 13a from below the substrate 11b via the substrate 11b, or directly from above the substrate 11b.

[0028] Here, in the first material molding mechanism 3, the first substrate holding part 12a of the first material supply mechanism 2 may be used as a substrate holding part that fixes and holds the substrate 11b to which energy 20a is supplied from the first energy source 15a. In this case, the first substrate holding part 12a may be controlled by the control unit 7 to move to the first material molding mechanism 3 after the first material 13a is supplied into the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate by the first material supply part 14a of the first material supply mechanism 2. Note that the first material molding mechanism 3 is not limited to using the first substrate holding part 12a of the first material supply mechanism 2 as described above, and a substrate holding part separate from the first substrate holding part 12a of the first material supply mechanism 2 may be provided.

[0029] The thin film formation mechanism 4 is a mechanism for forming a thin film (planarization film) on a substrate 11c that has been formed by the first material molding mechanism 3 using a first material supply mechanism 2 to fill the inside of the bathtub portion 10a with a first material 13a. The thin film formation mechanism 4 forms a thin film (planarization film) on a target area of ​​the substrate 11c that includes the bathtub portion 10a (first recess) and a plurality of grooves 10b (second recess). For example, the thin film formation mechanism 4 supplies the second material 13b onto the target area and molds the second material 13b so that the plurality of grooves 10b are filled with the second material 13b and a thin film (planarization film) of the second material 13b is formed over the entire target area. The thin film formation mechanism 4 may include, for example, a second substrate holding portion 12b that can fix, hold, and move the substrate 11c, and a second material supply portion 14b that supplies the second material 13b onto the substrate, as shown in Figure 4(c). Furthermore, the thin film formation mechanism 4 may include a thin film forming drive unit 21 for forming the second material 13b into a thin film, and a second energy source 15b for supplying energy 20b to the second material 13b to solidify the second material 13b into a solid thin film.

[0030] The second substrate holding section 12b may include a substrate chuck 16b for fixing and holding a substrate 11c having a solidified first material 13a inside the bathtub section 10a. Furthermore, it may include a substrate driving mechanism 17b for controlling the position of the substrate 11c with respect to at least two axes in the X-axis and Y-axis directions in the XYZ coordinate system. The second substrate holding section 12b may also include a plurality of reference mirrors 18b on its side corresponding to the X, Y, Z, ωx, ωy, and ωz directions. In this case, the thin film formation mechanism 4 includes a plurality of laser interferometers 19b (length measuring instruments) that measure the position of the second substrate holding section 12b (i.e., the position of the substrate 11c) by irradiating each of these reference mirrors 18b with a beam. The laser interferometers 19b measure the position of the second substrate holding section 12b, and the control unit 7 performs positioning control of the substrate 11c (second substrate holding section 12b) based on the measured value. The thin-film formation mechanism 4 may measure the position of the second substrate holding section 12b using an encoder instead of the reference mirror 18b and laser interferometer 19b. This enables alignment between the substrate 11c and other parts, improving the alignment accuracy between the substrate 11c and the second material supply section 14b, for example, and allowing the second material 13b to be supplied to a desired position according to the pattern layout of each fine pattern section on the substrate 11c. The second substrate holding section 12b may be the same as or shared with the first substrate holding section 12a.

[0031] The second material supply unit 14b is a unit for supplying the second material 13b onto a substrate 11c having a solidified first material 13a inside the bathtub section 10a. For example, if the second material 13b is a liquid, the second material supply unit 14b can supply the second material 13b onto the substrate 11c using any of the following methods. Examples of such methods include inkjet coating, dip coating, air knife coating, curtain coating, wire bar coating, gravure coating, extrusion coating, spin coating, slit scanning, and spray coating. In the present invention, it is particularly preferable to supply the second material 13b onto the substrate in a film-like manner using the spin coating method. Alternatively, it is particularly preferable to supply the material onto the substrate in droplet form, or in island-like or film-like form formed by multiple connected droplets, using a dispenser equipped with one or more nozzles. In this case, the second material supply unit 14b is preferably a jetting nozzle or dispenser equipped with a nozzle capable of supplying droplets on the order of subfemtoliters to picoliters. Furthermore, it is preferable that the second material supply unit 14b is capable of supplying the second material 13b onto the substrate 11c such that the volume per unit area of ​​the substrate is uniform and / or that the volume changes across the substrate surface according to the surface shape of the substrate 11c. Moreover, it is preferable that the second material supply unit 14b is configured to supply a larger amount of material per unit time than the first material supply unit 14a.

[0032] Here, the second material 13b supplied onto the substrate by the second material supply unit 14b is not limited to a liquid, as long as it is a material that can be molded by the thin film formation mechanism 4. The thin film formation mechanism 4 may be equipped with a second material supply unit 14b appropriate to the state of the second material 13b. Furthermore, the second material supply unit 14b may be equipped with a drive mechanism that controls the position of the second material supply unit 14b with respect to at least two axes in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction in the XYZ coordinate system. The second material supply unit 14b may be the same as or shared with the first material supply unit 14a. In this invention, it is particularly preferable that the thin film formation mechanism 4 be equipped with a second material supply unit 14b suitable for the spin coating method, superstraight contact peeling method, SST-NIL spread method, thermal imprint method, optical imprint method, etc.

[0033] The thin-film molding drive unit 21 is a drive unit for forming a thin film of the second material 13b supplied onto the substrate 11c by the second material supply unit 14b. The thin-film molding drive unit 21 may also be understood as a processing unit that performs processing to form the second material 13b supplied onto the substrate 11c by the second material supply unit 14b into a thin film. This makes it possible to obtain a substrate 11d on which a thin film of the second material 13b has been formed. Depending on the application, the thin-film molding drive unit 21 may be a drive unit capable of forming a thin film with an average film thickness of 0.1 nm or more and 1000 nm or less. The thin-film molding drive unit 21 may be a drive unit capable of forming a thin film with an average film thickness preferably of 1 nm or more and 50 nm or less, and more preferably of 1 nm or more and 10 nm or less.

[0034] The thin film molding drive unit 21 may be equipped with a drive unit for molding a thin film using any of the following methods. Examples of such methods include inkjet printing, dip coating, air knife coating, curtain coating, wire bar coating, gravure coating, extrusion coating, spin coating, slit scanning, and spray coating. Alternatively, the thin film molding drive unit 21 may be equipped with a drive unit for molding a second material 13b, supplied onto a substrate in droplet form, island form (a series of connected droplets), or film form, into a thin film using a dispenser equipped with one or more nozzles. Furthermore, the thin film molding drive unit 21 may be equipped with a drive unit for molding a thin film using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), metal-organic vapor deposition (MOCVD), (MOVPE), physical vapor deposition (PVD), and the like. In the present invention, it is particularly preferable that the thin film molding drive unit 21 is equipped with a drive unit suitable for forming thin films by methods such as spin coating, superstraight contact peeling, SST-NIL spread, thermal imprinting, and optical imprinting.

[0035] The second energy source 15b can supply energy 20b to the second material 13b on the substrate 11d for molding (e.g., solidifying) the second material 13b. The second energy source 15b can be an electromagnetic wave source, a heat source, etc. That is, the energy 20b can be electromagnetic waves, heat, etc. Electromagnetic waves include, for example, light such as microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, etc., whose wavelengths are selected from the range of 10 nm to 1 m. Radiation such as electron beams and gamma rays can also be used as electromagnetic waves. Examples of the second energy source 15b include, but are not limited to, high-pressure mercury lamps, xenon lamps, halogen lamps, laser oscillators, electron beam accelerators, hot plates, Peltier elements, magnetrons, filaments, heaters, etc. When electromagnetic waves or the like are used as the energy 20b for forming the second material (for forming a thin film), the thin film formation mechanism 4 may be equipped with a mechanism to supply electromagnetic waves or the like to the second material 13b directly from above the substrate 11d or through an optical system such as a lens. On the other hand, when heat or the like is used as the energy 20b for forming the second material, the thin film formation mechanism 4 may be equipped with a mechanism to supply heat or the like to the second material 13b from below the substrate 11d via the substrate, or directly from above the substrate 11d. The second energy source 15b may be the same as or shared with the first energy source 15a.

[0036] The film forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can operate based on the input of bathtub information 5. The bathtub information 5 is information relating to the bathtub portion 10a, and may include, for example, data (bathtub data 24) of the bathtub portion 10a relating to coordinates (position) relative to a reference point on the substrate, volume, width, depth, shape, etc. For example, the film forming apparatus 1 may use bathtub information 5 based on bathtub data 24 measured by a surface roughness meter, surface shape measuring machine, AFM, SEM, shape analysis laser microscope, laser displacement meter, etc. Alternatively, the film forming apparatus 1 may use bathtub information 5 based on bathtub data 24 converted from other data by calculation or the like, instead of directly measuring it in the apparatus.

[0037] The bathtub information 5 may be bathtub data 24 obtained by measurement outside the apparatus, or bathtub data 24 obtained by measurement inside the apparatus. Of these, it is preferable that the bathtub information 5 is bathtub data 24 measured inside the apparatus. When the bathtub data 24 measured inside the apparatus is used as the bathtub information 5, the film forming apparatus 1 may be equipped with a measurement mechanism 6 inside the apparatus, which is a means for measuring the surface shape of the substrate. The measurement mechanism 6 may include, for example, a bathtub data measurement unit 25 that measures data that will become the basis of the bathtub information 5, such as a surface roughness meter, a surface shape measuring machine, AFM, SEM, shape analysis laser microscope, laser displacement meter, etc. In addition, if necessary, a bathtub data processing unit 26 may be provided that converts the measurement data from the measurement mechanism 6 into bathtub information 5 that can be input to the film forming apparatus 1. The bathtub data processing unit 26 may be installed inside the film forming apparatus 1, or it may be installed in a separate location from the film forming apparatus 1 and processed remotely.

[0038] Furthermore, the film formation apparatus 1 may include a high-temperature processing unit 9, a substrate transport unit 8, and a control unit 7. The high-temperature processing unit 9 can heat the substrate 11e having a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b and / or the thin film on the substrate to a high temperature using the thin film formation mechanism 4. As the energy source for the high-temperature processing unit 9, an electromagnetic wave source, a heat source, etc., can be used. That is, electromagnetic waves, heat, etc., can be used as energy for high-temperature processing. As electromagnetic waves, for example, light such as microwaves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, etc., whose wavelength is selected from the range of 10 nm to 1 m. In addition, radiation such as electron beams and gamma rays can be used as electromagnetic waves. Examples of energy sources for the high-temperature processing unit 9 include, but are not limited to, a magnetron, a hot plate, a Peltier element, a constant temperature bath, a high-pressure mercury lamp, a laser oscillator, an electron beam accelerator, etc. When electromagnetic waves or the like are used as energy for high-temperature processing, the energy source of the high-temperature processing unit 9 may be provided with a mechanism to supply electromagnetic waves or the like to the second material 13b directly from above the substrate 11e or through an optical system such as a lens. On the other hand, when heat or the like is used as energy for high-temperature processing, the energy source of the high-temperature processing unit 9 may be provided with a mechanism to supply heat or the like to the second material 13b from below the substrate 11e through the substrate.

[0039] The high-temperature processing unit 9 is preferably capable of raising the substrate and / or the thin film on the substrate to a predetermined temperature of 100°C to 500°C, and more preferably capable of raising it to a predetermined temperature of 200°C to 450°C. The high-temperature processing unit 9 may also have a function to set a constant temperature step and / or a heating / cooling step. For example, the high-temperature processing unit 9 may be a heating device such as a hot plate, Peltier element, constant temperature bath, oven, or magnetron. The energy source of the high-temperature processing unit 9 may be the same as or shared with the first energy source 15a and / or the second energy source 15b.

[0040] The substrate transport unit 8 can take the substrate 11 from outside the film forming apparatus 1 into the film forming apparatus 1 and transport it to the substrate holding unit 12a and / or 12b. It can also transport the substrate 11 after film formation from the substrate holding unit 12a and / or 12b to outside the film forming apparatus 1. Furthermore, if the various mechanisms and parts of the film forming apparatus 1 are not shared but are installed separately, the substrate 11 can be transported between the various mechanisms and parts.

[0041] The control unit 7 controls the operation of each mechanism and part of the film forming apparatus 1 in order to form a film on a substrate (pattern substrate) having a bathtub section 10a. That is, the control unit 7 may be configured to control each mechanism and part of the film forming apparatus 1, such as the first material supply mechanism 2, the first material molding mechanism 3, and the thin film forming mechanism 4. The control unit 7 may be installed inside the film forming apparatus 1, or it may be installed in a separate location from the film forming apparatus 1 and controlled remotely.

[0042] <Second Embodiment> [Membrane formation method] In the second embodiment, a film formation method according to the present invention will be described. The film formation method of this embodiment is a method for forming a film on a substrate, and more specifically, a method for accurately forming a thin film (planarization film) on a substrate having variations in surface shape. For example, the substrate on which the thin film is to be formed has a region containing a plurality of recesses, and at least one of the plurality of recesses (first recess) may be configured as a bathtub portion that is wider than the other recesses (second recess). The film forming method of this embodiment is a method for accurately forming a thin film (planarization film) over the entire region of a substrate containing such a plurality of recesses. The film formation method of this embodiment may include, for example, a step of supplying a first material into the bathtub portion (first recess), a step of molding the first material, a step of supplying a second material onto the substrate, and a step of molding the second material. The step of molding the second material may be understood as a step of forming a thin film (planarization film) of the second material on the substrate.

[0043] The film formation method of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the film formation method of this embodiment for forming a film on a target area of ​​a substrate. The target area is the area of ​​the substrate in which the bathtub portion 10a (first recess) and a plurality of grooves 10b (second recess) are formed. The plurality of grooves 10b can be configured, for example, as lines and spaces with a fine pitch.

[0044] In step S101, the substrate 11a is loaded into the film forming apparatus 1. For example, the substrate 11a may be loaded into the substrate chuck 16a of the first substrate holding section 12a using the substrate transport section 8. The substrate 11a may have a surface shape derived from a substrate processing step prior to the application of the present invention. The surface shape of the substrate 11a varies depending on its position on the substrate and includes a plurality of recesses, at least one of which is a bathtub section 10a. The surface shape of the substrate 11a may include rectangular edges in the recesses, or it may be a smooth curved surface without rectangular edges.

[0045] The bathtub portion 10a included in the uneven pattern of the substrate 11a is a recess that is wider and / or has a larger volume than other recesses (multiple grooves 10b) on the same substrate. The width diameter of the bathtub portion 10a may be 0.3 μm or more. The film formation method of this embodiment is particularly effective when the width diameter of the bathtub portion 10a is 1 μm or more, and when the width diameter of the bathtub portion 10a is 5 μm or more, it may be significantly more advantageous than conventional film formation techniques. The volume of the bathtub portion 10a may be 0.1 fL or more. The film formation method of this embodiment is particularly effective when the volume of the bathtub portion 10a is 1 fL or more, and when the volume of the bathtub portion 10a is 1.5 fL or more, it may be significantly more advantageous than conventional film formation techniques. The cross-sectional shape of the bathtub portion 10a may be set to a rectangular recess, a gently curved recess, or any other arbitrary shape. Furthermore, the shape of the bathtub portion 10a as viewed from the top surface of the substrate may be set to a square, rectangular, triangular, parallelogram, trapezoidal, circular, elliptical, L-shaped, or any other arbitrary shape. Here, the height difference of the surface irregularities of the substrate 11a is, for example, about 1 nm to 1 mm, preferably about 1 nm to 10,000 nm. Of these, in the region of multiple grooves 10b (second recesses) where the fine irregularity pattern is, it is preferable that the height difference of the surface irregularities be about 10 nm to 200 nm.

[0046] The substrate 11a is typically a silicon wafer, but is not limited to this. The substrate 11a can be arbitrarily selected from semiconductor device substrates such as aluminum, titanium-tungsten alloy, aluminum-silicon alloy, aluminum-copper-silicon alloy, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, quartz, glass, ceramics, metals, semiconductors, resins, etc. If necessary, a material other than the substrate 11a may be formed or laminated on its surface. Furthermore, multiple materials may be formed or laminated. The substrate 11a or the outermost surface of the substrate 11a may have improved adhesion to the first material 13a and the second material 13b by surface treatment such as silane coupling treatment, silazane treatment, or deposition of an organic thin film.

[0047] In step S102, the first material 13a is selectively supplied to the interior of the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a. In this step, for example, the first material supply unit 14a described in the first embodiment can be used to supply the first material 13a to the interior of the bathtub portion 10a. This makes it possible to obtain a substrate 11b in which the first material 13a has been supplied to the interior of the bathtub portion 10a.

[0048] In step S102, the first material 13a can be supplied to the inside of the bathtub portion 10a as one or more droplets. In this case, it is preferable that each droplet has a volume smaller than the volume of the bathtub portion 10a so that each droplet of the first material 13a fits inside the bathtub portion 10. For example, the volume of each droplet can be 2 pL or less. It is also preferable that each droplet has a diameter smaller than the width of the bathtub portion 10a so that each droplet of the first material 13a fits inside the bathtub portion 10. For example, the width of each droplet (for example, the width when it lands on the substrate) can be 8 μm or less.

[0049] Furthermore, in step S102, the first material 13a may be selectively supplied to the interior of the bathtub portion 10a based on information regarding at least one of the position and volume of the bathtub portion 10a. Specifically, the first material 13a may be selectively supplied to the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a based on bathtub information 5, which includes bathtub data such as coordinates, volume, width, depth, and shape relative to a reference point on the substrate. This allows for the appropriate setting of the volume of the first material 13a to be supplied to the bathtub portion 10a based on information regarding the volume, width, depth, etc. of the bathtub portion 10a. In addition, the position of the bathtub portion 10 to which the first material 13a should be supplied can be appropriately set based on information regarding the coordinates, shape, etc. of the bathtub portion 10a. In other words, by controlling the supply of the first material 13a to the bathtub portion 10a based on the bathtub information 5, an appropriate amount of the first material 13a can be supplied to the interior of the bathtub portion 10a, targeting the interior of the bathtub portion 10a.

[0050] Generally, when a material reacts (changes state), a change in the volume of the material often occurs. In the case of the first material 13a used in this embodiment, a change in volume may occur in the first material 13a before and after molding (solidification) in step S103 described later. Therefore, in step S102, it is preferable to supply an appropriate volume of the first material 13a into the bathtub section 10a, taking into account the degree of this volume change. For example, liquid materials such as curable compositions that can be used as the first material 13a often undergo curing shrinkage when they react (change state) such as curing (solidification). A typical curing shrinkage rate is about 5% to 15%. In this case, in step S102, it is preferable to supply an appropriate volume of the first material 13a into the bathtub section 10a, taking into account the degree of volume reduction that may occur when the curable composition, which is the first material 13a, is cured (solidified) and molded in step S103 described later. As an example, it is preferable to supply an amount of the first material 13a greater than the volume of the bathtub portion 10a into the bathtub portion 10a so that the volume of the first material 13a after molding approaches the volume of the bathtub portion 10a. Alternatively, as the first material 13a, a liquid material that increases in volume (expands when curing) during a reaction (change of state) such as curing (solidification) may be used, contrary to the curing shrinkage material described above. It is particularly preferable to use a material with little curing shrinkage or curing expansion, or no curing shrinkage or curing expansion, as the first material 13a, in which case it may be easy or unnecessary to predict the degree of volume change before and after molding.

[0051] The volume reduction of the first material 13a may depend on the volatility of the first material 13a, the time from supplying the first material 13a onto the substrate 11a to curing, the process temperature, etc. In step S102, it is preferable to supply an appropriate volume of the first material 13a into the bathtub section 10a, taking into account the degree of volume reduction. Furthermore, it is particularly preferable to use a material with low volatility or no volatility as the first material 13a, in which case it may be easy or unnecessary to predict the degree of volume change before and after molding.

[0052] Considering all factors related to the volume change (volume decrease or volume increase) of the first material 13a, it is relatively difficult to comprehensively predict the degree of volume change of the first material 13a. Therefore, it is particularly preferable to feed back the results of a trial process in which the first material 13a is supplied to the inside of the bathtub section 10a and molded, and to supply an appropriate volume of the first material 13a to the inside of the bathtub section 10a. For example, by feeding back the results, it is preferable to determine an appropriate volume of the first material 13a to be supplied to the inside of the bathtub section 10a so that the volume of the first material 13a after molding approaches the volume of the bathtub section 10a. Also, if multiple bathtub sections 10a are formed on a single substrate 11a, the first material 13 may be supplied one by one to each bathtub section 10a of the substrate 11a in sequence, or the first material 13a may be supplied to multiple bathtub sections 10a of the substrate 11a at once (all at once).

[0053] As the first material 13a, a curable composition (sometimes called an uncured resin) that hardens with energy 20a supplied by the first material molding mechanism 3 (first energy source 15a) may be used. The curable composition may be a composition that hardens by irradiation with electromagnetic waves such as light, or by heating. Of these, the photocurable composition that hardens by light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photopolymerization initiator, and may optionally contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent. Here, a polymerizable compound is a compound that reacts with polymerization factors (radicals, ions, etc.) generated from the photopolymerization initiator and forms a solid consisting of a polymer compound by a chain reaction (polymerization reaction). Examples of such polymerizable compounds include radical polymerizable compounds. When the radical polymerizable compound is composed of multiple types of compounds having one or more acryloyl groups or methacryloyl groups, it is preferable to include monofunctional acrylic monomers and polyfunctional acrylic monomers.

[0054] The photocurable composition may consist of one polymerizable compound or multiple polymerizable compounds. The photopolymerization initiator is a compound that senses light of a predetermined wavelength and generates the above-mentioned polymerization factor (radical). Specifically, the photopolymerization initiator is a polymerization initiator (radical generator) that generates radicals in response to light (infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, far ultraviolet rays, X-rays, charged particle beams such as electron beams, etc., radiation). The photocurable composition may consist of one photopolymerization initiator or multiple photopolymerization initiators. The non-polymerizable compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of sensitizers, hydrogen donors, internal release agents, surfactants, antioxidants, polymer components, etc.

[0055] Furthermore, among curable compositions, thermosetting compositions that harden with heat contain at least a polymerizable compound and a thermal polymerization initiator, and may optionally contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent. Here, a polymerizable compound is a compound that reacts with polymerization factors (radicals, ions, etc.) generated from a thermal polymerization initiator and forms a solid consisting of a polymer compound through a chain reaction (polymerization reaction). Examples of such polymerizable compounds include radical polymerizable compounds. When the radical polymerizable compound is composed of multiple types of compounds having one or more acryloyl groups or methacryloyl groups, it is preferable that it contains monofunctional acrylic monomers and polyfunctional acrylic monomers.

[0056] Here, as a typical example of the first material 13a, a liquid-curable composition that hardens into a solid by supplying light or heat as energy 20a by the first material molding mechanism 3 is illustrated. However, the first material 13a is not limited to a liquid-curable composition as long as it is a material that can be molded by the first material molding mechanism 3. For example, solids such as thermoplastic resins, metals, alloys, and semiconductors, or gases such as vapors and reactive gases may be used as the first material 13a. When the first material 13a is a solid, it can be heated and supplied in a liquid or gaseous state, then cooled to return it to a solid state for molding. It is more preferable to supply the first material in a solution state, then remove the solvent by heating, reducing pressure, etc., to return it to a solid state for molding.

[0057] In step S103, the first material 13a supplied to the inside of the bathtub portion 10a in step S102 is molded. In this step, for example, the first material molding mechanism 3 described in the first embodiment can be used to mold the first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a. Molding in this step may include not only shaping the first material 13a supplied to the inside of the bathtub portion 10a into a desired shape, but also solidifying the first material 13a with energy 20a supplied from the first energy source 15. This makes it possible to obtain a substrate 11c having the solidified and molded first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a. Here, if multiple bathtub portions 10a are formed on a single substrate 11b, energy 20a may be supplied to each bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11b one by one in sequence, or energy 20a may be supplied to multiple bathtub portions 10a of the substrate 11b at once (all at once).

[0058] Preferably, the thickness of the first material 13a formed inside the bathtub portion 10a by this process is within ±20% of the depth of the bathtub portion 10a. More preferably, the thickness of the first material 13a is within ±10% of the depth of the bathtub portion 10a, and even more preferably, it is within ±5% of the depth of the bathtub portion 10a. This can improve the flatness of the thin film formed in subsequent processes. Furthermore, it is preferable that the surface of the first material 13a formed inside the bathtub portion 10a by this process is higher than the height of the edge of the bathtub portion 10. This allows the irregularities of the first material 13a to be offset (reduced) by the second material 13b supplied in subsequent processes, further improving the flatness of the thin film formed on the substrate.

[0059] In step S104, the second material 13b is supplied onto a substrate 11c having the solidified first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a. Specifically, in this step, the second material 13b is supplied onto a target region of the substrate 11c that includes the bathtub portion 10a (which has the solidified first material 13a inside) and a plurality of grooves 10b. In this step, for example, the thin film formation mechanism 4 (second substrate holding portion 12b and / or second material supply portion 14b) described in the first embodiment can be used to supply the second material 13b onto the target region.

[0060] In step S104, the second material 13b may be supplied onto the target region such that multiple grooves 10b (second recesses) are filled with the second material 13b and a planarized film of the second material 13b is formed over the entire target region. For example, in this step, the volume of the second material 13b can be supplied in an amount calculated from the area of ​​the target region and the desired average film thickness so that the solid thin film (planarized film) of the second material 13b formed in the next step S105 has a desired average film thickness. It is preferable to supply the second material 13b on the substrate 11c (target region) such that the volume per unit area of ​​the substrate is uniform.

[0061] Furthermore, in step S104, similar to step S102, it is preferable to consider all volume changes (volume decrease or volume increase) of the material and to comprehensively estimate the degree of volume change, but this is relatively difficult. Therefore, it is particularly preferable to feed back the results of a trial process in which a solid thin film of the second material 13b is formed on a substrate having the solidified and molded first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a, and to supply an appropriate volume of the second material 13b onto the substrate (on the target area). Moreover, it is preferable to use a material with little or no curing change, and / or a material with low or no volatility. This makes it easier or unnecessary to estimate the degree of volume change. Consequently, it may be easier to form a thin film with little film thickness unevenness, i.e., low surface roughness, on the substrate.

[0062] Furthermore, in step S104, it is preferable to supply the second material 13b onto the target area such that the surface of the thin film of the second material 13b, which will be formed in the later step S105, is higher than the surface of the first material 13a formed inside the bathtub portion 10a. This allows the irregularities of the first material 13a to be offset (reduced) by the second material 13b, thereby further improving the flatness of the thin film formed on the substrate.

[0063] As the second material 13b, a curable composition (sometimes called an uncured resin) that hardens with energy 20b provided by the thin film formation mechanism 4 (second energy source 15b) may be used. The curable composition may be a composition that hardens by irradiation with electromagnetic waves such as light, or by heating. Of these, the photocurable composition that hardens with light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photopolymerization initiator, and may optionally contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent. Here, a polymerizable compound is a compound that reacts with polymerization factors (radicals, ions, etc.) generated from the photopolymerization initiator and forms a solid consisting of a polymer compound by a chain reaction (polymerization reaction). Examples of such polymerizable compounds include radical polymerizable compounds. When the radical polymerizable compound is composed of multiple types of compounds having one or more acryloyl groups or methacryloyl groups, it is preferable to include monofunctional acrylic monomers and polyfunctional acrylic monomers.

[0064] The photocurable composition may consist of one polymerizable compound or multiple polymerizable compounds. The photopolymerization initiator is a compound that senses light of a predetermined wavelength and generates the above-mentioned polymerization factor (radical). Specifically, the photopolymerization initiator is a polymerization initiator (radical generator) that generates radicals in response to light (infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, far ultraviolet rays, X-rays, charged particle beams such as electron beams, etc., radiation). The photocurable composition may consist of one photopolymerization initiator or multiple photopolymerization initiators. The non-polymerizable compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of sensitizers, hydrogen donors, internal release agents, surfactants, antioxidants, polymer components, etc.

[0065] Furthermore, among curable compositions, thermosetting compositions that harden with heat contain at least a polymerizable compound and a thermal polymerization initiator, and may optionally contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent. Here, a polymerizable compound is a compound that reacts with polymerization factors (radicals, ions, etc.) generated from a thermal polymerization initiator and forms a solid consisting of a polymer compound through a chain reaction (polymerization reaction). Examples of such polymerizable compounds include radical polymerizable compounds. When the radical polymerizable compound is composed of multiple types of compounds having one or more acryloyl groups or methacryloyl groups, it is preferable that it contains monofunctional acrylic monomers and polyfunctional acrylic monomers.

[0066] As the curable composition of the second material 13b, a curable composition different from that of the first material 13a may be used, but it is preferable to use a curable composition similar to or identical to that of the first material 13a. This is because it may facilitate subsequent processes such as etching.

[0067] Furthermore, solutions of polymers, oligomers, siloxanes, celsesquioxanes, etc., can be used as the other second material 13b. Such materials are particularly preferred when forming thin films by solution coating methods such as spin coating. Examples of such materials include SOC (Spin-On-Carbon) materials and SOG (Spin-On-Glass) materials.

[0068] Here, as typical examples of the second material 13b, liquids and solutions that harden and become solid when light or heat is supplied as energy 20b by the thin film formation mechanism 4 are given. However, the second material 13b is not limited to liquids or solutions, as long as it is a material that can form a thin film on a substrate 11c having the solidified first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a. For example, solids such as thermoplastic resins, metals, alloys, and semiconductors, or gases such as vapors and reactive gases may be used as the second material 13b. If the second material 13b is a solid, it can be heated to a liquid or gaseous state, then cooled back to a solid to form a thin film. The second material 13b may be a different material from the first material 13a, or it may be the same as or interchangeable with the first material 13a.

[0069] In step S105, a solid thin film 27 (planarization film) of the second material 13b supplied on the substrate 11c (on the target region) in step S104 is formed. That is, the second material 13b is formed into a thin film, and the second material 13b is solidified by energy 20b supplied from the second energy source 15b to form a solid thin film 27. The formation of the second material 13b may be understood as including the solidification of the second material 13b by energy 20b. In this step, for example, the thin film formation mechanism 4 (second material supply unit 14b and / or thin film forming drive unit 21) described in the first embodiment can be used to form the second material 13b on the target region.

[0070] The average film thickness of the solid thin film 27 can be between 0.1 nm and 1000 nm, although this varies depending on the application. Preferably, the average film thickness is between 0.1 nm and 50 nm, and more preferably between 0.11 nm and 10 nm. The thinner the average film thickness, the shorter the time required for post-processing such as CMP or etch-back of the solid thin film 27, or even if it becomes unnecessary. This, in turn, leads to improved productivity and reduced manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the surface roughness (3σ) of the solid thin film 27 can be 20 nm or less. Preferably, the surface roughness is 10 nm or less, and more preferably 4 nm or less. The smaller the surface roughness, the more various improvements can be made depending on the type of lithography performed after film formation, such as improving the pattern accuracy of the transfer pattern in the case of NIL (nanoimprint lithography).

[0071] In step S105, it is particularly preferable to form a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b by methods such as spin coating, superstraight contact peeling, SST-NIL spread, thermal imprinting, or optical imprinting.

[0072] In step S106, the substrate 11e on which the solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b was formed in step S105 is transported to the outside of the film forming apparatus 1. In this step, for example, the substrate 11e can be transported out of the substrate chuck 16b of the second substrate holding unit 12b using the substrate transport unit 8.

[0073] <Third Embodiment> In the third embodiment, a specific example of the film formation method (second embodiment) described above will be explained in detail with reference to Figure 6. Here, the explanation will follow the flowchart of the film formation method shown in Figure 5. In this embodiment, a photocurable composition is used as the first material 13a, a high-pressure mercury lamp as the first energy source 15a, and ultraviolet light as the energy 20a supplied from the first energy source 15a. In addition, a photocurable composition is used as the second material 13b, a high-pressure mercury lamp as the second energy source 15b, and ultraviolet light as the energy 20b supplied from the second energy source 15b. As the thin film formation mechanism 4, an apparatus (also called a spin coater) equipped with a second material supply unit 14b capable of performing a spin coating method and a thin film molding drive unit 21 is employed.

[0074] In step S101, a substrate 11a having a surface shape derived from a substrate processing step prior to the application of the film formation method according to the present invention is brought into the film formation apparatus 1. As shown in Figure 6(a), the surface shape of the substrate 11a varies depending on its position on the substrate and may include a plurality of recesses in the target area for forming a thin film (planarized film). These plurality of recesses may include a bathtub portion 10a (first recess) that constitutes a trench area and a plurality of grooves 10b (second recess) that constitute a dense area. Here, an example is given where the edge of each recess of the substrate 11a is rectangular, the height difference of the irregularities (depth of each recess) is 50 nm, the width of each groove 10b is 20 nm, the width of the bathtub portion 10a is 10 μm, and the volume of the bathtub portion 10a is 5 fL, but this is not limited to this. This bathtub information 5 is measured in advance, and the first material 13a is supplied based on this input.

[0075] In step S102, the first material 13a is selectively supplied to the inside of the bathtub portion 10a of the substrate 11a. For example, as shown in Figure 6(b), using a first material supply unit 14a that can supply droplets with a volume of 0.1 fL, 50 drops of the first material 13a in 0.1 fL droplets are supplied to the inside of the bathtub portion 10a on the substrate 11a. This allows the substrate 11b to be obtained. Next, in step S103, the first material 13a supplied to the inside of the bathtub portion 10a in step S102 is molded. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6(c), the first material 13a supplied to the inside of the bathtub portion 10a is allowed to spread inside the bathtub portion 10a and wait until it fills the inside (all corners) of the bathtub portion 10a. Then, as shown in Figure 6(d), energy 20a is irradiated onto the first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a by the first energy source 15a. As a result, as shown in Figure 6(e), a substrate 11c can be obtained having the solidified and molded first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a.

[0076] In steps S104 to S105, the second material 13b is supplied to the substrate 11c (on the target region) and molded so that each of the multiple grooves 10b is filled with the second material 13b and a solid thin film (planarization film) of the second material 13b is formed over the entire target region. In this embodiment, a solid thin film of the second material 13b is formed on the substrate 11c (on the target region) using a spin coating method. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6(f), the second material 13b is supplied to the substrate 11c (on the target region) by the second material supply unit 14b while the substrate 11c is rotated. As a result, a substrate 11d on which a thin film of the second material 13b has been formed can be obtained, as shown in Figure 6(g). Then, as shown in Figure 6(h), energy 20b is irradiated from the second energy source 15b onto the thin film of the second material 13b formed on the substrate 11d to solidify (harden) the second material 13b. As a result, as shown in Figure 6(i), a substrate 11e having a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b over the entire area of ​​the target region can be obtained. In other words, a substrate 11e can be obtained having the first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a, the second material 13b inside each groove 10b, and a solid thin film 27 (planarization film) of the second material 13b over the entire area of ​​the target region.

[0077] In step S106, the substrate 11e having the solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b is transported outside the film forming apparatus 1.

[0078] <Fourth Embodiment> In the fourth embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the third embodiment, but in steps S102 to S103, a thermosetting composition is used as the first material 13a, a hot plate as the first energy source 15a, and heat is used as the energy 20a from the first energy source 15a. Otherwise, the same process as in the third embodiment can be carried out.

[0079] <Fifth Embodiment> In the fifth embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the third embodiment, but in steps S102 to S103, a thermoplastic resin is used as the first material 13a, a hot plate as the first energy source 15a, and heat is used as the energy 20a from the first energy source 15a. Otherwise, the same processing as in the third embodiment can be carried out. Note that the thermoplastic resin may be supplied as a solution of thermoplastic resin, and solvent removal and molding may be carried out simultaneously by heat.

[0080] <Sixth Embodiment> In the sixth embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments, but in steps S104 to S105, a thermosetting composition is used as the second material 13b, a hot plate as the second energy source 15b, and heat is used as the energy 20b from the second energy source 15b. Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments can be carried out.

[0081] <Seventh Embodiment> In the seventh embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments, but in steps S104 to S105, a thermoplastic resin is used as the second material 13b, a hot plate as the second energy source 15b, and heat is used as the energy 20b from the second energy source 15b. Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments can be carried out. Note that the thermoplastic resin may be supplied as a solution of thermoplastic resin, and solvent removal and molding may be carried out simultaneously by spin coating and / or heat.

[0082] <Eighth Embodiment> In the eighth embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments, but in steps S104 to S105, SOC material is used as the second material 13b, a hot plate as the second energy source 15b, and heat is used as the energy 20b from the second energy source 15b. Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments can be performed. The SOC material may be supplied as a solution of SOC material, and solvent removal and molding may be performed simultaneously by spin coating and / or heat.

[0083] <Ninth Embodiment> In the ninth embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments, but in steps S104 to S105, SOG material is used as the second material 13b, a hot plate as the second energy source 15b, and heat is used as the energy 20b from the second energy source 15b. Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments can be performed. Note that the SOG material may be supplied as a solution of SOG material, and solvent removal and molding may be performed simultaneously by spin coating and / or heat.

[0084] <Tenth Embodiment> In the tenth embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments, but in step S104 and / or step S105, the superstraight contact peeling method is used when forming a solid thin film on the substrate (on the target area). Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments can be performed. Here, the superstraight contact peeling method is a substrate planarization method in which a superstraight (planar template) having a flat surface is pressed against a liquid material and peeled off after curing. For example, substrate planarization methods shown in U.S. Patent No. 9,415,418, U.S. Patent No. 8,394,282, etc. can be used. This embodiment applies a planarization method to a part of the present invention, in which a planar template (mold) is pressed against an uncured resist (curable composition, uncured resin) that has been supplied (coated) onto the substrate in advance to perform local planarization within the substrate surface.

[0085] A specific example of the film formation method in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figure 7. Here, the explanation will follow the flowchart of the film formation method shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, steps S101 to S103 and S106 are the same as those in any of the third to fifth embodiments, so their explanation will be omitted here. For example, Figures 7(a) to (e) are the same as Figures 6(a) to (e).

[0086] In step S104, the second material 13b is supplied onto the substrate 11c (on the target area). In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7(f), a second material supply unit 14b capable of supplying droplets with a volume of 1 pL is used to supply 1 pL of the second material 13b onto the substrate 11c as droplets, or as islands or films formed by multiple connected droplets. As a result, as shown in Figure 7(g), a substrate 11d can be obtained on the target area with the second material 13b supplied as multiple droplets.

[0087] In step S105, the second material 13b supplied onto the substrate 11d (on the target region) is molded. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7(h), the Super Straight 28 is brought into contact with the second material 13b supplied onto the substrate 11d (on the target region), and the process is held until each of the multiple grooves 10b is filled with the second material 13b and the second material 13b has spread over the entire target region. Then, as shown in Figure 7(i), with the second material 13b and the Super Straight 28 in contact, energy 20b is irradiated onto the second material 13b from the second energy source 15b via the Super Straight 28 to solidify (harden) the second material 13b. The Super Straight 28 is then peeled off from the solidified second material 13b. As a result, as shown in Figure 7(j), a substrate 11e having a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b over the entire target region can be obtained.

[0088] The superstraight 28 used in this embodiment is preferably a material (for example, a quartz substrate) having dimensions that allow it to contact the entire surface of the substrate 11a having the bathtub portion 10a. For example, if the substrate 11a is a Φ300mm wafer, a flattened Φ300mm quartz substrate, a 300mm square quartz substrate, a Φ450mm quartz substrate, etc., with low surface roughness can be used as the superstraight 28.

[0089] <Embodiment 11> In the eleventh embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments, but in step S104 and / or step S105, an optical imprint method is used when forming a solid thin film on the substrate (on the target area). Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments may be performed.

[0090] As the apparatus for forming thin films using the optical imprint method, for example, optical imprint equipment such as Canon's nanoimprint semiconductor manufacturing equipment or mass production mask replica manufacturing equipment can be used. In this case, it is preferable to use a flat superstraight (planar template) without a pattern to imprint the second material 13b supplied onto the substrate (on the target area). For example, if the substrate 11a is a Φ300 mm wafer, a flattened Φ300 mm quartz substrate, a 300 mm square quartz substrate, a Φ450 mm quartz substrate, etc., with low surface roughness can be used as the superstraight. Also, if the substrate 11a is a replica template, a flattened quartz template with low surface roughness can be used as the superstraight.

[0091] In particular, this embodiment is preferable when manufacturing replica templates, i.e., child templates, grandchild templates, etc., which are duplicates of the master template (parent template) for nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Specifically, in Figure 7, instead of the superstraight contact peeling method, a mass production mask replica manufacturing apparatus and a blank template without a textured pattern are used to form a film on the substrate 11 for the replica template.

[0092] <Twelfth Embodiment> In the twelfth embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments, but in step S104 and / or step S105, a thermal imprint method is used when forming a solid thin film on the substrate (on the target area). Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments may be performed. In this embodiment, it is preferable that a thermoplastic resin is used as the second material 13b, a hot plate as the second energy source 15b, and heat as the energy 20b from the second energy source 15b. The thermoplastic resin may be supplied as a solution of thermoplastic resin, and solvent removal and molding may be performed simultaneously by spin coating and / or heat.

[0093] <13th Embodiment> In the 13th embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the third to fifth embodiments, but in step S104 and / or step S105, when forming a solid thin film on the substrate (on the target region), the SST spread method is used instead of the spin coating method. Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the third to fifth embodiments can be performed.

[0094] Here, the SST spread method is a method of discretely applying droplets of a curable composition (α2) having a lower interfacial energy than that of curable composition (α1) onto a layer consisting of a liquid film of curable composition (α1) on a substrate. In this method, the droplets spread rapidly and over a wide area due to the Marangoni effect, forming a liquid film of a mixture of curable composition (α1) and curable composition (α2). For example, a curable composition spread method which is part of SST-NIL as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6141500 can be employed. This embodiment applies this SST-NIL spread method to a part of the present invention.

[0095] A specific example of the film formation method in this embodiment will be described in detail. Here, the explanation will follow the flowchart of the film formation method shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, steps S101 to S103 and S106 are the same as those in any of the third to fifth embodiments, so their explanation will be omitted here.

[0096] In step S104, a curable composition (α1) is supplied onto the substrate 11c (on the target region) by spin coating to form a liquid film, and droplets of a curable composition (α2) having a lower interfacial energy than that of the curable composition (α1) are discretely supplied onto the liquid film. In this embodiment, the curable composition (α1) and the curable composition (α2) are used as the second material 13b. Next, in step S105, the thin film formed on the substrate 11d by the curable composition (α2) spreading over a wide area while mixing with the curable composition (α1) is irradiated with energy 20b from the second energy source 15b. As a result, a substrate 11e having a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b as a mixture of the curable composition (α1) and the curable composition (α2) can be obtained.

[0097] <14th Embodiment> In the 14th embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the 13th embodiment, but in step S105, a SuperStraight is brought into contact with the curable composition (α1) and curable composition (α2) on the substrate 11d to form a thin film, and the thin film is irradiated with energy 20b. This forms a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b on the substrate. Otherwise, the same processing as in the 13th embodiment can be performed. Here, for example, if the substrate 11a is a Φ300mm wafer, a flattened Φ300mm quartz substrate, a 300mm square quartz substrate, a Φ450mm quartz substrate, etc., with low surface roughness can be used as the SuperStraight. Also, if the substrate 11a is a replica template, a flattened quartz template with low surface roughness can be used as the SuperStraight.

[0098] <15th Embodiment> In the 15th embodiment, a specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained with reference to Figure 8. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(a), a substrate 11a having a gently curved depression 10c in the target region is used as the first recess. Furthermore, the substrate 11a can be understood to have a second recess (groove, step, surface roughness) in the target region that is smaller in volume than the depression 10c. In this embodiment, a solid thin film can be formed on the substrate by performing the same process as in any of the 3rd to 14th embodiments.

[0099] A specific example of the film formation method in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figure 8. Here, the film formation method shown in Figure 5 will be described according to the flowchart. Steps S101 and S106 are the same as those in any of the third to fourteenth embodiments, so their description will be omitted here. Hereafter, an example of forming a solid thin film on a substrate by performing the same procedure as in the third embodiment will be described, but the invention is not limited to this, and a solid thin film may be formed on a substrate by performing the same procedure as in any of the fourth to fourteenth embodiments.

[0100] In steps S102 to S103, the first material 13a is selectively supplied to the interior of the recess 10c (first recess) of the substrate 11a, and the first material 13a is formed. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(b), the first material supply unit 14a selectively supplies the first material 13a to the recess 10c of the substrate 11a as multiple droplets. This allows the substrate 11b to be obtained. Next, the first material 13a supplied to the interior of the recess 10c is allowed to expand inside the recess 10c and wait until it is supplied to all corners of the recess 10c. Then, as shown in Figure 8(c), the first material 13a inside the recess 10c is irradiated with energy 20a by the first energy source 15a. This allows the substrate 11c to be obtained having the solidified and formed first material 13a inside the recess 10c, as shown in Figure 8(d).

[0101] In steps S104 to S105, the second material 13b is supplied to the substrate 11c (on the target region) and molded so that the depressions serving as second recesses are filled with the second material 13b and a solid thin film (planarization film) of the second material 13b is formed over the entire target region. In this embodiment, a solid thin film of the second material 13b is formed on the substrate 11c (on the target region) using a spin coating method. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8(e), the second material 13b is supplied to the substrate 11c (on the target region) by the second material supply unit 14b while the substrate 11c is rotated. As a result, a substrate 11d on which a thin film of the second material 13b has been formed can be obtained, as shown in Figure 8(f). Then, as shown in Figure 8(g), energy 20b is irradiated from the second energy source 15b onto the thin film of the second material 13b formed on the substrate 11d to solidify (harden) the second material 13b. As a result, as shown in Figure 8(h), a substrate 11e having a solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b over the entire area of ​​the target region can be obtained.

[0102] <16th Embodiment> In the 16th embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the 3rd to 15th embodiments, but a heating step is added between steps S105 and S106. Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the 3rd to 15th embodiments can be performed. The heating step is a step in which the substrate 11e and / or the solid thin film on the substrate, on which the solid thin film has been formed through steps S102 to S105, is heated to a high temperature by the high-temperature processing unit 9. In the heating step, depending on the material used for the substrate 11e, it is preferable to bake at 200°C for 30 minutes, for example.

[0103] <Embodiment 17> In the 17th embodiment, another specific example of the film formation method described above will be explained. This embodiment basically follows the third to 16th embodiments, but a measurement step is added to measure the surface shape of the substrate and / or the molded product in each step. This measurement step is a step in which the measurement mechanism 6 measures the surface shape of the substrate 11a, the surface shape of the first material 13a molded inside the bathtub portion 10a, and / or the surface shape of the solid thin film of the second material 13b formed on the target area. Otherwise, the same processing as in any of the third to 16th embodiments may be performed.

[0104] Figure 9 shows a flowchart of the film formation method according to this embodiment. Steps S101 to S106 in Figure 9 are the same as steps S101 to S106 in Figure 5, so their explanation is omitted here.

[0105] Step S107 is a step in which the surface shape of the substrate 11a that was brought in in step S101 is measured, and may be performed between steps S101 and S102. In step S107, for example, the measuring mechanism 6 measures at least one of the coordinates (position), volume, width, depth, and shape of the bathtub portion 10a on the substrate 11a as bathtub information 5 (bathtub data 24). Based on the measurement results in step S107, the control unit 7 may determine the volume of the first material 13a to be selectively supplied into the bathtub portion 10a. In step S102, based on the determined volume of the first material 13a and the measured position of the bathtub portion 10a, the first material supply unit 14a may selectively supply the first material 13a into the bathtub portion 10a.

[0106] Step S108 is a step in which the surface shape of the first material 13a, which has been selectively supplied and molded inside the bathtub section 10a by steps S102 to S103, is measured, and may be performed between steps S103 and S104. In step S108, for example, the thickness and / or surface roughness of the first material 13a molded inside the bathtub section 10a is measured by the measuring mechanism 6. Based on the measurement results in step S108, the control unit 7 provides feedback to the next step S102 so that the surface shape (thickness and / or surface roughness) of the first material 13a molded inside the bathtub section 10a in the next target area falls within an acceptable range. For example, based on the measurement results in step S108, the control unit 7 may determine the amount of first material 13a to be supplied (i.e., the volume of first material 13a to be supplied to the bathtub section 10a) to be applied in step S102 performed on the next target area. As a result, in the next target region, the first material 13a can be molded to a desired thickness and / or shape inside the first recess 10a, so that a flatter solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b with less surface roughness can be formed on the substrate.

[0107] In step S107 and / or step S108, the surface shape of the substrate 11a is measured in step S107, and the surface shape of the substrate 11c having the solidified first material 13a inside the bathtub portion 10a is measured in step S108. It is then possible to determine whether it is the bathtub portion (first recess), the fine uneven pattern portion (multiple grooves) (second recess), or any other region. Furthermore, at least one of the coordinates (position), volume, width, depth, and shape of the fine uneven pattern portion (multiple grooves) (second recess) and the other region can be measured.The volume of the second material 13b to be supplied to each of the fine uneven pattern portion (multiple grooves) (second recess) and the other region can then be determined. In step S104, based on the determined volume of the second material 13b and the measured positions of the fine uneven pattern portion (multiple grooves) (second recess) 10b and the other region, the second material 13a can be supplied so as to have a volume distribution corresponding to each part of the target region. The supply of the second material 13a can be carried out by the second material supply unit 14b.

[0108] Step S109 is a step in which the surface shape of the solid thin film (planarized film) of the second material 13b formed on the target area by steps S104 to S105 is measured, and may be performed between steps S105 and S106. In step S109, for example, the thickness (film thickness) and / or surface roughness of the solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b formed on the target area is measured by the measurement mechanism 6. Based on the measurement results of step S109, the control unit 7 provides feedback to the next step S102 and / or the next step S104 so that the surface shape (thickness and / or surface roughness) of the solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b formed on the next target area falls within an acceptable range. For example, based on the measurement results in step S109, the control unit 7 may determine the amount of first material 13a to be supplied in step S102, which is performed on the next target area. Furthermore, the control unit 7 can determine the amount of the second material 13b to be supplied in step S104, which is performed on the next target region, based on the measurement results in step S109 (i.e., the volume of the second material 13a to be supplied onto the target region). This makes it possible to form a flatter solid thin film 27 of the second material 13b with less surface roughness on the substrate in the next target region.

[0109] <Embodiment for manufacturing an article> The present invention can also be applied to the manufacture of articles. An embodiment of the manufacture of an article to which the present invention is applied will be described. The method for manufacturing articles according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices, semiconductor devices, and elements having microstructures. The method for manufacturing articles according to this embodiment includes a forming step of forming a film on a substrate using the above-described film forming method, and a processing step of processing the substrate on which the film has been formed in the forming step. Furthermore, this manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (oxidation, film formation, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method for manufacturing articles according to this embodiment is advantageous over conventional methods in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the articles.

[0110] The processing steps for a substrate on which a film has been formed may include the step of forming a pattern on the film (e.g., a cured product of a curable composition) on the substrate using various lithography equipment. The pattern of the cured product of the curable composition formed using various lithography equipment is used permanently on at least a part of various articles, or temporarily when manufacturing various articles. Articles include electrical circuit elements, optical elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, or molds. Examples of electrical circuit elements include volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, as well as semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensors, and FPGAs. Examples of optical elements include diffraction gratings and polarizing plates. Examples of molds include molds for imprinting (replica molds).

[0111] The pattern of the cured material is either used as is as a component of at least a part of the above-mentioned article, or temporarily used as a resist mask. After etching or ion implantation is performed during the substrate processing process, the resist mask is removed.

[0112] Next, we will explain the specific manufacturing method of the article. Here, we will use an example of an article manufacturing method using an imprint device, but the method is not limited to this. Various lithography devices may also be used.

[0113] As shown in Figure 10(a), a substrate 1z such as a silicon wafer is prepared on which a solid thin film (planarized film) has been formed by the film forming apparatus and / or film forming method of the present invention, and a workpiece 2z such as an insulator has been formed on the upper layer thereof. Subsequently, a curable composition 3z (e.g., an imprint material) is supplied to the surface of the workpiece 2z by an inkjet method or the like. Here, the image shows how multiple droplet-shaped curable composition 3z have been supplied onto the substrate.

[0114] As shown in Figure 10(b), the imprint mold 4z is positioned opposite the curable composition 3z on the substrate, with the side where the uneven pattern is formed facing it. As shown in Figure 10(c), the substrate 1z to which the curable composition 3z is supplied is brought into contact with the mold 4z, and pressure is applied. The curable composition 3z fills the gap between the mold 4z and the workpiece 2z. In this state, when light is irradiated through the mold 4z as curing energy, the curable composition 3z hardens.

[0115] As shown in Figure 10(d), after curing the curable composition 3z, when the mold 4z and substrate 1z are separated, a pattern of the cured material of the curable composition 3z is formed on the substrate 1z. In this pattern of cured material, the recesses of the mold correspond to the protrusions of the cured material, and the protrusions of the mold correspond to the recesses of the cured material. In other words, the uneven pattern of the mold 4z is transferred to the curable composition 3z.

[0116] As shown in Figure 10(e), when etching is performed using the cured material pattern as an etching-resistant mask, the parts of the workpiece 2z surface where there is no cured material or where only a thin layer remains are removed, forming grooves 5z. It is also preferable to remove these remaining parts in advance by etching with a different type of etching than the one performed. As shown in Figure 10(f), when the cured material pattern is removed, an article with grooves 5z formed on the surface of the workpiece 2z can be obtained. For example, when a silicon wafer is used as the substrate 1z, articles such as semiconductor elements, electrical circuit elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, etc. can be obtained. When quartz is used as the substrate 1z, articles such as replica molds, optical elements, etc. can be obtained. Here, the cured material pattern was removed, but it may also be used without removal after processing, for example, as an interlayer insulating film contained in semiconductor elements, or as a pattern structure of optical material constituting an optical element, i.e., as a component of an article.

[0117] Thus, the film forming apparatus and / or film forming method of the present invention can also be applied to embodiments of article manufacturing. By using a substrate on which a solid thin film (planarized film) has been formed according to any of the first to seventeen embodiments described above, articles with good performance can be manufactured.

[0118] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1: Film formation apparatus, 2: First material supply mechanism, 3: First material molding mechanism, 4: Thin film formation mechanism, 5: Bathtub information, 6: Measurement mechanism

Claims

1. A film forming method for forming a film on a substrate, comprising: the substrate has a region including a first recess and a second recess; The first recess is wider than the second recess; The film forming method includes: a first step of selectively supplying a first material to the inside of the first recess and shaping the first material; a second step of supplying and shaping a second material onto the region so that the second recess is filled with the second material and a planarized film of the second material is formed over the entire region; A film forming method comprising:

2. 2. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the first step, the first material is selectively supplied to the inside of the first recess based on information regarding at least one of the position and volume of the first recess.

3. 3. The film forming method according to claim 2, further comprising, before the first step, a measuring step of measuring at least one of the position and the volume of the first recess to obtain the information.

4. the first material is a material whose volume changes before and after molding, 4. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the first step, the first material is supplied into the inside of the first recess so that the volume of the first material after molding approaches the volume of the first recess.

5. the first material is a material whose volume changes before and after molding, 5. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the first step, the first material is supplied into the first recess so that the thickness of the first material after molding falls within a range of ±20% of the depth of the first recess.

6. the first material is a material whose volume decreases after molding compared to before molding, 6. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the first step, the first material is supplied into the first recess in an amount greater than the volume of the first recess.

7. 7. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein the forming of the first material in the first step includes solidifying the first material supplied inside the first recess.

8. 8. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the first step, the first material is shaped by waiting until the first material supplied inside the first recess is filled into the first recess.

9. 9. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein the first recess has a larger volume than the second recess.

10. 10. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein the first recess and the second recess each include at least one edge that is rectangular.

11. In the first step, the first material is supplied as droplets into the first recess; 11. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein the droplet has a width smaller than the width of the first recess and / or a volume smaller than the volume of the first recess.

12. 12. The film forming method according to claim 11, wherein the droplets have a width of 8 μm or less and / or a volume of 2 pL.

13. 13. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein the first recess has a width of 0.3 [mu]m or more and / or a volume of 0.1 fL or more.

14. A film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the supply amount of the first material to be applied in the next first process is determined based on the surface shape of the first material formed in the first process so that the surface shape of the first material formed in the next first process falls within an acceptable range.

15. 15. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the second step, the second material is supplied onto the region so that the surface of the planarization film of the second material is higher than the surface of the first material formed in the first recess.

16. A film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the supply amount of the second material to be applied in the next second process is determined based on the surface shape of the second material formed in the second process so that the surface shape of the second material formed in the next second process falls within an acceptable range.

17. 17. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the second step, a planarization film of the second material having an average film thickness in the range of 0.1 nm to 1000 nm is formed on the region.

18. 18. The film forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the second step, a planarization film of the second material having a surface roughness of 20 nm or less is formed on the region.

19. 19. The film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein in the second step, a planarization film of the second material is formed on the region using at least one method selected from the group consisting of spin coating, superstrate contact peeling, SST-NIL spread, thermal imprinting, and photoimprinting.

20. a film forming step of forming a film on a substrate by using the film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 19; a processing step of processing the substrate on which the film has been formed in the film forming step, A method for manufacturing an article, comprising manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step.

21. A supply device for supplying a material to a recess formed in a substrate, a discharge unit that discharges the material toward the substrate; a control unit that controls a relative position between the discharge unit and the substrate based on information about the position of the recessed portion so that the material discharged from the discharge unit is selectively supplied to the inside of the recessed portion; and A supply device comprising:

22. A supply device for supplying a material to a recess formed in a substrate, a discharge unit that discharges the material toward the substrate; a control unit that controls the relative position between the discharge unit and the substrate and the supply amount of the material so that the material discharged from the discharge unit is selectively supplied to the inside of the recess based on information about the position of the recess; A supply device comprising:

23. A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate, the substrate has a region including a first recess and a second recess; The first recess is wider than the second recess; The film forming apparatus includes: A supply device according to claim 21 or 22; a first molding device that molds the first material selectively supplied to the inside of the first recess by the supply device; a second molding device that supplies the second material onto the region and molds the second material supplied onto the region so that the second recess is filled with the second material and a planarized film of the second material is formed over the entire region; and A film forming apparatus comprising:

24. A substrate having a region including a first recess and a second recess, The first recess is wider than the second recess; a first material within the first recess; A substrate comprising a second material inside the second recess and a planarizing film of the second material over the entire area of ​​the region.

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