Molding device, molding method, and template

Abstract

To provide a molding device, a molding method, and a template that achieve both mass productivity and high degree of flattening in a device that flattens a substrate.SOLUTION: In a molding device that cures a curable composition by contacting a template with the curable composition placed on a substrate, the template has a flat coating layer of Site Front least sQares Range (SFQR) of 20 nm or less on the contact surface in contact with the curable composition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a molding method, a molding apparatus, and a template used therefor that contribute to the planarization of a substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] In photolithography for manufacturing semiconductor devices, a process of planarizing the substrate is required. The International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) states that the SFQR (Site Front Least Squares Range) value for substrate flatness must be equal to or less than the minimum line width. Here, SFQR is a parameter that indicates the flatness of the wafer. A predetermined area on the wafer surface (usually the slit size of the scanner: 26 x 8 (mm)) 2 )) is defined as the amplitude of irregularities on the wafer surface from a mathematically determined least squares plane.

[0003] In semiconductor device manufacturing, the most common planarization technique is chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). Developed primarily for planarizing hard materials such as metals and dielectrics, CMP has several drawbacks. For example, applying CMP to softer materials such as organic compounds requires expensive and strict process control, making it difficult to implement. Additionally, recesses wider than a few microns can cause problems with polishing.

[0004] As mentioned above, cutting-edge photolithography processes for semiconductor device manufacturing include EUV exposure and nanoimprinting, which require pattern line widths of several tens of nanometers or less, which in turn requires flatness of several tens of nanometers or less.

[0005] Patent Document 1 proposes a planarization technique using an imprinting method other than CMP. A polymerizable imprinting material (curable composition) is placed between a first surface of a substrate requiring planarization and a template, and cured while it is in this state. The template is then separated from the cured material (demolded), forming a cured film with a flat surface on the substrate. Inkjet technology is used to apply the imprinting material to the substrate, dispensing droplets of the imprinting material at desired positions. The pattern of droplets dispensed onto the substrate (droplet pattern) is changed on demand depending on the surface irregularities of the first surface. Therefore, compared to CMP and other techniques that perform a uniform planarization process regardless of the surface irregularities of the first surface, this technique can achieve highly accurate flatness without being affected by minute irregularities on the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-127039 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 8,541,053 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 9,063,409 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0109195 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In planarization by the imprint method, the flatness of the template contact surface that comes into direct contact with the imprint material has a significant effect on the flatness of the substrate after molding.

[0008] However, even if the template has high flatness, if its releasability from the imprint material is poor, not only will a large force be required to peel (release) the template, but the surface of the substrate or the surface of the template may be damaged after release, which may make it impossible to ensure the desired flatness for mass production.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a molding device that uses a template that ensures flatness while reducing the demolding force, and that molds a flat surface on a substrate with high productivity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In view of the above problems, a planarization apparatus according to the present invention is a planarization apparatus that brings a template into contact with a curable composition arranged on a substrate to form a flat surface of the curable composition, the planarization apparatus comprising: the template has rigidity that enables it to conform to the surface shape of the substrate when brought into contact with the curable composition on the substrate; The template has a template substrate having a flat surface and a film thickness of at least 50 nm covering the flat surface. Made of amorphous fluororesin a coating layer; the surface of the coating layer satisfies a Site Front Least Squares Range (SFQR) of 20 nm or less in any 26 mm × 8 mm area, the SFQR of the surface of the coating layer is smaller than the SFQR of the flat surface of the template substrate; The flat surface of the template substrate satisfies SFQR 20 nm or less. And, The thickness of the template is 0.25 mm or more and less than 2 mm, and the template is made of a glass-based material selected from soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, alkali barium silicate glass, aluminosilicate glass, quartz, and synthetic fused silica. It is characterized by: . [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a template that achieves both mass productivity and a high degree of flatness, and a molding apparatus and molding method that use the template. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a molding device. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a flattening process. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a template in the apparatus of FIG. 1; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] (Configuration of molding device) 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a molding apparatus 100. The molding apparatus 100 is embodied as a molding apparatus that molds a curable composition on a substrate 11 using a template 15 having a flat surface, and in this embodiment, flattens the curable composition on the substrate.

[0015] The molding apparatus 100 hardens the curable composition on the substrate while bringing the composition into contact with the template, and then separates the hardened composition from the template to form a globally or locally flat surface of the composition on the substrate.

[0016] A typical substrate is a silicon wafer, but is not limited thereto. The substrate 11 can be selected from among those known as substrates for semiconductor devices, such as aluminum, titanium-tungsten alloy, aluminum-silicon alloy, aluminum-copper-silicon alloy, silicon oxide, and silicon nitride. The substrate 11 may have an adhesion layer formed by surface treatment such as silane coupling treatment, silazane treatment, or organic thin film deposition, thereby improving adhesion to the curable composition. The substrate 11 is typically circular with a diameter of 300 mm, but is not limited thereto.

[0017] The template 15 is preferably made of a light-transmitting material in consideration of the light irradiation process. Specific examples of materials for the template 15 include glass, quartz, light-transmitting resins such as polycarbonate resin, transparent metal deposition films, flexible films such as polydimethylsiloxane, photocurable films, and metal films. The template 15 is preferably circular with a diameter greater than 300 mm and less than 500 mm, but is not limited to this. The thickness of the template 15 is preferably greater than or equal to 0.25 mm and less than 2 mm, but is not limited to this.

[0018] As the curable composition, a UV-curable liquid composition may be used in consideration of the light irradiation process. Typically, acrylate or methacrylate monomers may be used.

[0019] The molding apparatus 100 includes a substrate chuck 12, a substrate stage 13, a base surface plate 4, support columns 5, a top plate 6, a guide bar plate 7, a guide bar 8, a template driving unit 9, support columns 10, a template chuck 16, a head 17, and an alignment shelf 18. The molding apparatus 100 also includes a droplet supply unit 20, an off-axis alignment (OA) scope 21, a substrate transport unit 22, an alignment scope 23, a light source 24, a stage driving unit 31, a template transport unit 32, and a control unit 200.

[0020] The substrate chuck 12 and the substrate stage 13 constitute a substrate holding unit that holds the substrate 11, and the template chuck 16 and the head 17 constitute a template holding unit that holds the template 15. Here, an XYZ coordinate system is defined such that the horizontal plane is the XY plane and the vertical direction is the Z-axis direction.

[0021] The substrate 11 to be subjected to planarization processing is carried in from outside the planarization apparatus 100 or from a storage box storing wafers by a substrate transport unit 22 including a transport hand and the like, and is held by the substrate chuck 12. The substrate stage 13 is supported by the base surface plate 4, and is driven in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction to position the substrate 11 held by the substrate chuck 12 at a predetermined position.

[0022] The stage driving unit 31 includes, for example, a linear motor or an air cylinder, and drives (moves) the substrate stage 13 at least in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, but may also have the function of driving the substrate stage 13 in two or more axial directions (for example, six axial directions).The stage driving unit 31 also includes a rotation mechanism, and drives (rotates) the substrate chuck 12 and the substrate stage 13 to rotate around an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction.

[0023] The template 15 is carried in from the outside of the molding apparatus 100 or from a storage box storing the templates by a template transport unit 32 including a transport hand and is held by the template chuck 16. The template 15 has, for example, a circular or rectangular outer shape and includes a flat surface on its underside. The flat surface has enough rigidity to come into contact with the curable composition on the substrate and conform to the surface shape of the substrate 11. The flat surface has a size the same as or larger than the substrate 11.

[0024] The template chuck 16 is supported by the head 17 and has the function of correcting the tilt of the template 15 around the Z axis. Each of the template chuck 16 and the head 17 includes an opening that allows light (ultraviolet light) emitted from the light source 24 via a collimator lens to pass through. The template chuck 16 or the head 17 is also provided with a load cell for measuring the pressing force (impression force) of the template 15 against the curable composition on the substrate. The template chuck 16 can adsorb and hold the template 15. Specifically, an electrostatic chuck mechanism that adsorbs and holds the template 15 by electrostatic attraction or a vacuum chuck mechanism that adsorbs and holds the template 15 by vacuum suction can be used. In this embodiment, an electrostatic chuck mechanism will be used as an example for explanation.

[0025] Support columns 5 that support a top plate 6 are arranged on the base surface plate 4. A guide bar 8 passes through the top plate 6, with one end fixed to the guide bar plate 7 and the other end fixed to the head 17.

[0026] The template driving unit 9 is a mechanism that drives the head 17 in the Z-axis direction via the guide bar 8 to bring the template 15 held by the template chuck 16 into contact with the curable composition on the substrate or separate it from the curable composition on the substrate. The template driving unit 9 also has a function of driving (moving) the head 17 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, a function of rotating the template chuck 16 or the head 17 about an axis parallel to the Z-axis direction, and a function of being able to rotate the template chuck 16 and the head 17 in the Y-axis direction. That is, the control unit 200 controls the stage driving unit 31 and the template driving unit 9 so that the relative positions of the template 15 held by the template chuck 16 and the substrate 11 held by the substrate chuck 12 are adjusted during the planarization process.

[0027] The alignment shelf 18 is suspended from the top plate 6 via support columns 10. A guide bar 8 passes through the alignment shelf 18. Also, a height measurement system (not shown) is disposed on the alignment shelf 18 to measure the height (flatness) of the substrate 11 held by the substrate chuck 12, for example, using an oblique incidence image shift method.

[0028] The OA scope 21 is supported on the alignment shelf 18. The OA scope 21 detects alignment marks provided in multiple shot areas on the substrate 11 and is used in global alignment processing to determine the positions of each of the multiple shot areas.

[0029] The alignment scope 23 includes an optical system and an imaging system for observing the reference mark provided on the substrate stage 13 and the alignment mark provided on the template 15. However, if the template 15 does not have an alignment mark, the alignment scope 23 may not be necessary. The alignment scope 23 measures the relative position between the reference mark provided on the substrate stage 13 and the alignment mark provided on the template 15, and is used for alignment to correct any misalignment. The positional relationship between the template 15 and the substrate stage 13 is determined by the alignment scope 23, and the positional relationship between the substrate stage 13 and the substrate 11 is determined by the OA scope 21, thereby enabling relative alignment between the template 15 and the substrate 11.

[0030] The droplet supply unit 20 is composed of a dispenser including a discharge port (nozzle) for discharging uncured (liquid) curable composition onto the substrate 11, and deposits (supplies) droplets of the curable composition onto the substrate. The droplet supply unit 20 employs, for example, a piezo-jet system or a microsolenoid system, and can supply minute droplets of the curable composition onto the substrate. The number of discharge ports in the droplet supply unit 20 is not limited and may be one (single nozzle) or more than 100. That is, a linear nozzle array may be used, or a combination of multiple linear nozzle arrays may be used.

[0031] The control unit 200 includes a processing unit such as a CPU or other processor, an FPGA, and a storage unit such as a memory, and controls the entire molding apparatus 100. The control unit 200 functions as a processing unit that performs a planarization process by comprehensively controlling each unit of the molding apparatus 100. Here, the planarization process refers to a process in which the flat surface of the template 15 is brought into contact with the curable composition on the substrate 11, and the flat surface is made to conform to the surface shape of the substrate 11, thereby planarizing the curable composition. Note that the planarization process is generally performed on a lot-by-lot basis, that is, for each of the multiple substrates included in the same lot.

[0032] (Flattening processing method) Next, an outline of a commonly performed planarization process will be described with reference to Figures 2(a) to 2(c). Here, a process will be described in which a curable composition is dropped onto the entire surface of a substrate and the curable composition is brought into contact with a template to planarize the curable composition. However, the curable composition on a partial region of a substrate may also be brought into contact with a template to planarize the curable composition.

[0033] First, as shown in Fig. 2(a), multiple droplets of the curable composition IM are dropped on demand from a droplet supply unit 20 onto a substrate 11 on which a base pattern has been formed. Fig. 2(a) shows the state after the curable composition IM has been supplied onto the substrate and before it is brought into contact with a template 15. Next, as shown in Fig. 2(b), the curable composition IM on the substrate is brought into contact with the flat surface 15a of the template 15.

[0034] 2(b) shows a state in which the flat surface 15a of the template 15 is in contact with the entire curable composition IM on the substrate, and the flat surface 15a of the template 15 conforms to the surface shape of the substrate 11. In the state shown in FIG. 2(b), the curable composition IM on the substrate is irradiated with light from the light source 24 through the template 15, thereby curing the curable composition IM.

[0035] Next, as shown in FIG. 2(c), the template 15 is separated from the cured curable composition IM on the substrate. This allows a planarization layer of the curable composition IM with a uniform thickness to be formed over the entire surface of the substrate 11. FIG. 2(c) shows the state in which the planarization layer of the curable composition IM has been formed on the substrate. When performing such a planarization process, it is difficult to bring the large-area template 15 into contact with the curable composition over the entire surface of the substrate 11 and then peel it off over the entire surface. The larger the contact area, the greater the force required for peeling (mold release force). If the mold release force is too large, the mold release operation itself may not be performed properly, the pattern formed on the substrate may be damaged, or the curable composition on the substrate may not be properly planarized.

[0036] As a result of investigations by the present inventors, it has been found that by forming a flat coating layer on the template surface that comes into contact with the curable composition, it is possible to form a surface having a SFQR (Site Front least squares Range) value of 20 nm or less, and also to reduce the release force after curing.

[0037] In particular, by using a fluororesin such as Cytop as a flat coating layer, even if the SFQR of the surface of the template base material is 20 nm or more, it is possible to easily form a template surface with an SFQR of 20 nm or less by coating, and the release force during peeling can also be significantly reduced. This effectively suppresses peeling from the substrate during release, allowing for the stable formation of a substrate surface that reflects the flatness of the template.

[0038] The flatness of the template 15 is important, and in the present invention, the SFQR value must be 20 nm or less, and more preferably, it is preferably manufactured so as to satisfy 10 nm or less.

[0039] (Template configuration) 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of template 15. Template 15 may include a template substrate 15d having a flat surface 15c. Surface 15c has no recesses or protrusions and may be called a blank. Surface 15c may have an area that is at least 90% of the area of ​​substrate 11, and may have an area that is the same as or larger than substrate 11. In one embodiment, the area of ​​the surface is at least 280 cm 2 , at least 700 cm 2 , at least 1,100 cm 2 , or greater, and in another embodiment, the surface area is up to 31,500 cm 2 It is possible.

[0040] The surface 15c can have two-dimensional shapes, including circular, elliptical, rectangular (including square), and hexagonal. While the surface 15c can be improved by using a protective layer 15b (described later), the SFQR of the surface 15c of the template substrate 15d is preferably equal to or smaller than the minimum linewidth in the next process after planarization. Specifically, the SFQR must be 20 nm or less, preferably 10 nm or less. Accurate measurements are difficult if the measurement is too close to the peripheral edge, so measurements excluding a 3 mm region from the peripheral edge (edge ​​exclusion) can be used.

[0041] The template substrate 15d has a transmittance of at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 85%, or at least 90% to the radiation used to cure the curable composition. The template substrate 15d can include glass-based materials, silicon, organic polymers, siloxane polymers, fluorocarbon polymers, sapphire, spinel, other similar materials, or any combination thereof. The glass-based materials can include soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, alkali barium silicate glass, aluminosilicate glass, quartz, synthetic fused silica, and the like. The template substrate 15d can have a thickness ranging from 25 μm to 2000 μm.

[0042] The surface 15c of the template substrate 15d can be covered by a protective layer 15b, which is a flat covering layer.

[0043] The protective layer 15b is formed on the template substrate 15d and has a surface 15a with an SFQR that is equal to or smaller than the minimum line width in the next process after planarization. Specifically, it is 20 nm or less, preferably 10 nm or less. The SFQR can be determined using a thickness and shape measurement device. The SFQR is measured in a certain area of ​​the substrate surface (usually the slit size of the scanner is 26 × 8 mm). 2 )) is defined as the amplitude of irregularities on the substrate surface from a mathematically determined least squares plane.

[0044] The SFQR can be measured using a thickness and shape measuring device (LGW-3020FE, manufactured by Kobelco Research Institute Co., Ltd.).

[0045] In one embodiment, a representative amount of the area including the center may be used as the measurement. For example, for a substrate 11 with a diameter of 300 mm, measurements of the SFQR of the surface 15a may be taken anywhere between the center and the edge exclusion area.

[0046] In one embodiment, the SFQR may be relative to a contact area of ​​the surface 15a, where the contact area is the area where the template 15 comes into contact with the curable composition IM during the contacting operation. In one embodiment, the SFQR of the surface 15a of the protective layer 15b is at most the minimum line width of the next process after planarization, at most 20 nm, or at most 10 nm, or at most 4 nm.

[0047] As will be described later in this embodiment, the protective layer 15b is formed to improve the SFQR of the template substrate 15d. The thickness of the protective layer 15b is adjusted based on the SFQR measurement value of the template substrate 15d. Even when the template substrate surface 15c has sufficient SFQR, the SFQR is maintained or improved.

[0048] Furthermore, protective layer 15b has a surface 15a with a surface roughness Ra that is equal to or less than the surface roughness Ra of surface 15c of template substrate 15d. Surface roughness Ra can be determined using an atomic force microscope. An edge exclusion of 3 mm can be used because measurements are too close to the perimeter.

[0049] The surface roughness Ra may be the median of the measurements. In one embodiment, a representative amount of the area including the center may be used as the measurement. For example, for a substrate 11 with a diameter of 300 mm, measurements of the surface roughness Ra of the protective layer 15b may be taken anywhere between the center and the edge exclusion area.

[0050] In one embodiment, the surface roughness Ra may be relative to the contact area of ​​the surface 15a, the contact area being the area where the template 15 comes into contact with the curable composition IM during the contacting operation. In one embodiment, the surface roughness Ra of the surface 15a of the protective layer 15b is at most 1 nm, at most 0.5 nm, or at most 0.2 nm, and in another embodiment, the threshold is at least 0.1 nm.

[0051] The protective layer 15b also helps reduce the likelihood of particles being trapped between the template 15 and the substrate, scratching the surface 15c of the template substrate 15d. The protective layer 15b can be removed, and a new protective layer can be formed on the surface 15c of the template substrate 15d. The protective layer 15b can help extend the life of the template substrate 15d of the template 15.

[0052] In one embodiment, protective layer 15b is primarily made of an organic material such as PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) or an amorphous fluororesin. It may also include a transparent oxide, nitride, or oxynitride. In certain embodiments, protective layer 15b may be silicon dioxide or aluminum oxide. Protective layer 15b can be formed by spin coating, chemical vapor deposition (which may or may not be plasma-enhanced CVD), atomic layer deposition, or physical vapor deposition (e.g., sputtering).

[0053] In another embodiment, the protective layer 15b is permeable to the process gas. The permeability aids in the removal of the gas, which may otherwise be trapped when the template 15 comes into contact with the curable composition. The protective layer 15b has a higher permeability to the process gas compared to the template substrate 15d.

[0054] In one embodiment, the process gas can be helium. In one embodiment, each of the protective layers 15b can include a porous material, exemplary porous materials being described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,629,999 and 5,729,999, the teachings of which regarding porous materials are incorporated herein by reference. The protective layers 15b can include deposited oxides, anodized alumina, organosilanes, organosilicate materials, organic polymers, inorganic polymers, or any combination thereof.

[0055] The thickness of protective layer 15b may be at least as thick as particles that may be disposed between template 15 and substrate 12 on which a planarization layer will be formed using template 15. In one embodiment, protective layer 15b may have a thickness of at least 1 nm, at least 50 nm, or at least 200 nm. In other embodiments, protective layer 15b may have a thickness of at most 10,000 nm, at most 5,000 nm, at most 3,000 nm, or at most 950 nm.

[0056] Protective layer 15b may be treated with a release compound to facilitate release of template 15 from a planarization layer formed using template 15. In one embodiment, exemplary release compounds are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0129999, the teachings of which regarding release compounds are incorporated herein by reference.

[0057] Although the imprint-based planarization apparatus described in Patent Document 1 proposes the use of a protective layer to improve surface roughness, the flatness of the template substrate before the protective layer is formed is even more important. Having specific indicators makes it possible to prepare a properly processed template substrate. Furthermore, adjusting the thickness of the protective layer can improve flatness and further improve the surface roughness, which is the high-frequency component of the template roughness.

[0058] Another object of the present invention is to provide a template that can improve the releasability of the imprint material and the template by forming a protective layer using a fluororesin, which is a low surface energy material, and that can achieve both mass productivity and a high level of flatness, as well as a molding apparatus and molding method that use the template.

[0059] The planarizing coating layer can be made of fluorine-doped polyimide, Teflon (registered trademark), Cytop (registered trademark), fluoropolyarylether, fluorine-doped parylene, perfluorocyclobutane, benzocyclobutene, and other fluororesins. Among these, Cytop, an amorphous fluororesin, is preferably used as the planarizing coating layer. [Example]

[0060] The present invention will be described in detail below using examples.

[0061] Example 1 This embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0062] 3, the template substrate 15d, which is the base material of the template 15, is made of quartz glass and has a thickness of 700 μm. The SFQR of the template substrate 15d measured using a thickness / shape measuring device (LGW-3020FE, manufactured by Kobelco Research Institute Co., Ltd.) was 10 nm.

[0063] The protective layer 15b was formed by spin-coating an amorphous fluororesin (Cytop) layer. The median thickness of the Cytop layer was 100 nm, and the SFQR on the surface 15a of the template 15 could be improved to 7 nm by adjusting the film thickness.

[0064] 2(a) to 2(c) on the substrate 11 using the template 15 in the molding apparatus 100, the SFQR of the molded substrate surface was 7 nm. This makes it possible to achieve a minimum line width of 7 nm in the EUV exposure tool in the next process.

[0065] <Example 2> The template substrate 15d of the template 15 was made of quartz glass and had a thickness of 700 μm, similar to Example 1. The SFQR of the template substrate 15d was 20 nm.

[0066] The protective layer 15b was formed by spin-coating a PMMA layer and an amorphous fluororesin (Cytop) layer. The PMMA layer and Cytop layer had a median thickness of 1 μm and 100 nm, respectively, and the SFQR of the surface 15a of the template 15 was maintained at 20 nm.

[0067] Furthermore, the Ra value measured with an atomic force microscope (Bruker Atomic Force Microscope Nanoscope) was 0.2 nm. By using the template 15 in the molding apparatus 100 and performing the processes shown in Figures 2(a) to 2(c) on the substrate 11, the SFQR of the molded substrate surface was 20 nm. This makes it possible to achieve a minimum line width of 20 nm formed by the nanoimprinting apparatus in the next step.

[0068] <Comparative Example> The template substrate 15d had an SFQR of 50 nm, but was otherwise the same as in Example 1. Although the flatness after the formation of the protective layer 15b was slightly improved, the SFQR was 45 nm.

[0069] By using the template 15 in the molding apparatus 100 and performing the processes shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(c) on the substrate 11, the SFQR became 45 nm.

[0070] The depth of focus cannot be adjusted in the EUV exposure equipment used in the next process, making it impossible to achieve a minimum line width of 7 nm. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 100 Molding equipment 15 templates 16 Template holder 15a Surface of protective layer 15b Protective layer 15c Surface of template substrate 15d template substrate

Claims

1. A planarization apparatus that brings a template into contact with a curable composition disposed on a substrate to form a flat surface of the curable composition, the template has rigidity that enables it to conform to the surface shape of the substrate when brought into contact with the curable composition on the substrate; the template includes a template substrate having a flat surface, and a coating layer made of an amorphous fluororesin and having a thickness of at least 50 nm, the coating layer covering the flat surface; the surface of the coating layer satisfies a Site Front Least Squares Range (SFQR) of 20 nm or less in any 26 mm x 8 mm area; the surface of the coating layer has a smaller SFQR than the flat surface of the template substrate; the flat surface of the template substrate satisfies SFQR of 20 nm or less; The thickness of the template is 0.25 mm or more and less than 2 mm, and the template is made of a glass-based material selected from soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, alkali barium silicate glass, aluminosilicate glass, quartz, and synthetic fused silica. A flattening apparatus characterized by:

2. 2. The planarization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coating layer is made of PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate).

3. The planarization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the coating layer has an SFQR of 10 nm or less.

4. The planarization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the surface roughness of the surface covered by the covering layer is smaller than the surface roughness of the template.

5. The planarization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the coating layer has a surface roughness Ra of 1 nm or less.

6. 6. The planarization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the coating layer is at most 950 nm.

7. means for applying the curable composition onto the substrate; a means for contacting or detaching the template from the curable composition on the substrate; a means for curing the curable composition by light irradiation; The planarization apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

8. disposing a curable composition on a substrate; contacting the template with the curable composition; curing the curable composition while in contact with the template; 1. A planarization method comprising: the template has rigidity that enables it to conform to the surface shape of the substrate when brought into contact with the curable composition on the substrate; the template includes a template substrate having a flat surface, and a coating layer made of an amorphous fluororesin and having a film thickness of at least 50 nm, the coating layer covering the flat surface, wherein the surface of the coating layer satisfies a Site Front least squares range (SFQR) of 20 nm or less in any 26 mm x 8 mm area; The SFQR of the surface of the coating layer is smaller than the SFQR of the flat surface of the template substrate, and the flat surface of the template substrate satisfies an SFQR of 20 nm or less. A planarization method comprising:

9. the disposing step is a step of disposing the curable composition on demand in accordance with the surface irregularities on the substrate, contacting the template with the curable composition on the substrate; and curing the curable composition by irradiating it with light through the template; and The method of claim 8, further comprising planarizing the substrate.

10. The planarization method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the SFQR of the contact surface is 10 nm or less.

11. A template used for planarization, which is brought into contact with a curable composition disposed on a substrate to form a flat surface of the curable composition, comprising: the template has rigidity that enables it to conform to the surface shape of the substrate when brought into contact with the curable composition on the substrate; the template includes a template substrate having a flat surface, and a coating layer made of an amorphous fluororesin and having a film thickness of at least 50 nm, the coating layer covering the flat surface, wherein the surface of the coating layer satisfies a Site Front least squares range (SFQR) of 20 nm or less in any 26 mm x 8 mm area; The SFQR of the surface of the coating layer is smaller than the SFQR of the flat surface of the template substrate, and the flat surface of the template substrate satisfies an SFQR of 20 nm or less. A template characterized by:

12. The template of claim 11 , wherein the SFQR of the contact surface is 10 nm or less.

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