Molding method, molding device, and method for manufacturing an article

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous for molding a composition on a substrate with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A molding method for molding a composition on a substrate by using a contact surface contacted to the composition on the substrate and a cavity provided onto a surface on the side opposite to the contact surface, contains: a gas supply step of supplying a gas into the cavity so as to deform the contact surface to a convex shape directed to the substrate by rising a pressure in the cavity; an inclination changing step of relatively inclining the molding to the substrate; a contact step of contacting the contact surface with the composition on the substrate in the state where the contact surface is deformed by the gas supplying step, and the molding is inclined by the inclination changing step; and a gas increase step of further supplying the gas into the cavity so as to increase the change amount of the contact surface after the contact of the contact surface with the composition is started in the contact step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A molding technique is known in which a composition placed on a substrate is brought into contact with a mold to mold the composition on the substrate. Such molding techniques can be applied to imprinting techniques, planarization techniques, and the like. In imprinting techniques, a mold having a contact surface with a concave-convex pattern is used, and the composition on the substrate is brought into contact with the contact surface, and the composition is cured while the contact surface is in contact, thereby transferring the pattern of the mold to the composition on the substrate. In planarization techniques, a mold having a flat contact surface is used, and the composition on the substrate is brought into contact with the contact surface, and the composition is cured while the contact surface is in contact, thereby forming a film of the composition having a flat upper surface on the substrate.

[0003] In imprinting and planarization techniques, when a composition on a substrate is brought into contact with a mold, air bubbles may remain between the substrate and the mold (i.e., the composition on the substrate). If the composition is cured while air bubbles are mixed in the composition, defects (unfilled defects) may occur where the air bubbles exist. Therefore, the mold is pressurized to deform the contact surface of the mold into a convex shape facing the substrate, and the composition on the substrate is then brought into contact with the contact surface. This gradually brings the composition on the substrate into contact with the contact surface from a portion of the contact surface of the mold outward, allowing the gas between the mold and the substrate to be pushed outward, thereby reducing the amount of air bubbles remaining between the mold and the substrate.

[0004] Furthermore, in order to improve the yield of product chips obtained from a substrate, it is desirable to apply imprinting and planarization techniques to shot regions (sometimes called chipped shot regions) located on the periphery of a substrate where only a portion of the mold's contact surface is in contact. However, for such chipped shot regions, if the mold's contact surface is deformed into a convex shape and the composition on the substrate is brought into contact with the mold's contact surface, the mold may come into contact (collide) with the edge of the substrate, potentially damaging the mold and / or the substrate. One method for avoiding such contact between the substrate's edge and the mold is to deform the mold into a convex shape and tilt the mold relative to the substrate while bringing the composition on the substrate into contact with the mold's contact surface. Patent Document 1 describes a method in which a mold (mold) is deformed into a convex shape and brought into contact with an imprint material on the substrate in a tilted position from a position directly facing the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6423641 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When initiating contact between the contact surface of the mold and the composition on the substrate at a target location on the substrate, if the deformation amount of the contact surface into a convex shape is increased, it is necessary to tilt the mold more significantly relative to the substrate, which may result in contact between the substrate and the mold. In other words, when initiating contact between the composition on the substrate and the contact surface of the mold while the mold is tilted relative to the substrate, the deformation amount of the contact surface may be limited. As a result, when the composition on the substrate and the mold are brought into contact, it may be difficult to sufficiently reduce the amount of bubbles remaining between the substrate and the mold.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an advantageous technique for molding a composition on a substrate with high precision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present invention provides a molding method for molding a composition on a substrate using a mold having a contact surface that comes into contact with the composition on the substrate and a cavity provided on a surface opposite the contact surface, the molding method comprising: a gas supplying step of supplying gas into the cavity so as to increase the pressure in the cavity and deform the contact surface into a convex shape facing the substrate; a tilt changing step of tilting the mold relative to the substrate; a contacting step of bringing the contact surface into contact with the composition on the substrate in a state in which the contact surface has been deformed by the gas supplying step and the mold has been tilted by the tilt changing step; and a gas increasing step of further supplying gas into the cavity after contact between the contact surface and the composition has started in the contacting step so as to increase the amount of deformation of the contact surface.

[0009] Further objects and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide an advantageous technique for precisely molding a composition on a substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an imprint apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mold drive unit [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement of a plurality of shot areas on a substrate; [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing contact processing of the entire shot area in the prior art; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing contact processing of a missing shot area in the prior art; [Figure 6] 1 shows a contact treatment according to the prior art. [Figure 7]Diagram explaining the mechanism behind the creation of Void [Figure 8] Diagram explaining the mechanism behind the creation of Void [Figure 9] FIG. 1 shows Example 1 of contact processing of a missing shot area in the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example of contact processing of a missing shot area in the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 shows Example 2 of contact processing of a missing shot area in the present invention. [Figure 12] A diagram for explaining a method for manufacturing an article. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a flattening process; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0013] In this specification and the accompanying drawings, directions are indicated in an XYZ coordinate system, with the direction parallel to the surface of the substrate being the XY plane. The directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, respectively, and rotation around the X-axis, rotation around the Y-axis, and rotation around the Z-axis are referred to as θX, θY, and θZ, respectively. Control and drive (movement) about the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis refer to control or drive (movement) in directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. Furthermore, control or drive about the θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis refer to control or drive in rotation around an axis parallel to the X-axis, rotation around an axis parallel to the Y-axis, and rotation around an axis parallel to the Z-axis, respectively.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an imprint apparatus IMP according to an embodiment of the present invention. The imprint apparatus IMP is a lithography apparatus employed in a lithography process, which is a manufacturing process for semiconductor devices, magnetic storage media, liquid crystal display elements, and the like, for forming a pattern on a substrate. The imprint apparatus IMP functions as a molding apparatus for performing a molding process in which a curable composition (composition) is molded on a substrate using a mold. As the molding process, the imprint apparatus IMP performs an imprint process in which an imprint material, which is a curable composition, is molded. Specifically, the imprint apparatus IMP brings an imprint material supplied (placed) on a substrate into contact with the mold and applies energy for curing to the imprint material, thereby forming a pattern in a cured product to which the pattern of the mold has been transferred. The mold may also be referred to as a mold, template, or original, and may be referred to as a mold hereinafter.

[0015] The imprint processing performed by the imprint apparatus IMP of this embodiment will be described below while explaining the configuration of the imprint apparatus IMP with reference to Figure 1. The imprint processing is controlled by a control unit 1. The control unit 1 is configured by a computer having, for example, a processor such as a CPU and a storage unit such as a memory, and controls the imprint processing by controlling each unit of the imprint apparatus IMP.

[0016] In the imprint apparatus IMP, a substrate 11 to be subjected to imprint processing is placed on a substrate holding unit 12 (substrate chuck). The imprint apparatus IMP drives the substrate 11 in the X and Y directions using a substrate driving unit 13 that supports the substrate holding unit 12 so that a target shot region to be subjected to imprint processing among multiple shot regions on the substrate 11 is positioned below a supply unit 3. The supply unit 3 (dispenser) is a mechanism that supplies (discharges) an imprint material (curable composition) onto the substrate by discharging it toward the substrate 11. The imprint apparatus IMP can supply the imprint material onto the substrate by having the supply unit 3 discharge the imprint material while moving the substrate 11 using the substrate driving unit 13 below the supply unit 3. The position of the substrate driving unit 13 (substrate 11) in the X and Y directions is measured by a measurement unit 4 and controlled by a control unit 1 based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 4.

[0017] The substrate 11 may be made of, for example, glass, ceramics, metal, semiconductor, or resin. If necessary, a member made of a material different from that of the substrate may be provided on the surface of the substrate. The substrate 11 may be, for example, a silicon wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, or quartz glass.

[0018] The imprint material used is a curable composition (sometimes referred to as an uncured resin) that cures when curing energy is applied. The curable composition is a composition that cures when irradiated with light or when heated. Among these, photocurable compositions that cure when irradiated with light contain at least a polymerizable compound and a photopolymerization initiator, and may further contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent, as needed. The non-polymerizable compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of sensitizers, hydrogen donors, internal mold release agents, surfactants, antioxidants, and polymer components. The viscosity of the viscous material (at 25°C) is, for example, 1 mPa·s or more and 100 mPa·s or less.

[0019] Here, in the present embodiment, the imprint material supply process can be performed only on the target shot region, but it may also be performed at once (collectively) on two or more of the multiple shot regions on the substrate 11. Furthermore, the supply unit 3 that performs the imprint material supply process can be provided as a component of the imprint apparatus IMP, but it may also be provided as an external mechanism of the imprint apparatus IMP. In this case, the imprint material supply process can be performed in advance on the entire surface of the substrate 11 before the substrate 11 is carried into the imprint apparatus IMP.

[0020] After the imprint material supply process, the substrate 11 is driven by the substrate drive unit 13 to position a part or the entire target shot area of ​​the substrate 11 below the mold 10 (contact surface 16). The mold 10 is held by a mold holding unit 9 (mold chuck) and can be driven in the Z direction by the mold drive unit 8. By driving the mold 10 toward the substrate 11 (in the -Z direction), contact between the mold 10 and the imprint material on the substrate 11 can be initiated. In this embodiment, the processes from positioning the substrate 11 below the mold 10 by the substrate drive unit 13 to initiating contact between the mold 10 and the substrate 11 by the mold drive unit 8 are collectively referred to as a "contact initiation process." The contact initiation process is also sometimes referred to as a liquid contact process.

[0021] The mold 10 has, for example, a rectangular outer shape and can typically be made of a material that is transparent to ultraviolet light, such as quartz. The mold 10 has a mesa portion on the substrate side, configured in a mesa shape with a step of, for example, several tens of micrometers, and the surface of the mesa portion on the substrate side functions as a contact surface 16 that comes into contact with the imprint material on the substrate. In the mold 10 used in the imprint apparatus IMP of this embodiment, the contact surface 16 is configured as a pattern surface on which a concave-convex pattern (device pattern, circuit pattern) to be transferred to the imprint material on the substrate is formed. In addition, in a mold used in a planarization apparatus, the contact surface 16 is configured as a flat surface on which no concave-convex pattern is formed.

[0022] Furthermore, a cavity 15 (recess) is formed in the surface of the mold 10 opposite the contact surface 16 so that the thickness of the contact surface 16 and its surrounding area is reduced. This cavity 15 becomes a substantially sealed space (air chamber) when the mold 10 is held by the mold holding unit 9. The cavity 15 is connected to the mold deformation unit 14 via piping.

[0023] In the contact initiation process, the mold deformation unit 14 controls the amount of gas supplied into the cavity 15 (air chamber) of the mold 10, thereby controlling the pressure within the cavity and deforming the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 into a convex shape that bends toward the substrate 11. The mold deformation unit 14 may also be understood as a gas supply unit that supplies gas into the cavity 15 so as to deform the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 into a convex shape. For example, the mold deformation unit 14 supplies compressed gas into the cavity 15 in the contact initiation process, thereby increasing the pressure inside the cavity 15 above the pressure outside the cavity 15. This deforms the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 into a convex shape, allowing the mold 10 and the imprint material on the substrate to gradually come into contact from a portion (e.g., the center) of the contact surface 16 toward the outside. As a result, air bubbles remaining between the mold 10 and the substrate 11 (i.e., in the imprint material on the substrate) can be reduced, and defects in the pattern formed in the imprint material on the substrate can be reduced. The effect of reducing such bubbles increases as the amount of deformation of the mold 10 into a convex shape increases.

[0024] In the contact initiation process, after contact between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the imprint material on the substrate 11 begins, the mold driver 8 drives the mold 10 further toward the substrate 11 (in the -Z direction) to expand the contact surface. This drive can be performed by force control based on the force (reaction force) that the mold 10 receives from the imprint material on the substrate 11, but may also be performed by position control based on the distance in the Z direction between the mold 10 and the substrate 11. Then, the pressure of the cavity 15 and the control of the mold driver 8 are performed in parallel until the imprint material on the substrate 11 spreads over the entire contact surface 16 of the mold 10. In this manner, the processes from after contact between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the imprint material on the substrate 11 begins until the imprint material spreads over the entire contact surface 16 of the mold 10 may be collectively referred to as the "imprinting process" in this embodiment. The contact initiation process and the imprinting process may also be collectively referred to as the "contact process." In the contact process, the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the target shot area of ​​the substrate 11 may be aligned (overlapped) in the X and Y directions.

[0025] Here, the contact treatment is not limited to driving mold 10 toward substrate 11 (in the -Z direction) by mold driving unit 8, but may also be performed by driving substrate 11 toward mold 10 (in the +Z direction) by substrate driving unit 13. Furthermore, the contact treatment may also be performed by driving mold 10 and substrate 11 relatively with mold driving unit 8 and substrate driving unit 13. In the contact treatment of this embodiment, a method using mold driving unit 8 will be described, but the present invention can also be applied to a method using substrate driving unit 13 or a method using both mold driving unit 8 and substrate driving unit 13.

[0026] The substrate driving unit 13 and the mold driving unit 8 constitute a driving mechanism that drives at least one of the substrate 11 and the mold 10 so as to adjust the relative position between the substrate 11 and the contact surface 16. The adjustment of the relative position by the driving mechanism includes driving to bring the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 into contact with the imprint material on the substrate and to separate the contact surface 16 from the cured imprint material on the substrate. The substrate driving unit 13 can be configured to drive the substrate 11 about multiple axes (e.g., three axes: X-axis, Y-axis, and θZ-axis; preferably six axes: X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis). The mold driving unit 8 is configured to drive the mold 10 about multiple axes (e.g., three axes: Z-axis, θX-axis, and θY-axis; preferably six axes: X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis).

[0027] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the mold driving unit 8 may include three drive systems Z1, Z2, and Z3 that drive the mold holding unit 9 (mold 10) in the Z direction. In FIG. 2, exemplary coordinates at which the drive systems Z1, Z2, and Z3 are located are shown in parentheses. The drive systems Z1, Z2, and Z3 each include, for example, sensors that detect the position in the Z direction and / or the force acting in the Z direction. Based on the outputs of these sensors, the position, attitude (tilt), and force applied to the mold 10 can be controlled. For example, the drive systems Z1 and Z2 drive the mold 10 toward the substrate 11 (-Z direction), and the drive system Z3 drives the mold 10 toward the opposite side of the substrate 11 (+Z direction), thereby tilting the mold 10 in the θY direction (a rotational direction around an axis parallel to the Y axis). This makes it possible to control the tilt of the mold 10 (contact surface 16) relative to the substrate 11 and / or its attitude according to its in-plane shape. That is, the mold driving unit 8 functions as an inclination changing unit that changes the inclination of the mold 10 relative to the substrate 11.

[0028] After the imprint material has spread over the entire contact surface 16 of the mold 10, curing energy is applied to the imprint material while the contact surface 16 and the imprint material on the substrate 11 are in contact with each other, thereby curing the imprint material. Electromagnetic waves, heat, or the like are used as the curing energy. Electromagnetic waves are, for example, light having a wavelength selected from the range of 10 nm to 1 mm, such as infrared light, visible light, or ultraviolet light. In this embodiment, the curing energy is light (e.g., ultraviolet light), which is emitted from the light source 5 and applied to the imprint material on the substrate 11 after passing through the beam splitter 6, the relay optical system 7, and the mold 10. In this embodiment, the process of curing the imprint material after it has spread over the entire contact surface 16 of the mold 10 is sometimes collectively referred to as a "curing process (exposure process)."

[0029] After the imprint material has hardened, the mold driving unit 8 is driven toward the opposite side (+Z direction) of the substrate 11 to peel (separate) the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 from the hardened imprint material. This makes it possible to form a pattern made of the hardened imprint material on the target shot area of ​​the substrate 11. In this manner, the process of peeling the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 from the imprint material after the imprint material has hardened may be collectively referred to as the "mold release process" in this embodiment.

[0030] The above-mentioned imprint processes (contact processes (contact initiation processes, imprinting processes), hardening processes, and mold release processes) can be performed on each of the multiple shot areas on the substrate 11. For example, if there are other shot areas on which the imprint processes should be performed within the same substrate 11 and the imprint material has not been supplied onto the other shot areas, the imprint material supply process is performed on the other shot areas. Then, the substrate 11 is driven by the substrate driving unit 13 so that the other shot areas are positioned below the mold 10 (contact surface 16), and then the imprint processes (contact processes, hardening processes, and mold release processes) are performed on the other shot areas as target shot areas. On the other hand, if there are no other shot areas on which the imprint processes should be performed within the same substrate 11, the substrate 11 is carried out from the substrate holding unit 12.

[0031] Here, in order to improve the yield of product chips obtained from the substrate 11, it is desirable that the imprint process be performed not only on the entire shot area but also on the defective shot area. The entire shot area is a shot area that is located in the center of the substrate 11 and is in contact with the entire contact surface 16 of the mold 10, and is sometimes called an entire shot area or a complete shot area. The defective shot area is a shot area that is located on the periphery of the substrate 11 and is in contact with only a portion of the contact surface 16 of the mold 10, and is sometimes called a partial shot area. Figure 3 shows an example of the arrangement of multiple shot areas SH on the substrate 11. In Figure 3, shot area 21 shows an example of an entire shot area, and shot area 22 shows an example of a defective shot area.

[0032] In such a missing shot region 22, the center (i.e., the lowest point) of the contact surface 16 of the mold 10, which has been deformed into a convex shape by the mold deformation portion 14, may be located outside the substrate 11 during the contact process. In this case, the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 may come into contact with (collide with) the edge of the substrate 11 during the contact process, potentially damaging the mold and / or the substrate. In other words, this may be a factor that causes differences in the imprint process between the full-surface shot region 21 and the missing shot region 22.

[0033] 4 illustrates a conventional technique, and uses schematic diagrams and graphs to explain the transition of the attitude (tilt) of the mold 10 and the pressure in the cavity 15 when a contact process (contact initiation process, imprinting process) is performed on the entire shot area 21. In the following explanation, the pressure in the cavity 15 may be understood as the amount (supply amount) of gas supplied into the cavity 15 by the mold deformation unit 14 to deform the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 into a convex shape. In addition, in each of the figures described below, the imprint material on the substrate is not shown to make the illustration easier to understand.

[0034] FIG. 4(a) shows the contact initiation process (i.e., the process up to the start of contact between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the substrate 11). In FIG. 4(a), the mold 10 is positioned facing the substrate 11 or is adjusted for overlapping with the substrate 11. That is, the relative inclination between the mold 10 and the substrate 11 is adjusted so that they are parallel. Furthermore, gas is supplied to the cavity 15 by the mold deformation unit 14 at a maximum pressure that prevents gas (air) from entering from the outside and causing the mold 10 to come off the mold holding unit 9, so that the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 deforms into a convex shape. That is, the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 is maximized within the configuration of the imprint apparatus IMP. This maximizes the effect of reducing air bubbles remaining between the mold 10 and the substrate 11.

[0035] 4(b) to (d) show the state of the imprinting process divided into a time series of the first half, middle, and last half. In FIGS. 4(b) and (c), the cavity 15 maintains a high pressure, and the mold driving unit 8 controls the pressing of the mold 10, thereby spreading the imprint material over the contact surface 16 of the mold 10. During this time, the posture of the mold 10 changes slightly from that shown in FIG. 4(a) due to disturbances, but the target posture remains unchanged, and the mold 10 is controlled to face the substrate 11 directly or to a posture adjusted for overlapping with the substrate 11.

[0036] In Figure 4(d), in order to spread the imprint material over the entire contact surface 16 of the mold 10, the cavity 15 is depressurized so that the contact surface 16 of the mold 10, which has been deformed into a convex shape, faces the substrate 11 or assumes a shape adjusted for overlay with the substrate 11. That is, the gas inside the cavity 15 is reduced so that the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 decreases and the contact surface 16 becomes parallel to the upper surface of the substrate 11. During this time, as in Figures 4(b) to (c), the posture of the mold 10 changes slightly from Figures 4(a) to (c) due to external disturbances, but remains the target posture and is controlled to face the substrate 11 or to a posture adjusted for overlay with the substrate 11.

[0037] 5 shows the prior art, and uses a schematic diagram and graphs to explain the transition of the attitude (tilt) of mold 10 and the pressure in cavity 15 when performing contact processing (contact initiation processing, imprinting processing) on ​​missing shot region 22. In the contact processing of missing shot region 22, mold 10 is tilted relative to substrate 11 by mold driving unit 8 to initiate contact between contact surface 16 of mold 10 and the imprint material on missing shot region 22 at a target location in missing shot region 22.

[0038] FIG. 5( a) shows the contact initiation process (i.e., the process up to the start of contact between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the substrate 11). The mold 10 is tilted relative to the substrate 11 by the mold driver 8 so that the contact surface 16 faces outward from the substrate 11. The amount of tilt of the mold 10 relative to the substrate 11 can be defined, for example, as the amount α by which the surface S2 (held surface) of the mold 10 held by the mold holder 9 is tilted with respect to a reference plane S1 parallel to the upper surface of the substrate 11. Gas is supplied to the cavity 15 by the mold deformation unit 14 so that the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 is deformed into a convex shape. Simply deforming the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 into a convex shape would position the lowest point of the contact surface 16 outside the substrate 11. Therefore, the mold 10 is tilted relative to the substrate 11 to shift the lowest point of the contact surface 16 to the inside of the substrate 11 (the target location). In this state, by driving the mold 10 toward the substrate 11, the contact surface 16 can be brought into contact with the imprint material on the substrate at the target location in the missing shot region 22 for the first time.

[0039] Here, in the contact initiation process for the missing shot region 22, the pressure in the cavity 15 is set to a lower value compared to the contact initiation process for the entire shot region 21. This is because, when initiating contact between the contact surface 16 and the imprint material at a target location in the missing shot region 22, if the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16 is increased, it is necessary to tilt the mold 10 more significantly relative to the substrate 11. If the amount of tilt of the mold 10 relative to the substrate 11 is increased, the possibility of contact between the mold 10 (for example, the edge of the mold 10 itself) and the substrate 11 increases.

[0040] 5(b), as in the case of the full-surface shot region 21, the mold driving unit 8 controls the pressing of the mold 10 while maintaining the pressure in the cavity 15, and the imprint material is spread over the contact surface 16 of the mold 10. At this time, in the contact start process for the missing shot region 22, the pressure inside the cavity 15 is lower (i.e., the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16 is smaller) than in the case of the full-surface shot region 21, so air bubbles are more likely to get in between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the substrate 11. In other words, voids (unfilled defects) are more likely to occur.

[0041] 5(c), the mold driving unit 8 controls the pressing of the mold 10 to spread the imprint material, and the mold 10 is returned to a position facing the substrate 11 or to a position adjusted for overlaying with the substrate 11. That is, in FIG. 5(c), the inclination (position) of the mold 10 changed in FIG. 5(a) is returned to its original position so that the mold 10 and the substrate 11 are parallel, for example, so that the held surface S2 of the mold 10 coincides with the reference surface S1. Also, in FIG. 5(d), the mold deformation unit 14 reduces the gas in the cavity 15 (i.e., the pressure in the cavity 15), thereby reducing the deformation of the contact surface 16 so that the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the substrate 11 (top surface) are parallel.

[0042] Thus, in the contact initiation process for the missing shot region 22, the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 into a convex shape is limited by tilting the mold 10 relative to the substrate 11. As a result, when the imprint material is pressed and spread onto the contact surface 16 of the mold 10, air bubbles are likely to get in between the mold 10 and the substrate 11, which can increase the possibility of voids (unfilled areas) occurring.

[0043] Fig. 6 shows another conventional technique, and uses schematic diagrams and graphs to explain the transition of the attitude (tilt) of the mold 10 and the pressure in the cavity 15. To clearly explain the problems with the conventional technique, Fig. 6 illustrates an example in which the mold 10 is tilted in the entire-surface shot region 21 to the same extent as in the chipped shot region 22.

[0044] Fig. 6(a) shows the state of the contact initiation process, in which the tilt amount (posture) of the mold 10 relative to the substrate 11 is similar to that in the example of Fig. 5(a), and the pressure in the cavity 15 is similar to that in the example of Fig. 4(a).

[0045] 6(b) to 6(c), the mold driving unit 8 controls the pressing of the mold 10 while maintaining the tilt (posture) of the mold 10, and the imprint material is spread over the contact surface 16 of the mold 10. In this example, unlike the example of FIG. 5(b), the pressure in the cavity 15 is maintained at a high state similar to that in FIG. 4(b), and therefore, the intrusion of air bubbles between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the substrate 11 during the contact initiation process is reduced.

[0046] To spread the imprint material over the entire contact surface 16 of the mold 10, the mold 10 must at some point be returned to its original orientation, facing the substrate 11 or adjusted for alignment with the substrate 11. That is, the tilt (orientation) of the mold 10 changed in FIG. 6( a) must be returned to its original orientation so that the mold 10 and the substrate 11 are parallel, i.e., so that the retained surface S2 of the mold 10 coincides with the reference surface S1. Therefore, in FIG. 6( d ), the mold deformation unit 14 reduces the gas in the cavity 15 (i.e., the pressure in the cavity 15) to reduce the deformation of the contact surface 16, thereby returning the mold 10 to its original orientation. However, if the mold 10 is returned to its original orientation while reducing the deformation of the contact surface 16 as in FIG. 6( d ), voids may occur, as in FIG. 5( b ).

[0047] The mechanism by which voids occur in Figures 6(c) and 6(d) will be explained below with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 shows an enlarged view of the vicinity of contact surface 16 in the example of Figure 6. Figure 7(a) corresponds to Figure 6(c), and Figure 7(c) corresponds to Figure 6(d). Figure 7(b) shows a state between Figures 7(a) and 7(b). Figure 8 shows an enlarged view of the vicinity of contact surface 16 in the example of Figure 4 for comparison with Figure 7. Figure 8(a) corresponds to Figure 4(c), and Figure 8(c) corresponds to Figure 4(d). Figure 8(b) shows a state between Figures 8(a) and 8(b).

[0048] 7(a) shows how pressurization is applied inside the cavity 15 to deform the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 into a convex shape, and then the mold 10 is tilted to spread the imprint material over the contact surface 16 of the mold 10. At this time, a difference occurs between the distance d1 from one edge of the contact surface 16 to the substrate 11 and the distance d2 from the other edge of the contact surface 16 to the substrate 11. In the imprinting process, suddenly narrowing the distance between the contact surface 16 and the substrate 11 in this way can increase the risk of trapping air bubbles, which cause voids, between the contact surface 16 and the substrate 11.

[0049] FIG. 7(b) next shows how the tilt of the mold 10 is returned to its original position while reducing the pressure in the cavity 15. In this way, by controlling the pressure in the cavity 15 and the tilt of the mold 10, the distances d1 and d2 can be made equal. However, when focusing on the change in the distance d1, the amount of change in the distance d1 is greater by the amount of tilt of the mold 10 compared to the example in FIG. 8 (an example in which contact processing is performed without tilting the mold 10). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7(c), air bubbles are likely to be trapped between the contact surface 16 and the substrate 11, resulting in the generation of voids.

[0050] We have explained above the problems with the conventional technology in the missing shot region 22. From this explanation, in order to form the imprint material on the substrate 11 in the missing shot region 22 in the same processing time (sequence time) as in the full shot region 21 and with reduced void generation, the following two requirements are necessary. (1) Immediately after the contact between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the imprint material on the substrate 11 begins, the deformation amount (convex shape) of the contact surface 16 is increased. (2) The mold 10 is returned to its original position while the deformation amount (convex shape) of the contact surface 16 is large.

[0051] Therefore, in the imprint process (contact process) of this embodiment, the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 is deformed into a convex shape, and the mold 10 is tilted relative to the substrate 11, and the contact surface 16 is brought into contact with the imprint on the substrate 11. After the contact between the contact surface 16 and the imprint material on the substrate 11 begins, a gas increasing step is performed to further supply gas into the cavity 15 so as to increase the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16. This makes it possible to reduce the voids that are generated, as described in the example of FIG. 5(b).

[0052] Furthermore, in the imprint process of this embodiment, a gas reduction step is performed to reduce the gas in the cavity 15 so as to reduce the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16, and a tilt reduction step is performed to reduce the tilt of the mold 10 relative to the substrate 11 (i.e., to return the tilt of the mold 10 to its original state). The gas reduction step is performed after the gas increase step. The tilt reduction step is performed during the period from the start of the gas increase step to the start of the gas decrease step. This makes it possible to reduce the voids that occur, as described in the example of FIG. 6(d).

[0053] [Example 1] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 9 illustrates the first embodiment of the present invention, and uses a schematic diagram and graphs to explain the transition of the attitude (tilt) of the mold 10 and the pressure in the cavity 15 when a contact process (contact initiation process, imprinting process) is performed on the missing shot region 22. As described above, the pressure in the cavity 15 may be understood as the amount (supply amount) of gas supplied into the cavity 15 by the mold deformation unit 14 to deform the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 into a convex shape. In addition, in each of the figures described below, the imprint material on the substrate is not shown to make the drawings easier to understand.

[0054] FIG. 9(a) shows the contact start process. The mold 10 is tilted by the mold driving unit 8 relative to the substrate 11 so that the contact surface 16 faces outward from the substrate 11 (tilt change step S31). Furthermore, the mold deformation unit 14 supplies gas into the cavity 15 so that the pressure within the cavity 15 is increased and the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 is deformed into a convex shape (gas supply step S32). In this state, the mold driving unit 8 drives the mold 10 in the −Z direction so that the gap between the mold 10 and the substrate 11 narrows, bringing the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 into contact with the imprint material on the substrate. Here, the pressure within the cavity 15 is set to a lower value compared to the case of the full-surface shot region 21, as in the example of FIG. 5(a) described above. The reason for this is as explained in FIG. 5(a).

[0055] 9(b) shows the state immediately after contact between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the imprint material on the substrate begins. After contact between the contact surface 16 and the imprint material on the substrate begins, more gas is supplied into the cavity 15 so that the pressure in the cavity 15 increases and the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16 increases (gas increasing step S33). By increasing the gas in the cavity 15 in this way and increasing the convex shape (amount of deformation) of the contact surface 16, the imprint material can be pushed out while preventing air bubbles from being trapped between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the substrate 11.

[0056] FIG. 9(c) shows how the pressing of the mold driver 8 is controlled by the contact surface 16, which has become more convex as a result of increasing the pressure in the cavity 15 in the previous step shown in FIG. 9(b), thereby spreading the imprint material over the contact surface 16. During this process, the orientation of the mold 10 is returned to its original state by reducing the inclination of the mold 10 relative to the substrate 11 (inclination reduction step S34). That is, the orientation of the mold 10 is returned from an orientation inclined toward the outside of the substrate 11 to an orientation facing directly toward the substrate 11 or adjusted for overlapping with the substrate 11. This step results in the orientation (inclination) of the mold 10 and the convex shape of the contact surface 16 being similar to those shown in FIG. 4(c), which shows an example of a full-surface shot region 21 with relatively few voids. In this way, by returning the mold 10 to its original position in the state in which the convex shape of the contact surface 16 has been increased in the previous stage shown in Figure 9(b), it is possible to reduce (prevent) the occurrence of voids due to air bubbles being trapped between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the substrate 11.

[0057] 9(d), in order to spread the imprint material over the entire contact surface 16 of the mold 10, the cavity 15 is depressurized to change the contact surface 16, which has been deformed into a convex shape, to a shape facing the substrate 11 or adjusted for overlapping with the substrate 11. That is, the mold deformation unit 14 reduces the gas in the cavity 15 so that the contact surface 16 and the substrate 11 become parallel, thereby reducing the pressure in the cavity 15 and reducing the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 (gas reduction step S35). During this time, as in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c), the orientation of the mold 10 changes slightly due to disturbances, but remains the target orientation, facing the substrate 11 or adjusted for overlapping with the substrate 11.

[0058] 9 satisfies the two requirements described above ((1) increasing the amount of deformation (convex shape) of the contact surface 16 immediately after contact between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the imprint material on the substrate 11 begins, and (2) returning the mold 10 to its original posture while the amount of deformation (convex shape) of the contact surface 16 is large). Therefore, by the imprint process (contact process) of this embodiment 1, it is possible to mold the imprint material on the substrate 11 in the chipped shot region 22 in the same processing time as in the full shot region 21, and with reduced void generation.

[0059] 9 illustrates an example of the order of start of pressurization of cavity 15 → end of pressurization of cavity 15 → start of returning the mold 10 to its original position → end of returning the mold 10 to its original position, but the order is not limited to this. For example, the order and timing of the pressure control of cavity 15 and the position control of mold 10 can be changed depending on the required processing time (sequence time) and the allowable size and number of voids. However, it is required that the tilt decreasing step S34 be performed during the period from the start of the gas increasing step S33 to the start of the gas decreasing step S35. FIG. 10 illustrates an imprint process (contact process) of a missing shot region 22 in an order other than that shown in FIG. 9, i.e., a modified example of the imprint process (contact process) of a missing shot region 22.

[0060] 10(a) shows an example of the sequence: start of pressurization of cavity 15 → start of returning the mold 10 to its original position → end of pressurization of cavity 15 → end of returning the mold 10 to its original position. In the example of FIG. 10(a), the tilt decreasing step S34 starts after the gas increasing step S33 starts, and ends after the gas increasing step S33 ends and before the gas decreasing step S35 starts.

[0061] 10(b) shows an example of the sequence: start of pressurization of cavity 15 → start of returning the mold 10 to its original position → end of pressurization of cavity 15 and return of the mold 10 to its original position simultaneously. In the example of FIG. 10(b), the tilt decreasing step S34 starts after the gas increasing step S33 starts and ends simultaneously with the end of the gas increasing step S33. Note that the tilt decreasing step S34 may start after the gas increasing step S33 starts and end before the end of the gas increasing step S33.

[0062] 10(c) shows an example of the sequence of simultaneously starting pressurizing the cavity 15 and returning the mold 10 to its original position → completing pressurizing the cavity 15 → completing returning the mold 10 to its original position. In the example of FIG. 10(c), the tilt decreasing step S34 starts simultaneously with the start of the gas increasing step S33, and ends after the gas increasing step S33 ends and before the gas decreasing step S35 starts.

[0063] 10(d) shows an example of the sequence in which pressurization of cavity 15 and return of mold 10 to their original position start simultaneously, and then pressurization of cavity 15 and return of mold 10 to their original position end simultaneously. In the example of FIG. 10(d), the tilt decreasing step S34 starts simultaneously with the start of the gas increasing step S33 and ends simultaneously with the end of the gas increasing step S33. Note that the tilt decreasing step S34 may start after the start of the gas increasing step S33. Also, the tilt decreasing step S34 may end before the end of the gas increasing step S33.

[0064] Five embodiments of the imprinting process (contact process) according to the present invention have been described above using Figures 9 and 10. All five embodiments have in common that the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16 is increased after contact between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the imprint material on the substrate begins, and the mold 10 is returned to its original position while the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16 is being increased. In all embodiments, the start of returning the mold 10 to its original position (i.e., the start of the tilt reduction step S34) does not occur before the start of pressurization of the cavity 15 (i.e., the start of the gas increase step S33). Furthermore, the end of returning the mold 10 to its original position (i.e., the end of the tilt reduction step S34) does not occur after the start of depressurization of the cavity 15 (i.e., the start of the gas decrease step S35).

[0065] So far, we have explained the order of the start and end of pressurizing the cavity 15 and the start and end of returning the mold 10 to its original position. There are several ways to determine the specific times at which these should be performed during the contact process (contact start process, imprint process). For example, this may be determined based on images of the imprint material spreading on the contact surface 16 over time, obtained from an imaging element (not shown) that captures in real time the state of the imprint material being pressed and spreading on the contact surface 16. The start and end of pressurizing the cavity 15 and the start and end of returning the mold 10 to its original position may be adjusted by comparing the locations where voids occurred on the substrate 11 after molding of the imprint material with the images of the imprint material spreading on the contact surface 16 over time.

[0066] As described above, in the imprint process (contact process) of this embodiment, after contact between the contact surface 16 and the imprint material on the substrate 11 begins, a gas increase step is performed to further supply gas into the cavity 15 so as to increase the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16. Also, in the imprint process (contact process) of this embodiment, a tilt decrease step to decrease the tilt of the mold 10 relative to the substrate 11 can be performed during the period from the start of the gas increase step to the start of the gas decrease step. The gas decrease step is a step to decrease the gas in the cavity 15 so as to decrease the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16. This reduces the occurrence of voids in the imprint process (contact process) of, for example, the missing shot region 22, and enables the imprint material on the substrate to be molded with high precision.

[0067] [Example 2] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the second embodiment, posture control of the mold 10 when the edge portion of the substrate 11 is higher than the pattern-forming surface will be described with reference to FIG. 11 . The pattern-forming surface of the substrate 11 refers to the surface onto which the imprint material is placed to transfer (form) the pattern of the mold 10, and the edge portion of the substrate 11 refers to the portion surrounding the pattern-forming surface. In the substrate 11 shown in FIG. 11 , the edge portion is higher than the pattern-forming surface of the substrate 11 due to the manufacturing process. This second embodiment is an effective method for performing an imprint process (contact process) on a missing shot region 22 of such a substrate 11. Note that this second embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment, and is the same as the first embodiment except for the matters described below.

[0068] In a substrate 11 in which the edge portion is higher than the pattern-forming surface, when the mold 10 is returned to a position facing the substrate 11 as in the first embodiment, the substrate 11 and the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 may come into contact without the imprint material interposed therebetween. In this situation, when the substrate driving unit 13 drives the substrate 11 to align (overlay) the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 with the shot area of ​​the substrate 11, a large force that distorts the contact surface 16 is generated in the X and Y directions, which may reduce the alignment accuracy (overlay accuracy). According to the second embodiment, this problem can be avoided.

[0069] 11(a) and 11(b), similarly to FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) described in Example 1, the pressure of the cavity 15 and the attitude (tilt) of the mold 10 are controlled to start spreading the imprint material. Next, in FIG. 11(c), after contact between the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 and the imprint material on the substrate starts, a tilt increasing step S36 is executed in the process of spreading the imprint material onto the contact surface 16. The tilt increasing step S36 is a step of further tilting the mold 10 with respect to the substrate 11 so that the contact surface 16 does not come into contact with the edge portion of the substrate 11.

[0070] 11(d), the cavity 15 is depressurized to change the contact surface 16, which has been deformed into a convex shape in order to spread the imprint material over the entire surface of the contact surface 16, to a shape that faces the substrate 11 or is adjusted for overlapping with the substrate 11. In other words, the mold deformation unit 14 reduces the gas in the cavity 15 so that the contact surface 16 and the substrate 11 become parallel, thereby reducing the pressure in the cavity 15 and reducing the amount of deformation of the contact surface 16 of the mold 10 (gas reducing step S35). Regarding the tilt of the mold 10, the imprint material on the substrate is hardened while the mold 10 remains in the tilted state in the tilt increasing step S36 of FIG. 9(c), and the tilt reducing step of reducing the tilt of the mold 10 is not performed.

[0071] <Embodiments of manufacturing methods of articles> The method for manufacturing an article according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices, such as semiconductor devices, and elements having microstructures. The method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment includes a molding step of molding (forming a pattern) a composition (imprint material) on a substrate using the above-described molding method (imprint method), and a processing step of processing the substrate having the composition molded in the molding step. Furthermore, this manufacturing method includes other well-known processes (oxidation, film formation, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment is advantageous over conventional methods in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article.

[0072] The pattern of the cured product formed using the above-mentioned molding method (imprinting method) is used permanently on at least a part of various articles, or temporarily when manufacturing various articles. Examples of articles include electrical circuit elements, optical elements, MEMS, recording elements, sensors, and molds. Examples of electrical circuit elements include volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, and semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensors, and FPGA. Examples of molds include molds for imprinting.

[0073] The pattern of the cured product may be used as it is as at least a part of a component of the article, or may be used temporarily as a resist mask, which is removed after etching or ion implantation in a substrate processing step.

[0074] Next, a specific method for manufacturing an article using an imprinting method as a molding method will be described. As shown in Figure 12(a), a substrate 1z such as a silicon wafer is prepared, on the surface of which a workpiece 2z such as an insulator is formed. Next, an imprinting material 3z is applied to the surface of the workpiece 2z by an inkjet method or the like. Here, the state in which multiple droplets of the imprinting material 3z are applied to the substrate is shown.

[0075] As shown in Figure 12(b), the imprinting mold 4z is placed with the side on which the concave-convex pattern is formed facing the imprinting material 3z on the substrate. As shown in Figure 12(c), the substrate 1z to which the imprinting material 3z has been applied is brought into contact with the mold 4z, and pressure is applied. The imprinting material 3z fills the gap between the mold 4z and the workpiece 2z. In this state, when light is irradiated through the mold 4z as hardening energy, the imprinting material 3z hardens.

[0076] 12(d), after the imprint material 3z is cured, the mold 4z and the substrate 1z are separated, forming a pattern of the cured imprint material 3z on the substrate 1z. In this cured material pattern, 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, i.e., the recess-protrusion pattern of the mold 4z is transferred to the imprint material 3z.

[0077] As shown in Figure 12(e), when etching is performed using the cured material pattern as an etching-resistant mask, the portions of the surface of the workpiece 2z where no cured material or only a thin layer remains are removed, forming grooves 5z. As shown in Figure 12(f), when the cured material pattern is removed, an article is obtained in which grooves 5z are formed in the surface of the workpiece 2z. Here, the cured material pattern is removed, but it may also be used as an interlayer insulating film included in a semiconductor device or the like, i.e., a component of an article, without being removed after processing.

[0078] <Embodiments of the planarization process> In the above embodiment, a mold for transferring a circuit pattern on which a concave-convex pattern is formed has been described as the mold. However, the mold may also be a mold (planar template) having a flat surface as a contact surface without a concave-convex pattern. The planar template is used in a planarization device (molding device) that performs a planarization process (molding process) to mold a composition on a substrate so as to flatten it using the flat surface. The planarization process includes a step of curing a curable composition supplied onto a substrate by irradiating the curable composition with light or by heating while the flat surface (contact surface) of the planar template is in contact with the curable composition. In this way, this embodiment can be applied to a molding device that molds a composition on a substrate using a planar template.

[0079] The underlying pattern on the substrate has a roughness profile resulting from the pattern formed in the previous process. In particular, with the recent trend toward multilayer structures for memory devices, substrates (process wafers) can have steps of approximately 100 nm. Steps resulting from the gentle waviness of the entire substrate can be corrected using the focus tracking function of the exposure equipment (scanner) used in the photolithography process. However, fine-pitch irregularities that fit within the exposure slit area of ​​the exposure equipment consume the depth of focus (DOF) of the exposure equipment. Conventional techniques for planarizing the underlying pattern on the substrate include techniques for forming a planarization layer, such as spin-on carbon (SOC) and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). However, as shown in Figure 13(a), these conventional techniques only achieve a roughness suppression rate of 40% to 70% at the boundary between the isolated pattern region A and the dense (repeated line and space pattern) pattern region B, which does not provide sufficient planarization performance. Furthermore, in the future, the unevenness of the underlying pattern will tend to increase further due to the increasing number of layers.

[0080] As a solution to this problem, U.S. Patent No. 9,415,418 proposes a technology for forming a continuous film by applying a resist that serves as a planarization layer using an inkjet dispenser and imprinting it with a flat template. Furthermore, U.S. Patent No. 8,394,282 proposes a technology for reflecting the results of topography measurement on the substrate in the shading information for each position that is instructed to be applied by an inkjet dispenser. The imprinting device IMP can be particularly used as a flattening (planarization) device that presses a flat template as a mold against previously applied, uncured resist to locally flatten the substrate surface.

[0081] Figure 13(a) shows the substrate before flattening. In isolated pattern region A, the area of ​​the convex pattern portions is small. In repeated dense pattern region B, the area occupied by the convex pattern portions and the area occupied by the concave pattern portions are 1:1. The average heights of isolated pattern region A and repeated dense pattern region B differ depending on the proportion of the convex pattern portions.

[0082] Figure 13(b) shows a state in which a resist that forms a planarization layer has been applied to a substrate. While Figure 13(b) shows a state in which the resist has been applied using an inkjet dispenser based on the technology proposed in U.S. Patent No. 9,415,418, a spin coater may also be used to apply the resist. In other words, an imprint apparatus (IMP) can be used as long as it includes a step of pressing a planar template against previously applied, uncured resist to planarize it.

[0083] As shown in Figure 13(c), the flat template is made of glass or quartz that transmits ultraviolet light, and the resist hardens when irradiated with ultraviolet light from a light source. The flat template follows the profile of the substrate surface for any gentle irregularities across the entire substrate. After the resist hardens, the flat template is separated from the resist, as shown in Figure 13(d).

[0084] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] IMP: imprinting device (molding device), 8: mold driving unit, 10: mold (die), 11: substrate, 13: substrate driving unit, 14: mold deformation unit, 15: cavity, 16: contact surface

Claims

1. A molding method for molding a composition on a substrate using a mold having a contact surface that is brought into contact with the composition on the substrate and a cavity provided on a surface opposite to the contact surface, the method comprising: a gas supplying step of supplying gas into the cavity so as to increase the pressure in the cavity and deform the contact surface into a convex shape facing the substrate; a tilt changing step of tilting the mold relative to the substrate; a contacting step of bringing the contact surface into contact with the composition on the substrate in a state in which the contact surface has been deformed by the gas supplying step and the mold has been tilted by the tilt changing step; a gas increasing step of supplying additional gas into the cavity after the contact between the contact surface and the composition has started in the contact step so that the deformation amount of the contact surface increases; A molding method comprising:

2. a gas reducing step of reducing the gas in the cavity after the gas increasing step so that the deformation of the contact surface is reduced; a tilt reduction step of reducing the tilt of the mold relative to the substrate; Further comprising:

2. The molding method according to claim 1, wherein the gradient decreasing step is performed during a period from when the gas increasing step is started until when the gas decreasing step is started.

3. 3. The molding method according to claim 2, wherein the gradient decreasing step is performed so as to end after the gas increasing step is completed.

4. 4. The molding method according to claim 3, wherein the gradient decreasing step is performed so as to start after the gas increasing step is completed.

5. 4. The molding method according to claim 3, wherein the gradient decreasing step is performed so as to start simultaneously with or before the end of the gas increasing step.

6. 3. The molding method according to claim 2, wherein the gradient decreasing step is completed simultaneously with or before the gas increasing step is completed.

7. 7. The molding method according to claim 2, wherein the gas reducing step and the tilt reducing step are carried out so that the entire contact surface is in contact with the composition.

8. 2. The molding method according to claim 1, further comprising, after the gas increasing step, a tilt increasing step of increasing the relative tilt of the mold with respect to the substrate.

9. a gas reducing step of reducing the gas in the cavity so that the deformation amount of the contact surface is reduced after the tilt increasing step; a curing step of curing the composition while the composition is in contact with the contact surface after the gas reducing step; Further comprising:

9. The molding method according to claim 8, wherein the curing step is performed while maintaining the state in which the relative tilt of the mold with respect to the substrate is increased by the tilt increasing step.

10. 10. The molding method according to claim 1, wherein the gas increasing step is performed in a state where a part of the contact surface is in contact with the composition during the contacting step.

11. 11. The molding method according to claim 1, wherein the gas supplying step and the tilt changing step are performed so that the contact starts at a target location on the substrate in the contacting step.

12. a molding step of molding a composition on a substrate using the molding method according to any one of claims 1 to 11; a processing step of processing the substrate having the composition molded in the molding step; manufacturing an article from the processed substrate; A method for manufacturing an article, comprising:

13. A molding apparatus for molding a composition on a substrate using a mold having a contact surface that is brought into contact with the composition on the substrate and a cavity provided on a surface opposite to the contact surface, the apparatus comprising: a gas supply unit that supplies gas into the cavity so as to increase the pressure in the cavity and deform the contact surface into a convex shape facing the substrate; a tilt change unit that tilts the mold relatively to the substrate; a control unit that controls contact between the contact surface and the composition on the substrate; Equipped with The control unit the contact surface is deformed by the gas supply unit, and the mold is tilted by the tilt change unit, and the contact surface is brought into contact with the composition on the substrate; After the contact between the contact surface and the composition begins, the gas supply unit further supplies gas into the cavity so that the deformation amount of the contact surface increases. A molding apparatus characterized by:

14. the contact surface includes a pattern to be transferred to the composition on the substrate; The molding apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the molding apparatus forms a pattern in the composition on the substrate by contacting the contact surface with the composition on the substrate.

15. the contact surface is a flat surface, The molding apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the molding apparatus flattens the composition on the substrate by bringing the contact surface into contact with the composition on the substrate.

Images