Method for cleaning a fluid dispenser by applying suction and vibrating the meniscus - Patent Application 20070122997

Abstract

To provide a method of cleaning a fluid dispenser for dispensing a material during non-contact maintenance of the fluid dispenser.SOLUTION: A fluid dispenser includes a plurality of nozzles 400 disposed on a faceplate. A cleaning method includes applying a suction force onto a surface of the faceplate using a suction apparatus (vacuum apparatus) 412, the suction apparatus being translated from one end of the faceplate to an opposite end of the faceplate such that a portion of nozzles from the plurality of nozzles are exposed to the suction force. The method continues by vibrating a meniscus 408 of the portion of nozzles that are exposed to the suction force to remove at least a portion of a material 410 accumulated on the faceplate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7C

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for cleaning a dispenser during non-contact maintenance of the dispenser, and in particular, the cleaning method can be applied to a dispenser associated with an inkjet head. [Background technology]

[0002] Nanofabrication involves the fabrication of very small structures, with features on the order of 100 nanometers or less. One application in which nanofabrication has had a significant impact is the manufacture of integrated circuits. The semiconductor processing industry continues to strive for greater production yields while increasing the circuits formed per unit area on a substrate. Improvements in nanofabrication include providing greater process control and / or improving throughput, while also allowing for a continued reduction in the minimum feature dimensions of the structures formed.

[0003] One nanofabrication technique in use today is commonly referred to as nanoimprint lithography. Nanoimprint lithography is useful in a variety of applications, including, for example, fabricating one or more layers of an integrated device by molding a film on a substrate. Examples of integrated devices include, but are not limited to, CMOS logic, microprocessors, NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, DRAM memory, MRAM, 3D cross-point memory, Re-RAM, Fe-RAM, STT-RAM, MEMS, and the like. Exemplary nanoimprint lithography systems and processes are described in detail in numerous publications, such as U.S. Pat. No. 8,349,241, U.S. Pat. No. 8,066,930, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,194, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] The nanoimprint lithography techniques disclosed in each of the above patents describe forming a film on a substrate by forming a relief pattern in a (polymerizable) layer of a formable material. The shape of this film can then be used to transfer a pattern corresponding to the relief pattern into and / or onto the underlying substrate.

[0005] The patterning process uses a template spaced apart from the substrate, and a formable material is applied between the template and the substrate. The template contacts the formable material, causing it to spread and fill the space between the template and the substrate. The formable liquid is solidified to form a film having a shape (pattern) that matches the shape of the surface of the template in contact with the formable liquid. After solidification, the template is separated from the solidified layer, separating the template and the substrate.

[0006] The substrate and solidified layer may then undergo additional processes, such as an etching process, to transfer an image into the substrate that corresponds to the pattern in one or both of the solidified layer and / or the patterned layer underlying the solidified layer. The patterned substrate may undergo further known steps and processes for device (article) fabrication, including, for example, curing, oxidation, layering, deposition, doping, planarization, etching, formable material removal, dicing, bonding, and packaging.

[0007] Nanofabrication techniques involve dispensing (dispensing, dispensing) a formable material from a dispenser onto a substrate. Over many dispensing cycles, the formable material can begin to accumulate on the faceplate of the dispenser. Eventually, the amount of accumulation can interfere with production and require maintenance. Cleaning methods and systems that do not physically contact the faceplate when cleaning the formable material accumulated on the faceplate of a dispenser are typically preferred. However, cleaning methods and systems that do not physically contact the faceplate use a suction device. If the suction device is too close to the faceplate or if the suction force / power is too strong, it can disrupt the meniscus associated with the nozzle of the faceplate. The meniscus is the curved upper surface of the fluid in the nozzle. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a cleaning method and system that does not physically contact the faceplate while preventing disruption of the meniscus associated with the nozzle of a fluid dispenser faceplate. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present disclosure includes a method for cleaning a fluid dispenser during non-contact maintenance of the fluid dispenser without disrupting the meniscus associated with each nozzle of the fluid dispenser.

[0009] A method for cleaning a fluid dispenser for dispensing material during non-contact maintenance of the fluid dispenser, the fluid dispenser including a plurality of nozzles disposed on a faceplate, the method including applying a suction force to a surface of the faceplate using a suction device, the suction device translating from one end of the faceplate toward an opposite end of the faceplate such that a portion of the plurality of nozzles is exposed to the suction force, and continuing the method by vibrating menisci of the portion of the nozzles exposed to the suction force to remove at least a portion of the material accumulated on the faceplate.

[0010] The dispensing system includes a fluid dispenser having a faceplate and a plurality of nozzles configured to dispense material, and a suction device for applying a suction force onto the faceplate. The dispensing system also includes one or more processors and one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the dispensing system to: apply the suction force to a surface of the faceplate using the suction device, the suction device translating from one end of the faceplate toward an opposite end of the faceplate such that a portion of the plurality of nozzles is exposed to the suction force; and oscillating menisci of the portion of the nozzles exposed to the suction force to remove at least a portion of the material accumulated on the faceplate.

[0011] A method for manufacturing an article includes cleaning a fluid dispenser with a faceplate having a plurality of nozzles, the cleaning including applying a suction force to a surface of the faceplate using a suction device, the suction device translating from one end of the faceplate to an opposite end of the faceplate such that a portion of the plurality of nozzles is exposed to the suction force, and vibrating menisci of the portion of the nozzles exposed to the suction force to remove at least a portion of the material accumulated on the faceplate. The method continues by dispensing a portion of the material onto a substrate using the fluid dispenser, forming a pattern or layer of the dispensed material on the substrate, and processing the formed pattern or layer to manufacture the article.

[0012] These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] So that the features and advantages of the present disclosure may be understood in detail, a more particular description of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be had by reference to the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, since the present disclosure may admit of other equally effective embodiments.

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary nanoimprint lithography system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

[0015] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary imprint method according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0016] [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A shows a side view of a dispenser according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0017] [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B shows a bottom view of the dispenser of FIG. 3A, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0018] [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A illustrates a side view of the dispenser after moldable material has accumulated on the surface of the faceplate, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0019] [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B illustrates a bottom view of the dispenser of FIG. 4A after the formable material has accumulated on the surface of the faceplate, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0020] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective exploded view of a vacuum device according to an example embodiment.

[0021] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a schematic of a nozzle performing as expected before non-contact maintenance and several nozzle outages after non-contact maintenance.

[0022] [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A shows a schematic diagram of a nozzle containing an ink chamber in good condition and a nozzle requiring maintenance.

[0023] [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B shows a schematic diagram of the nozzle from FIG. 7A, where this nozzle requires maintenance where non-contact maintenance using a vacuum device would result in a disrupted meniscus within the nozzle.

[0024] [Figure 7C] FIG. 7C shows a schematic diagram of the nozzle from FIG. 7A requiring maintenance using a vacuum device for non-contact maintenance, according to an example embodiment.

[0025] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram highlighting selected areas with meniscus excitation during maintenance, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0026] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a block diagram illustrating white pixel firing during non-contact maintenance of a dispenser, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] [Figure 10] FIG. 10 illustrates a schematic diagram highlighting selected areas with meniscus excitation during maintenance relative to a characteristic width of a vacuum device, according to an example embodiment.

[0028] [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a photomicrograph of the meniscus in various states. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a micrograph of the meniscus in various states. [Figure 11C] FIG. 11C shows micrographs of the meniscus in various states.

[0029] Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals and characters, unless otherwise stated, are used to denote like features, elements, components, or portions of the illustrated embodiments. Moreover, while the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, it is done so in connection with illustrative exemplary embodiments. It is intended that changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments described without departing from the true scope and spirit of the subject disclosure, as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Throughout this disclosure, reference will be made primarily to nanoimprint lithography, which uses the patterned template described above to impart a pattern onto a formable liquid. However, as discussed below, in alternative embodiments, the template may be featureless, in which case a flat surface may be formed on the substrate. In such embodiments where a flat surface is formed, the formation process is referred to as planarization. Thus, throughout this disclosure, whenever nanoimprint lithography is referred to, it should be understood that the same methods are applicable to planarization. The term superstrate is used in place of the term template when the template is featureless.

[0031] Advances in inkjet technology have facilitated manufacturing processes across a wide range of technologies. Nanoimprint lithography is one technique that uses inkjet heads for its process. The inkjet heads eject droplets of fluid (e.g., photoresist) from tiny nozzles and deposit them onto substrates. The droplets are targeted to surfaces to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) structures such as electronic components, as well as materials for life science applications. Inkjet technology is popular in the development of nanotechnology because it can precisely deposit picoliter volumes of solutions or suspensions in well-defined patterns. The fluid deposited is a functional material, such as photoresist. One method is single-drop-on-demand (DOD). A voltage signal is applied to a piezoelectric (PZT) transducer to create mechanical deformation of a fluid chamber, forcing the fluid through a nozzle to form droplets, mimicking the way gravity forces liquids to drip from larger nozzles. The volume and velocity of individual droplets, as well as the time interval between two successive droplets, can be fully controlled by appropriate adjustment of the voltage signal, such as waveform, voltage amplitude and voltage duration.

[0032] Nanofabrication techniques using inkjet heads involve dispensing (dispensing, dispensing) a formable material from a dispenser onto a substrate. However, over many dispensing cycles, the formable material can accumulate on the faceplate of the dispenser. Eventually, the amount of buildup can interfere with fabrication and require cleaning. This disclosure relates to a non-contact air cleaning method that avoids disrupting the meniscus of the nozzle located on the faceplate of the dispenser. A dispenser of fluid or formable material is present in a nanoimprint lithography system, described below with reference to FIG. 1.

[0033] 1 is a diagram of a nanoimprint lithography system 100. The nanoimprint lithography system 100 is used to form a film on a substrate 102. The substrate 102 may be coupled to a substrate chuck 104. The substrate chuck 104 may be, but is not limited to, a vacuum chuck, a pin-type chuck, a groove-type chuck, an electrostatic chuck, an electromagnetic chuck, or the like.

[0034] The substrate 102 and the substrate chuck 104 may be further supported by a substrate positioning stage 106. The substrate positioning stage 106 may provide translational and / or rotational motion along one or more of the x-axis, y-axis, z-axis, θ-axis, and φ-axis. The substrate positioning stage 106, the substrate 102, and the substrate chuck 104 may also be positioned on a base (not shown). The substrate positioning stage may be part of a positioning system.

[0035] Spaced apart from the substrate 102 is a template 108. The template 108 may include a body having a mold 110 extending toward the substrate 102 on a front side of the template 108. The mold 110 may also have a patterning surface 112 thereon on the front side of the template 108. Alternatively, the template 108 may be formed without the mold 110, in which case the surface of the template that faces the substrate 102 is identical to the mold 110, and the patterning surface 112 is the surface of the template 108 that faces the substrate 102.

[0036] The template 108 may be formed from materials including, but not limited to, fused silica, quartz, silicon, organic polymers, siloxane polymers, borosilicate glass, fluorocarbon polymers, metals, hardened sapphire, and the like. The patterning surface 112 can have features defined by a plurality of spaced apart template recesses 114 and / or template protrusions 116. The patterning surface 112 defines a pattern that forms the basis of a pattern to be formed on the substrate 102. In an alternative embodiment, the patterning surface 112 is featureless, in which case a flat surface is formed on the substrate. In an alternative embodiment, the patterning surface 112 is featureless and is the same size as the substrate, in which case a flat surface is formed across the entire substrate. In such an embodiment in which a flat surface is formed, the formation process may alternatively be referred to as planarizing, and the featureless template may alternatively be referred to as superstrate.

[0037] The template 108 may be coupled to a template chuck 118. The template chuck 118 may be, but is not limited to, a vacuum chuck, a pin-type chuck, a groove-type chuck, an electrostatic chuck, an electromagnetic chuck, and / or other similar chuck types. The template chuck 118 may be configured to apply varying stress, pressure, and / or strain to the template 108 across the template. The template chuck 118 may include piezoelectric actuators that can squeeze and / or stretch different portions of the template 108. The template chuck 118 may include a system such as a zone-based vacuum chuck, an actuator array, a pressure bladder, or the like that can apply a pressure differential to the backside of the template to bend and deform the template.

[0038] The template chuck 118 may be coupled to an imprint head 120 that is part of the positioning system. The imprint head 120 may be movably coupled to the bridge. The imprint head may include one or more actuators, such as a voice coil motor, a piezoelectric motor, a linear motor, a nut and screw motor, etc., configured to move the template chuck 118 relative to the substrate in at least the z-axis direction and potentially in other directions (e.g., the x-axis, y-axis, θ-axis, ψ-axis, and φ-axis).

[0039] The nanoimprint lithography system 100 further includes a fluid dispenser 122. The fluid dispenser 122 may also be movably coupled to the bridge. In one embodiment, the fluid dispenser 122 and the imprint head 120 share one or more or all positioning components. In an alternative embodiment, the fluid dispenser 122 and the imprint head 120 move independently of one another. The fluid dispenser 122 may be used to deposit a liquid formable material 124 (e.g., a polymerizable material) patternwise onto the substrate 102. Additional formable material 124 may also be added to the substrate 102 using techniques such as drop dispensing, spin coating, dip coating, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), thin film deposition, thick film deposition, or the like before the formable material 124 is deposited on the substrate 102. Depending on design considerations, moldable material 124 may be dispensed onto substrate 102 before and / or after a desired volume is defined between mold 110 and substrate 102. Moldable material 124 may include a mixture including a monomer such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,157,036 and 8,076,386, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0040] Different fluid dispensers 122 can use different technologies to dispense the formable material 124. If the formable material 124 is jettable, an inkjet dispenser dispenses the formable material 124. For example, thermal inkjet, microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based inkjet, valve jet, and piezoelectric inkjet are common technologies for dispensing jettable liquids.

[0041] Nanoimprint lithography system 100 may further include a radiation source 126 that directs actinic radiation energy along an exposure path 128. Imprint head 120 and substrate positioning stage 106 may be configured to position template 108 and substrate 102 in superimposition with exposure path 128. Radiation source 126 directs actinic radiation energy along exposure path 128 after template 108 contacts formable material 124. FIG. 1 shows exposure path 128 when template 108 is not in contact with formable material 124; this is done for illustrative purposes so that the relative positions of the individual components can be easily identified. Those skilled in the art will understand that exposure path 128 does not substantially change when template 108 contacts formable material 124.

[0042] Nanoimprint lithography system 100 may further include a field camera 136 positioned to view the extent of moldable material 124 after template 108 contacts moldable material 124. FIG. 1 illustrates the optical axis of the image field of the field camera as a dashed line. As illustrated in FIG. 1, nanoimprint lithography system 100 may include one or more optical components (e.g., a dichroic mirror, a beam combiner, a prism, a lens, a mirror, etc.) that combine the actinic radiation with the light detected by the field camera. Field camera 136 may be configured to detect the extent of moldable material under template 108. The optical axis of field camera 136 shown in FIG. 1 is straight, but may be bent by one or more optical components. Field camera 136 may include one or more of a CCD, a sensor array, a line camera, and a photodetector configured to collect light having wavelengths indicative of contrast between areas under template 108 that are in contact with moldable material 124 and areas under template 108 that are not in contact with moldable material 124. The field camera 136 may be configured to collect monochromatic images in visible light. The field camera 136 may be configured to provide images of the spread of the moldable material 124 under the template 108, images of the separation of the template 108 from the hardened moldable material, and may be used to track the progress of the imprint process.

[0043] Nanoimprint lithography system 100 may further include a drop inspection system 138 separate from field camera 136. Drop inspection system 138 may include one or more of a CCD, a camera, a line camera, and a photodetector. Drop inspection system 138 may include one or more optical components such as lenses, mirrors, apertures, filters, prisms, polarizers, windows, adaptive optics, and / or light sources. Drop inspection system 138 may be positioned to inspect the drop before patterning surface 112 contacts formable material 124 on substrate 102.

[0044] Nanoimprint lithography system 100 may further include a thermal radiation source 134 that may be configured to provide a spatial distribution of thermal radiation to one or both of template 108 and substrate 102. Thermal radiation source 134 may include one or more thermal electromagnetic radiation sources that heat one or both of substrate 102 and template 108 without solidifying moldable material 124. Thermal radiation source 134 may include a spatial light modulator, such as a digital micromirror device (DMD), liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), or liquid crystal device (LCD), to modulate the spatial and temporal distribution of the thermal radiation. Nanoimprint lithography system 100 may include one or more optical components used to combine actinic radiation, thermal radiation, and radiation collected by field camera 136 when template 108 contacts moldable material 124 on substrate 102 onto a single optical path that intersects the imprint field. The thermal radiation source 134 can send thermal radiation along a thermal radiation path (shown as two thick, dark lines in FIG. 1 ) after the template 108 contacts the moldable material 124. FIG. 1 shows the thermal radiation path when the template 108 is not in contact with the moldable material 124; this is done for illustrative purposes so that the relative positions of the individual components can be easily identified. Those skilled in the art will understand that the thermal radiation path does not substantially change when the template 108 contacts the moldable material 124. While the thermal radiation path is shown terminating at the template 108 in FIG. 1 , it may terminate at the substrate 102. In an alternative embodiment, the thermal radiation source 134 is below the substrate 102, and the thermal radiation path is not combined with actinic radiation and visible light.

[0045] A substrate coating 132 may be applied (dispensed) to the substrate 102 before the formable material 124 is dispensed onto the substrate 102. In one embodiment, the substrate coating 132 may be an adhesive layer. In one embodiment, the substrate coating 132 may be applied to the substrate 102 before the substrate is loaded onto the substrate chuck 104. In an alternative embodiment, the substrate coating 132 may be applied to the substrate 102 while the substrate 102 is on the substrate chuck 104. In one embodiment, the substrate coating 132 may be applied by spin coating, dip coating, or the like. In one embodiment, the substrate 102 may be a semiconductor wafer. In another embodiment, the substrate 102 may be a blank template (replica blank) that may be imprinted and then used to create a daughter template.

[0046] Nanoimprint lithography system 100 may be coordinated, controlled, and / or directed by one or more processors 140 (controllers) that communicate with one or more components and / or subsystems, such as substrate chuck 104, substrate positioning stage 106, template chuck 118, imprint head 120, fluid dispenser 122, radiation source 126, thermal radiation source 134, field camera 136, and / or droplet inspection system 138. Processor 140 may operate based on instructions in a computer-readable program stored in non-transitory computer-readable memory 142. Processor 140 may be or include one or more of a CPU, MPU, GPU, ASIC, FPGA, DSP, and general-purpose computer. Processor 140 may be a purpose-built controller or may be a general-purpose computing device configured to be a controller. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable memory include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, hard drives, network attached storage (NAS), intranet-connected non-transitory computer-readable storage devices, and internet-connected non-transitory computer-readable storage devices.

[0047] The imprint head 120, the substrate positioning stage 106, or both vary the distance between the mold 110 and the substrate 102 to define a desired space (a bounded physical extent in three dimensions) to be filled with the moldable material 124. For example, the imprint head 120 can apply a force to the template 108 to bring the mold 110 into contact with the moldable material 124. After the desired volume is filled with the moldable material 124, the radiation source 126 generates actinic radiation (e.g., UV, 248 nm, 280 nm, 350 nm, 365 nm, 395 nm, 400 nm, 405 nm, 435 nm, etc.) that cures, solidifies, and / or crosslinks the moldable material 124, conforming to the shape of the substrate surface 130 and the patterning surface 112 and defining a patterned layer on the substrate 102. The moldable material 124 is hardened while the template 108 is in contact with the moldable material 124, forming a patterned layer on the substrate 102. Thus, the nanoimprint lithography system 100 uses an imprint process to form a patterned layer having recesses and protrusions that are the inverse of the pattern of the patterning surface 112. In an alternative embodiment, the nanoimprint lithography system 100 uses an imprint process to form a planar layer having a patterning surface 112 that is featureless.

[0048] The imprint process can be repeated with multiple imprint regions spanning the entire substrate surface 130. Each imprint region may be the same size as the mold 110 or may be exactly the same size as the pattern region of the mold 110. The pattern region of the mold 110 is the area of ​​the patterning surface 112 that is used to imprint a pattern of device features onto the substrate 102 or that is then used in subsequent processes to form device features. The pattern region of the mold 110 may or may not include mass velocity variation features used to prevent extrusion. In an alternative embodiment, the substrate 102 has only one imprint region that is the same size as the substrate 102 or the area of ​​the substrate 102 that is patterned by the mold 110. In an alternative embodiment, the imprint regions overlap. Some of the imprint regions may be partial imprint regions that intersect the boundaries of the substrate 102.

[0049] The patterned layer may be formed to have a residual layer having a residual thickness (RLT) that is the minimum thickness of formable material 124 between substrate surface 130 and patterning surface 112 in each imprint region. The patterned layer may also include one or more features, such as protrusions, that extend above the residual layer having a thickness. These protrusions correspond to recesses 114 in mold 110.

[0050] 2 is a flowchart of an imprint process by nanoimprint lithography system 100 that may be used to form a pattern in formable material 124 on one or more imprint areas (also called pattern areas or shot areas). The imprinting process may be performed repeatedly on multiple substrates 102 by nanoimprint lithography system 100. A processor 140 may be used to control the imprint process.

[0051] In alternative embodiments, a similar process may be performed to planarize the substrate 102. For planarization, substantially the same steps are performed as described herein with respect to FIG. 2, except that an unpatterned superstrate is used instead of a template. Therefore, it should be understood that the following description is also applicable to the planarization method. When used as a superstrate, the superstrate may be the same size as the substrate 102 or may be larger.

[0052] The start of the imprint process may include a template loading step in which the template transport mechanism loads the template 108 onto the template chuck 118. The imprint process may also include a substrate loading step in which the processor 140 may load the substrate 102 onto the substrate chuck 104 with the substrate transport mechanism. The substrate may have one or more coatings and / or structures. The order in which the template 108 and the substrate 102 are loaded onto the nanoimprint lithography system 100 is not particularly limited, and the template 108 and the substrate 102 may be loaded sequentially or simultaneously.

[0053] In the positioning step, the processor 140 may cause one or both of the substrate positioning stage 106 and / or the dispenser positioning stage to move imprint area i (index i may be initially set to 1) of the substrate 102 to a fluid dispenser position beneath the fluid dispenser 122. The substrate 102 may be divided into N imprint areas, each identified by index i, where N is a real integer such as 1, 10, 75, etc. JPEG0007760330000001.jpg1234. In the dispensing step S202, the processor 140 may cause the fluid dispenser 122 to dispense the formable material 124 onto the imprint region i. In one embodiment, the fluid dispenser 122 dispenses the formable material 124 as multiple droplets. The fluid dispenser 122 may include one nozzle or multiple nozzles. The fluid dispenser 122 may simultaneously dispense the formable material 124 from one or more nozzles. The imprint region i may be moved relative to the fluid dispenser 122 while the fluid dispenser is dispensing the formable material 124. Thus, the time it takes some of the droplets to deposit (land) on the substrate may vary across the imprint region i. In one embodiment, during the dispensing step S202, the formable material 124 may be dispensed onto the substrate according to a drop pattern. The drop pattern may include one or more of the following information: locations at which to deposit droplets of moldable material; volumes of the droplets of moldable material; types of moldable material; shape parameters of the moldable material; and the like.

[0054] After the droplet is ejected, the contact step S204 may then commence, in which the processor 140 may cause one or both of the substrate positioning stage 106 and the template positioning stage to contact the patterning surface 112 of the template 108 with the moldable material 124 in the imprint area i.

[0055] Then, during a spreading step S206, the moldable material 124 spreads towards the edges of the imprint area i and the mold sidewalls. The edges of the imprint area may be defined by the mold sidewalls. How the moldable material 124 spreads to fill the mold can be observed via field camera 136 and used to track the progress of the fluid front of the moldable material.

[0056] In a curing step S208, the processor 140 may send instructions to the radiation source 126 to send a curing illumination pattern of actinic radiation through the template 108, the mold 110, and the patterning surface 112. The curing illumination pattern provides sufficient energy to cure (polymerize) the formable material 124 beneath the patterning surface 112.

[0057] In a separation step S210, the processor 140 separates the patterning surface 112 of the template 108 from the hardened moldable material on the substrate 102 using one or more of the substrate chuck 104, the substrate positioning stage 106, the template chuck 118, and the imprint head 120.

[0058] If there are additional imprint regions to be imprinted, processing returns to step S202. In one embodiment, additional processing is performed on substrate 102 in processing step S212 to create a manufactured article (e.g., a semiconductor device) by forming a pattern or layer of dispensed material on the substrate and processing the formed pattern or layer to create the article. In one embodiment, each imprint region includes multiple devices.

[0059] Further processing in processing step S212 may include etching to transfer a relief image into the substrate that corresponds to the pattern of the patterned layer or the inverse of that pattern. Further processing in processing step S212 may also include known steps and processes for article manufacturing, including, for example, curing, oxidation, layering, deposition, doping, planarizing, etching, formable material removal, dicing, bonding, and packaging. The substrate 102 may be processed to manufacture multiple articles (devices).

[0060] Referring now to FIG. 3A, a side view of dispenser 122 is shown. Dispenser 122 includes a faceplate 133 having a first end 123 and a second end 125. Faceplate 133 has a length 127 extending in the X dimension from first end 123 to second end 125. FIG. 3B shows a bottom view of dispenser 122. The bottom view of dispenser 122 reveals a surface 135 of faceplate 133 on which a plurality of discharge nozzles 137 are formed. The number of nozzles 137 formed in surface 135 of faceplate 133 may be on the order of hundreds, e.g., 500 or more. Faceplate 133 includes a width 139 extending in the Y dimension, where the Y dimension is perpendicular to the X dimension.

[0061] 4A and 4B show several views of the dispenser 122 after moldable material 124 has accumulated on the surface 135 of the faceplate 133. The structure of the dispenser 122 is the same as that described above with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the only difference being that the moldable material 124 has accumulated on the surface 135 of the faceplate 133 after the dispenser 122 has dispensed the moldable material 124 multiple times. As shown schematically in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the accumulated moldable material 124 may be arranged in various patterns and thicknesses across the surface 135 of the faceplate 133. The moldable material 124 on the surface 135 of the faceplate 133 may cause the nozzle to stop functioning when dispensing the moldable material. A cleaning process is applied to the dispenser 122 to remove resist or accumulated moldable material 124 from the surface 135 of the faceplate 133. The cleaning process may use a non-contact cleaning method, for example, using a vacuum device (suction device) to remove the moldable material 124 from the surface 135 of the faceplate 133. Vacuum devices are described in more detail below with reference to FIG.

[0062] 5, an exploded view of an exemplary vacuum device that may be used to apply suction to surface 135 of faceplate 133 of dispenser 122 is shown. Vacuum device 204 is used to clean formable material from dispenser 122. Vacuum device 204 is coupled to vacuum source 205. Vacuum device 204 can be translated across surface 135 of faceplate 133 using a translation mechanism (not shown). Vacuum device 204 can be translated along the X-axis, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The reason for translating the vacuum device is to ensure that formable material is removed from the entire surface of faceplate 133.

[0063] The translation mechanism may be any mechanism known in the art suitable for imparting linear translational movement of an object. For example, the translation mechanism may be a linear actuator, which may include a stepper motor, a linear motor, a moving coil, a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, etc. The linear actuator may include a position encoder. The position encoder may be a rotary encoder or a linear encoder. Such encoders are known in the art and provide position information at a particular moment in time.

[0064] The vacuum device 204 includes a vacuum orifice 206. The vacuum orifice 206 may be an elongated slit-shaped opening, with the length of the vacuum orifice 206 being much longer than the width of the vacuum orifice 206. For example, the ratio of the length of the vacuum orifice 206 to the width of the vacuum orifice 206 may be between 5:1 and 100:1, between 10:1 and 90:1, between 20:1 and 80:1, between 30:1 and 70:1, or between 40:1 and 65:1. In one example, the ratio may be 60:1. In an exemplary embodiment, the length of the vacuum orifice 206 is substantially the same (e.g., within ±20%) as the width 139 of the faceplate 133 in the Y dimension. In an exemplary embodiment, the width of the vacuum orifice 206 is narrow enough (e.g., 0.5 mm, 1 mm, etc.) to provide sufficient vacuum, yet wide enough to avoid clogging with the moldable material. Additionally, the vacuum orifice 206 may have a lip on each side that is similar in width (e.g., within ±30%) to the width of the vacuum orifice 206 to help confine the suction force to a localized area of ​​the faceplate 133. The vacuum device 204 may further include a vacuum connector 212 and a connector port 210. The vacuum connector 212 may include a first end 214 that connects with the connector port 210 and a second end 216 that connects with the vacuum source 205. Thus, by activating the vacuum source 205, a suction force is applied to the vacuum orifice 206.

[0065] By activating the vacuum source 205, a vacuum force can be selectively applied to the faceplate 133 as the vacuum orifice 206 of the vacuum device 204 travels along the X dimension. The orifice 206 of the vacuum device 204 also extends across the width 139 of the faceplate 133.

[0066] Using a vacuum device 204 to clean formable material 124 from the surface 135 of the faceplate 133 is known as non-contact maintenance. When performing non-contact maintenance, nozzle stalling is sometimes observed after the maintenance is completed. This appears to occur when the suction force, i.e., vacuum level, is too high or when the vacuum device 204 is too close to the dispenser 122. It is also widespread and common when using dispensers with modified surfaces 135 of the faceplate 133, where the photoresist is designed not to wet the surface 135 after the surface 135 is modified. Non-wetting surfaces have relatively low surface energy, which can induce the buildup of formable material on the surface 135 to form large beads (water droplets) on the surface 135. Nozzle stalling after non-contact maintenance can be resolved with purging or fluid (changes in meniscus pressure), assuming the meniscus is disrupted and needs to be re-stabilized. To mitigate this, a non-jetting waveform can be used to directly excite the meniscus during jetting. The non-jetting waveform is also referred to as white pixel jetting. The non-jetting waveform is used so that no fluid is ejected into the processing module, less fluid accumulates on the surface 135, and all dispenser nozzles are ejected after maintenance. The amount of white pixel jetting should be minimized due to the potential for some fluid accumulation on the surface 135; therefore, only areas undergoing active maintenance should be energized with the non-jetting waveform. The meniscus can also be energized during maintenance under normal conditions if jetting performance after scheduled maintenance is unsatisfactory. Direct energization of the meniscus during non-contact maintenance may reduce nozzle outages from faceplate cleaning processes.

[0067] Applicant has found that it is advantageous to periodically perform non-contact maintenance to remove excess fluid from the dispenser faceplate 133. Applicant has also found that the performance of the nanoimprint lithography system 100 is improved if all nozzles are subsequently called upon to fire after non-contact maintenance is performed. Applicant has found that a surface energy mismatch between the formable material 124 and the non-wetting surface 135 increases the likelihood of nozzle performance degradation after non-contact maintenance using prior art methods. Applicant has also found that this likelihood can be reduced if non-contact maintenance is performed while also exciting the nozzle meniscus when the nozzle is being cleaned. Applicant has also found that drifting the vacuum orifice too close to the faceplate increases the likelihood of nozzle performance degradation, and that exciting the nozzle meniscus when the nozzle is being cleaned can mitigate this likelihood. This improves the process window during which non-contact maintenance can be performed.

[0068] The droplet ejection method by nanoimprint lithography system 100 or planarization system can be used to eject a pattern of droplets of formable material 124 onto substrate 102 and then imprint / planarize. The imprint / planarization can be performed area by area or on an entire wafer basis. The droplets of formable material 124 can be deposited area by area or on an entire substrate basis. Even when droplets are deposited on an entire substrate basis, the droplet pattern is preferably generated area by area.

[0069] The generation of the droplet pattern for the full field may include the processor 140 accepting the substrate pattern of the representative substrate 102 and the template pattern of the representative template 108 .

[0070] The substrate pattern may include information about the substrate topography of a representative substrate, a region of a representative substrate, and / or the complete region of a representative substrate. The substrate topography may be measured and generated based on previous manufacturing processes and / or generated based on design data. In alternative embodiments, the substrate pattern is featureless because there has been no previous manufacturing process or the substrate has previously been planarized to reduce the topography. The substrate topography may include information about the shape of edges, such as chamfered or rounded edges, of the representative substrate. The substrate topography may include information about the shape and location of one or more flats or notches that identify the orientation of the substrate. The substrate topography may include information about the shape and location of reference edges surrounding the region of the substrate on which the pattern is to be formed.

[0071] The template pattern may include information about the topography of the patterning surface 112 of a representative template. The topography of the patterning surface 112 may be measured and / or generated based on design data. In an alternative embodiment, the template pattern of the representative embodiment may be featureless and used to planarize the substrate 102. The patterning surface 112 may be an individual complete area, multiple areas, the same size as the entire substrate, or may be larger than the substrate.

[0072] Once the substrate pattern and template pattern are received, the processor 140 can calculate a distribution of the formable material 124 that will produce a film that fills the volume between the substrate and the patterning surface when they are separated by a gap during imprinting. The distribution of the formable material on the substrate can take the form of an areal density of the formable material, a position of droplets of the formable material, and / or a volume of droplets of the formable material. The calculation of the distribution of the formable material can take into account one or more of the material properties of the formable material, the material properties of the patterning surface, the material properties of the substrate surface, spatial variations in volume between the patterning surface and the substrate surface, fluid flow, evaporation, etc.

[0073] The initial position of vacuum device 204 is set relative to surface 135 of faceplate 133 before any formable material is deposited on faceplate 133. That is, faceplate 133 does not have any formable material on surface 135. The position of vacuum device 204 is changed relative to surface 135 of faceplate 133 by changing the angle of vacuum device 204 relative to surface 135 of faceplate 133, the distance between vacuum device 204 and faceplate 133, or the angle of the direction of travel of vacuum device 204 relative to surface 135 of faceplate 133.

[0074] Vacuum device 204 is used to clean surface 135 of faceplate 133. Vacuum device 204 may be attached to the tray such that when the translation mechanism is activated, the tray and vacuum device 204 all translate together in the X dimension across surface 135 of faceplate 133. Thus, a vacuum can be activated to suck formable material 124 from surface 135 of faceplate 133. Thus, vacuum device 204 moves along the X dimension at a distance from surface 135 of faceplate 133 while sucking formable material 124 into orifice 206.

[0075] As the vacuum device 204 advances along the X dimension from the first end 123 to the second end 125, the vacuum pressure may be increased (made more negative) as the vacuum device 204 approaches the second end 125. The increase in vacuum pressure may be from 25% or more to 100% or more, from 33% or more to 80% or more, or from 50% to 66% or more. The increase in vacuum pressure may then be maintained at the increased amount until the second end 125 of the faceplate 133 is reached. The advantage of increasing the vacuum pressure toward the second end 125 of the faceplate 133 is that the sudden increase helps to suck in any moldable material 124 that has been displaced during the drawing of the vacuum up to this point in the X dimension. That is, during the time the initial vacuum pressure is set, as the vacuum device 204 advances across the faceplate 133 in the X dimension, a portion of the moldable material 124 will be sucked in as it displaces toward the second end 125 of the faceplate 133. A portion of the displaced moldable material 124 may be sucked away as the vacuum device 204 continues to move in the X dimension, while another amount will continue to be displaced toward the second end 125 of the faceplate 133. The sudden increase in vacuum pressure near the second end 125 of the faceplate 133 assists in sucking away the final amount of displaced moldable material 124.

[0076] As previously described, nanoimprint lithography system 100 can be coordinated, controlled, and / or directed by one or more processors 140 (controllers). This includes all of the method steps described above, including controlling the hardware that varies all three positional factors that affect the position of vacuum device 204 relative to faceplate 133, controlling the translation mechanism to control the movement of vacuum device 204, and controlling what and when vacuum pressure is applied. While not shown in the drawings, it should be understood that any of the mechanical adjustments (i.e., adjusting the approach angle, the angle of the vacuum device relative to the faceplate, and the distance between the vacuum device and the faceplate) can be controlled by the controller via motors or other known automated means.

[0077] Referring now to FIG. 6 , ejected drop test patterns are shown before and after non-contact maintenance of dispenser 122. A first ejected drop test pattern 300 shows an example pattern of ejected drops when all nozzles are firing as expected before maintenance of dispenser 122. The ejected drop test pattern is a pattern of drops ejected by nanoimprint lithography tool 100 onto a test substrate and is used to measure the performance of fluid dispenser 122. An extended portion 310 of the ejected drop test pattern 300 is shown, demonstrating that no drops are missing or deviating from the nozzles. A second ejected drop test pattern 320 is an example of an ejected drop pattern after non-contact maintenance without simultaneous white pixel firing. As can be observed in extended portion 330 of the ejected drop test pattern 320, there are several nozzle stalls (missing drops or drops in a deviated (misplaced) position) immediately after maintenance. Therefore, an important goal is to use non-contact maintenance while avoiding nozzle outages such as missing fluid or droplets straying from the nozzle.

[0078] Referring now to FIG. 7A , a nozzle 400 is shown on the left in good condition and on the right in a condition requiring maintenance after normal jetting. The nozzle 400 includes a fluid chamber 402 having a fluid 403 or formable material disposed within a dispenser to be ejected from the nozzle 400. In the embodiment shown in the present disclosure, the nozzle 400 includes a piezoelectric transducer (PZT) material 404. While FIG. 7A illustrates a PZT material, any known material can be used in the nozzle 400. The PZT material 404 may include a non-wetting coating material 406 to prevent a surface portion of the PZT material 404 from accumulating fluid 403 on the surface 135 of the faceplate 133. In one embodiment, the non-wetting coating material 406 has a higher surface energy than the surface 135 of the faceplate 133 without the non-wetting coating material 406. In one embodiment, the surface 135 is modified to be non-wetting with respect to the formable material 403. In one embodiment, a portion of surface 135 and / or the interior of the nozzle is non-wetting with respect to moldable material 403. In one embodiment, the non-wetting coating is a polyamide material. The surface of fluid 403 within nozzle 400 forms a meniscus 408. Meniscus 408 may be flush relative to nozzle opening 407, which is normally in good condition for ejecting droplets. In one embodiment, the meniscus is concave or convex and is located within the nozzle or flush relative to opening 407. The position and shape of meniscus 408 can be controlled by adjusting the pressure of the supply and return pumps that control the passage of fluid through the dispenser. Control over the position and shape of the meniscus for an individual nozzle can be disrupted when an individual meniscus is disrupted. FIG. 11A is a micrograph of a convex meniscus. FIG. 11B is a micrograph of a concave meniscus. FIG. 11C is a micrograph of a disrupted meniscus.

[0079] The nozzle 400 on the right requires maintenance because accumulated moldable material 410 has accumulated to the point where the likelihood of the moldable material dripping onto the substrate is no longer acceptable. Typically, a nozzle requires maintenance after several hours, days, or weeks of normal jetting. Normal jetting involves applying a voltage signal to the PZT material 404. The voltage signal, or jetting waveform, creates mechanical deformation in the PZT material 404, which then ejects fluid / moldable material 403 from the nozzle opening 407. Due to the jetting that ejects the fluid 403 from the nozzle, the fluid 403 can accumulate on the nozzle surface after millions of droplet ejection cycles. If there is an accumulation of fluid or moldable material 403, the nozzle requires maintenance to prevent degradation during fluid ejection. Therefore, a vacuum device is used to apply suction to the nozzle to remove fluid accumulation caused by jetting. In one embodiment, the walls of the nozzle may be made of PZT material. In one embodiment, one or more walls of a fluid chamber 402 connected to the nozzle 400 may be made of PZT material. In one embodiment, the PZT transducer may cause mechanical deformation in a diaphragm connected to a fluid chamber or nozzle. In one embodiment, instead of using PZT material to initiate jetting, a heater is used to generate a gas bubble to initiate jetting. In one embodiment, instead of using PZT material to initiate jetting, a MEMS or other deformable device is used to initiate jetting.

[0080] Referring now to FIG. 7B , the left nozzle 400 has non-contact maintenance applied by a vacuum device 412 that applies suction to the accumulated formable material 410. If the suction force is too great or the vacuum device 412 is too close to the nozzle 400, the non-contact maintenance can cause the meniscus 408 to break, as shown in the right nozzle 400 in FIG. 7B . In one embodiment, the faceplate surface 135 is curved or uneven, which can make it difficult to ensure that the vacuum device 412 is the appropriate distance from the nozzle 400 as the nozzle moves across the faceplate. If the meniscus 408 breaks as shown, this can result in nozzle stalls, variations in droplet volume, deformed droplets, and / or misaligned droplet deposition locations. This disclosure focuses on avoiding meniscus breaks as a result of non-contact maintenance.

[0081] Referring now to FIG. 7C , non-contact maintenance is performed on the nozzle 400, while the meniscus 408 remains intact. FIG. 7C illustrates that during non-contact maintenance of the nozzle 400 when a vacuum device 412 is applied to remove accumulated formable material 410, meniscus excitation occurs by applying a voltage signal to the PZT material 404, which deforms the PZT material 404. The deformation of the PZT material 404 is such that the PZT material 404 expands and exerts a force on the fluid 403. The deformation of the PZT material 404 is sufficient to expand the PZT material 404 perpendicular to the direction in which the fluid 403 is ejected from the nozzle 400. The force exerted by the PZT material 404 should not exceed a threshold sufficient to eject the fluid 403 from the nozzle 400. The force exerted by the PZT material 404 should be below a threshold to eject the fluid 403 from the nozzle 400. Applying a voltage to the PZT material 404 during non-contact maintenance of the nozzle 400 using a vacuum device 412 can result in maintaining the meniscus 408 of the nozzle 400 while removing normal buildup 410 caused by firing the nozzle. In alternative embodiments, the meniscus of one or more nozzles is energized in a non-firing manner by one or more of the following: a PZT material applying a force to a fluid in the fluid nozzle, a PZT material applying a force to a fluid in a chamber in fluid communication with the fluid nozzle, a MEMS device applying a force to a fluid in fluid communication with the fluid nozzle, and a bubble-generating heater in fluid communication with the fluid nozzle.

[0082] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram highlighting only a portion 602 of the dispenser 600 that is energized during non-contact maintenance. Each nozzle area is selectively energized as the vacuum device 604 moves across that specific area of ​​the dispenser. This allows for minimal meniscus excitation. Too much meniscus excitation can increase fluid buildup on the faceplate. FIG. 8 shows the vacuum device 604 moving in a direction 606 from the left side of the dispenser 600 toward the right side of the dispenser 600, known as the maintenance direction 606. Meniscus excitation is applied to an area on the dispenser 600 adjacent to the vacuum device 604, such that only a small portion of the dispenser 600 has an associated nozzle that has the force imparted by the PZT material to cause meniscus excitation. For example, the vacuum device 604 may have a rectangular vacuum orifice with a narrowest width of 0.5 mm. Alternatively, the vacuum device 604 may have a 0.3 mm lip surrounding the rectangular orifice. The vacuum device has a characteristic width (w) that includes the width of the narrowest width of the vacuum orifice and twice the width of the lip, which in this embodiment is 1.1 mm. v ) may have an excitation width (w e ) have associated nozzles with energized meniscuses. In one embodiment, the energized width is greater than the characteristic width (w e >w v The excitation width 602 is also limited by the pitch of the nozzle dispenser such that no more than 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 nozzles may be excited at any one time.

[0083] 9 is a flowchart illustrating exemplary steps before, during, and after non-contact maintenance to illustrate when white pixel firing is performed to prevent meniscus breakdown at a fluid ejection nozzle, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In a first block S700, the dispenser is in normal operation, which may cause normal buildup on the nozzle surface. In a second block S702, it is determined whether the dispenser requires maintenance from normal buildup of formable material. If the dispenser does not require maintenance (insufficient buildup), the next step can return to the first block S700, and the dispenser can continue to operate (fire) normally. Alternatively, if there is sufficient buildup and the dispenser requires maintenance, the next step is to retract the dispenser and begin maintenance processing S704. A white pixel waveform is read, and maintenance begins.

[0084] During maintenance step S704, a vacuum device applies suction to a portion of the dispenser. The portion of the dispenser exposed to suction is the area where the nozzle is energized to avoid meniscus disruption. After completing dispenser maintenance, in step S706, the white pixel waveform is switched to a jetting waveform to eject fluid from the nozzle as a test for quality. If the dispenser quality is satisfactory (yes in step S708), the dispenser may proceed to eject formable material in step S710. Alternatively, if the dispenser quality is unsatisfactory, nothing is done in step S708, the white pixel waveform is loaded, and maintenance begins again in step S704.

[0085] The dispenser waveform can be modified by shifting fundamental jetting parameters from a single primary drop regime to nozzle wetting with a drop formation regime. During maintenance operations, each nozzle can maintain wetting while removing resist buildup, increasing the viable process window for the dispenser, regardless of the presence or absence of a non-wetting coating on the faceplate. The dispenser waveform is modified by shifting fundamental jetting parameters so that each nozzle can maintain wetting while removing resist buildup during dispenser maintenance.

[0086] Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only. It is to be understood that the forms shown and described herein are to be construed as example embodiments. Elements and materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed, and certain features may be utilized independently, all as would be apparent to those skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description.

Claims

1. 1. A method for cleaning a dispenser for dispensing a material, the dispenser including a plurality of nozzles disposed on a faceplate, during non-contact maintenance of the dispenser, the method comprising: applying a suction force to the surface of the faceplate using a suction device; moving the suction device from one end of the faceplate toward the other end of the faceplate such that some of the nozzles are exposed to the suction force; vibrating menisci of the portion of nozzles exposed to the suction force to remove at least a portion of the material accumulated on the faceplate; Including, A method characterized in that the characteristic width of the suction device is the width of a range in a direction in which the nozzles are arranged, over which reduced pressure suction by the suction orifices is effectively applied when the suction device is placed close to the face plate without contacting it, and the characteristic width is smaller than the width of a range of the nozzles that are exposed to the suction force of the suction device and whose meniscus is vibrating while exposed to the suction force.

2. The method described in claim 1, characterized in that the suction device has a rectangular opening and a lip surrounding the rectangular opening, and the characteristic width of the suction device is defined as the sum of the narrowest width of the rectangular opening and twice the width of the lip.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the vibrating step, meniscuses associated with nozzles of the plurality of nozzles that are not exposed to the suction force are not vibrated.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of nozzles associated with the portion of nozzles exposed to the suction force is less than the total number of nozzles on the faceplate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the faceplate has a non-wetting coating.

6. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispenser is a jetting type dispenser.

7. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispenser is a piezoelectric jetting dispenser.

8. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the meniscus of the portion of the nozzles exposed to the suction force of the suction device is vibrated by applying a voltage to the portion of the nozzles.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the voltage applied to the portion of nozzles is an amount of voltage necessary to oscillate the meniscus without causing fluid to be ejected from the portion of nozzles.

10. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the nozzles exposed to the suction force of the suction device are vibrated so as to move the nozzles in a direction perpendicular to a fluid ejection direction.

11. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein a non-firing waveform is applied to the portion of nozzles exposed to the suction force by the suction device.

12. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein fluid is not expelled or dispensed into a processing module from the portion of nozzles exposed to the suction force by the suction device.

13. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles includes a meniscus, the meniscus being a curved upper surface of the liquid within that nozzle.

14. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the suction device translates so that the portion of the nozzles is no longer exposed to the suction force, a new portion of the nozzles is exposed to the suction force unless the suction device reaches the other end of the faceplate.

15. 1. A dispensing system comprising: a dispenser configured to dispense a material, the dispenser including a faceplate having a plurality of nozzles; a suction device for applying a suction force onto the faceplate; one or more processors; one or more memories that store instructions; The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the dispensing system to: applying the suction force to a surface of the faceplate using the suction device; moving the suction device from one end of the faceplate toward the other end of the faceplate such that some of the nozzles are exposed to the suction force; vibrating menisci of the portion of nozzles exposed to the suction force to remove at least a portion of the material accumulated on the faceplate; and An ejection system characterized in that the characteristic width of the suction device is the width of a range in the direction in which nozzles are arranged in which reduced pressure suction by the suction orifice is effectively applied when the suction device is placed close to the face plate without contacting it, and the characteristic width is smaller than the width of a range of nozzles that are exposed to the suction force of the suction device and whose meniscus is vibrated while exposed to the suction force.

16. 1. A method for manufacturing an article, comprising: cleaning a dispenser including a faceplate having a plurality of nozzles; Dispensing a portion of material onto a substrate using the cleaned dispenser; forming a pattern or layer of the dispensed material on the substrate; and processing the formed pattern or layer to produce the article; The cleaning step comprises: applying a suction force to the surface of the faceplate using a suction device; moving the suction device from one end of the faceplate toward the other end of the faceplate such that some of the nozzles are exposed to the suction force; vibrating menisci of the portion of nozzles exposed to the suction force to remove at least a portion of the material accumulated on the faceplate; A method for manufacturing an article, characterized in that the characteristic width of the suction device is the width of the range in the direction in which the nozzles are arranged, over which reduced pressure suction by the suction orifices is effectively applied when the suction device is placed close to the face plate without contacting it, and the characteristic width is smaller than the width of the range of the nozzles that are exposed to the suction force of the suction device and whose meniscus is vibrated while exposed to the suction force.

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