Molding apparatus, molding method, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide an imprint apparatus having excellent mold release performance and a method for manufacturing the same.SOLUTION: A molding apparatus for molding a cured article by bringing a mold into contact with a curable composition on a substrate to be processed and curing the curable composition in a state where the curable composition is in contact with the mold, includes priming means for applying a mold release agent to a surface of the mold that comes into contact with the curable composition. The priming means is means for placing a curable composition containing a mold release agent on a priming substrate, curing the curable composition in a state where the curable composition and the mold are in contact with each other, and releasing the mold and the curable composition from each other, thereby applying the mold release agent to the mold. Recovery means for recovering the state of the surface of the priming substrate on which the curable composition is placed is further provided in the apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a molding apparatus that molds a cured material onto a substrate to be processed, and more particularly to an imprint apparatus that transfers a pattern of a mold onto the substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] As demand for miniaturization of semiconductor devices, MEMS, and other devices continues to grow, attention is being drawn to a microfabrication technology that uses a mold to form a curable composition on a substrate and then forms a cured product on the substrate, in addition to conventional photolithography technology. This technology, also known as imprint technology, is capable of forming fine structures on the order of a few nanometers on a substrate.

[0003] One imprinting technique is photoimprinting, which uses photocuring. In photoimprinting, an uncured photocurable composition is applied to a substrate, and a light-transmitting mold with a nanometer-order uneven structure (a transfer structure such as a circuit pattern) is pressed (imprinted) into contact with the photocurable composition on the substrate. The photocurable composition is cured while pressed, and then the mold is released from the substrate, transferring a life-size pattern of the cured material to the substrate.

[0004] However, in the imprinting method, the cured product may remain on the mold when it is released. This occurs because the adhesive force between the mold and the cured product is strong. As a result, the transfer layer that should be transferred to the substrate remains on the mold, preventing normal transfer onto the substrate and resulting in defects.

[0005] To address this issue, there is a method of forming a layer between the cured product and the mold that reduces the adhesive strength between them, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. This layer is composed of fluorine-based surfactant molecules called a mold release agent, and can reduce the adhesive strength between the mold and the photocurable composition.

[0006] Patent Document 2 describes a pre-imprinting process in which, before producing a replica mold from a master mold by imprinting, a substrate other than the substrate to be transferred is prepared, and an imprinting material containing a release agent is applied to the substrate and imprinted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2006-528088 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 06628129 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, Patent Document 2 gives no consideration to contamination of the surface of the substrate used in the priming process. If the surface of the substrate used in the priming process, which is performed as a pre-processing step for imprinting, is contaminated, contaminants may adhere to the surface of the mold, or the adhesion between the substrate and the cured product may deteriorate, causing some of the cured product to adhere to the mold. In other words, there are cases where the priming process cannot be performed satisfactorily, or the inside of the molding device may become contaminated.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the conventional technology, and has an exemplary object to provide a molding apparatus that is advantageous in improving productivity by performing a reliable priming process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In view of the above problems, a molding apparatus according to the present invention comprises: A molding apparatus that brings a mold into contact with a curable composition on a workpiece substrate, and cures the curable composition in a contact state to form a cured product, comprising: a priming means for applying a release agent to the surface of the mold that comes into contact with the curable composition; the priming means is a means for applying the release agent to the mold by placing a curable composition containing a release agent on a priming substrate, curing the curable composition in a state where the curable composition is in contact with a mold, and releasing the cured product from the mold; The apparatus further comprises a recovery means for recovering the condition of the surface of the priming substrate on which the curable composition is placed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imprinting apparatus with good mold release performance and a method for manufacturing the same. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an imprint apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation method of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an imprint apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an imprint apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an imprint apparatus according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing how the photocurable composition remains on the mesa portion of the mold after demolding, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram showing how a pattern is formed using a curable composition containing a mold release agent. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the timing and effect of processing. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for performing priming. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing an article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0014] First Embodiment First, Fig. 1 of the present invention is a diagram of an imprinting apparatus, which is a molding apparatus of a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the imprinting apparatus of this embodiment brings a photocurable composition 9 (imprinting composition) supplied onto a substrate 10 into contact with a light-transmitting mold 7 (master, light-transmitting mold). Then, by applying energy for curing to the photocurable composition 9, a cured product is formed to which the concave-convex pattern 7a of the mold 7 has been transferred.

[0015] This imprinting apparatus 1 is used in the manufacture of devices such as semiconductor devices, and is an apparatus that uses a mold 7 to shape uncured resin on a substrate to be processed, thereby forming a resin pattern on the substrate 10. Note that this is an imprinting apparatus that employs a photocuring method.

[0016] The photocurable composition that is cured by light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photopolymerization initiator, and may contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent, as necessary. The non-polymerizable compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of a sensitizer, a hydrogen donor, an internal mold release agent, a surfactant, an antioxidant, a polymer component, etc.

[0017] The photocurable composition 9 may be applied to the substrate in the form of droplets, or in the form of islands or a film formed by connecting multiple droplets, by the discharge unit 20, which is a liquid jet head. The viscosity of the photocurable composition 9 (at 25°C) is, for example, 1 mPa·s or more and 100 mPa·s or less.

[0018] In this embodiment, the imprint apparatus 1 will be described as employing a photocuring method in which light is irradiated to cure the photocurable composition 9. In the following, the direction parallel to the optical axis of an irradiation optical system, which will be described later, that irradiates the photocurable composition 9 on the substrate 10 with light 8 will be referred to as the Z-axis direction, and two directions that are orthogonal to each other in a plane perpendicular to the Z-axis direction will be referred to as the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0019] Each part of the imprinting apparatus 1 will be described using Figure 1. The mold holding unit 3, which holds the optically transparent mold 7, includes a mold chuck 11 that attracts and holds the mold 7 by vacuum suction or electrostatic force, and a mold movement mechanism 12 that holds the mold chuck 11 and moves the mold 7 (and the mold chuck 11). The mold chuck 11 and the mold movement mechanism 12 have openings in their centers (inside) so that light 8 from the irradiation unit 2 can be irradiated onto the photocurable composition 9 on the substrate 10.

[0020] The mold moving mechanism 12 moves the mold 7 in the Z-axis direction so as to selectively press (impress) the mold 7 against the photocurable composition on the substrate 10 or pull (release) the mold 7 away from the photocurable composition on the substrate 10. Actuators that can be used for the mold moving mechanism 12 include, for example, linear motors and air cylinders. The mold moving mechanism 12 may be composed of multiple drive systems, such as a coarse movement drive system and a fine movement drive system, in order to position the mold 7 with high precision.

[0021] Furthermore, the mold moving mechanism 12 may be configured to be able to move the mold 7 not only in the Z-axis direction but also in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, the mold moving mechanism 12 may be configured to have a tilt function for adjusting the position of the mold 7 in the θ direction (rotation around the Z-axis) and the inclination of the mold 7.

[0022] Mold 7 has a rectangular outer periphery and a pattern portion 7a having a three-dimensional pattern (a concave-convex pattern to be transferred to substrate 10, such as a circuit pattern) formed on the surface (pattern surface) facing the substrate. Mold 7 is preferably made of a material that can transmit light, such as quartz. Mold 7 may also have a cavity that is circular in plan view and has a certain depth on the surface that is irradiated with light 8.

[0023] The irradiation unit 2 has a light source (not shown) and an irradiation optical system (not shown), and the irradiation optical system is equipped with a combination of optical elements described below. The irradiation unit 2 irradiates light 8 (e.g., ultraviolet light) onto a photocurable composition 9 on a substrate 10 via a mold 7 during an imprinting process (molding process). The irradiation unit 2 includes a light source and optical elements (lenses, mirrors, light shielding plates, etc.) for adjusting the light from the light source to a state of light 8 appropriate for the imprinting process (light intensity distribution, illumination area, etc.). In this example, the photocuring method is employed, and therefore the imprinting apparatus 1 has the irradiation unit 2.

[0024] The substrate chuck 14 attracts and holds the substrate 10 by vacuum suction force or electrostatic force. The auxiliary members 15 are arranged around the substrate chuck 14 so as to surround the substrate 10 held by the substrate chuck 14. The auxiliary members 15 are also arranged so that the upper surfaces of the auxiliary members 15 and the upper surfaces of the substrate 10 held by the substrate chuck 14 are at approximately the same height. The substrate chuck 14 is mounted on a stage driving mechanism 16. Here, the substrate chuck 14 and the stage driving mechanism 16 together constitute the substrate stage 4 (moving unit).

[0025] The substrate stage 4 is movable within the XY plane. When pressing the pattern portion 7a of the mold 7 against the photocurable composition 9 on the substrate 10, the position of the mold 7 and the position of the substrate 10 are aligned by adjusting the position of the substrate stage 4. Actuators that can be used for the substrate stage 4 include, for example, linear motors and air cylinders. The substrate stage 4 may be configured to move the substrate 10 not only in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, but also in the Z-axis direction. Note that imprinting and release of the mold 7 in the imprint apparatus 1 are achieved by moving the mold 7 in the Z-axis direction. However, this may also be achieved by moving the substrate 10 in the Z-axis direction. Alternatively, imprinting and release of the mold 7 may also be achieved by moving both the mold 7 and the substrate 10 relatively in the Z-axis direction. The substrate stage 4 may also be configured to have a tilt function for adjusting the position of the substrate 10 in the θ (rotation around the Z-axis) direction or the inclination of the substrate 10.

[0026] The substrate stage 4 also has a plurality of reference mirrors 17 on its side corresponding to the X, Y, Z, ωx, ωy, and ωz directions. In contrast, the imprint apparatus 1 has a plurality of laser interferometers 18 that measure the position of the substrate stage 4 by irradiating each of these reference mirrors 17 with a beam of helium neon or the like. Note that FIG. 1 shows only one pair of reference mirror 17 and laser interferometer 18. The laser interferometer 18 measures the position of the substrate stage 4 in real time, and the control unit 6, which will be described later, performs positioning control of the substrate 10 (substrate stage 4) based on the measurement value at that time. An encoder may also be used to measure the position of the substrate stage 4.

[0027] The auxiliary member 15 has the function of preventing a first gas 30 (not shown), which will be described later, from entering the optical path between the reference mirror 17 and the laser interferometer 18. The presence of the auxiliary member 15 also has the effect of maintaining a high concentration of the gas supplied from a first gas supply unit (not shown) when imprinting a shot area disposed around the substrate 10. Here, a difference in height between the upper surface of the auxiliary member 15 and the upper surface of the substrate 10 held by the substrate chuck 14 may exist, as long as the difference in gas concentration between the space above the auxiliary member 15 and the space above the substrate 10 does not exceed 1%. For example, the difference in height between the upper surface of the auxiliary member 15 and the upper surface of the substrate 10 held by the substrate chuck 14 may be 1 mm or less. More preferably, the difference in height between the upper surface of the auxiliary member 15 and the upper surface of the substrate 10 held by the substrate chuck 14 may be 0.1 mm or less.

[0028] The substrate 10 is made of glass, ceramics, metal, imprint material, or the like, and may have a member made of a material other than the substrate formed on its surface as needed. Specific examples of the substrate include silicon wafers, compound semiconductor wafers, and glass wafers containing quartz. The substrate may also be a glass substrate used to produce a replica mold from a master mold by imprint processing.

[0029] The coating unit 5 (supply unit) is installed near the mold holding unit 3, and coats the photocurable composition 9 onto at least one shot area (molding area) present on the substrate 10. The coating unit 5 employs an inkjet method as the coating method, and includes a container 19 that stores the uncured photocurable composition 9, and a discharge unit 20.

[0030] The container 19 is preferably one that can manage the photocurable composition 9 while maintaining an atmosphere therein that does not cause a curing reaction of the photocurable composition 9, for example, containing a small amount of oxygen. In addition, the container 19 is preferably made of a material that does not allow particles or chemical impurities to be mixed into the photocurable composition 9.

[0031] The discharge unit 20 has, for example, a piezo-type discharge mechanism (inkjet head) including multiple discharge ports. The application amount (discharge amount) of the photocurable composition 9 can be adjusted in the range of 0.1 to 10 pL / droplet, and is usually used at about 1 pL / droplet. The total application amount of the photocurable composition 9 is determined by the density of the pattern portion 7a and the desired remaining film thickness. The application unit 5 distributes and applies the photocurable composition 9 as droplets onto the shot based on operation commands from the control unit 6, which will be described later, and controls the application position, application amount, etc.

[0032] The alignment measurement unit 21 measures alignment marks formed on the substrate 10. The imprint apparatus 1 also includes a surface plate 22 on which the substrate stage 4 is placed and which forms a reference plane, a bridge surface plate 23 to which the mold holding unit 3 is fixed, and supports 25 that extend from the surface plate 22 and support the bridge surface plate 23 via vibration isolators 24 that remove vibrations from the floor surface. The imprint apparatus 1 may also include a mold transport unit that transports the mold 7 between the outside of the apparatus and the mold holding unit 3, and a substrate transport unit that transports the substrate 10 between the outside of the apparatus and the substrate stage 4, both of which are not shown.

[0033] The control unit 6 is composed of at least one computer including a CPU, memory, etc. The control unit 6 is connected to each component of the imprint apparatus 1 via a line, and controls the operation and adjustment of each component of the imprint apparatus 1 according to a program stored in the memory. The control unit 6 may be configured integrally with the other parts of the imprint apparatus 1 (in a common housing), or may be configured separately from the other parts of the imprint apparatus 1 (in a different housing).

[0034] Here, we will explain the imprint method (imprint process) performed by the imprint apparatus 1. First, the control unit 6 causes the substrate transport unit to place and fix the substrate 10 on the substrate stage 4. Next, the control unit 6 drives the stage drive mechanism 16 to appropriately change the position of the substrate 10, while causing the alignment measurement unit 21 to sequentially measure alignment marks on the substrate 10, thereby detecting the position of the substrate 10 with high precision.

[0035] The control unit 6 then calculates each transfer coordinate from the detection results and sequentially forms a pattern for each predetermined shot based on the calculation results (step and repeat). In the process of forming a pattern for one shot area, the control unit 6 first controls the stage driving mechanism 16 to position a coating position (a specific position on the shot area) on the substrate 10 below the discharge port of the discharge unit 20. The coating unit 5 then applies the photocurable composition 9 to the shot area on the substrate 10 (coating step).

[0036] Next, the control unit 6 moves and positions the substrate 10 using the stage driving mechanism 16 so that the shot area is located at the pressing position directly below the pattern area 7a. Next, the control unit 6 aligns the pattern area 7a with the substrate-side pattern on the shot area and corrects the magnification of the pattern area 7a using the magnification correction mechanism. Thereafter, the control unit 6 drives the mold moving mechanism 12. When the pattern area 7a is pressed against the photocurable composition 9 on the shot area, the pattern area 7a is deformed into a convex shape toward the substrate 10 and pressed against the photocurable composition 9 (imprinting process). This pressing causes the photocurable composition 9 to fill the concave-convex pattern of the pattern area 7a.

[0037] The control unit 6 determines the completion of the imprinting step using a load sensor (not shown) installed inside the mold holding unit 3. In this state, the irradiation unit 2 irradiates the mold 7 from the rear (top) surface with light 8 for a predetermined time as a curing step, and the light 8 that has passed through the mold 7 cures the photocurable composition 9. After the photocurable composition 9 has cured, the control unit 6 drives the mold moving mechanism 12 again to separate the pattern portion 7a from the substrate 10 (mold release step). As a result, a three-dimensional photocurable composition pattern (layer) that follows the concavo-convex pattern of the pattern portion 7a is formed on the surface of the shot area on the substrate 10. By performing this series of imprinting operations multiple times while changing the shot area by driving the substrate stage 4, the imprint apparatus 1 can form multiple photocurable composition patterns on a single substrate 10.

[0038] Here, the problem of defects occurring in the demolding step will be explained. During the demolding step, it is desirable that no photocurable composition be present in the mesa portion 601 of the mold 7. However, as shown in Figure 6(a), the photocurable composition may remain in the mesa portion 601 of the mold 7 after demolding. If the photocurable composition remains in the mesa portion 601, the photocurable composition will become foreign matter when the next imprint is made, and this will cause defects when the pattern is formed by imprinting.

[0039] Therefore, as shown in Figure 6(b), a curable composition containing a release agent (such as a surfactant) 301 in the photocurable composition is used during imprinting, and a similar pattern is formed, i.e., the curable composition is cured. In this case, the release agent in the composition segregates at the interface between the composition and the mold during curing, and the release agent is supplied to the surface of the mold 7. By carrying out a step of applying the release agent to the mold surface in advance (priming step) before imprinting, it is possible to prevent the photocurable composition from remaining in the mesa portion 601 of the mold 7 during the demolding step.

[0040] However, it is known that the supply efficiency of the release agent 301 varies depending on the surface condition of the mesa portion 601 of the mold 7. It has been found that after cleaning the mold 7, the surface of the mesa portion 601 becomes lyophilic, and the release agent 301 may not be supplied efficiently. In order to efficiently supply the release agent to the mesa portion 601, it is possible to address this by increasing the amount of photocurable composition or lengthening the imprinting time. However, in many cases, a sufficient amount of release agent 301 is not supplied in a single priming step, and in practice, multiple priming steps have been required.

[0041] Therefore, this priming process is not performed on production process substrates, but is instead performed on separate substrates. The primed substrates used in this priming process are stored in the equipment and are used when the next priming process is required.

[0042] As described above, this priming step is required after cleaning of the mold 7, and therefore, depending on the production process, this priming substrate may be stored in the equipment for a long period of time.

[0043] As shown in Figure 7, the surface of a primed substrate becomes contaminated over time. The rate at which the primed substrate becomes contaminated varies depending on the environment in which the primed substrate is stored. The same adhesive layer (not shown) as that of the process substrate is formed on the primed substrate.

[0044] This adhesion layer is a base layer formed for the purpose of adhering the photocurable composition to the substrate, and is formed as a solid film on the surface of the primed substrate by applying an adhesion layer-forming composition to the surface of the substrate by a method such as spin coating and then baking it. It has been found that if chemical contamination adheres to the surface of this adhesion layer, the filling ability of the photocurable composition containing a release agent is hindered during the priming step.

[0045] Therefore, it is necessary to know in advance the time when the contamination state of the primed substrate becomes unacceptable. The primed substrate is stored in the equipment and priming is performed every 30 minutes (this time is not limited), and the time when the number of defects increases sharply during priming is determined. This time is the recovery time of the primed substrate.

[0046] 8 is a flowchart showing an imprint process involving a priming step. First, in S101, the control unit 6 calculates the elapsed time since the priming substrate was last used, and if the storage time since last use is within a time set in the control unit 6 (e.g., 3 hours), in S102 the control unit 6 controls the substrate transport mechanism (not shown) to load the priming substrate 26 into the substrate chuck 14. Next, the priming steps S103 to S106 are performed.

[0047] Thereafter, in S107, it is determined whether all shot areas to be used on the priming substrate have been used. If there are still shot areas available, the next priming process is carried out. The number of priming processes is set in advance in the control unit 6. Priming is usually carried out multiple times. When the priming process is completed, the control unit 6 controls the substrate transport mechanism (not shown) to unload the priming substrate 26 from the substrate chuck 14. Thereafter, the priming process is carried out, and it is determined whether there are any valid priming areas on the priming substrate.

[0048] If there is no valid priming area on the priming substrate, the priming substrate is transported out of the device, and the control unit 6 performs control to prepare a priming substrate so that a new priming substrate is transported in. If there is a valid area on the priming substrate in S107, it is determined whether priming has been performed a predetermined number of times. If priming has not been performed the specified number of times, the priming process is performed again. If the priming process has been performed the specified number of times, the priming process ends, and priming substrate 26 prepares for the next priming process at a predetermined position (not shown).

[0049] In S101, the control unit 6 calculates the time (storage time) that has elapsed since the priming substrate was last used, and if the elapsed time exceeds a set allowable time (e.g., 3 hours), the control unit 6 performs priming recovery processes S201 to S203. In this embodiment, the recovery process for the priming substrate is performed by heating. The priming process is performed in response to instructions from the control unit 6, and the timing is not particularly limited.

[0050] An imprint apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG.

[0051] In this embodiment, the apparatus includes a priming means for performing the priming step, which includes a storage unit for storing a priming substrate dedicated to priming within the apparatus, and a drive mechanism for bringing the priming substrate into contact with the mold.

[0052] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the imprinting apparatus is equipped with a temperature adjustment unit 27 for heating a priming substrate 26 and performing a recovery process. By heating the priming substrate, surface contaminants are volatilized, and the surface condition of the priming substrate can be recovered. The surface of the priming substrate has the same adhesive layer (not shown) as the process substrate.

[0053] When heating the priming substrate, it is desirable to do so at a temperature and for a time equal to or lower than the bake temperature and time used when applying the adhesion layer-forming composition. Heating beyond this temperature and time may impair the adhesion performance of the adhesion layer. Since this temperature and time vary depending on the adhesion layer used, it is advisable to register the type of adhesion layer to be used in advance in the control unit 6. Based on the registered information, the heating temperature and time can be adjusted depending on the adhesion layer to be used.

[0054] From the viewpoint of productivity efficiency, it is desirable that the temperature of temperature adjustment unit 27 be set to a heating temperature before the start of heating the priming substrate, and that the temperature be quickly adjusted to room temperature (e.g., 23°C) after the heating process. After heating the priming substrate, once the temperature adjustment to room temperature is complete, the system waits until the next priming.

[0055] When the priming process becomes necessary, the control unit 6 controls the aforementioned substrate transport mechanism (not shown) to load the priming substrate 26 into the substrate chuck 14 (S102), and the priming substrate is loaded into the device.

[0056] If the amount of foreign matter on the priming substrate can be detected or estimated, it is advisable to control the timing of performing the priming process in accordance with the amount of foreign matter.

[0057] For example, if the amount of foreign matter on the priming substrate is 0.004 (pieces / substrate) or less, the particle size is 80 nm or less, and the material of the foreign matter is inorganic particles, these are considered to be within the acceptable range, and control may be performed so that the priming process is performed if the acceptable range is exceeded.

[0058] The priming step of this embodiment is carried out in response to an instruction from the control unit 6, and the timing of the priming step is not particularly limited.

[0059] Second Embodiment Next, an imprinting apparatus according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a heating device portion of the imprinting apparatus according to the second embodiment. The imprinting apparatus according to this embodiment is equipped with a heating device 28 within the imprinting apparatus, and heating is performed in a non-contact manner by the heating element 28 above the priming substrate. By heating the priming substrate, contaminants on the surface of the adhesion layer can be volatilized, and the surface condition of the priming substrate can be restored.

[0060] The heating conditions are preferably the same as the baking temperature and time used when forming the adhesive layer. Since these temperatures and times vary depending on the adhesive layer used, it is advisable to register the type of adhesive layer to be used in advance in the control unit 6. Based on the registered information, the heating temperature and time can be adjusted depending on the adhesive layer to be used. In this second embodiment, a form in which a primed substrate is partially restored will be described.

[0061] This embodiment is effective when, for some reason, a partial region of a priming substrate is not used in the priming process, and the unused region is to be reused in a later process using the same priming substrate. The purpose of this embodiment is to heat only the region of the priming substrate that requires the priming process, thereby performing a recovery process. The heating method may be radiant heat from a heater, direct heating by electromagnetic waves, or the like.

[0062] The distance between the upper surface of priming substrate 26 stored in temperature adjustment unit 29, which also serves as a priming substrate storage unit, and the lower surface of heating device 28 may be 1 mm or less. The heating area is preferably the same size as the shot in which the imprinting process is performed, but the size of this processing area is not particularly specified. The priming process is performed in response to instructions from control unit 6, and the timing is not particularly limited.

[0063] <Third embodiment> Next, an imprinting apparatus according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a heating device portion of the imprinting apparatus according to the third embodiment. The imprinting apparatus according to this embodiment includes a heating device 30 therein, which heats the priming substrate in a non-contact manner using heated gas supplied from the side of the priming substrate. By heating the priming substrate, surface contaminants can be volatilized, restoring the surface condition of the priming substrate.

[0064] The heating conditions are preferably the same as the baking temperature and time used when forming the adhesive layer. Since these temperatures and times vary depending on the adhesive layer used, it is advisable to register the type of adhesive layer to be used in advance in the control unit 6. Based on the registered information, the heating temperature and time can be adjusted depending on the adhesive layer to be used.

[0065] In the third embodiment, it is used when heating the entire priming substrate. Holding pins 32 for holding the priming substrate are provided on substrate storage unit 33. The holding pins are made of glass, ceramics, metal, etc., and may be made of other materials as needed. Gas is ejected from gas ejection unit 30 at a temperature set by control unit 6 to heat the priming substrate.

[0066] The gas ejection portions are preferably arranged symmetrically with respect to the priming substrate in order to efficiently heat the priming substrate. In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 4, two gas ejection portions are arranged on the outside of the priming substrate, but this arrangement is not limited thereto and multiple gases such as four or eight may be arranged. Furthermore, the gas used is preferably clean, and an inert gas such as clean dry gas or nitrogen gas that does not chemically affect the adhesion layer on the priming substrate is desirable. The priming step is performed in response to instructions from the control unit 6, and the timing is not particularly limited.

[0067] <Fourth embodiment> Next, an imprint apparatus according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the imprint apparatus and peripheral devices according to the fourth embodiment. The imprint apparatus according to this embodiment is an embodiment in which the heating process of the priming substrate is performed by a peripheral device outside the imprint apparatus.

[0068] The temperature and time for heating the priming substrate vary depending on the adhesion layer used, so it is advisable to register in advance the type of adhesion layer to be used in the control unit 6. Based on the information registered in the control unit 6, the heating temperature and time can be adjusted depending on the adhesion layer to be used.

[0069] The primed substrate is sent from the imprint apparatus 100 to a peripheral apparatus 200, for example, a liquid application apparatus (coater), where recovery processing is performed by heating the primed substrate. As the liquid application apparatus, known application apparatuses such as a spin coater and a slit coater can be used.

[0070] The imprint apparatus control unit 6 sends information about the processing start time to the peripheral apparatus, and the peripheral apparatus 200 performs recovery processing by heating based on that information. The peripheral apparatus 200 then transports the processed priming substrate to the imprint apparatus. The priming process is carried out in response to instructions from the control unit 6, and the timing is not particularly limited.

[0071] (Production method of article) The pattern of the cured product formed using the imprinting apparatus is used permanently on at least a portion 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 nonvolatile semiconductor memories such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, and MRAM, and semiconductor elements such as LSI, CCD, image sensors, and FPGAs. Examples of molds include molds for imprinting.

[0072] 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 pattern, which is removed after etching or ion implantation in a substrate processing step.

[0073] Next, a specific method for manufacturing the article will be described. As shown in Figure 8(a), a substrate 1z such as a silicon wafer having a workpiece 2z such as an insulator formed on its surface is prepared, and then a photocurable composition 3z is applied to the surface of the workpiece 2z by an inkjet method or the like. Here, the photocurable composition 3z in the form of multiple droplets is shown applied to the substrate.

[0074] As shown in Figure 8(b), the imprint mold 4z is placed facing the photocurable composition 3z on the substrate, with the side on which the concave-convex pattern is formed. As shown in Figure 8(c), the substrate 1z to which the photocurable composition 3z has been applied is brought into contact with the mold 4z, and pressure is applied. The photocurable composition 3z fills the gap between the mold 4z and the workpiece 2z. In this state, when light is irradiated through the mold 4z as curing energy, the photocurable composition 3z is cured.

[0075] 8(d), after the photocurable composition 3z is cured, the mold 4z is separated from the substrate 1z, forming a pattern of the cured product of the photocurable composition 3z on the substrate 1z. In this cured product pattern, the recesses of the mold correspond to the protrusions of the cured product, and vice versa. In other words, the recessed and protrusion pattern of the mold 4z is transferred to the imprint material 3z.

[0076] As shown in Figure 8(e), when etching is performed using the cured material pattern as an etching-resistant mold, 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 8(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.

[0077] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described using an imprinting apparatus that forms a pattern of a cured product on a substrate using a mold with an uneven surface, the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to a planarization apparatus that forms a flat surface on a substrate to be processed using a mold with a flat surface called a superstrate.

[0078] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1 Imprinting device 7 Mold 7a Pattern section 8 Light (exposure light) 9 Photocurable composition 10 Process board 16 Temperature adjustment section 20 Discharge part 26 Priming Board 27 Temperature adjustment section 301 Release agent 601 Mold Mesa

Claims

1. A molding apparatus that brings a mold into contact with a curable composition on a workpiece substrate, and cures the curable composition in a contact state to form a cured product, comprising: a priming means for applying a release agent to the surface of the mold that comes into contact with the curable composition; the priming means is a means for applying the release agent to the mold by placing a curable composition containing a release agent on a priming substrate, curing the curable composition in a state where the curable composition is in contact with a mold, and releasing the cured product from the mold; A molding apparatus further comprising a recovery means for recovering the condition of the surface of the priming substrate on which the curable composition is placed.

2. 2. The molding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage section for storing the priming substrate, the storage section including the recovery means.

3. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recovery process is performed based on a storage time of the priming substrate.

4. 2. The molding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the restoring means is a means for heating the priming substrate.

5. The molding apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the temperature to which the priming substrate is heated is equal to or lower than the baking temperature of the adhesion layer-forming composition.

6. A molding method for forming a cured product by bringing a mold into contact with a curable composition on a substrate to be processed and curing the curable composition in a state of contact, comprising: a priming step for applying a release agent to a surface of the mold that comes into contact with the curable composition, The priming step is a step of applying the release agent to the mold by placing a curable composition containing a release agent on a priming substrate, bringing the curable composition into contact with a mold, curing the curable composition in the contact state, and releasing the cured product from the mold; A molding method comprising a recovery step of recovering the condition of the surface of the priming substrate on which the curable composition is placed.

7. The molding method of claim 6 , wherein the recovery step comprises heating the priming substrate.

8. 8. The molding method of claim 7, wherein the priming substrate is heated using a heated gas.

9. A method for manufacturing an article, comprising the steps of: molding a curable composition on a substrate using the molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5; treating the substrate having the molded curable composition; and obtaining an article from the treated substrate.

10. A method for producing an article, comprising the steps of: molding a curable composition on a substrate using the molding method according to any one of claims 6 to 8; treating the substrate having the molded curable composition; and obtaining an article from the treated substrate.

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