Film forming method, film forming apparatus, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

This film forming method uses a mold to form, above a substrate, a cured film of a curable composition and includes: a contact step for bringing the mold and the curable composition above the substrate into contact with each other; a curing step for curing the curable composition after the contact step; and a separation step for separating the mold and the curable composition after the curing step. The contact step, the curing step, and the separation step are performed in an atmosphere in which the relative humidity at room temperature is from 50% to 100%.

Description

Film forming method, film forming apparatus, and article manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a film forming method, a film forming apparatus, and an article manufacturing method.

[0002] In semiconductor devices, MEMS, and the like, there is an increasing demand for miniaturization, and imprinting technology has attracted attention as a microfabrication technology (Patent Document 1). In imprinting technology, a curable composition on a substrate is brought into contact with a mold (form) having a fine concave-convex pattern formed on its surface, and the curable composition is cured in this state. As a result, the concave-convex pattern of the mold is transferred to the curable composition, and a pattern made of the cured product of the curable composition is formed on the substrate. Using imprinting technology, it is possible to form a fine pattern (structure) on the order of several nanometers on the substrate.

[0003] Here, an example of a pattern formation method using imprint technology is described. First, a liquid curable material is discretely dropped (placed) on a shot area (pattern formation area) of a substrate. Next, a mold is brought into contact with (pressed against) the curable composition on the substrate. As a result, the droplets of the curable composition spread throughout the entire gap between the substrate and the mold due to capillary action. This phenomenon may be called spreading. Furthermore, the curable composition fills the recesses that form the mold pattern due to capillary action. This phenomenon may be called filling. The time required for spreading and filling to be completed is called filling time. Once filling with the curable composition is complete, the curable composition is irradiated with light to cure the curable composition. Then, the mold is separated from the cured curable composition on the substrate. Through these steps, the pattern of the mold is transferred to the curable composition on the substrate, and a pattern of the curable composition is formed on the substrate.

[0004] Furthermore, in photolithography processes for manufacturing semiconductor devices, it may be necessary to planarize the substrate (i.e., form a planarizing film on the substrate). For example, in extreme ultraviolet exposure (EUV), a photolithography technology that has recently attracted attention, the depth of focus at which a projected image is formed becomes shallower as features become finer. Therefore, it is necessary to suppress the unevenness of the substrate surface onto which the curable composition is supplied (applied) to, for example, 4 nm or less. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL), another photolithography technology, also requires a level of flatness similar to that of EUV in order to improve the filling ability and line width accuracy of the curable composition (Non-Patent Document 1). A known planarization technique involves discretely dropping droplets of a curable composition in an amount corresponding to the unevenness onto a substrate having unevenness, and curing the curable composition while in contact with a mold having a flat surface, thereby obtaining a flat surface (Patent Documents 2 and 3).

[0005] In the pattern formation and planarization techniques described above, high throughput is required to improve productivity, but spreading and filling are the steps that require the longest time. In imprinting techniques, it is known that the filling speed can be improved by using helium or carbon dioxide as an atmospheric gas (Patent Document 4).

[0006] JP 2022-99271 A JP 2019-140394 A U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0286740 JP 2023-116190 A

[0007] N. Shiraishi / Int. J. Microgravity Sci. No.31 Supplement 2014 (S5-S12) T. IEE Japan Vol. 120-E, No. 11, (2020)

[0008] In imprinting technology, when a mold is separated from a cured curable composition on a substrate, static electricity is generated on the mold, causing it to become charged, a phenomenon known as peeling electrification. When the mold is in a charged state, foreign matter (particles) in the surrounding atmosphere are attracted to and adhere to the mold, and in the subsequent pattern formation, the mold with the foreign matter attached thereto comes into contact with the curable composition on the substrate. In other words, it may be difficult to accurately form a pattern made of a cured product of the curable composition on the substrate.

[0009] Furthermore, an alignment mark is formed on a mold used in the imprinting technique for the purpose of aligning the mold with a substrate. This alignment mark can be formed of a metal such as chromium. If the mold is charged, a Paschen-type discharge phenomenon of the atmospheric gas may be caused when the mold is separated from the curable composition on the substrate, which may destroy the alignment mark on the mold.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an advantageous technique for reducing the charging of a mold.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides a film formation method for forming a cured film of a curable composition on a substrate using a mold, the film formation method including a contacting step of contacting the mold with the curable composition on the substrate, a curing step of curing the curable composition after the contacting step, and a separation step of separating the mold from the curable composition after the curing step, wherein the contacting step, the curing step, and the separation step are performed in an atmosphere having a relative humidity of 50% or more and 100% or less at room temperature.

[0012] According to the present invention, for example, an advantageous technique for reducing the charging of a mold can be provided.

[0013] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0014] The accompanying drawings are included in the specification, constitute a part thereof, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and are used together with the description to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of an imprint apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 shows an operational transition diagram of an imprint process (film formation method) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 shows an operational transition diagram of an imprint process (film formation method) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 shows an operational transition diagram of an imprint process (film formation method) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 shows an operational transition diagram of an imprint process (film formation method) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 shows an example of the configuration of a gas supply unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0016] Unless otherwise specified, in this specification and the accompanying drawings, directions are indicated in an XYZ coordinate system, with the direction parallel to the surface of the substrate being the XY plane. The directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, respectively, and rotation around the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are referred to as θX, θY, and θZ, respectively. Control or drive about the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis refers to control or drive about the direction parallel to the X-axis, the direction parallel to the Y-axis, and the direction parallel to the Z-axis, respectively. Furthermore, control or drive about the θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis refers to control or drive about rotation around an axis parallel to the X-axis, the axis parallel to the Y-axis, and the axis parallel to the Z-axis, respectively. Furthermore, position is information that can be determined based on coordinates of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and orientation is information that can be determined by values ​​of the θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis.

[0017] Furthermore, the film forming apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus for performing a film formation process that forms a cured film of a curable composition on a substrate using a mold. Examples of film forming apparatuses include an imprinting apparatus and a planarizing apparatus. An imprinting apparatus is an apparatus that forms (transfers) a pattern on a curable composition (imprint material) on a substrate by contacting a mold having a concave-convex pattern with the curable composition. The film formation process performed by an imprinting apparatus is sometimes called an imprinting process. A planarizing apparatus is an apparatus that flattens the surface of a curable composition on a substrate by contacting a mold having a flat surface with the curable composition. The film formation process performed by a planarizing apparatus is sometimes called a planarizing process. In the following, an imprinting apparatus will be described as an example of a film forming apparatus, but the configuration and process of an imprinting apparatus can also be applied to a planarizing apparatus.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an imprinting apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The imprinting apparatus 10 is a lithography apparatus that uses a mold to form a pattern in a curable composition (imprint material) on a substrate. The imprinting apparatus 10 can be used in lithography processes, which are manufacturing processes for devices such as semiconductor devices and magnetic storage media. The imprinting apparatus 10 performs a process of bringing an uncured curable composition supplied to the substrate into contact with the mold and applying curing energy to the curable composition, thereby forming a cured product pattern, to which the mold pattern has been transferred, on the substrate. This process is called an imprinting process and is performed for each of a plurality of shot regions (imprinting regions) on the substrate. In this embodiment, an example is described in which a photocuring method is employed, in which the curable composition on the substrate is cured by irradiating the curable composition with light (ultraviolet light).

[0019] The imprint apparatus 10 of this embodiment includes a light irradiation unit 11, a mold holding unit 12, a substrate stage 13, a liquid supply unit 14, a gas supply unit 15, a measurement unit 16, and a control unit 17. The control unit 17 is configured by, for example, a computer (information processing device) having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit such as a memory. The control unit 17 is connected to each unit of the imprint apparatus 10 by lines and controls each unit of the imprint apparatus 10 (controls the imprint process).

[0020] During the imprint process, the light irradiation unit 11 (curing unit) irradiates the curable composition C with light 11a (e.g., ultraviolet light) while the mold M and the curable composition C on the substrate S (on the shot area) are in contact with each other, thereby curing the curable composition C. The light irradiation unit 11 can include, for example, a light source and an optical element for adjusting the light emitted from the light source to light appropriate for the imprint process.

[0021] The mold holding unit 12 is a mechanism that moves the mold M in the Z direction while holding the mold M. Specifically, the mold holding unit 12 may have a mold chuck that holds the mold M and a mold driving mechanism that drives the mold M (mold chuck). For example, the mold holding unit 12 can hold the mold M by attracting the outer circumferential region of the surface of the mold M that is irradiated with the light 11a using vacuum suction force or electrostatic force.

[0022] The mold holding unit 12 can drive the mold M in the Z direction in a contact operation of bringing the mold M into contact with the curable composition C on the substrate S, and in a separation operation of separating the mold M from the cured curable composition C on the substrate S. The mold holding unit 12 may also be configured to have a position adjustment function for adjusting the position of the mold M not only in the Z direction but also in the XY directions and rotational directions around each axis (θX, θY, and θZ directions), a tilt function for correcting the inclination of the mold M, and the like. The contact operation and separation operation may be performed by driving the substrate S in the Z direction using the substrate stage 13 described below, or by relatively driving the mold M and the substrate S in the Z direction using the mold holding unit 12 and the substrate stage 13.

[0023] The mold M held by the mold holding unit 12 typically has a rectangular outer periphery and is made of a material that can transmit light 11a (ultraviolet rays), such as quartz glass. A mesa portion Ma configured in a mesa shape with a step of, for example, several tens of nanometers is provided in a portion of the surface of the mold M facing the substrate S. The surface of the mesa portion Ma facing the substrate S functions as a molding surface (contact surface) that contacts the curable composition C on the substrate S and molds the curable composition C. The molding surface of the mold M used in the imprinting apparatus 10 is configured as a pattern surface on which a three-dimensional concave-convex pattern, such as a circuit pattern, to be transferred to the curable composition C on the substrate S is formed. Hereinafter, the mesa portion Ma on which the concave-convex pattern is formed may be referred to as the "pattern portion Ma." The molding surface of the mold M used in the planarization apparatus has 90% or more (preferably 95% or more) of a flat surface on which no concave-convex pattern is formed.

[0024] The substrate stage 13 is a mechanism that moves the substrate S in the X and Y directions while holding it. Specifically, the substrate stage 13 has a substrate chuck that holds the substrate S and a substrate driving mechanism that drives the substrate S (substrate chuck) in each axial direction. The substrate stage 13 can be used to align the mold M (pattern portion Ma) with the substrate S (shot area). Furthermore, the substrate stage 13 may be configured to have a position adjustment function for adjusting the position of the substrate S not only in the X and Y directions but also in the Z direction and rotational directions around each axis (θX, θY, and θZ directions), or a tilt function for correcting the tilt of the substrate S.

[0025] Examples of materials used for the substrate S include glass, ceramics, metals, semiconductors, and resins. If necessary, a member made of a material different from that of the substrate S may be provided on the surface of the substrate S. The substrate S may be, for example, a silicon wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, or quartz glass.

[0026] The liquid supply unit 14 (dispenser) supplies the curable composition C as multiple droplets onto the substrate S. For example, the liquid supply unit 14 can be configured to eject (spray) the curable composition C as multiple droplets toward the substrate S. While the substrate S is moved in the X and Y directions relative to the liquid supply unit 14 by the substrate stage 13 below the liquid supply unit 14, the liquid supply unit 14 is caused to eject the curable composition C as multiple droplets. This allows the curable composition C to be supplied as multiple droplets onto the substrate S (shot area).

[0027] The curable composition C supplied onto the substrate S is a composition (e.g., an uncured resin) that cures when curing energy is applied. The curable composition C is a composition that cures when irradiated with light or when heated. Of these, the photocurable composition that cures when irradiated with light contains at least a polymerizable compound and a photopolymerization initiator, and may further contain a non-polymerizable compound or a solvent as needed. The non-polymerizable compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of sensitizers, hydrogen donors, internal mold release agents, surfactants, antioxidants, polymer components, and the like. The viscosity of the viscous body (viscosity at 25°C) is, for example, 1 mPa·s or more and 100 mPa·s or less.

[0028] The gas supply unit 15 supplies (sprays) gas 15a around the mold M (pattern portion Ma), specifically, into the space between the mold M and the substrate S. This allows the atmosphere around the mold M (pattern portion Ma) to be replaced (filled) with the gas 15a. The gas 15a supplied from the gas supply unit 15 to the periphery of the mold M contains at least carbon dioxide or helium and is humidified. In other words, the gas supply unit 15 of this embodiment functions as an adjustment unit that adjusts the relative humidity in the atmosphere around the mold M. A detailed configuration example of the gas supply unit 15 will be described later.

[0029] The measurement unit 16 measures the surface resistivity of the mold M (pattern portion Ma). As a method for measuring the surface resistivity of the mold M by the measurement unit 16, a general measurement method such as a two-terminal method or a four-terminal method may be used. The measurement unit 16 is used to measure the surface resistivity of the mold M separated from the cured curable composition C on the substrate S as the charged state of the mold M. Note that, although the measurement unit 16 of the present embodiment is configured to measure the surface resistivity of the mold M, it is not limited thereto and may be configured to measure the surface resistivity of the substrate S. This is because the surface resistivity of the mold M can be converted from the surface resistivity of the substrate S.

[0030] During imprint processing, when the mold M is separated from the cured curable composition C on the substrate S, static electricity is generated on the mold M due to the difference in work function between the curable composition C and the mold M, resulting in a phenomenon known as peel charging. Because the mold M is made of a dielectric material that transmits ultraviolet light, such as quartz glass, once charged, the generated static electricity does not dissipate and the charged state is maintained. When the mold M is in a charged state, foreign matter (particles) in the surrounding atmosphere are attracted to and adhere to the mold M. This causes the mold M with the foreign matter attached to come into contact with the curable composition C on the substrate S in the subsequent imprint processing. This may make it difficult to accurately form a pattern made of the cured product of the curable composition C on the substrate S in the subsequent imprint processing. Therefore, the imprint apparatus 10 of this embodiment performs a static elimination process for the mold M using a humidified atmosphere. Specifically, as a de-electrification process, the imprinting apparatus 10 supplies humidified gas 15a to the periphery of the mold M (pattern portion Ma) using the gas supply unit 15, and performs the contact process, curing process, and separation process in an atmosphere filled with the gas 15a.

[0031] 2A to 2E show operational transition diagrams of the imprint process (film formation method) in the imprint apparatus 10 of this embodiment. First, as shown in FIG. 2A , a liquid supply unit 14 discretely places multiple droplets of a curable composition C on a substrate S (shot area) (placement step). Also, as shown in FIG. 2B , a gas supply unit 15 supplies gas 15a to the periphery of the mold M, thereby adjusting the relative humidity of the atmosphere surrounding the mold M (adjustment step). The adjustment step may be understood as a step of adjusting the relative humidity of the atmosphere in which the contact step, curing step, and separation step described below are performed. The adjustment step may be performed in parallel with the placement step, or may be performed between the placement step and the contact step described below. Hereinafter, the atmosphere in which the contact step, curing step, and separation step are performed (i.e., the atmosphere surrounding the mold M) may be referred to as the "ambient atmosphere."

[0032] Next, the mold M is driven in the −Z direction by the mold holding unit 12 to bring the curable composition C on the substrate S into contact with the mold M (contacting step). As a result, the droplets of the curable composition C spread in the direction parallel to the substrate S (XY direction) throughout the entire gap between the substrate S and the mold M due to capillary action, as shown in FIG. 2C . This phenomenon may be called spreading. Furthermore, the curable composition C fills the recesses of the concave-convex pattern of the mold M due to capillary action. This filling phenomenon may be called filling. After spreading and filling are complete, the curable composition C is irradiated with light 11a to cure the curable composition C (curing step), as shown in FIG. 2D . Then, the mold M is driven in the +Z direction by the mold holding unit 12 to separate the mold M from the cured curable composition C on the substrate S (separating step), as shown in FIG. 2E . Through these steps, the pattern of the mold M is transferred to the curable composition on the substrate, and a pattern of the curable composition is formed on the substrate. Furthermore, after the separation step, the mold M is in a charged state.

[0033] 3A and 3B illustrate the differences between the conventional example and this embodiment regarding the static elimination process of the mold M. As shown in FIG. 3A, in the conventional example, the relative humidity of the atmosphere in which at least the placement step, contact step, and curing step are performed is 0%. In some cases, a gas such as helium is supplied around the mold M during the contact step and curing step, but the relative humidity of this gas is 0%. Then, after the separation step, the static elimination process of the mold M is performed by supplying ionized gas (ionized gas) around the mold M using an ionizer. The relative humidity of the ionized gas is also 0%.

[0034] On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B , between the placement step and the contact step, or in parallel with the placement step, humidified gas 15a is supplied to the periphery of the mold M by the gas supply unit 15. This allows the contact step, curing step, and separation step to be performed in a humidified ambient atmosphere, thereby efficiently reducing the charge generated on the mold M during the separation step. The relative humidity at room temperature (23°C) in the ambient atmosphere in which the contact step, curing step, and separation step are performed is 30% or more and 100% or less (or less), preferably 50% or more and 100% or less (or less), and particularly preferably 60% or more and 90% or less. A relative humidity of 30% or less results in insufficient static elimination, while a relative humidity that is too high can cause secondary problems such as condensation. The humidified gas 15a supplied to the periphery of the mold M by the gas supply unit 15 may be ionized using an ionizer. Furthermore, during the separation step, the gas supply unit 15 may additionally supply humidified gas 15a to the periphery of the mold M.

[0035] As described above, in the imprinting process of this embodiment, not only the separation step but all steps from the start of the contact step to the end of the separation step are performed in a humidified ambient atmosphere. Because charge transfer between the mold M and the curable composition C on the substrate S during the contact step is also a factor in peeling electrification, performing the contact step in a humidified ambient atmosphere effectively reduces peeling electrification. In other words, the mold M can be quickly neutralized. In conventional methods, the separation step requires a process of supplying ionized gas around the mold M to neutralize the mold M, which requires additional process time. Furthermore, the need to install (place) an ionizer near the mold inside the apparatus can complicate the apparatus design. In contrast, the imprinting apparatus 10 of this embodiment allows the relative humidity of the humidified gas 15a to be adjusted using a mass flow controller installed at any position in the gas supply line, minimizing the impact on the apparatus design and reducing development costs.

[0036] Next, the supply of humidified gas 15a by gas supply unit 15 will be described. FIG. 4 shows an example configuration of gas supply unit 15. For example, gas supply unit 15 includes two gas lines connected to a supply source 151 (cylinder) of dry gas containing at least carbon dioxide or helium. In one gas line, dry gas (carrier gas) provided from supply source 151 is delivered to mass flow controller 153 as a first gas having a first moisture content (e.g., 0% relative humidity). In the other gas line, dry gas (pressurized gas) provided from supply source 151 is bubbled through water in water tank 152 and delivered to mass flow controller 154 as a second gas having a second moisture content (e.g., 100% relative humidity) greater than the first moisture content. Humidified gas 15a is generated by mixing the first gas and the second gas, and the moisture content of humidified gas 15a is controlled by changing the mixing ratio of the first gas and the second gas based on the formula in the figure. Specifically, the control unit 17 has information indicating the moisture content of the humidified gas 15a relative to the mixture ratio of the first gas and the second gas, and controls the flow rates of the first gas and the second gas using the mass flow controllers 153 and 154 based on this information. This allows the gas supply unit 15 to generate humidified gas 15a having a desired moisture content. The gas supply unit 15 may also have an ionizer 155 that ionizes the humidified gas 15a generated by mixing the first gas and the second gas. In this case, the ionized humidified gas 15a is supplied to the periphery of the mold M.

[0037] It is generally known that surface resistivity decreases exponentially as the relative humidity increases (see Non-Patent Document 2). Therefore, the control unit 17 may measure the surface resistivity of the mold M using the measurement unit 16 (measurement process) and, based on the measurement results, adjust the relative humidity of the ambient atmosphere using the gas supply unit 15 so that the surface resistivity of the mold M is less than a specified value. Furthermore, taking into account the time required to neutralize the mold M (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the neutralization time), the control unit 17 may adjust the relative humidity of the ambient atmosphere so that a target neutralization time can be achieved, i.e., the neutralization time can be reduced to less than a threshold value. For example, the control unit 17 may adjust the relative humidity of the ambient atmosphere based on information indicating the relationship between the surface resistivity measured by the measurement unit 16 and the target relative humidity of the ambient atmosphere for reducing the neutralization time to less than the threshold value. This information may be obtained in advance through simulations or experiments and stored in the memory unit of the control unit 17.

[0038] To supplement the above-described embodiment, a more specific example will be described. In the following discussion, the neutralization time is defined as the time required for the initial charge to decay to 37%.

[0039] In Example 1, the surface resistance and the static elimination time of the mold M were calculated under the conditions of an ambient temperature of 23° C. and a relative humidity of 50%. Under the conditions of Example 1, the surface resistance of the mold M was 1.67×10 １１ The discharge time was calculated to be 52 seconds at Ω.

[0040] In Example 2, the surface resistance and the static elimination time of the mold M were calculated under the conditions of an ambient temperature of 23° C. and a relative humidity of 90%. Under the conditions of Example 2, the surface resistance of the mold M was 1.75×10 ９ The charge removal time was calculated to be 0.8 seconds at Ω.

[0041] [Example 3] In Example 2, the surface resistance and the static elimination time of the mold M were calculated assuming that the temperature of the ambient atmosphere was 23°C and the relative humidity of the ambient atmosphere was 100%. Under the conditions of Example 3, the surface resistance of the mold M was 5.6 × 10 ８ The charge removal time was calculated to be 0.2 seconds at Ω.

[0042] [Comparative Example 1] In Comparative Example 1, the surface resistance and the static elimination time of the mold M were calculated under the conditions of the ambient temperature of 23°C and the relative humidity of the ambient atmosphere of 0%. Under the conditions of Comparative Example 1, the surface resistance of the mold M was 7.5 × 10 １７ Ω, the static elimination time was calculated to be 25,000 seconds.

[0043] Table 1 summarizes the results of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1. As shown in Table 1, it can be seen that the charging and de-charging time of the mold M can be reduced by adjusting the relative humidity of the surrounding atmosphere within the range of 50% to 100%. [Table 1]

[0044] As described above, in the imprint apparatus of this embodiment, the contact step, curing step, and separation step are performed in an ambient atmosphere in which the relative humidity at room temperature is 50% or more and 100% or less. This makes it possible to efficiently reduce the charge on the mold M during the imprint process without adding an additional time for discharging electricity after the imprint process. As a result, it is possible to reduce the adhesion of foreign matter to the mold M and the destruction of the alignment marks on the mold M due to discharge.

[0045] <Embodiment of Article Manufacturing Method> The article manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices, such as semiconductor devices, and elements having a microstructure. The article manufacturing method of this embodiment includes a formation step of forming a cured film of a curable composition on a substrate using the above-described film forming apparatus (film forming method), a processing step of processing the substrate on which the cured film has been formed in the formation step, and a manufacturing step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step. The film forming apparatus may include an imprinting apparatus or a planarizing apparatus, and the film forming method may include an imprinting process or a planarizing process. Furthermore, such a manufacturing method may include other well-known processes (oxidation, film formation, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The article manufacturing method of this embodiment is advantageous over conventional methods in at least one of article performance, quality, productivity, and production cost.

[0046] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention.

[0047] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-090280, filed June 3, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0048] 10: Imprint apparatus, 11: Light irradiation unit, 12: Mold holding unit, 13: Substrate stage, 14: Liquid supply unit, 15: Gas supply unit, 16: Measurement unit, 17: Control unit

Claims

1. A film formation method for forming a cured film of a curable composition on a substrate using a mold, comprising: a contacting step of bringing the mold into contact with the curable composition on the substrate; a curing step of curing the curable composition after the contacting step; and a separation step of separating the mold and the curable composition after the curing step, wherein the contacting step, the curing step, and the separation step are carried out in an atmosphere having a relative humidity of 50% or more and 100% or less at room temperature.

2. The film forming method according to claim 1, further comprising an adjusting step of adjusting the relative humidity of the atmosphere in the contacting step, the curing step and the separating step.

3. The film forming method described in claim 2, further comprising a measurement step of measuring the surface resistivity of the mold, wherein in the adjustment step, the relative humidity of the atmosphere is adjusted based on the measurement results of the measurement step so that the surface resistivity of the mold is less than a specified value.

4. A film formation method according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a measurement step of measuring the surface resistivity of the mold, wherein the adjustment step adjusts the relative humidity of the atmosphere based on information indicating the relationship between the surface resistivity of the mold measured in the measurement step and a target relative humidity of the atmosphere for making the time required to neutralize the mold less than a threshold value.

5. A film forming method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that in the adjustment process, the relative humidity of the atmosphere is adjusted by supplying a humidified gas with a controlled moisture content around the mold.

6. The film forming method according to claim 5, wherein in the adjusting step, the humidified gas is supplied to the periphery of the mold before the contacting step.

7. The film forming method according to claim 6, characterized in that it includes a disposing step of disposing the curable composition on the substrate before the contacting step, and in the adjusting step, the humidified gas is supplied around the mold between the disposing step and the contacting step or in parallel with the disposing step.

8. A film formation method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the humidified gas is generated by mixing a first gas having a first moisture content with a second gas having a second moisture content greater than the first moisture content, and the moisture content of the humidified gas is controlled by changing the mixing ratio of the first gas and the second gas.

9. A film forming method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the humidified gas contains at least carbon dioxide or helium.

10. A film forming method according to any one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the humidified gas is ionized.

11. The film forming method according to claim 7, wherein the humidified gas is ionized using an ionizer.

12. A method for manufacturing an article, comprising: a forming step of forming a cured film of a curable composition on a substrate using the film forming method described in any one of claims 1 to 11; a processing step of processing the substrate on which the cured film has been formed in the forming step; and a manufacturing step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step.

13. A film forming apparatus that forms a cured film of a curable composition on a substrate using a mold, comprising: an adjustment unit that adjusts the relative humidity in the atmosphere surrounding the mold; and a control unit that controls a contact step of bringing the mold into contact with the curable composition on the substrate, a curing step of curing the curable composition after the contact step, and a separation step of separating the mold from the curable composition after the curing step, wherein the control unit performs the contact step, the curing step, and the separation step in a state where the relative humidity at room temperature in the atmosphere is adjusted by the adjustment unit to between 50% and 100%.

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