Curable Composition Pre-Spreading for Bubble-Free Pattern Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pattern forming methods and planarization techniques face challenges in achieving high productivity due to the formation of large bubbles between droplets on a substrate, which slows down the diffusion and disappearance of bubbles when a mold is brought into contact.
Innovation Solution
A curable composition containing a silicon compound with polymerizability, a photopolymerization initiator, and a solvent, with specific viscosity ranges and solvent volume percentages, is developed. This composition forms a practically continuous liquid film before droplets combine and a mold is contacted, facilitating faster filling and curing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If droplets of curable composition are discretely dropped on a substrate without pre-spreading, then the pattern formation process is simpler, but large bubbles form between droplets which slows down diffusion and disappears, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The curable composition is pre-spread to form a continuous film before the mold is brought into contact. This preliminary action eliminates the spaces between droplets where bubbles would form, allowing the mold contact and curing process to proceed without bubble-related delays, thus improving productivity while reducing bubble diffusion time
2Manufacturing precision
If a mold is pressed against discretely dropped curable composition, then pattern transfer is achieved, but filling time increases due to bubble formation and diffusion requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The curable composition is pre-spread to form a continuous film before mold contact. This ensures that when the mold is pressed against the substrate, the curable composition is already in optimal contact with the mold surface, enabling immediate and complete filling of the mold cavity without delay from bubble diffusion, thus reducing filling time while maintaining line width accuracy
3Ease of manufacture
If droplets of curable composition are arranged with spacing, then discrete pattern formation is enabled, but the space between droplets creates bubbles that reduce filling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The curable composition is pre-spread to form a continuous film that eliminates the spaces between originally discrete droplets. This preliminary spreading action maintains the ease of discrete droplet deposition while removing the harmful spaces that cause bubbles, thereby improving filling efficiency without sacrificing pattern formation ease
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed technique enhances productivity by reducing the time required for spreading and filling, leading to improved line width accuracy and surface flatness, thus overcoming the limitations of conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
the curable composition is irradiated with light to cure the curable composition
Implementation Method 2
the droplets of the curable composition spread to the whole region of the gap between the substrate and the mold by a capillary phenomenon
Data Source
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AI summary
A new technique relating to a curable composition is provided. A curable composition contains a polymerizable compound, a photopolymerization initiator, and a solvent. The polymerizable compound contains a silicon compound having polymerizability, the curable composition has a viscosity of not less than 2 mPa·s and not more than 60 mPa·s at 23°C, the curable composition in a state in which the solvent is removed has a viscosity of not less than 30 mPa·s and not more than 10,000 mPa·s at 23°C, and content of the solvent with respect to the whole curable composition is not less than 5 vol% and not more than 95 vol%.