Fluid Dispenser Temperature Control for Sub-Picoliter Drop Accuracy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Nanoimprint lithography faces challenges in maintaining positioning accuracy for small droplets of resist fluid, particularly as droplet volume decreases below 1 picoliter, leading to significant accuracy issues and satellite droplet formation.
Innovation Solution
A fluid dispensing system that includes a heater to maintain the droplet fluid temperature above 23°C, utilizing a Peltier device for temperature control, which improves drop placement accuracy and minimizes satellite droplet formation by adjusting the droplet fluid temperature within a predetermined range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If droplet volume is reduced below 1 picoliter to achieve higher resolution in nanoimprint lithography, then manufacturing precision of patterns is improved, but drop placement accuracy deteriorates significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the temperature of the resist fluid to maintain it above 23°C. This temperature parameter modification reduces fluid viscosity and improves wetting characteristics, which compensates for the reduced placement accuracy that would normally occur at sub-1 picoliter droplet volumes, thereby enabling high-resolution patterning while maintaining acceptable placement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-heating the resist fluid in the reservoir before dispensing. This preliminary temperature control ensures that the fluid is at the optimal temperature range (above 23°C) before the actual droplet formation and placement process, which improves placement accuracy for small droplets without affecting the final pattern resolution
2Manufacturing precision
If droplet volume is reduced below 1 picoliter to achieve higher resolution, then manufacturing precision is improved, but satellite droplet formation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by maintaining the resist fluid temperature above 23°C, which modifies the fluid's physical properties including surface tension and viscosity. These parameter changes suppress satellite droplet formation during the ejection process, allowing sub-1 picoliter droplets to be deposited cleanly without the harmful satellite droplets that would compromise pattern quality
3Measurement precision
If droplet fluid temperature is increased above 23°C to improve placement accuracy, then drop placement accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by heating the resist fluid only to the minimum necessary temperature (above 23°C) required to achieve the desired placement accuracy and fluid properties, rather than using excessive heating. This partial thermal treatment is sufficient to improve placement accuracy for sub-1 picoliter droplets while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption that would occur with higher temperature treatments
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 system achieves enhanced drop placement accuracy and reduces satellite droplet formation, maintaining accuracy even at low droplet volumes, thereby improving the overall nanoimprint lithography process.
Implementation Method 1
The heater may be configured to maintain a droplet fluid temperature at greater than 23° C., of each of the plurality of droplets prior to being dispensed by the fluid dispenser
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a Peltier device for temperature control, which improves drop placement accuracy and minimizes satellite droplet formation by adjusting the droplet fluid temperature within a predetermined range
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid dispensing system, an imprint lithography system with a fluid dispensing system, a method of manufacturing an article with the fluid dispensing system. The fluid dispensing system comprising: a fluid dispenser and a heater. The fluid dispenser configured to dispense droplets of a fluid onto a substrate. The heater configured to maintain droplet temperature at greater than 23° C. Each of the droplets has a fluid volume that is less than 1.2 pL. The fluid dispenser is configured to have a drop placement accuracy for the imprint resist fluid that is less than a first threshold when the droplet fluid temperature is greater than 23° C. The drop placement accuracy is greater than the first threshold when the droplet fluid temperature is less than or equal to 23° C.