Imprint Alignment Using Pre-Contact Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing imprint techniques face challenges with alignment accuracy and throughput due to position deviations between the mold and substrate during die-by-die alignment, leading to increased alignment time and potential misalignment, especially as the imprint process is repeated.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves an imprint method and apparatus that utilize a correction unit to perform first and second alignments before and after the mold and imprint material contact, using measured relative positions and driving amounts from previous shot regions to correct positional deviations, thereby improving alignment accuracy and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If die-by-die alignment method is used with substrate stage driving, then alignment between substrate and mold can be achieved, but the mold deviates from its position with respect to the imprint head due to being dragged by substrate stage movement
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment process is divided into two distinct phases: first alignment performed before mold-resin contact, and second alignment performed after contact. This segmentation allows each alignment phase to be optimized independently, with the first alignment establishing initial positioning and the second alignment making fine adjustments without causing mold position deviation.
Solution Approach 2:
The first alignment is performed in advance before the mold and resin come into contact. This preliminary positioning reduces the burden on the second alignment and prevents large substrate stage movements that would drag the mold and cause position deviation with respect to the imprint head.
2Manufacturing precision
If substrate and mold contact each other during alignment, then alignment can be performed, but the amount by which substrate and mold can be aligned is limited and it takes much time
Solution Approach 1:
The first alignment is performed before the mold and resin contact, allowing for larger correction movements without the constraint of mold-resin contact. This preliminary positioning reduces the correction amount needed in the second alignment, thereby reducing the time required for post-contact alignment adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses detection results from substrate-side marks and mold-side marks to calculate correction amounts for both first and second alignment. This feedback mechanism enables precise control of alignment movements, optimizing the balance between alignment accuracy and time consumption in both alignment phases.
3Productivity
If imprint process is repeated on multiple shot regions, then throughput is improved, but position deviation between substrate and mold increases leading to alignment failure or excessive alignment time
Solution Approach 1:
By performing the first alignment before mold-resin contact for each shot region, the system establishes accurate initial positioning that compensates for cumulative position deviations. This allows repeated imprint processes to maintain alignment accuracy across multiple shot regions, enabling improved throughput without sacrificing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously uses detection results from marks on both substrate and mold to calculate correction amounts for each alignment phase. This feedback mechanism compensates for cumulative position deviations that occur during repeated imprint processes across multiple shot regions, maintaining alignment accuracy throughout production.
4Manufacturing precision
If mold and substrate are driven for alignment, then positional relationship can be corrected, but alignment scope field of view is lost when position deviation becomes too large
Solution Approach 1:
The first alignment is performed before mold-resin contact, allowing for larger correction movements while the alignment marks remain within the alignment scope field of view. This preliminary positioning reduces the correction amount needed in the second alignment, ensuring that marks remain detectable throughout the alignment process.
Data Source
AI summary
An imprint method includes: before contacting a mold with an imprint material on a target shot region, obtaining relative position of the target shot region with respect to the mold, and performing first alignment between the target shot region and the mold by driving a correction unit configured to correct the relative position of the target shot region; after contacting the mold with the imprint material on the target shot region, performing second alignment between the target shot region and the mold by driving the correction unit; and performing the imprint process on the target shot region after the second alignment. The first alignment includes alignment performed based on a driving amount of the correction unit in the second alignment for another shot region where the imprint process has been performed earlier than in the target shot region.