Imprint Apparatus Defective Port Rerouting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imprint apparatuses face defects in pattern formation due to clogged discharge outlets, leading to unfilling defects and abnormal residual layer thickness, which are not adequately addressed by existing solutions.
Innovation Solution
An imprint apparatus with a controller that reroutes the supply of imprint material from defective discharge ports to adjacent functioning ports, maintaining the integrity of pattern formation by adjusting the interval between supply positions to minimize disruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the imprint material is supplied from multiple discharge ports, then the supply coverage is improved, but if one discharge port becomes defective, pattern defects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the operational parameters by switching which discharge ports are active. When a defect is detected in one discharge port, the controller changes the parameter set to use alternative discharge ports, thereby maintaining reliable pattern formation without being affected by the defective port
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static configuration where discharge port assignments are fixed to a dynamic configuration where the controller can switch between different discharge ports based on their operational status. This dynamic adaptation ensures that defective ports do not compromise the overall reliability of pattern formation
2Manufacturing precision
If the supply positions are adjusted to compensate for defective discharge ports, then pattern defects are reduced, but the interval between supply positions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality adjustment by modifying the supply position intervals only in the specific regions affected by defective discharge ports, while maintaining normal intervals in regions served by functioning ports. This localized adjustment preserves manufacturing precision without unnecessarily increasing intervals across the entire substrate
3Productivity
If alternative discharge ports are used to compensate for defective ports, then productivity is maintained, but the interval between supply positions becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The controller dynamically changes the operational parameters by selecting different discharge ports and adjusting their supply positions. This parameter change allows the system to maintain productivity by using alternative ports while minimizing the increase in supply position intervals through optimized positioning algorithms
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an imprint apparatus including a supply device including discharge ports which discharge a imprint material, and configured to supply the imprint material onto a substrate via the discharge ports, and a controller configured to cause, if there is a defective discharge port of the discharge ports, the supply device to discharge the imprint material from another discharge port, different from the defective discharge port, of the discharge ports, wherein a mold for the molding includes a line pattern, and the controller is configured to control the supply device such that an interval between supply positions of the imprint material do not become larger in a direction orthogonal to a direction along the line pattern than that before change from the defective discharge port to the other discharge port.