Imprint Apparatus Droplet Supply Pattern Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In imprint apparatuses, the uneven contact between the mold and the substrate leads to extrusion of the imprint material at the edges and incomplete filling, due to the difference in arrival times of the material at the rectangular shot region's edges, resulting in inefficiencies in the forming process.
Innovation Solution
A forming apparatus that controls the discrete supply of droplets onto the substrate, with a controller adjusting the supply pattern to minimize the distance between droplets at the corners, where the material arrives last, thereby ensuring sufficient time for spreading and preventing extrusion and incomplete filling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mold and imprint material are brought into contact starting from the center of the shot region, then air trapping is reduced, but the imprint material arrives at the corners last and is easily extruded to the outside of the shot region
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the droplet arrangement interval across different regions of the shot region. Specifically, the arrangement interval is set to be smaller at the corners and larger at the center, matching the local requirements: corners need smaller intervals to prevent extrusion, while the center can have larger intervals to accommodate earlier arrival times.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs preliminary action by pre-calculating and pre-setting the optimal droplet arrangement pattern before the imprinting process begins. The controller determines the supply pattern in advance based on the shot region geometry, ensuring that droplets are positioned optimally to account for the different arrival times at various edges, particularly the corners that are last to be filled.
2Manufacturing precision
If the arrangement interval of droplets is increased to reduce material extrusion, then extrusion is suppressed, but the mold may not be fully filled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by applying different droplet arrangement intervals to different locations within the shot region. The controller sets a smaller arrangement interval at the corners where extrusion is most likely to occur, while using a larger arrangement interval at the center where extrusion is less of a concern. This localized differentiation ensures both extrusion control and complete mold filling.
3Reliability
If the contact between mold and imprint material starts from the center, then the contact region expands toward the outer periphery, but the corners are filled last with insufficient time for spreading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses preliminary action by pre-positioning droplets with optimized arrangement intervals at the corners before the imprinting process begins. This ensures that when the contact front reaches the corners last, there is already sufficient material positioned appropriately to allow for proper spreading and filling, compensating for the time delay in reaching these regions.
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 solution effectively reduces extrusion of the imprint material and ensures complete filling of the mold by optimizing the drop pattern based on the predicted arrival times of the material at the edges, enhancing the overall filling property and reducing defects in the formed pattern.
Implementation Method 1
the imprint material may move to spread, and the imprint material may be extruded to the outside of the shot region and the substrate
Implementation Method 2
when the imprint material supplied to the shot region and the mold are brought into contact with each other, applies pressure to the imprint material and the mold
Implementation Method 3
in an imprint apparatus employing a photocuring method... the imprint material is cured by irradiation of light
Data Source
AI summary
A forming apparatus configured to, in a state in which a composition on a substrate and a mold have been brought into contact, cure the composition to thereby mold the composition, is provided. The forming apparatus includes a supplier configured to discretely supply droplets of the composition onto the substrate, a controller configured to control the supplier in accordance with a supply pattern that indicates a drop amount and a drop position of each droplet. The shot region has a rectangular outer shape. The controller determines the supply pattern such that a minimum distance between adjacent droplets supplied onto the shot region by the supplier gradually decreases from a center of each side of the rectangular outer shape of the shot region toward both corners of the each side of the rectangular outer shape of the shot region.