Imprint Gas Supply Control for Direction-Change Patterning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imprint devices face challenges in maintaining gas concentration during sequential imprinting on a substrate, leading to potential defects and reduced productivity due to gas depletion.
Innovation Solution
An imprint device with a gas supply unit that controls gas distribution between a mold and substrate, adjusting gas supply based on the direction change of substrate movement, ensuring consistent gas concentration through additional gas supply when the moving direction changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If gas supply is performed only in the current moving direction, then gas supply simplicity is maintained, but gas concentration decreases when imprinting is consecutively performed on multiple regions
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit predicts future moving directions and supplies gas in advance in those directions before the substrate actually moves. This preliminary action ensures that gas is already present in the imprint space when needed, preventing concentration decrease without requiring complex real-time detection systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas supply unit continuously supplies gas in multiple directions based on predicted movement patterns, ensuring uninterrupted gas presence in the imprint space. This continuous multi-directional supply maintains gas concentration throughout sequential imprinting operations across multiple substrate regions.
2Quantity of substance
If gas supply is increased in all directions continuously, then gas concentration is maintained, but gas consumption and energy use increase
Solution Approach 1:
Gas supply is directed locally and selectively toward specific regions where the substrate is predicted to move next. Instead of uniform omnidirectional supply, the system concentrates gas supply in relevant directions based on the imprint pattern, reducing waste while maintaining concentration where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas supply parameters (direction, timing, amount) are dynamically changed based on the predicted imprinting sequence. The system adjusts gas supply characteristics to match the specific movement pattern, optimizing gas distribution efficiency and reducing overall consumption.
3Productivity
If sequential imprinting is performed on multiple substrate regions, then productivity is improved, but gas concentration decreases leading to defects
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit determines the entire imprinting sequence in advance and supplies gas proactively in predicted moving directions before substrate movement occurs. This ensures gas concentration is maintained throughout sequential operations, preventing defects while enabling high-productivity multi-region imprinting.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the predetermined imprint pattern information as feedback to control gas supply timing and direction. By continuously referencing the imprint sequence, the gas supply unit adapts its operation to maintain optimal gas concentration across all imprint regions, ensuring pattern quality throughout high-speed sequential processing.
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
Maintains high gas concentration, reducing defects and enhancing productivity by stabilizing gas levels during imprinting operations.
Implementation Method 1
a gas which has high solubility, high diffusibility, or both properties in the imprint material
Implementation Method 2
saturating a space between a mold and a substrate with a gas which has high solubility
Data Source
AI summary
In order to provide an imprint device and the like that can efficiently maintain a concentration of a gas when imprinting is sequentially performed, the imprint device includes: a mold holding unit configured to a mold; a substrate holding unit configured to holding a substrate; a gas supply unit configured to supply a gas to an imprint space between the mold and the substrate; and a control unit configured to control the gas supply unit and an imprinting operation, wherein the control unit is configured to sequentially perform imprinting on a plurality of imprint regions of the substrate, and the control unit is configured to, when a moving direction of the substrate between the imprint regions is changed from a first direction to a second direction, supply a gas to the imprint space in the first direction and the second direction using the gas supply unit during the imprinting operation on the imprint region before the change in the moving direction.