Imprint Gas Supply Control for Uniform Substrate Patterning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imprint apparatuses face issues with air bubbles mixing into uncured imprint material, leading to unfilling defects and reduced productivity due to uneven gas concentration and photosensitization, which affects alignment accuracy and gas diffusion near the substrate edge.
Innovation Solution
An imprint apparatus with gas supply units and a control unit that adjusts gas supply based on position and imprint order information to maintain appropriate gas concentration across substrate regions, ensuring uniform gas distribution during imprinting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If gas is supplied at constant amount to each imprint region, then gas supply process is simple, but gas concentration becomes uneven near center and outer periphery of substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making gas supply amounts position-dependent. The control unit determines different gas supply amounts for different imprint regions based on their positions on the substrate. Specifically, regions closer to the outer periphery receive different gas supply amounts compared to central regions, compensating for the higher diffusion rate at edges and achieving uniform gas concentration across the substrate surface.
2Reliability
If gas concentration is increased to improve filling properties, then unfilling defects are reduced, but photosensitization of adjacent regions increases and alignment accuracy degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the gas supply amount as a controllable parameter. The control unit varies the gas supply amount based on position information and imprint order, ensuring that each region receives an optimal gas concentration that maintains filling properties while preventing excessive photosensitization. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between reliability and manufacturing precision.
3Productivity
If continuous imprinting is performed to increase productivity, then output increases, but gas concentration decreases and defects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the control unit determine and prepare gas supply amounts for multiple imprint regions in advance, based on position information and imprint order. This pre-planning allows the system to maintain appropriate gas concentrations even during continuous high-speed imprinting operations, preventing defect formation while sustaining high productivity.
4Manufacturing precision
If gas supply amount is increased to compensate for diffusion at substrate edges, then outer peripheral gas concentration improves, but center region gas concentration becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing position-dependent gas supply control. The control unit calculates appropriate gas supply amounts for each imprint region based on its specific position on the substrate. This allows the system to supply more gas to outer peripheral regions that experience higher diffusion losses, while supplying less gas to central regions, thereby achieving uniform gas concentration distribution across the entire substrate surface.
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 defects and enhances productivity by maintaining consistent gas concentration, improving alignment accuracy, and preventing photosensitization, thereby ensuring high-quality pattern formation on substrates.
Implementation Method 1
gas is easily diffused in the gap between the substrate edge portion and a substrate holding member, thereby resulting in a lower gas concentration in the outer peripheral portion of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
the control unit acquires position information of the imprint regions on the substrate, imprint order information, and predetermined gas supply amount information for each of the imprint regions
Implementation Method 3
curing the imprint material by light irradiation
Implementation Method 4
because the exposure light leaks outside the imprint region, the imprint material on an adjacent imprint region is photosensitized. Because this unanticipated photosensitization increases the viscoelasticity of the imprint material
Data Source
AI summary
An imprint apparatus comprising a plurality of gas supply units configured to supply a gas to a space between a mold and a substrate; and a control unit configured to control the gas supply units and an imprint operation to sequentially imprint on a plurality of imprint regions of the substrate; wherein the control unit acquires position information of the imprint regions on the substrate, imprint order information, and predetermined gas supply amount information for each of the imprint regions, and wherein, at the time of an imprint operation of the imprint region just before a movement direction between the imprint regions of the substrate is to be changed from a first direction to a second direction, the control unit controls both of a first direction side and a second direction side of the plurality of gas supply units to supply a predetermined amount of the gas based on the gas supply amount information.