Imprint Mold Deformation for Bubble-Free Pattern Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In imprint apparatuses, bubbles between the mold and substrate can cause defects in the pattern formation due to varying air pressures and mold shapes during contact, making it difficult to consistently reduce bubbles across different shot regions with different facing areas.
Innovation Solution
An imprint apparatus with a deformation unit that bends the mold towards the substrate and a controller to adjust contact conditions for each shot region, such as relative velocity and force, to maintain consistent air pressure and shape, ensuring effective bubble removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the mold is brought into contact with the imprint material on the substrate, then the pattern can be formed, but bubbles remain between the mold and substrate causing defects
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is deformed into a bent shape before contact with the substrate, creating a predetermined curvature that facilitates gradual contact from the central portion outward. This preliminary deformation ensures that gas is systematically extruded from the contact region, preventing bubble formation during the imprinting process
Solution Approach 2:
The mold's contact region is deformed into a curved or bent shape rather than remaining flat. This curvature is specifically designed to enable progressive contact with the substrate, allowing gas to be expelled from the center outward and preventing trapped bubbles that would occur with direct flat contact
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the mold is deformed to bend toward the substrate to extrude gas, then bubbles are reduced, but the shape of the mold differs between shot regions with different facing areas
Solution Approach 1:
The mold's deformation state is dynamically adjusted according to the specific shot region being processed. The controller modifies the degree of bending or curvature of the contact region based on the facing area characteristics of each shot region, ensuring optimal bubble removal while maintaining appropriate shape consistency for each region
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameters of the mold, specifically the degree of deformation or curvature of the contact region, are changed according to the shot region being processed. This parameter adjustment ensures that the mold shape is optimized for each specific facing area, maintaining both bubble removal effectiveness and shape appropriateness
3Object-affected harmful factors
If different process conditions are used for each shot region to maintain consistent mold shape, then bubble removal is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller receives information about the shot region characteristics (such as facing area) and automatically adjusts the mold deformation parameters accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables adaptive process optimization for different shot regions without requiring manual intervention or complex mechanical reconfiguration
Solution Approach 2:
A single deformation unit with controllable degrees of freedom is designed to handle multiple shot regions with different facing areas. By programmatically adjusting the deformation parameters, the same physical mechanism serves multiple functions across different regions, avoiding the need for separate mechanisms for each shot region
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 apparatus effectively reduces bubbles between the mold and substrate across varying shot regions, improving pattern formation quality by controlling deformation and contact conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a deformation unit configured to deform the contact region so as to bend toward the substrate by applying a force to the mold
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a forming apparatus that forms a composition on a substrate using a mold including a contact region to be brought into contact with the composition, comprising: a deformation unit configured to deform the contact region; and a controller configured to perform, for each of a first shot region and a second shot region on the substrate, a process of bringing the contact region and the composition on the substrate into contact with each other while controlling the deformation of the contact region, wherein an area where the mold faces the substrate during the process is different between the first and second shot regions, and wherein the controller is configured to change, between the first and second shot regions, a process condition for bringing the contact region and the composition into contact with each other.