Imprint Apparatus Mold Control for Defect Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the imprint method for manufacturing articles like semiconductor devices, air bubbles in the mold can lead to defects in the pattern formed on the substrate, and existing solutions to prevent this often reduce productivity by increasing contact time between the mold and imprint material.
Innovation Solution
An imprint apparatus with a mold holding unit, force sensor, position sensor, and controlling unit that allows for individual adjustment of imprint control parameters for each shot region on the substrate, using either a force imprint profile or a position imprint profile to optimize contact and pattern formation without reducing productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the contact time between the mold and imprint material is increased to prevent air bubbles, then the pattern quality is improved, but the productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate surface is divided into multiple shot regions, and the mold is divided into multiple regions with independently controllable actuators. This segmentation allows different contact parameters to be applied to different regions, enabling optimized control for each region rather than using a uniform contact time across the entire mold, thus resolving the contradiction between pattern quality and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control of the mold contact process by adjusting the contact parameters (such as contact time, pressure, or speed) in real-time for different shot regions based on their specific requirements. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain high pattern quality where needed while minimizing contact time in other regions, thereby preserving productivity
2Manufacturing precision
If different control parameters are used for different shot regions, then the pattern quality is improved, but the device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The controlling unit is designed with multi-functionality to handle both the division of the mold into multiple regions and the independent control of actuators in each region. This universal control system can manage different control parameters for different shot regions while maintaining a unified device architecture, thus improving pattern quality without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the control functions for multiple shot regions into a single controlling unit that manages all actuators coordinates. By merging the control logic and using a unified control architecture, the system achieves region-specific optimization without requiring separate control systems for each shot region, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An imprint apparatus for forming a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, includes a mold holding unit including an actuator for moving mold, a force sensor detecting force generated by actuator, a position sensor measuring a position of mold, and a controlling unit controlling operation of mold holding unit. The controlling unit controls mold holding unit according to either a force imprint profile or a position imprint profile. The force imprint profile is for controlling movement of mold based on force generated by actuator and detected by force sensor. The position imprint profile is for controlling movement of mold based on position of mold measured by position sensor. When pattern of imprint material is formed on substrate, either force imprint profile or position imprint profile is selectable.