Imprint Mold Deformation Control for Overlay Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing imprint apparatuses face a hysteresis issue between the force applied to the mold and its deformation, leading to decreased overlay precision between the shot region and the pattern region, especially when changing the shape of the mold for multiple shot regions with different shapes.
Innovation Solution
An imprint apparatus with a deformation mechanism that applies a consistent magnitude relationship between the first and second deformation amounts to the mold, ensuring accurate deformation and reducing overlay errors by controlling the actuator's force application in a predetermined manner for each shot region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the deformation mechanism applies force to the mold to change its shape for different shot regions, then the adaptability to different shot region shapes is improved, but hysteresis between applied force and deformation amount causes overlay precision to deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary deformation of the mold pattern region before the imprinting process. By pre-applying the required deformation amount to the mold based on the target shot region shape, the system eliminates hysteresis effects during the actual imprinting operation, ensuring high overlay precision while maintaining adaptability to different shot region configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The system measures the actual deformation amount of the mold pattern region and compares it with the target deformation amount. Based on this feedback, the control unit adjusts the actuator's applied force to compensate for hysteresis effects, ensuring that the mold achieves the precise deformation required for high-overlay precision imaging across different shot regions
2Adaptability or versatility
If the actuator applies varying deformation amounts to the mold for different shot regions, then the adaptability to different shot region shapes is improved, but the overlay precision deteriorates due to hysteresis effects
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit calculates and applies the required deformation amount to the mold pattern region in advance, before the imprinting process begins. This preliminary deformation ensures that when imprinting occurs, the mold is already in the correct configuration for the target shot region, eliminating hysteresis-related precision losses
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the deformation parameters of the mold based on the specific shot region configuration. By adjusting the actuator's applied force and the resulting deformation amount according to the target shot region shape, the system maintains both adaptability to different configurations and high overlay precision through controlled parameter optimization
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
This approach stabilizes the deformation of the pattern region, allowing for precise control of the shot region's shape and significantly reduces overlay errors between the substrate and the mold, enhancing the imprinting process's accuracy across multiple shot regions.
Implementation Method 1
The present inventor has found that a hysteresis exists between a force applied to the mold and the deformation amount of the pattern region of the mold
Data Source
AI summary
Imprint apparatus forms pattern in shot regions of substrate by bringing pattern region of mold into contact with imprint material and curing the imprint material. The apparatus includes deformation mechanism which is for deforming the pattern region and includes actuator for applying force to the mold. For each shot region, after first processing of applying first deformation amount to the mold by the actuator is executed, second processing of curing the imprint material is executed in state in which the imprint material and the pattern region are in contact with each other and second deformation amount is applied to the mold by the actuator to reduce overlay error between the shot region and the pattern region. Magnitude relationship between the first deformation amount and the second deformation amount is same in the shot regions.