Imprint Apparatus Mold Tilt Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Relative tilts between a substrate and a mold during the imprint process can lead to nonuniform filling of the imprint material and result in CD errors when the substrate is etched, due to substrate chuck tilts during mold contact.
Innovation Solution
An imprint apparatus with a substrate stage mechanism and a mold driver, controlled by a controller that adjusts the relative tilt of the mold based on tilt information from the substrate chuck, ensuring uniform contact and pattern formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the mold is pressed against the imprint material without adjusting for substrate chuck tilt, then the imprint process can proceed quickly, but the filling of the mold pattern becomes nonuniform and causes CD errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of substrate chuck tilt using tilt sensors before the imprint process begins. Based on these measurements, the mold driver pre-adjusts the mold position and orientation to compensate for expected tilts during pressing. This preliminary compensation ensures uniform pattern filling even when the substrate chuck tilts during the imprint process, resolving the contradiction between fast processing and pattern uniformity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the substrate chuck is held firmly to prevent movement, then positioning stability is improved, but tilt is generated when the mold presses against the imprint material
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the pressing force parameter applied by the mold driver based on real-time tilt measurements from sensors. When tilt is detected, the control unit modifies the pressing force magnitude and distribution to minimize additional tilt generation while maintaining sufficient contact pressure for pattern filling. This adaptive parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between firm substrate holding and minimizing tilt during pressing.
3Manufacturing precision
If tilt compensation mechanisms are added to the substrate stage, then relative tilt is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding complex mechanical tilt compensation mechanisms to the substrate stage, the system substitutes a sensor-based measurement and control approach. Tilt sensors (such as capacitive or optical sensors) measure the substrate chuck tilt, and the control unit computationally determines compensation adjustments. The mold driver then applies the necessary positional and orientational corrections, replacing mechanical complexity with sensing and control system simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
An imprint apparatus performs an imprint process of forming a pattern on a substrate by bringing a mold into contact with an imprint material on the substrate and curing the imprint material. The apparatus includes a substrate stage mechanism having a substrate chuck configured to hold the substrate, a mold driver configured to drive the mold, and a controller configured to control, based on tilt information indicating a tilt of the substrate chuck which is caused by a force received from the mold driver, the mold driver so as to adjust a relative tilt of the mold with respect to the substrate in the imprint process.