Imprint Apparatus Nozzle Discharge Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imprint apparatuses face challenges in accurately controlling the discharge of imprint material droplets from nozzles, leading to variations in droplet volume, which can result in the thickness of the formed imprint material falling outside acceptable ranges, complicating the circuit arrangement and control for achieving the ideal volume.
Innovation Solution
An imprint apparatus with a control unit that updates the discharge control based on actual supplied amounts, adjusting the ideal volume and number of discharges to match the target total amount, using a map update mechanism to ensure the product of ideal droplet volume and number of discharges aligns with the required total amount, thereby maintaining the imprint material's thickness within the target range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If individual nozzle discharge control is implemented to achieve ideal droplet volume, then manufacturing precision of imprint material thickness is improved, but device complexity increases due to complicated circuit arrangement and control requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the actual discharge amount of each nozzle is measured and fed back to the control unit. The control unit then adjusts the discharge control based on this feedback to compensate for manufacturing variations, achieving ideal droplet volume without requiring complex individual nozzle control circuits. This feedback-based approach simplifies the overall system while maintaining high precision.
2Reliability
If individual nozzle control is implemented to compensate for manufacturing variations, then reliability of droplet volume consistency is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to complicated control procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-adjustment through automatic feedback control. The control unit automatically compensates for manufacturing variations in each nozzle by adjusting discharge parameters based on measured actual discharge amounts. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual calibration or complex operational procedures, maintaining high reliability while ensuring ease of operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If discharge control is adjusted to account for manufacturing variations in nozzles, then manufacturing precision of imprint material thickness is improved, but loss of time increases due to additional measurement and adjustment steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary measurement of each nozzle's actual discharge amount during the initialization phase. Based on these preliminary measurements, the control unit pre-calculates and stores the ideal discharge control parameters for each nozzle. During actual imprint operations, the system simply retrieves and applies these pre-computed parameters, achieving high precision without time-consuming real-time adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which forms a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, comprising a supply unit including a plurality of orifices and configured to supply the imprint material on the substrate by discharging the imprint material from each orifice, and a control unit configured to control the discharge of the imprint material from each orifice in accordance with arrangement information showing an arrangement of the imprint material on the substrate, wherein the control unit updates the arrangement information to bring a product of an ideal volume of the imprint material discharged from each orifice in one-time discharge and the number of discharges of the imprint material supplied on the substrate from the supply unit closer to a total amount of the imprint material actually supplied on the substrate in accordance with the arrangement information.