Imprint Surface Profiling Against Air-Floating Pressure Fluctuations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imprint techniques face issues with pattern collapse or insufficient filling due to misalignment between the mold and substrate surfaces, and pressure fluctuations affect height measurements in air-floating drive units, leading to inaccurate substrate and mold surface profiling.
Innovation Solution
A measurement method involving multiple directional scanning by a drive unit to correct for pressure-induced fluctuations, using first and second measurement units to generate precise height distributions of both the substrate and holding surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If air-floating method is used to drive the substrate holding unit, then the driving smoothness is improved, but the floating amount changes due to pressure fluctuation which influences height measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs feedback measurement by measuring the height distribution in multiple directions (first direction across multiple first measurement lines, and second direction across one or more second measurement lines). The measurement results from different directions are used to detect and correct the floating amount changes of the drive unit, thereby compensating for pressure-induced measurement errors and improving height measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from single-direction height measurement to multi-directional measurement. By measuring height distribution in both the first direction (across multiple parallel measurement lines) and the second direction (crossing all first measurement lines), the system adds a dimensional perspective that enables detection and correction of drive unit floating errors, thus resolving the measurement accuracy issue while maintaining air-floating operation.
2Measurement precision
If height distribution measurement is performed in multiple directions, then the measurement accuracy is improved, but the measurement time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs measurements in a optimized multi-directional pattern rather than exhaustive coverage. Specifically, it measures one or more second measurement lines that cross all first measurement lines, combined with the first direction measurements. This partial multi-directional approach provides sufficient accuracy to detect and correct drive unit floating errors without requiring complete omnidirectional measurement, thus balancing accuracy improvement with time efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a measurement method including while driving a measurement target region of a surface of a substrate in a first direction with respect to a measurement unit, obtaining first measurement information indicating a height of the measurement target region in each of a plurality of first measurement lines parallel to the first direction and different from each other by measuring each measurement line by the measurement unit, and while driving the measurement target region with respect to the measurement unit in a second direction crossing all of the plurality of first measurement lines, obtaining second measurement information indicating a height of the measurement target region in one second measurement line parallel to the second direction by measuring the second measurement line by the measurement unit.