Imprint Template Jigsaw Edge Light Shielding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor device manufacturing, conventional imprint methods face issues with photocurable material adhering to the template's side surface, leading to process disruptions and reduced yield due to incomplete light shielding around the template's edges, especially when using templates with jigsaw-shaped outer edges.
Innovation Solution
A template with a jigsaw-shaped outer edge and a light-shielding member on its middle surface, having lower light transmittance than the main body, is used to minimize adhesion of cured material to the template's side surface, ensuring effective light shielding and reducing scribe line width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a light-shielding member with uniform width is disposed along the edge of a jigsaw-shaped template, then the template structure is simple, but the irradiation region cannot be appropriately shielded
Solution Approach 1:
The light-shielding member is configured with variable width along the jigsaw-shaped outer edge, where the width is greater in recessed portions and smaller in protruded portions. This local variation in geometry ensures that light shielding effectiveness is optimized at each specific location along the edge, preventing photocurable material adhesion in recessed areas while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
2Productivity
If photocurable material protruding from template edge is irradiated with light, then the imprint process can be completed, but the cured material adheres to the template side surface
Solution Approach 1:
The light-shielding member is disposed along the outer edge of the pattern surface before the imprint process begins. This preliminary shielding structure prevents light from irradiating photocurable material that protrudes beyond the pattern edge, thereby preventing the formation of cured material that would adhere to the template side surface during subsequent molding operations.
3Device complexity
If the outer edge of pattern surface has rectangular shape, then the light shielding is simple, but the scribe line width is large and yield is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The outer edge of the pattern surface is designed with a jigsaw shape featuring alternating protruded and recessed portions, replacing the conventional rectangular shape. This asymmetric geometry reduces the width of scribe lines between adjacent shot regions, thereby increasing the effective device area and improving yield, while the light-shielding member adapts to this asymmetric shape with variable width to maintain shielding effectiveness.
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
The solution effectively reduces adhesion of cured material to the template, enhances yield by preventing material transfer between shot regions, and maintains efficient light shielding without increasing apparatus complexity or cost.
Implementation Method 1
a light-shielding member having a light transmittance lower than a light transmittance of the main body is disposed on the middle surface to surround the outer edge of the pattern surface
Implementation Method 2
forming a cured material having an uneven pattern on a substrate by irradiating a photocurable material with light
Data Source
AI summary
A template for imprint comprises a main body having a bottom surface, a middle surface on a portion protruding relative to the bottom surface, and a pattern surface on a portion protruding relative to the middle surface, the pattern surface having an uneven pattern, wherein an outer edge of the pattern surface has a jigsaw shape, wherein a light-shielding member having a light transmittance lower than a light transmittance of the main body is disposed on the middle surface to surround the outer edge of the pattern surface in a plan view as viewed from the pattern surface, and wherein an outer edge of light-shielding member defines four sides having a shape in which a center of each side bulges outward with respect to a rectangle surrounding the outer edge of the pattern surface in the plan view, and wherein the shape of each side bulges outwardly in a stepwise manner from the ends of each side to the center of each side.