Imprint Template Pattern Density Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Imprint lithography faces challenges in achieving uniform pattern density across template regions, leading to increased imprint times and pressures, which affect throughput and pattern accuracy due to the need for imprintable medium to flow over large distances and varying volumes, causing distortions and substrate deformation.
Innovation Solution
Designing an imprint template with pattern regions having substantially the same or minimized pattern density differences, achieved through modifying the pattern design to ensure uniformity and potentially adding 'dummy' features to adjust densities, allowing for more efficient medium distribution and reduced flow distances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high imprint pressure and long imprint time are used to ensure complete filling of pattern features, then pattern completeness is improved, but throughput is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and distributing the imprintable medium volume according to the pattern density map before the imprinting process begins. This ensures that each region receives the appropriate amount of medium in advance, eliminating the need for excessive pressure and time to ensure complete filling, thereby improving throughput while maintaining pattern completeness.
2Productivity
If uniform pattern density is maintained across all template regions, then imprintable medium flow efficiency is improved, but pattern design flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different regions of the template to have different pattern densities according to their specific functional requirements, rather than enforcing uniform density across the entire template. The system calculates and distributes imprintable medium volume based on these local variations, optimizing flow efficiency for each region while preserving overall design flexibility.
3Measurement precision
If large template sizes are used to increase feature density on substrate, then resolution is improved, but imprint time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating the pattern density for each region of large templates and distributing the appropriate volume of imprintable medium before imprinting. This allows large templates to be processed efficiently by ensuring each region receives the correct amount of medium in advance, reducing the time required for imprinting while maintaining the high resolution enabled by large template sizes.
Data Source
AI summary
An imprint template configured to imprint an imprintable medium by an imprint lithography process is disclosed, the imprint template having a pattern with a pattern density corresponding to a volume of imprintable medium used to substantially fill pattern features per unit area of a contact face of the imprint template, wherein adjacent regions of the pattern on the imprint template contact face, each of which will provide different functionality once imprinted onto a substrate, have substantially the same pattern density, have differences in pattern density which are minimized, or differences in pattern density which are maintained below a maximum.