Molecular Imprints, Inc.

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

3m Innovative Properties Company

Canon Nanotechnologies, Inc.

Other

University of Texas System

3m Innovative Company

3m Intellectual Properties Company

Dwayne L LaBrake

Niyaz Khusnatdinov

James Francis Brennan, Iii

Michael Nevin Miller

Sidlgata V Sreenivasan

Frank Y Xu

Brian J Gates

Brian Kenneth Nelson

Bryon J Cronk

Douglas J Resnick

Moses Mekala David

Ian Matthew McMackin

Christopher Ellis Jones

Joseph Michael Imhof

Joseph G Perez

Gerard M Schmid

Christopher Bland Walker, Jr

Shuqiang Yang

Weijun Liu

Anthony William Gatica

Kosta S Selinidis

Zhengmao Ye

William Vogel Dower

Edward Brian Fletcher

Hermann A Haus

Ronald Phillip Pepin

Stephen Paul LeBlanc

David B Stegall

John T Cowher

Cynthia B Brooks

Patrick C Chou

Gary Doyle

David James Lentz

Christopher Mark Melliar-Smith

Kosta Selinidis

David J Lentz

A body of a superstrate can be used to form an adaptive planarization layer over a substrate that has a non-uniform topography. A body of a superstrate can have bending characteristics that are well suited to achieve both conformal and planarization behavior. The body can have a surface and a thickness in a range of tto t, t=(Pd/2Eh); t=(5Pd/2Eh); P is a pressure corresponding to a capillary force between the body and a planarization precursor material; d is a bending distance; E is Young's modulus for the body; and h is a step height difference between two adjacent regions of a substrate. In an embodiment, a thickness can be selected and used to determine the maximum out-of-plane displacement, w, for conformal behavior is sufficient and that wfor planarization behavior is below a predetermined threshold.

Superstrate and a method of using the same

Methods and apparatus for planarization of a substrate. Material is dispensed onto the substrate that varies depending upon the substrate topography variation. A superstrate is brought into contact with the material, the material takes on a shape of the superstrate. The material is solidified. The superstrate is lifted away from the solidified material. Material has a first shrinkage coefficient. Second material is dispensed onto the solidified material with an average thickness. The average thickness is greater than a second material thickness threshold that is dependent upon step height of the substrate and the first shrinkage coefficient. The second material is then solidified.

Planarization process and apparatus

A method of can be used to generating a fluid droplet pattern for an imprint lithography process. A fluid dispense head can include a set of fluid dispense ports, wherein the fluid dispense ports are in a fixed arrangement. The method can include rotating the set of the fluid dispense ports to a rotation angle to change a fluid droplet pitch in a first direction; moving a substrate and the set of the fluid dispense ports relative to each other in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and dispensing fluid droplets onto the substrate while moving the substrate and the set of the fluid dispense ports relative to each other. The method can be used in the formation of an electronic component within or over a semiconductor substrate. The apparatus can be configured to carry out the methods as described herein.

Fluid dispense methodology and apparatus for imprint lithography

Methods of reversing the tone of a pattern having non-uniformly sized features. The methods include depositing a highly conformal hard mask layer over the patterned layer with a non-planar protective coating and etch schemes for minimizing critical dimension variations.

Method of reverse tone patterning

A method used to create small pattern features over existing topography variations. The method includes providing a substrate having a surface having non-planar surface variations; forming a multi-stack layer over the substrate, by applying a first carbon layer over the substrate, with the resultant first carbon layer having non-planar surface variations corresponding to the non-planar surface variations of the underlying substrate, followed by applying a second planarizing layer over the first carbon layer; depositing a hard mask on the multi-stack layer; forming a patterned layer on the hard mask, the formed patterned layers having features; and performing one or more etch steps to etch the formed patterned layer features into the multi-layer stack. The multi-layer stack has a composite effective mechanical stiffness (E) sufficient to maintain the one or more etched features with minimal feature collapse.

Method for forming planarized etch mask structures over existing topography

Methods of increasing etch selectivity in imprint lithography are described which employ material deposition techniques that impart a unique morphology to the multi-layer material stacks, thereby enhancing etch process window and improving etch selectivity. For example, etch selectivity of 50:1 or more between patterned resist layer and deposited metals, metalloids, or non-organic oxides can be achieved, which greatly preserves the pattern feature height prior to the etch process that transfers the pattern into the substrate, allowing for sub-20 nm pattern transfer at high fidelity.

Methods for uniform imprint pattern transfer of sub-20 nm features

Imprint lithography templates having alignment marks with highly absorptive material. The alignment marks are insensitive to the effects of liquid spreading and can provide stability and increase contrast to alignment system during liquid imprint filling of template features.

Optically absorptive material for alignment marks

Two-stage imprinting techniques capable of protecting fine patterned features of an imprint lithography template are herein described. In particular, such techniques may be used during fabrication of recessed high-contrast alignment marks for preventing deposited metal layers from coming into contact with fine features etched into the template.

High contrast alignment marks through multiple stage imprinting

Detection of periodically repeating nanovoids is indicative of levels of substrate contamination and may aid in reduction of contaminants on substrates. Systems and methods for detecting nanovoids, in addition to, systems and methods for cleaning and/or maintaining cleanliness of substrates are described.

Contaminate detection and substrate cleaning

Devices positioned between an energy source and an imprint lithography template may block exposure of energy to portions of polymerizable material dispensed on a substrate. Portions of the polymerizable material that are blocked from the energy may remain fluid, while the remaining polymerizable material is solidified.

Extrusion reduction in imprint lithography

Thickness of a residual layer may be altered to control critical dimension of features in a patterned layer provided by an imprint lithography process. The thickness of the residual layer may be directly proportional or inversely proportional to the critical dimension of features. Dispensing techniques and material selection may also provide control of the critical dimension of features in the patterned layer.

Critical dimension control during template formation

Methods for creating nano-shaped patterns are described. This approach may be used to directly pattern substrates and/or create imprint lithography molds that may be subsequently used to directly replicate nano-shaped patterns into other substrates in a high throughput process.

Large area patterning of nano-sized shapes

Methods for forming an imprint lithography template are provided. Materials for forming the imprint lithography template may be etched at different rates based on physical properties of the layers. Additionally, reflectance of the materials may be monitored to provide substantially uniform erosion of the materials.

Template pillar formation

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Cedar Park, TX, United States of America

Dwayne L LaBrake