Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Molecular Imprints, Inc.

Canon Nanotechnologies, Inc.

Other

The University of Texas System

Niyaz Khusnatdinov

Weijun Liu

Dwayne L LaBrake

Frank Y Xu

Edward Brian Fletcher

Timothy Brian Stachowiak

Mario Johannes Meissl

Toshiki Ito

Gerard M Schmid

Christopher Ellis Jones

Sidlgata V Sreenivasan

Zhengmao Ye

Byung-Jin Choi

Michael Nevin Miller

Anshuman Cherala

Douglas J Resnick

Tomonori Otani

Se-Hyuk Im

Keiko Chiba

Byung Jin Choi

Ian Matthew McMackin

Fen Wan

Pawan Kumar Nimmakayala

Xiaoming Lu

Kosta S Selinidis

Stephen C Johnson

James W Irving

Logan L Simpson

Craig William Cone

Ecron D Thompson

Mahadevan GanapathiSubramanian

Joseph G Perez

Tanwin Chang

James P DeYoung

Pankaj B Lad

Seth J Bamesberger

Philip D Schumaker

Steven C Shackleton

Van Nguyen Truskett

Masayuki Tanabe

Cynthia B Brooks

Yeshwanth Srinivasan

Wei Zhang

Steven Wayne Burns

Gary Doyle

Joseph Michael Imhof

Jason Battin

David James Lentz

Gary F Doyle

Kosta Selinidis

A planarization system for forming a formable material film on a substrate by using a superstrate is provided. The superstrate has a first side that comes into contact with the formable material in a case where the superstrate is stacked with the substrate, and a second side opposite to the first side. The planarization system has a first conductive portion at the second side of the superstrate and a second conductive portion at the side of the superstrate. Both the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion are grounded during a separation process to separate the superstrate from the formable material on the substrate.

Planarization system and method

A superstrate can include a body, a first layer, and a second layer, wherein the first layer is disposed between the body and the second layer. Each of the first and second layers has a proximal surface and a distal surface opposite the proximal surface, wherein the body is closer to the proximal surface than to the distal surface. An Ra of the distal surface of the second layer is less than an Ra of the distal surface of the first layer. In a method of making the superstrate, the relatively high Ra of the distal surface of the first layer may be related to the process or equipment used in forming the first layer. The second layer can be formed using another superstrate, where the Ra of the distal surface of the second layer is substantially the same as the contact surface of the other superstrate.

Superstrate including a body and layers and methods of forming and using the same

A superstrate for forming a planarization layer on a substrate can include a body having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a chamfered edge between the first surface and the second surface. An opaque layer can coat the chamfered edge. In another embodiment, an opaque layer can coat the chamfered edge and a portion of the second surface. The superstrate can be used for more planarization or other processing sequences without causing extrusion defects.

Superstrate and a method of using the same

A method of forming a photo-cured layer on a substrate can comprise using a first photocurable composition and a second photocurable composition, wherein both photocurable compositions may contain the same types of polymerizable monomers but in different concentration ratios. The concentration ratios of the monomers in each of the two photocurable compositions can be adapted that the uneven loss of one type of monomer from the first photocurable composition due to unwanted evaporation in certain regions of the substrate may be compensated by the second photocurable composition, which contains a higher amount of said monomer. The two photocurable compositions can further be adapted to easily merge to a combined layer with a very even distribution of the polymerizable monomers. This may allow forming photo-cured layers having an excellent homogeneous material structure throughout the layer.

Method of forming a photo-cured layer

Systems and methods of shaping a patterned or planarized film layer. Which may include contacting formable material on a substrate with a template during a contacting period, Which may also include reducing, during the contacting period, a pressure in an environment beyond an edge of the substrate from a first pressure to a second pressure, while the template is contacting the formable material.

Systems and methods for reducing pressure while shaping a film

A preliminary drop pattern is provided that defines a predetermined location on a substrate for a center of mass of each drop of a plurality of drops. The preliminary drop pattern is adjusted to generate an adjusted drop pattern by radially shifting each drop of a subset of drops of the plurality of drops from the predetermined location by a radial offset. The plurality of drops is dispensed according to the adjusted drop pattern. A template or a superstrate is contacted with the dispensed drops, after which the center of mass of each drop of the subset of drops is radially displaced to a displaced location on the substrate prior to the plurality of drops forming a continuous layer. The radial offset is selected such that the displaced location is within 50 &#x3bc;m of the predetermined location of the corresponding drop of the preliminary drop pattern.

Drop pattern correction for nano-fabrication

A pattern forming method using a photo-nanoimprint process on each of a plurality of shot areas: a step () of laying a layer of a curable composition (A); a step () of dispensing liquid droplets of a curable composition (A) dropwise discretely onto the layer of (A); a step () of sandwiching a layer obtained by partially mixing (A) and (A), between a mold and the substrate; a step () of irradiating the layer with light to cure the layer; and a step () of releasing the mold from the layer of (A) and (A), in which when steps from the step () to the step () are collectively called an imprinting step [Im], in a time period from an end of the step () to a beginning of the step [Im] in one shot, the step () or the step [Im] is performed on another shot area.

Pattern forming method, coating material for imprint pretreatment and substrate pretreatment method

A process, system, and method of manufacturing an article on a substrate having a fluid control feature. The fluid control feature may include at least one depressed region formed along an edge of an imprint field. Formable material is deposited in the imprint field of the substrate. A template is moved such that the template comes into contact with the formable material in the imprint field. While the template comes into contact with the formable material, the formable material may flow into the fluid control feature.

Process of imprinting a substrate with fluid control features

A method for forming a pattern by using a photo-nanoimprint process includes performing, on each of a plurality of shot areas on a surface of a substrate: a step (1) of dispensing liquid droplets of a curable composition (A) dropwise discretely; a step (2) of bringing the curable composition (A) and a mold into contact with each other; a step (3) of irradiating the curable composition (A) with light; and a step (4) of releasing the mold from a cured product of the curable composition (A), in which when steps from the step (2) to the step (4) are collectively called an imprinting step (Im), before the imprinting step (Im) is performed on one shot area on which the step (1) has already been performed out of the plurality of shot areas, the step (1) is performed on another shot area selected from the plurality of shot areas.

Method for forming pattern by using photo-nanoimprint technology, imprint apparatus, and curable composition

An apparatus and method configured to eject an electrically charged liquid. The apparatus and method include a liquid-ejecting apparatus including a reservoir for storing a liquid, an electrically conductive faceplate for ejecting the liquid, a plurality of channels connecting the reservoir to the electrically conductive faceplate, and a voltage source to change and maintain an electric potential difference between the liquid and the electrically conductive faceplate during ejection from the electrically conductive faceplate.

Liquid charging apparatus, liquid charging method, and manufacturing method

A method of forming a cured layer on a substrate can include applying on the exterior surface of the substrate a first liquid film and subjecting the first liquid film to actinic radiation in at least one first region of the film. The actinic radiated region can modify the substrate surface such that the drop spreading of a region not subjected to actinic radiation is larger than the drop spreading in a region subjected to actinic radiation.

Method of forming a cured layer by controlling drop spreading

One embodiment is a method that includes generating drop pattern information. The method may comprise receiving pattern information. The pattern information may include one or both of: a substrate pattern of a representative substrate; and a template pattern of a representative template. The method may further comprise receiving offset information about a particular substrate that is representative of a measured state of the particular substrate relative to a reference state. The drop pattern information may represent a plurality of positions to place droplets of formable material on the particular substrate. The method may further comprise outputting the drop pattern information that is representative of the formable material that fills a volume between the template and the particular substrate that is in the measured state and the formable material does not spread into a border region at an edge of the particular substrate.

Methods of generating drop patterns, systems for shaping films with the drop pattern, and methods of manufacturing an article with the drop pattern

Systems and methods for improving robust layer separation during the separation process of an imprint lithography process are described. Included are methods of matching strains between a substrate to be imprinted and the template, varying or modifying the forces applied to the template and/or the substrate during separation, or varying or modifying the kinetics of the separation process.

Strain and kinetics control during separation phase of imprint process

A superstrate can include a body having a surface; a buffer layer overlying the surface; and a protective layer overlying the buffer layer, wherein the protective layer has a surface roughness that is equal to or less than a surface roughness of the surface of the body. The protective layer can include a material that can be selectively removed with respect to the buffer layer, and the buffer layer can include a material that can be selectively removed with respect to the body of the superstrate. The superstrate can be used for more planarization or other processing sequences before the body needs to be replaced, as any defects that may form extend into the protective layer or buffer layer and not reach the body. The layers can be removed and replaced by corresponding new layers without significantly adversely affecting the body.

An apparatus and method configured to brake and/or dampen an imprint head. The apparatus and method includes a mount attached to a fixed surface, a movable plate movable relative to the mount and configured to hold and move an imprint template or superstrate, at least one electromagnetic actuator with a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal, mounted between the movable plate and the mount, wherein an electrical current is applied to the at least one electromagnetic actuator for controlling movement of the moveable plate, an inductance serially connected at the first electrical terminal of the at least one electromagnetic actuator to control the electrical current, and at least one switch serially connectable to the second terminal of the at least one electromagnetic actuator and a terminal of the inductance to switch between a state where the inductance acts upon the at least one electromagnetic actuator or a state where the inductance does not act upon the at least one electromagnetic actuator.

Imprint apparatus control, control method and manufacturing method

Growing community of inventors

Round Rock, TX, United States of America

Niyaz Khusnatdinov