Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Canon Nanotechnologies, Inc.

Seth J Bamesberger

Byung-Jin Choi

Ozkan Ozturk

Se-Hyuk Im

Mario Johannes Meissl

Masaki Saito

Steven C Shackleton

Philip D Schumaker

Xiaoming Lu

Nilabh Kumar Roy

Christopher Ellis Jones

Alireza Aghili

Yeshwanth Srinivasan

Alex Ruiz

Niyaz Khusnatdinov

Anshuman Cherala

Edward Brian Fletcher

Mehul N Patel

John D Williamson

Logan L Simpson

Jeremy Sevier

A method of shaping a surface comprises dispensing formable material onto a substrate held by a substrate chuck, contacting a plate held by a plate chuck assembly with the formable material to form a film, curing the film to form a cured layer, initiating a separation front between the cured layer and the plate, tilting the plate chuck assembly and/or the substrate chuck in a direction away from the initial separation point, thereby propagating the separation front, applying a force to the plate chuck assembly and/or the substrate chuck away from the other while maintaining or increasing the tilt, until the separation front completely propagates around the cured layer, and continuing to apply the force, until the plate does not contact the cured layer. The plate chuck assembly includes a flexible portion with a central opening, and a cavity formed by the flexible portion. The plate is held by the flexible portion.

Method of shaping a surface, shaping system, and method of manufacturing an article

A superstrate for planarizing a substrate. The superstrate includes a body having a first side having a contact surface and a second side having a central portion and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion. The peripheral portion includes a recessed region.

Planarization apparatus, planarization process, and method of manufacturing an article

Some devices and systems comprise one or more walls of a reaction chamber; an adjustable gap in the one or more walls, wherein the adjustable gap is formed between a first gap surface and a second gap surface facing the first gap surface, and wherein a distance between the first gap surface and the second gap surface is adjustable; a plurality of stops, wherein each stop of the plurality of stops is positioned on either the first gap surface or the second gap surface, wherein the plurality of stops ensure a minimum distance of the adjustable gap, wherein a total length of the plurality of stops is less than 1% of a length of the first gap surface; and one or more vacuum ports in the first gap surface or the second gap surface.

Reaction chamber with stop-gapped vacuum seal

A chuck assembly for holding a plate comprises a member configured to hold the plate, the member including a flexible portion configured to have a central opening, and a first cavity formed by the flexible portion, wherein the plate is held by the flexible portion by reducing pressure in the first cavity, a light-transmitting member covering the central opening of the member, and a fluid path in communication with a second cavity defined by the member, the plate held by the member and the light-transmitting member for pressurizing the second cavity.

Chuck assembly, planarization process, apparatus and method of manufacturing an article

A planarization apparatus comprising a superstrate chuck is provided. The superstrate includes a plurality of inner lands protruding from a surface of the superstrate chuck and a peripheral land protruding from the surface of the superstrate chuck along a periphery of the superstrate chuck and encircling the inner lands therein. The peripheral land has a height smaller than a height of each of the inner lands. The peripheral land has a width sufficiently larger than a width of each of the inner lands such that a pressure leakage through the peripheral land is controlled to be less than a threshold.

Planarization process, apparatus and method of manufacturing an article

A method of planarizing a substrate comprises dispensing formable material onto a substrate, contacting a superstrate held by a superstrate chuck with the formable material on the substrate, thereby forming a multilayer structure including the superstrate, a film of the formable material, and the substrate, releasing the multilayer structure from the superstrate chuck, providing a space between the superstrate chuck and the multilayer structure after the releasing, positioning a light source into the provided space between the superstrate chuck and the multilayer structure, and curing the film of the multilayer structure by exposing the film to light emitted from the light source.

Planarization process, planarization system, and method of manufacturing an article

A method of planarizing a substrate comprises dispensing formable material onto a substrate, contacting, at a planarizing station at a first location, a superstrate held by a superstrate chuck with the formable material on the substrate, thereby forming a multilayer structure including the superstrate, a film of the formable material, and the substrate, releasing the superstrate from the superstrate chuck, moving the multilayer structure from the first location to a curing station located at a second location away from the first location, the curing station including an array of light-emitting diodes, and curing the film of the multilayer structure by exposing the film to light emitted from the array of light-emitting diodes.

Planarization process, planarization system and method of manufacturing an article

A chuck for retaining a superstrate or a template. The chuck comprises a geometric structure formed on a surface of the chuck. The geometric structure includes at least one of a rounded edge portion and a roughened surface portion, such that an intensity variation of light transmitting through the geometric structure and an area of the chuck adjacent to the geometric structure is reduced.

Superstrate chuck, method of use, and method of manufacturing an article

Techniques and mechanisms for cooling a substrate in a processing chamber by a bi-directional cooling process prior to transferring the substrate outside the processing chamber are provided. First cooling gas is introduced into the processing chamber from an upper gas source in a downward direction towards the upward facing surface of the substrate. An apparatus is placed underneath and in proximity to the substrate. Second cooling gas is introduced from the apparatus into the processing chamber in an upward direction towards the downward facing surface of the substrate. One or more gaps are cut out of the body portion of the apparatus, the gaps configured to allow the apparatus to avoid contact with the support structure holding the substrate, as the apparatus is moved in a horizontal direction into position underneath the substrate during placement of the body portion of the apparatus in proximity to the substrate.

Method, system and apparatus for cooling a substrate

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

An apparatus may include a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate. The substrate holder may include a first chucking region having a first area and an adjacent region extending from the chucking region. The apparatus may also include a superstrate holder configured to hold a superstrate. The superstrate holder may include a second chucking region having a second area. The second area may be larger than the first area and the superstrate holder faces the substrate holder forming a first gap between the adjacent region surface and the superstrate and a second gap between the substrate and the superstrate. The apparatus may also include a gas supply system between the first gap and the second gap. The superstrate holder may alter a shape of the held superstrate to decrease the first gap and increase the second gap.

Flexible mask modulation for controlling atmosphere between mask and substrate and methods of using the same

A chuck is provided. The chuck comprises a plurality of lands protruding from a surface of the chuck, the lands defining a series of zones; and a trenched recessed from the surface of the chuck in at least one of the zones.

A fluid dispenser apparatus includes a fluid dispenser having plurality of nozzles aligned in a first longitudinal direction. A dispenser shield is positioned relative to the plurality of nozzles, the dispenser shield configured to form an aperture aligned in the first longitudinal direction with the plurality of nozzles. The plurality of nozzles are configured to dispense fluid towards a substrate. The dispenser shield is further positioned such that fluid dispensed from a first subset of the plurality of nozzles passes through the aperture while fluid dispensed from a second subset of the plurality nozzles is captured by the dispenser shield.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Seth J Bamesberger