Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi-High-Technologies Corporation

Susumu Komoriya

Hiroshi Nishizuka

Hisashi Maejima

Takashi Ando

Shinya Nakagawa

Akihiro Miyauchi

Masahiko Ogino

Kyoichi Mori

Noritake Shizawa

Nobuyuki Iriki

Takao Kawanabe

Etuo Egashira

Takayoshi Oosakaya

Masataka Shiba

Yasuhiko Nakayama

Koyo Morita

Tetsuhiro Hatogai

Yasunari Sohda

Yoshinori Nakayama

Hiroya Ohta

Souichi Katagiri

Chiseki Haginoya

Koji Tsushima

Takanori Yamasaki

Takayoshi Osakaya

In order to allow for aligning a relative position between a transferred object and a stamper with high accuracy without providing an alignment pattern in the transferred object, there are provided: a pattern transfer method, including: when adjusting the relative position between the stamper and the transferred object, a step of detecting at least two or more edge positions of the transferred object and calculating an arbitrary point from the detected edge positions; a step of detecting a position of the stamper from an edge of the stamper or an alignment mark formed in the stamper; and a step of adjusting the relative position between the transferred object and the stamper from the arbitrary point and the position of the stamper; and an imprint device using the same.

Pattern transfer method and imprint device

In a mold in which a pattern is formed of a fine concavo-convex shape, two or more of alignment marks for determining a relative positional relation between a substrate and a mold are formed concentrically. Moreover, a damaged mark is identified from the positional information and shape of the respective marks, and an alignment between the mold and the substrate to which a resin film is applied is carried out excluding the damaged mark.

Pattern forming method and its mold

There is provided an imprint device for transferring a fine pattern to a material to form a patterned material. The device comprises a stamper having the fine pattern thereon, and a pressure distribution mechanism. The stamper is pressed against the material, and the pressure distribution mechanism provides a nonuniform pressure distribution in a patterned region of the patterned material, while the stamper is in contact with the material. There are provided an imprint device and a microstructure transfer method, by which it is possible to sufficiently spread a resin or other material for forming a pattern layer between a stamper and a patterned material with a lower pressure so as not to damage the stamper or the patterned material, and to form a pattern formation layer having the uniform thickness on the patterned material.

Imprint device and microstructure transfer method

A nanoimprint stamper can simultaneously conform to two types of anomaly in the shape of a transfer substrate, for example warpage and surface protrusions (including foreign objects) that differ greatly in the wavelength of variation. The nanoimprint stamper is capable of performing transfer with a smaller number of defects and in a uniform way. The nanoimprint stamper includes a light-transmitting rigid substrate, a light-transmitting resilient plate, a light-trarsmitting and flexible rigid stamper base, a light-transmitting stamper buffer layer, and a light-transmitting patterned stamp layer. The stamper buffer layer has a lower Young's modulus than the patterned stamp layer.

Nanoimprint stamper and a fine-structure transfer apparatus using the stamper

An optical imprinting device capable of simultaneously imprinting fine patterns to both surfaces of an opaque substrate is provided. The imprinting device includes a stamper having a fine pattern on its surface to imprint the fine pattern onto a surface of an object to be imprinted by pressing the stamper against the object composed of a substrate and a photo-curing resin layer formed on the substrate. The imprinting device further includes a light source for applying light to the photo-curing resin layer of the object when imprinting the fine pattern of the stamper onto the photo-curing resin layer of the object. The light source applies light to the stamper at a predetermined incident angle to the surface of the stamper.

Imprinting device

A resin stamper is provided that is intended for use in an optical transfer-based nanostructure transfer apparatus and which is capable of automatic transport and alignment. The resin stamper includes a support member made of a light transmitting material and having mechanical strength, an intermediate layer also made of a light transmitting material, and a patterned resin layer which is also made of a light transmitting material. The support member is larger in size than the intermediate layer and the patterned resin layer. The intermediate layer is more flexible than the patterned resin layer. Also, the patterned resin layer has a pattern of high and low areas formed in a surface thereof that is the obverse of the pattern of high and low areas in a mold.

Nanoimprint resin stamper

A method for irradiating a substrate such as a semiconductor substrate, coated with a photoresist, with light to measure variations in optical properties such as reflectivity, refractive index, transmittance, polarization, spectral transmittance, for determining an optimum photoresist coating condition, an optimum photoresist baking condition, an optimum developing condition or an optimum exposure energy quantity, and forming a photoresist pattern according to the optimum condition. A system for the exposure method, a controlling method of forming a photoresist film by use of the exposure method, and a system for the controlling method, are useful for stabilization of the formation or treatment of the photoresist film, and ensure less variations in the pattern size. Furthermore, even in the case of a thin film other than a photoresist film, the formation or treatment of the thin film can be stabilized by measuring the optical property before and during or after the formation of the thin film and using the measurement results to control the condition for forming the thin film, the etching condition or the coating condition.

Controlling method of forming thin film, system for said controlling

According to the present invention, in making alignment between a semiconductor integrated circuit wafer and a mask or a reticle in light exposure of the wafer with a monochromatic light such as g-, i- or h-line of a mercury lamp, using a reduced stepping exposure system, light from a predetermined pattern on the wafer is taken out to an off-axis position and observed according to Through-the-Lens method; in this case as a characteristic feature of the invention, the observation light taken out from below the reticle is passed through chromatic aberration correcting lenses, thereby permitting the use of a polychromatic or continuous spectrum light.

Method of making semiconductor integrated circuit, pattern detecting

A method for irradiating a substrate such as a semiconductor substrate, coated with a photoresist, with light to measure variations in optical properties, such as reflectivity, refractive index, transmittance, polarization, spectral transmittance, for determining an optimum photoresist coating condition, an optimum photoresist baking condition, an optimum developing condition or an optimum exposure energy quantity, and forming a photoresist pattern according to the optimum condition. A system for the exposure method, a controlling method of forming a photoresist film by use of the exposure method, and a system for the controlling method, are useful for stabilization of the formation or treatment of the photoresist film, and ensure less variations in the pattern size. Furthermore, even in the case of a thin film other than a photoresist film, the formation or treatment of the thin film can be stabilized by measuring the optical property before and during or after the formation of the thin film and using the measurement results to control the condition for forming the thin film, the etching condition or the coating condition.

A wafer having chamfered bent portions in the joint regions between the contour of the wafer and the cut-away portion of the wafer such as an orientation flatness. The chipping of the wafer can be prevented, and in coating the wafer with a photoresist, forming an epitaxially grown layer on the wafer, etc., films having desired characteristics can be provided on the surface of the wafer.

Method of producing a wafer having a curved notch

According to the present invention, in making alignment between a semiconductor integrated circuit wafer and a mask or a reticle in light exposure of the wafer with a monochromatic light such as g-, i- or h-line of a mercury lamp, using a reduced stepping exposure system, light from a predetermined pattern on the wafer is taken out to an off-axis position and observed according to a through-the-lens method; in this case as a characteristic feature of the invention, the, observation light is taken out from below the reticle and is passed through chromatic aberration correcting lenses, thereby permitting the use of a polychromatic or continuous spectrum light.

Wafer having chamfered bend portions in the joint regions between the

According to the present invention, in making alignment between a semiconductor integrated circuit wafer and a mask or a reticle in light exposure of the wafer with a monochromatic light such as g-, i- or h- line of a mercury lamp, using a reduced stepping exposure system, light from a predetermined pattern on the wafer is taken out to an off-axis position and observed according to a through-the-lens method; in this case as a characteristic feature of the invention, the observation light is taken out from below the reticle and is passed through chromatic aberration correcting lenses, thereby permitting the use of a polychromatic or continuous spectrum light.

The invention deals with an exposure apparatus which detects environmental conditions such as atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity in which the exposure apparatus is placed, and which maintains the projected magnification constant at all times based upon the detected values, so that the pattern can be reproduced precisely. Concretely, the apparatus comprises a detector to detect at least one of the tube temperature of the optical projecting system, humidity or atmospheric pressure near the optical system, and a control unit which controls optical characteristics based upon the signals detected by the detector. Namely, the control unit adjusts the optical characteristics depending upon the environmental conditions thereby to adjust variation in the projecting magnification and/or variation in the focal position. Thus, variation in the optical characteristics is adjusted to transfer the pattern maintaining high precision.

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Tokorozawa, Japan

Susumu Komoriya