Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Molecular Imprints, Inc.

Canon Nanotechnologies, Inc.

Xiaoming Lu

Byung-Jin Choi

Mario Johannes Meissl

Philip D Schumaker

Anshuman Cherala

Frank Y Xu

Gerard M Schmid

Michael Nevin Miller

Yoshikazu Miyajima

Niyaz Khusnatdinov

Kang Luo

Seth J Bamesberger

Pawan Kumar Nimmakayala

Zhengmao Ye

Nobuto Kawahara

Ecron D Thompson

Sidlgata V Sreenivasan

Daniel Babbs

Atsushi Kimura

Ian Matthew McMackin

Steven C Shackleton

Nilabh Kumar Roy

Norman E Schumaker

Logan L Simpson

Yeong-Jun Choi

Jun Ota

Wei Zhang

Steven Hartmann

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 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 system and method of shaping a film with a template on a substrate. Generating a first series of parameters from tests performed on a first series of films formed with: a set of shaping conditions; a calibration measurement parameter determined for each substrate prior to shaping; and a first scaling parameter. Generating a second series of parameters from the tests performed on a second series of films produced formed with the set of shaping conditions. The second series of films produced with the calibration measurement parameter determined for each substrate; and a second scaling parameter; or without the calibration measurement parameter. Generating a scaling parameter from: the first series of the parameters; and the second series of parameters. Generating the calibration measurement parameter prior to forming the film. Forming the film using the set of shaping conditions, the calibration measurement parameter, and the scaling parameter.

System and method for shaping a film with a scaled calibration measurement parameter

A method of real time leveling control between a superstrate and a substrate is provided. A contact force model indicating a relationship between a total contact force for planarization of a formable material between the superstrate and the substrate and a force component of the total contact force along each of a plurality peripheral axes is identified. A set point force required for performing the planarization is determined. Each force component is calculated based on the contact force model. The planarization is performed by applying each force component along a corresponding axis of the plurality of axes. The contact force model is identified based on a parallel condition between two contacting surfaces of a superstrate chuck for retaining the superstrate and a stack of the superstrate, the substrate, and formable material between the superstrate and the substrate.

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

A system and method for shaping a film on a partial field including determining an initial contact point. Receiving information about: a partial field of a substrate; and an edge of a patternable area of the substrate. Determining a chord that connects intersection vertices of the partial field and the edge. Determining coordinates of a bisecting line, wherein the bisecting line bisects the chord, and the bisecting line is orthogonal to the chord. Determining an initial contact point range on the bisecting line in which a template and formable material on the substrate contact each other. Contacting the formable material in the partial field on the substrate with the template at an initial contact point within the initial contact point range.

Method of determining the initial contact point for partial fields and method of shaping a surface

A planarization apparatus, including a chuck having a first surface and a second surface at two opposing sides thereof. The chuck includes a first zone extending along a periphery of the chuck, a second zone at an inner portion of the chuck, the second zone being surrounded by the first zone; and a flexure connecting the first zone with the second zone. The first zone includes a first member extending along the first surface from the flexure and a first ring land protruding from the first member adjacent to the flexure.

Planarization apparatus including superstrate chuck with bendable periphery

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

An imprint lithography system that pressurizes and depressurizes an air cavity behind a retained imprint template or substrate so as to deflect the template or substrate to aid in filling the template pattern with fluid resist and/or separating the template from the cured resist on the substrate. The system includes a controller, pressure sensors, and an impedance valve for modulating the air cavity pressure so as to reduce pressure wave oscillations within the cavity that otherwise negatively impact overlay accuracy control, fluid spread control and separation control.

System and methods for nanoimprint lithography

A thermal frame of an imprinting apparatus has an motor and a cooling element. A metrology frame of the imprinting apparatus is coupled to an output end of the motor and receives an imprinting mold. Thermal isolation is provided between the motor and the metrology frame. Thermal sensors are disposed at locations of the frames. A digital controller applies a control signal for controlling a driving signal of the cooling element to maintain a thermal balance, such as thermal equilibrium, of heat flow between the frames. The digital controller uses output of the thermal sensors to identify transfer functions of heat flow used to calculate the control signal. The feedforward design avoids the very low control bandwidth that limits the performance of typical feedback designs.

Active metrology frame and thermal frame temperature control in imprint lithography

An imprint lithography alignment method includes assessing a first alignment error between the template and the substrate, generating a first input signal corresponding to a first relative motion between the template and the substrate, initiating the first relative motion between the template and the substrate via the first input signal, assessing an output signal corresponding to the first relative motion, comparing the first input signal and the output signal to yield a motion control action corresponding to a second relative motion between the template and the substrate, generating a second input signal corresponding to the second relative motion between the template and the substrate, initiating the second relative motion between the template and the substrate via the second input signal, and assessing a second alignment error between the template and the substrate, wherein a magnitude of the first alignment error exceeds a magnitude of the second alignment error.

Alignment control in nanoimprint lithography based on real-time system identification

Provided is an imprint apparatus for contacting a resin applied to a substrate with a mold to perform patterning on the substrate. The imprint apparatus includes a substrate holding unit for holding the substrate, wherein the substrate holding unit comprises a plurality of holding areas arranged in a predetermined direction, the plurality of holding areas has different width dimension in the direction respectively based on positions in the direction, a surface ratio between two holding areas of the plurality of holding areas with different width dimension respectively is within a range of 0.8 to 1.2.

Imprint apparatus and article manufacturing method

The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which molds an imprint material on a shot region formed on a substrate by using a mold including a pattern surface on which a pattern is formed, comprising a holding unit configured to change a position and orientation of the mold, and a control unit configured to cause the holding unit to incline the mold, and bring the mold and the imprint material into contact with each other while the mold is inclined, wherein after the control unit obtains a shift amount by which a mark on the mold shifts by inclining the mold, and changes relative positions of the mold and the substrate according to the shift amount, the control unit brings the mold and the imprint material into contact with each other.

Imprint apparatus and method of manufacturing article

An imprint apparatus includes a substrate holder including a plurality of chucking regions for chucking a substrate, and a controller that controls chucking forces of the chucking regions. The chucking regions include a first chucking region for chucking a periphery of a first substrate having a first diameter, a second chucking region for chucking a periphery of a second substrate having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, a third chucking region group divided into a plurality of regions inside the first chucking region, and a fourth chucking region group divided into a plurality of regions between the first chucking region and the second chucking region. The controller controls the chucking forces of each of the chucking regions.

Imprint apparatus, and method of manufacturing article

Systems for controlling velocity of a contact line and height profile between a template and a substrate during imprinting of polymerizable material are described.

High throughput imprint based on contact line motion tracking control

Systems and methods for controlling velocity of a contact line and height profile between a template and a substrate during imprinting of polymerizable material are described.

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Cedar Park, TX, United States of America

Xiaoming Lu