JP2016054268A - Imprint method and imprint apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imprint method and an imprint device capable of controlling an amount of a resin material held in a template.SOLUTION: There is provided an imprint method which includes: a template resin contact step of bringing a template 30 on which a pattern 31 having a predetermined shape is formed into contact with a resin 20 on a holding body 10; a template separation step of separating the template from the holding body, and making the template holding at least a part of the resin; and a template substrate approaching step of allowing the template holding at least a part of the resin to approach the substrate 40, and bringing at least a part of the resin into contact with the substrate. A contact angle θ of the surface of the template and the resin is a contact angle of the surface of the holding body and the resin, or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an imprint method and an imprint apparatus.

  Conventionally, an imprint technique has been known in which a concavo-convex pattern formed on the surface of a template is pressed against a resin material applied on a substrate and the concavo-convex pattern is transferred to the resin material on the substrate by curing the resin material. Yes. In such an imprint technique, in order to supply the resin material uniformly, it is preferable to increase the supply amount of the resin material. However, if the supply amount of the resin material is large, there is a further excess under the formed uneven pattern. Since the resin material remains and the burden of removing the remaining resin material in a later etching step increases, it is preferable from this viewpoint that the remaining resin material is small.

  As a technique that meets these two requirements, an imprint method using a liquid separation method has been proposed. In such a liquid separation type imprint method, after supplying a sufficient amount of resist to be homogeneous on the carrier and pressing the stamp formed on the surface, the stamp and the carrier are separated, and the resist is applied to both. A stamp holding the resist with the remaining portion thinned by separation is pressed against another substrate, and the resist is cured to transfer a uniform resist pattern with a thin remaining portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .

JP 2012-501084 A

  However, in the imprint method described in Patent Document 1, when separating the stamp and the carrier, no consideration is given to adjusting the thickness of the resist held on the stamp and the thickness of the resist held on the carrier. The amount of resist held on the stamp could not be adjusted according to the imprint application.

  On the other hand, imprint technology, for example, forms a resist pattern in a general semiconductor process, a process for forming a concave-convex pattern of a lens of a solid-state image sensor, and a template (stamp) on a glass substrate. The present invention can also be used in a process for producing a replica having a resin in which reverse concavities and convexities engaged with a template pattern are formed. In the former general semiconductor process resist pattern, it is preferable that the resist held by the template has a thin remaining portion. However, in the latter process of forming the concave / convex pattern of the lens and the replica manufacturing process, the resist is held by the template. It is preferable that the remaining portion of the resist is thick. Thus, it is preferable that the amount of the resin material held in the template can be controlled according to the application.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an imprint method and an imprint apparatus that can control the amount of a resin material held on a template.

In order to achieve the above object, an imprint method according to an aspect of the present invention includes a template resin contact step in which a template having a pattern of a predetermined shape is formed on a surface of a resin on a holder,
A template separating step of separating the holding body and the template and retaining at least a part of the resin in the template;
A template substrate approaching step of bringing the template holding at least a part of the resin closer to the substrate and bringing at least a part of the resin into contact with the substrate;
In the imprint method having
The contact angle between the surface of the template and the resin is equal to or less than the contact angle between the surface of the holding body and the resin.
It is characterized by that.

In the imprint method according to another aspect of the present invention, a template resin contact step in which a template having a predetermined pattern formed on the surface is brought into contact with the resin on the holder,
A template separating step of separating the holding body and the template and retaining at least a part of the resin in the template;
A template substrate approaching step of bringing the template holding at least a part of the resin closer to the substrate and bringing at least a part of the resin into contact with the substrate;
In the imprint method having
The contact angle between the surface of the template and the resin is not less than the contact angle between the surface of the holding body and the resin.
It is characterized by that.

An imprint apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes a first holding unit that holds a holding body,
Resin supply means for supplying resin onto the holder;
A second holding means for holding the substrate;
While holding a template having a pattern of a predetermined shape formed on the surface, and with the pattern forming surface of the template holding the resin, the resin approaches the first holding means and the second holding means. A detachable template holding means;
Control means for controlling the first holding means, the second holding means, and the template holding means,
The control means includes a template resin contact step of bringing a template having a predetermined pattern formed on the surface thereof into contact with the resin on the holding body supplied by the resin supply means;
A template separating step of separating the holding body and the template and retaining at least a part of the resin in the template;
A template substrate approaching step of bringing the template holding at least a part of the resin closer to the substrate and bringing at least a part of the resin into contact with the substrate;
Controlling the first holding means, the second holding means, and the template holding means so that
The contact angle between the surface of the template and the resin is equal to or less than the contact angle between the surface of the holding body and the resin.
It is characterized by that.

Furthermore, an imprint apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes a first holding unit that holds a holding body,
Resin supply means for supplying resin onto the holder;
A second holding means for holding the substrate;
While holding a template having a pattern of a predetermined shape formed on the surface, and with the pattern forming surface of the template holding the resin, the resin approaches the first holding means and the second holding means. A detachable template holding means;
Control means for controlling the first holding means, the second holding means, and the template holding means,
The control means includes a template resin contact step of bringing a template having a predetermined pattern formed on the surface thereof into contact with the resin on the holding body supplied by the resin supply means;
A template separating step of separating the holding body and the template and retaining at least a part of the resin in the template;
A template substrate approaching step of bringing the template holding at least a part of the resin closer to the substrate and bringing at least a part of the resin into contact with the substrate;
Controlling the first holding means, the second holding means, and the template holding means so that
The contact angle between the surface of the template and the resin is not less than the contact angle between the surface of the holding body and the resin.
It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, the amount of resin to be held on the template can be controlled, and the thickness of the remaining resin portion of the transfer pattern can be controlled.

It is the figure which showed a series of processes of an example of the general imprint method. FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating an example of a resin dropping step. FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating an example of a resin coating process. FIG. 1C is a diagram showing an example of a template preparation process. FIG.1 (d) is a figure which showed an example of the template contact process. FIG. 1E is a diagram showing an example of the curing process. FIG. 1F is a diagram showing an example of the mold release process. It is the figure which showed a series of processes of an example of the imprint method which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an example of a resin supply process. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example of the template resin contact process. FIG. 2C is a diagram showing an example of the template separation process. FIG. 2D is a diagram showing an example of the template substrate approaching process. FIG. 2E is a diagram illustrating an example of a curing process. FIG. 2F is a diagram showing an example of the mold release process. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the content of the liquid separation performed at the template separation | spacing process of the imprint method which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a liquid separation model when the dummy substrate and the template 31 have the same surface tension. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a liquid separation model when the dummy substrate and the template have different surface tensions. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the imprint method which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating an example of a template resin contact process of the imprint method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing an example of a template separation step of the imprint method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the verification result of the imprint method which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the imprint method which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an example of a template substrate approaching step of the imprint method according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of a curing step of the imprint method according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an implementation result of a verification experiment of an imprint method according to Embodiment 3. It is the figure which showed an example of the imprint apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a resin supply unit 91 provided in an imprint module 90. It is the figure which showed an example of the imprint unit 94 provided in an imprint module.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, for easy understanding, a general imprint method will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a series of steps of an example of a general imprint method. FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating an example of a resin dropping step. In the resin dropping step, the resin 120 is supplied onto the surface of the coated transfer substrate 110. For example, a nozzle (not shown) for supplying the resin 120 may be provided above the center region of the transfer substrate 110, and the resin 120 may be supplied dropwise from the nozzle onto the center of the transfer substrate 110.

  FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating an example of a resin coating process. In the resin application step, the resin 120 is applied to the entire surface of the transfer substrate 110 so that the resin 120 covers the entire surface of the transfer substrate 110. In the resin coating step, for example, the transfer substrate 110 is rotated, and the resin 120 dropped on the central region of the transfer substrate in the resin dropping step is extended to the outer peripheral side by centrifugal force. It may be applied to the entire surface.

  FIG. 1C is a diagram showing an example of a template preparation process. In the template preparation step, a template 130 having a shape pattern 131 to be transferred to the resin 120 formed on the surface is prepared. The template 130 is arranged so that the shape pattern 131 of the template 130 faces downward, that is, faces the resin 120. 1A and 1B, the resin dripping step and the resin coating step are performed by a resin coating unit for resin coating, and the imprint unit as a separate unit is processed after the template preparation step of FIG. 1C. The substrate 110 may be transferred and performed.

  FIG.1 (d) is a figure which showed an example of the template contact process. In the template contact process, the template 130 is moved downward to come into contact with the resin 120 on the substrate 110 to be transferred, the template 130 is pressed against the substrate 110 to be transferred, and the resin 120 is fluidly deformed according to the shape pattern 131 of the template 130. At this time, in a template contact process of a general imprint method, the template 130 is lowered to such an extent that the template 130 is pressed against the transfer substrate 110, and the shape pattern 131 is formed in a state where the remaining portion of the resin 120 is very thin. Molded. Although the subsequent etching process for removing the remaining portion becomes easy, there is a possibility that the supply of the homogeneous resin 120 cannot be realized.

  FIG. 1E is a diagram showing an example of the curing process. In the curing process, ultraviolet rays (UV light, Ultraviolet ray) are irradiated from the surroundings, and the resin 120 is cured. As the resin 120, a resin that is cured by ultraviolet irradiation is selected.

  FIG. 1F is a diagram showing an example of the mold release process. In the release process, the template 130 is detached from the transfer substrate 110 and separated. A resin having a shape corresponding to the shape pattern 131 of the template 130 is formed on the transferred substrate 110 on the transferred substrate 110 after the template 130 is detached. Thereby, the transfer of the shape pattern 131 of the template 130 is completed.

[First Embodiment]
Next, the imprint method using the liquid separation method according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a series of steps of an example of the imprint method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an example of a resin supply process. In the resin supply process, the resin 20 is supplied onto the surface of the dummy substrate 10. The dummy substrate 10 is not a transfer substrate onto which the pattern is transferred, but serves as a holding body that holds a part of the resin 20 supplied when the resin 20 is once supplied to the surface and separated. Fulfill. Therefore, the dummy substrate 10 may be called a holding body.

  As the dummy substrate 10, substrates made of various materials such as silicon, Teflon (registered trademark, hereinafter omitted) (polytetrafluoroethylene), glass, and the like can be used. Further, the surface of the dummy substrate 10 may be subjected to water repellent treatment as necessary. Although the details will be described later, in the imprint method according to the present embodiment, the dummy substrate depends on the surface tension and / or contact angle relationship between the surface of the dummy substrate 10 and the pattern surface of the template on which the pattern is formed. 10 and the amount of resin 20 held by the template is controlled. Therefore, the surface of the dummy substrate 10 is adjusted so that the surface tension and / or the contact angle have appropriate values in relation to the template. The adjustment of the surface tension and / or the contact angle is performed by a material, surface processing or the like. For example, since the above-described silicon, Teflon, and glass all have different surface tension and / or contact angle, the surface tension and / or contact angle of the dummy substrate 10 can be selected by selecting an appropriate material in relation to the template. Can be set appropriately. Further, by applying a surface treatment to the surface of the dummy substrate 10, the surface tension / or contact angle inherent to each material can be further changed. As the surface treatment, various surface treatments capable of changing the surface tension and / or the contact angle may be selected depending on the application, and for example, a water repellent treatment may be performed. Since the water repellent treatment can directly change the wettability of the surface, it can be suitably used to change the surface tension and / or the contact angle. In addition, a roughening process or the like may be performed.

It should be noted that a large surface tension and a small contact angle are synonymous in terms of content, so in the following description, there may be a case where only one of the surface tension or the contact angle is used. The description is applicable to both surface tension and contact angle without particular notice. The surface tension is a force that attracts molecules to make the surface as small as possible, and its unit is (mN / m). On the other hand, the contact angle is an angle between the liquid surface and the solid surface (an angle inside the liquid) where the free surface of the stationary liquid is in contact with the solid wall. If the surface tension of the solid is γ _S , the surface tension of the liquid is γ _L , the interfacial tension between the solid and the liquid is γ _SL , and the contact angle (angle formed between the tangent of the droplet and the solid surface) is θ, the following (1) The formula holds.

γ _S = γ _L · cos θ + γ _SL (1)
As can be seen from the equation (1), the surface tension γ _S and the contact angle θ of the solid have a relationship in which one increases and the other decreases, and descriptions using the surface tension or the contact angle are interchangeable. Therefore, hereinafter, when the surface tension and the contact angle are used, one explanation may be omitted as appropriate.

  Various resins 20 can be used as the resin 20 as long as they can be cured later. For example, a UV curable resin that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays may be used. In addition, various curable resins such as a thermosetting resin that is cured by heating may be used depending on the application. In addition, although the resin 20 for various uses may be used for the resin 20, for example, the resin 20 used as a resist in a semiconductor process may be used. In addition, also about the viscosity of the resin 20, the resin 20 which has various viscosity characteristics according to a use can be selected and used.

  Although the resin 20 may be supplied to the dummy substrate 10 by various methods, it is preferable to supply the resin 20 uniformly over the entire surface of the dummy substrate 10. As described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the resin 20 is supplied to the surface of the dummy substrate 10 by dropping the resin 20 onto the central region of the dummy substrate 10 with a nozzle or the like and rotating the dummy substrate 10. Alternatively, the resin 20 may be applied by diffusing the entire surface, so-called spin coating, or by spray application using a spray. According to the spray method, it is easy to apply and supply the resin 20 uniformly on the entire surface of the dummy substrate 10 without unevenness. Also, in the spin coating method, the resin 20 supplied on the surface of the dummy substrate 10 often drops from the outer edge of the dummy substrate 10 due to the rotation of the dummy substrate 10 and is wasted. However, according to the spray method, since there is no action of centrifugal force, it becomes possible to apply and supply the resin 20 while accurately aiming at the surface of the dummy substrate 10, and the waste of the resin 20 can be reduced.

  FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example of the template resin contact process. In the template resin contact process, the template 30 is brought into contact with the resin 20 applied on the dummy substrate 10. An uneven pattern 31 is formed on the surface of the template 30. The pattern forming surface of the template 30 is brought into contact with the resin 20, and the resin 20 flows according to the shape pattern 31, whereby the shape pattern 31 is formed on the surface side of the resin 20. At this time, the template 30 is not lowered as much as the template 30 is pressed against the dummy substrate 10, but the template 30 is brought into contact with the resin 20 while maintaining the homogeneity of the resin 20. Accordingly, a relatively large amount of the remaining portion 23 remains in the resin 20, but the homogeneous resin 20 can be supplied, and the resin 20 is fluidly molded to the shape pattern 31.

  As described above, an appropriate material may be selected as the material of the template 30 in relation to the dummy substrate 10. However, when the resin 20 is a UV curable resin, the template 30 is selected from materials that transmit ultraviolet rays. The material is selected. Further, when the resin 20 is a thermosetting resin, the material of the template 30 is selected from materials having sufficient heat resistance with respect to the temperature at which the resin 20 is cured. For example, the template 30 may be made of a transparent epoxy resin. Further, the pattern forming surface of the template 30 may be subjected to a surface treatment such as a water repellent treatment as necessary. Thereby, the contact angle of the pattern formation surface of the template 30 can be changed. The details of the relative relationship between the template 30 and the dummy substrate 10 such as the material and surface treatment will be described later.

  FIG. 2C is a diagram showing an example of the template separation process. In the template separation step, the template 30 is separated from the dummy substrate 10 without curing the resin 20. At this time, the resin 20 is separated in a liquid state, the template 30 holds the separation resin 21, and the dummy substrate 10 holds the separation resin 22. As a result, the remaining portion 24 of the separation resin 21 held by the template 30 becomes very thin, so that the resin 20 can be supplied uniformly and the remaining portion 24 can be reduced.

  Here, in the imprint method according to the present embodiment, the amount (thickness) of the remaining portion 24 can be controlled. As shown in FIG. 2C, the remaining portion 24 of the separation resin 21 held by the template 30 can be thinned by the template separation step. However, as described above, the remaining portion 24 is thinned depending on the application. There are cases where you want to make it thicker and cases where you want to make it thicker. For example, as described above, in a general semiconductor process, the remaining portion 24 is often desired to be thinned. However, a lens surface of a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is formed. In some cases or when producing imprint replicas, it is preferable to leave the remaining portion 24 of the separation resin 21 to be held by the template 30 thick. The relative relationship of the contact angle between the pattern forming surface of the template 30 and the dummy substrate 10 is changed according to such various uses. Specifically, when the remaining portion 24 of the separation resin 21 held by the template 30 is desired to be thin, the contact angle of the pattern forming surface of the template 30 is relatively reduced, and when the remaining portion 24 is desired to be thick, the pattern of the template 30 is obtained. The contact angle of the forming surface is relatively increased. Details of this point will be described later.

  FIG. 2D is a diagram showing an example of the template substrate approaching process. In the template substrate approaching step, the template 30 holding the separation resin 21 is brought close to the target substrate 40 and the separation resin 21 is brought into contact with the target substrate 40. Here, since the remaining portion 24 of the separation resin 21 is very thin, the shape pattern 31 is formed on the target substrate 40 with the remaining portion 24 being small. At this time, a pressure enough to press the target substrate 40 may be applied to the template 30.

  FIG. 2E is a diagram illustrating an example of a curing process. In the curing step, the separation resin 21 is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays from the surroundings. The curing process in the curing process is selected depending on the type of the resin 20. For example, when the resin 20 is a UV curable resin, ultraviolet irradiation is performed in the curing step. On the other hand, for example, when the resin 20 is a thermosetting resin, heat treatment is performed in the curing step. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the resin 20 is a UV curable resin, and the curing process will be described with an example in which the curing process is performed by ultraviolet irradiation. By performing the curing process, the separation resin 21 is cured, and a shape pattern of the separation resin 21 is formed on the target substrate 40.

  FIG. 2F is a diagram showing an example of the mold release process. In the mold release step, the template 30 is separated from the target substrate 40. When the template 30 is separated from the target substrate 40, the pattern of the separation resin 21 formed by the shape pattern 31 is transferred and formed on the surface of the target substrate 40. Since the remaining portion 24 is very thin, the remaining portion 24 can be easily removed in the subsequent etching process. In contrast, when the remaining portion 24 is formed thick, a pattern can be transferred and formed on the remaining portion 24 having a sufficient thickness.

  As described above, according to the imprint method according to the present embodiment, the thickness of the remaining portion 21 of the transfer pattern formed on the target substrate 40 is appropriately adjusted according to the use, and the transfer pattern according to the use is adjusted. Formation can be performed.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the content of liquid separation performed in the template separation step of the imprint method according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a liquid separation model when the dummy substrate 12 and the template 32 have the same surface tension. In FIG. 3A, the resin 20 is supplied between the dummy substrate 12 and the template 32. However, both the dummy substrate 12 and the template 32 are made of silicon, and both are not subjected to surface treatment. Or a liquid separation model in which the same surface treatment is applied and the surface tensions of the two are the same.

  When the surfaces of the dummy substrate 12 and the template 32 have the same surface tension, the template 20 is separated from the dummy substrate 12 and the template separation process described with reference to FIG. The separation resin 21 and the separation resin 22 are separated. At this time, due to the influence of gravity, the resin amount of the separation resin 22 held on the dummy substrate 12 is larger than the resin amount of the separation resin 22 held on the template 32. Specifically, the resin amount ratio between the separation resin 22 and the separation resin 21 is 55:45 (= 11: 9).

  Thus, when the resin amount of the separation resin 22 held on the dummy substrate 12 arranged on the lower side is slightly larger than the template 32 arranged on the upper side, and a ratio of about 55:45 is desired, What is necessary is just to adjust so that the surface tension or contact angle of the dummy board | substrate 12 and the template 32 may become equal. In this case, the dummy substrate 12 and the template 32 are made of the same material, and the surface to which both resins 20 are supplied may be subjected to no surface treatment or the same surface treatment. Alternatively, different materials are used for the dummy substrate 12 and the template 32, but the surface treatment may be performed so that the surface tension or contact angle of the surfaces to which the resins 20 are supplied are the same. In that case, only one of the dummy substrate 12 and the template 32 may be subjected to surface treatment, or both may be subjected to different surface treatments.

  FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a liquid separation model when the dummy substrate 13 and the template 33 have different surface tensions. In FIG. 3B, the resin 20 is supplied between the dummy substrate 13 and the template 33 as in FIG. 3A, and both the dummy substrate 13 and the template 33 are made of silicon. The surface of the substrate 13 is not subjected to water repellency treatment, and the surface of the template 33 that contacts the resin 20 (pattern formation surface) is subjected to water repellency treatment. A separation model is shown. When the surface of the template 33 is subjected to water repellent treatment, the wettability of the surface is lowered and the contact angle can be increased. In this case, as shown in the equation (1), the surface tension of the template 33 is lowered.

  As a result, the surface tension of the lower dummy substrate 13 is relatively larger than the surface tension of the upper template 33, and the force of the dummy substrate 13 attracting the resin 20 is increased. Then, the resin 20 is separated at a position close to the dummy substrate 13, and the separation line 25 is closer to the dummy substrate 13 than the template 33. As a result, the resin amount of the separation resin 21 held by the template 33 is larger than the resin amount of the separation resin 22 held by the dummy substrate 13. This is because the influence of the surface tension or contact angle between the dummy substrate 13 and the template 33 is far greater than the influence of gravity, and the relative surface tension or contact angle between the resin contact surfaces of the dummy substrate 13 and the template 33 is relatively large. It means that the amount of the separation resin 21 held in the template 33 can be controlled by adjusting the magnitude relationship.

  Table 1 shows the results of verification using the liquid separation model described with reference to FIGS.

表１において、実施例１が図３（ａ）の場合に対応し、実施例２が図３（ｂ）の馬場合に対応している。なお、表１に示した実施例１、２では、表面に形状パターン３１が形成されたテンプレート３２、３３は用いずに、上下とも表面が平坦な基板を用いて行った。よって、テンプレート３２、３３及びダミー基板１２、１３という表記は用いずに、上側の基板を上基板、下側の基板を下基板と表記している。

In Table 1, Example 1 corresponds to the case of FIG. 3A, and Example 2 corresponds to the horse case of FIG. 3B. In Examples 1 and 2 shown in Table 1, the template 32 or 33 having the shape pattern 31 formed on the surface was not used, but a substrate having a flat surface was used. Therefore, the notation of the templates 32 and 33 and the dummy substrates 12 and 13 is not used, and the upper substrate is described as the upper substrate and the lower substrate is described as the lower substrate.

  In Example 1 corresponding to FIG. 3A, a silicon substrate was used for both the upper substrate and the lower substrate. Since the upper substrate and the lower substrate were not subjected to surface treatment, both surface tensions were large and the contact angle with the resin 20 was 9.2 °. The liquid separation ratio between the upper substrate and the lower substrate is 45% for the upper substrate and 55% for the lower substrate. As described in FIG. 3A, the separation resin 22 held by the lower substrate due to the influence of gravity. The amount of the resin was larger than that of the separation resin 21 held by the upper substrate.

  In Example 2 corresponding to FIG. 3B, a water repellent treated substrate having a surface subjected to water repellent treatment was used for the upper substrate, and a silicon substrate having no surface treatment applied to the lower substrate. Since the surface of the upper substrate was subjected to water repellent treatment, the surface tension was small and the contact angle with the resin 20 was adjusted to a large value of 76.1 °. On the other hand, since the lower substrate is a silicon substrate that has not been subjected to surface treatment, as in Example 1, the surface tension was large and the contact angle with the resin 20 was 9.2 °. When the upper substrate was separated after placing the resin 20 between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, the liquid separation ratio was 54% for the upper substrate and 46% for the lower substrate. The amount of the separated resin 21 was larger than that of the separated resin 22 held by the lower substrate.

  As described above, in Example 1 and Example 2 in which the actual verification experiment was performed, a result consistent with FIGS. 3A and 3B was obtained, and the separation resin 21 and the dummy substrate held by the templates 32 and 33 were obtained. It has been shown that the separation resin 22 held by 12 and 13 can be controlled by the relative magnitude relationship of the surface tension or contact angle of the surface in contact with the resin 20.

  In FIG. 3B, the surface tension of the resin contact surface of the template 33 is made smaller than the surface tension of the resin contact surface of the dummy substrate 13, and the amount of the separation resin 21 held by the template 33 is increased. Although an example is given, it is of course possible to reverse this example. That is, the surface tension of the resin contact surface of the dummy substrate 13 can be made smaller than the surface tension of the resin contact surface of the template 33, and the amount of the separation resin 21 held on the template 33 can be reduced. In this case, the amount of the separation resin 21 held by the template 33 is smaller than in the case of FIG. Thereby, in the template separation process described with reference to FIG. 2C, the amount of the separation resin 21 held on the template 33 can be reduced, and the thickness of the remaining portion 24 can be reduced. In order to reduce the surface tension of the dummy substrate 13, the surface of the resin contact surface of the dummy substrate 13 may be water repellent, or the surface tension of the dummy substrate 13 may be smaller than the surface tension of the template 33. Material selection may be performed.

  Table 2 shows the material and contact angle of the template 30 and the dummy substrate 10 depending on whether the separation resin 21 held on the template 30 is to be reduced or increased in the template separation step described with reference to FIG. It is the table | surface which showed the example of how to adjust.

表２に示されるように、テンプレート３０が保持する分離樹脂２１の残余部分２４（表中では、「残膜」と呼ぶ。）を減少させたい場合（表２、上段参照）、テンプレート３０の材料は、例えば、透明なエポキシ樹脂等を用いてもよい。そして、保持体であるダミー基板１０の材料としては、レプリカ同種基板、テフロン基板、表面を撥水処理したシリコン等の他の基板を用いることができる。テフロンは表面の撥水性が高い材料であり、接触角が大きく、表面張力が小さい。よって、テフロン基板を用いることにより、テンプレート３０の表面張力を相対的に大きくし、テンプレート３０の分離樹脂２１の保持量を低減させることができる。また、シリコン基板等、他の材料の基板の場合も、表面を撥水処理すれば、撥水性を高め、接触角を大きくすることができるので、種々の基板を撥水処理してテンプレート３０として用いることができる。

As shown in Table 2, when it is desired to reduce the remaining portion 24 (referred to as “residual film” in the table) of the separation resin 21 held by the template 30 (see Table 2, upper part), the material of the template 30 For example, a transparent epoxy resin or the like may be used. As the material of the dummy substrate 10 that is a holding body, a replica homogeneous substrate, a Teflon substrate, or another substrate such as silicon whose surface is water repellent treated can be used. Teflon is a material having a high surface water repellency, a large contact angle, and a small surface tension. Therefore, by using the Teflon substrate, the surface tension of the template 30 can be relatively increased, and the amount of the separation resin 21 held by the template 30 can be reduced. Also, in the case of a substrate of another material such as a silicon substrate, if the surface is subjected to water repellency, the water repellency can be increased and the contact angle can be increased. Can be used.

  Conversely, when it is desired to increase the remaining portion 24 (residual film) of the separation resin 21 to be held by the template 30, a transparent epoxy resin may be used for the template 30 and the surface thereof may be subjected to water repellent treatment. Thereby, while reducing the surface tension of the template 30, a contact angle can be increased and the resin amount of the separation resin 21 which the template 30 hold | maintains can be reduced. In this case, a silicon substrate or a glass substrate may be used as the dummy substrate 10. Since a material such as silicon or glass has a high surface tension, a large amount of separation resin 21 can be held on the template 30.

  As described above, in the imprint method according to the embodiment of the present invention, for the dummy substrate 10 and the template 30 that are in contact with the resin 20, the contact angle of the one on which the amount of the resin 20 to be reduced is relatively increased, and the surface The holding amount of the separation resin 21 of the template 30 can be controlled by relatively reducing the tension. Thereby, pattern transfer onto the substrate 40 having the thickness of the remaining portion 24 according to the application, such as a semiconductor process, formation of a lens pattern of a solid-state imaging device, and production of an imprint replica, can be performed.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of an imprint method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating an example of a template resin contact process of the imprint method according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  The imprint method according to the second embodiment is the same as the imprint method according to the first embodiment described in FIG. In the imprint method according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, in the template resin contact process described with reference to FIG. To control. That is, when performing the template resin contact process in which the template 30 is brought into contact with the resin 20, the upper surface of the template 30 is pressed using the roller 50, and the resin 20 is extended to reduce the thickness of the remaining portion 23 of the resin 20. In addition, although the pressure of the roller 50 at the time of performing a roller press and a rotation speed may be variously set according to a use, you may set a pressure to 1 MPa and a rotational speed to 100 rpm, for example. In addition, the material and size of the roller 50 can be an appropriate roller 50 depending on the application.

  FIG. 4B is a diagram showing an example of a template separation step of the imprint method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the template separation step, the template 30 is separated from the dummy substrate 10 and the resin 20 as in the template separation step described with reference to FIG. 2C. At this time, the template 30 is the separation resin 21 and the dummy substrate 10 is the separation resin. 22, but the remaining portion 23 is thinned by the roller press, so that the thickness of the separation resins 21 and 22 can be reduced.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a verification result of the imprint method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Six points were selected and the film thicknesses were measured. Of these, 5 points were less than 500 nm thick, and all were less than 600 nm thick. Therefore, it was shown that the thickness of the resin 20 can be controlled by the roller press, and can be extended and thinned. Since other processes are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of an imprint method according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an example of a template substrate approaching step of the imprint method according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

The imprint method according to the third embodiment is the same as the imprint method according to the first embodiment described in FIG. In the imprint method according to the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6A, in the template substrate approach process described in FIG. 2D, separation is performed by a roller press using a roller 51 and a rubber sheet 60. The resin 21 is extended, and the separation resin 21 is filled in the groove pattern of the shape pattern 31 of the template 30 without a gap. That is, when performing the template substrate approaching process in which the template 30 holding the separation resin 21 is brought close to the target substrate 40 and the separation resin 21 is brought into contact with the target substrate 40, the rubber sheet 60 is disposed on the upper surface of the template 30. The template 30 is pressed by the roller 51 via 60 to extend the separation resin 21, and the separation resin 21 is filled into the shape pattern 31 of the template 30 without a gap. Thereby, imprinting can be performed using an extremely small amount of the separation resin 21, and the in-plane distribution of the shape pattern of the separation resin 21 to be transferred can be improved and uniformized. In addition, although the pressure of the roller 51 at the time of roller press and a rotation speed may be variously set according to a use, you may set a pressure to 3 MPa and a rotational speed to 100 rpm, for example.
The rubber sheet 60 can also be a rubber sheet 60 having various elasticity and thickness, but for example, a rubber sheet having a thickness of 1 mm may be used. Further, the material and size of the roller 50 can be an appropriate roller 50 depending on the application.

  FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of a curing step of the imprint method according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the curing step, as in the curing step described with reference to FIG. 2 (e), ultraviolet rays are radiated from the outside, but the separation resin 21 is filled in the shape pattern 31 of the template 30 without any gaps on the target substrate 40. Pattern transfer can be performed.

  FIG. 6C is a diagram showing an example of a mold release process of the imprint method according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the mold release step, the template 30 is separated from the target substrate 40. However, since the curing is performed in a state where the separation resin 21 is filled in the shape pattern 31 of the template 30 without a gap, an in-plane distribution is present on the target substrate 40. Improved pattern is transferred.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an implementation result of a verification experiment of the imprint method according to the third embodiment. In the verification experiment, the film thickness of the transferred pattern was measured by using the lower, left, center, right, and upper five measurement points as the measurement points. As shown in FIG. 7, a substantially constant film thickness near 350 nm could be obtained at all five locations.

  Thus, it has been shown that the imprint method according to the third embodiment has an effect of making the in-plane distribution of the transfer pattern uniform. Since other processes are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

[Imprint device]
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an imprint apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the first to third embodiments, the imprint method has been described. In the present embodiment, an example of an imprint apparatus capable of performing the imprint method according to the first to third embodiments is described. To do.

  As illustrated in FIG. 8, the imprint apparatus according to this embodiment includes a load / unload port 70, a transport module 80, an imprint module 90, and a controller 100. The load / unload port 70, the transport module 80, and the imprint module 90 are integrally configured, for example. The controller 100 is configured to be electrically connected to the load / unload port 70, the transport module 80, and the imprint module 90, and may be physically configured integrally with them, or may be separated from each other. May be.

  The load / unload port 70 is an area for carrying in / out the substrate. For example, a plurality of substrates are stored in a cassette (not shown) such as a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod), and the cassette is installed in the transfer module 80 by installing the cassette in the load / unload port 70. The substrate is carried in and out by the transfer device.

  The transfer module 80 accesses a cassette installed in the load / unload port 70, carries in / out the substrate, and transfers the substrate between the imprint module 90 and the load / unload port 70.

  The imprint module 90 is an apparatus module for performing the imprint method according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention. The configuration within the imprint module 90 will be described later.

  The controller 100 is a control means for controlling the imprint apparatus including the load / unload port 70, the transport module 80, and the imprint module 90 as a whole. The controller 100 may include, for example, a user interface unit 101, a process controller 102, and a storage unit 103.

  The user interface unit 101 includes a keyboard on which a process manager inputs commands to manage the imprint apparatus, a display that visualizes and displays the operating status of the imprint apparatus, and the like.

  The process controller 102 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), reads a program stored in the storage unit 103, and performs various controls.

  The storage unit 103 stores a recipe in which a control program (software) for realizing various processes executed by the imprint apparatus under the control of the process controller 102, processing condition data, and the like are stored. Then, if necessary, an arbitrary recipe is called from the storage unit 103 by an instruction from the user interface unit 101 and is executed by the process controller 102, so that the desired information in the imprint apparatus is controlled under the control of the process controller 102. Is performed. In addition, recipes such as control programs and processing condition data may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium (for example, a hard disk, CD, flexible disk, semiconductor memory, etc.) or other recipes. For example, it is possible to transmit the data from time to time via a dedicated line and use it online.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the resin supply unit 91 provided in the imprint module 90. The resin supply unit 91 is an apparatus unit for performing the resin supply process described with reference to FIG. The resin supply unit 91 can have various configurations as long as the resin supply process described with reference to FIG. 2A can be performed. For example, the resin supply unit 91 includes a processing chamber 92, a rotary stage 93, and a spray nozzle 94. Also good. The dummy substrate 10 may be placed on the rotary stage 93 and the resin 20 may be supplied onto the dummy substrate 10 by spraying from the spray nozzle 94 while rotating the rotary stage 93. By supplying the resin by spray supply using the spray nozzle 94, the supply amount of the resin 20 can be reduced. Depending on the application, the resin 20 may be supplied to the central region of the dummy substrate 10 by using an ordinary nozzle instead of the spray nozzle 94 and spin coating by rotating the rotary stage 93. Needless to say.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an imprint unit 95 provided in the imprint module. The imprint unit 95 includes, for example, a processing chamber 96, stages 97a and 97b, a template holding unit 98, and a UV light source 99.

  The stage 97a is a means for holding the dummy substrate 10, and the stage 97b is a means for holding the target substrate 40. The template holding unit 98 holds the template 30 and moves the template 30 up and down to bring the template 30 into contact with the resin 20 or away from the dummy substrate 10. That is, the dummy substrate 10 supplied with the resin 20 can be held on the stage 97a, and the template 30 can be lowered to perform the template resin contact process, and the template separation process can be performed by uppering the template 30.

  Here, as described in the first to third embodiments, by setting the contact angle between the template 30 and the surface of the dummy substrate 10 to a predetermined magnitude relationship, the thickness of the remaining portion 24 of the separation resin 21 can be reduced. It can be adjusted to a desired thickness.

  After the template separation step, the template substrate approaching step can be performed by moving the template holding unit 98 on the stage 97b or moving the stage 97b to the position where the stage 97a is located. Next, if the UV light source 99 is caused to emit light and ultraviolet irradiation is performed, the curing process can be performed. After the curing process, if the template holding unit 98 is raised and the mold release process is performed, the pattern having the remaining portion 24 having a desired thickness is transferred onto the target substrate 40.

  It should be noted that the imprint methods according to the second and third embodiments can be implemented by further providing rollers 50 and 51 for pressing the template holding unit 98, the rubber sheet 60, and the like in the imprint unit 95.

  The preferred embodiments and examples of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and the above-described embodiments and examples can be performed without departing from the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions can be made to the embodiments.

10, 12, 13 Dummy substrate (holder)
20, 21, 22 Resin 30, 32, 33 Template 31 Shape pattern 40 Target substrate 50, 51 Roller 60 Rubber sheet 90 Imprint module 94 Spray nozzle 96, 97 Stage 98 Template holding part 99 UV light source 100 Control part

Claims (12)

A template resin contact step in which a template having a predetermined pattern formed on the surface is brought into contact with the resin on the holder;
A template separating step of separating the holding body and the template and retaining at least a part of the resin in the template;
A template substrate approaching step of bringing the template holding at least a part of the resin closer to the substrate and bringing at least a part of the resin into contact with the substrate;
In the imprint method having
The contact angle between the surface of the template and the resin is equal to or less than the contact angle between the surface of the holding body and the resin.
An imprint method characterized by the above. A template resin contact step in which a template having a predetermined pattern formed on the surface is brought into contact with the resin on the holder;
A template separating step of separating the holding body and the template and retaining at least a part of the resin in the template;
A template substrate approaching step of bringing the template holding at least a part of the resin closer to the substrate and bringing at least a part of the resin into contact with the substrate;
In the imprint method having
The contact angle between the surface of the template and the resin is not less than the contact angle between the surface of the holding body and the resin.
An imprint method characterized by the above. In the template resin contact step, the template is pressed with a roller.
The imprint method according to claim 1, wherein: In the template substrate approach step, the template is pressed with a roller.
The imprint method according to claim 1, wherein the imprint method is performed. The contact angle between the surface of the template and the resin is less than the contact angle between the surface of the holding body and the resin.
The imprint method according to claim 1, wherein: The contact angle between the surface of the template and the resin is larger than the contact angle between the surface of the holding body and the resin,
The imprint method according to claim 2, wherein: The surface of the holding body is subjected to water repellent treatment,
The imprint method according to claim 1, wherein: The surface of the template is water repellent,
The imprint method according to claim 2, wherein the imprint method is performed. The holder is made of Teflon;
The imprint method according to claim 1, wherein: Prior to the template resin contact step, further comprising a resin supply step of spray coating the resin on the holding body,
The imprint method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: First holding means for holding a holding body;
Resin supply means for supplying resin onto the holder;
A second holding means for holding the substrate;
While holding a template having a pattern of a predetermined shape formed on the surface, and with the pattern forming surface of the template holding the resin, the resin approaches the first holding means and the second holding means. A detachable template holding means;
Control means for controlling the first holding means, the second holding means, and the template holding means,
The control means includes a template resin contact step of bringing a template having a predetermined pattern formed on the surface thereof into contact with the resin on the holding body supplied by the resin supply means;
A template separating step of separating the holding body and the template and retaining at least a part of the resin in the template;
A template substrate approaching step of bringing the template holding at least a part of the resin closer to the substrate and bringing at least a part of the resin into contact with the substrate;
Controlling the first holding means, the second holding means, and the template holding means so that
The contact angle between the surface of the template and the resin is equal to or less than the contact angle between the surface of the holding body and the resin.
An imprint apparatus characterized by that. First holding means for holding a holding body;
Resin supply means for supplying resin onto the holder;
A second holding means for holding the substrate;
While holding a template having a pattern of a predetermined shape formed on the surface, and with the pattern forming surface of the template holding the resin, the resin approaches the first holding means and the second holding means. A detachable template holding means;
Control means for controlling the first holding means, the second holding means, and the template holding means,
The control means includes a template resin contact step of bringing a template having a predetermined pattern formed on the surface thereof into contact with the resin on the holding body supplied by the resin supply means;
A template separating step of separating the holding body and the template and retaining at least a part of the resin in the template;
A template substrate approaching step of bringing the template holding at least a part of the resin closer to the substrate and bringing at least a part of the resin into contact with the substrate;
Controlling the first holding means, the second holding means, and the template holding means so that
The contact angle between the surface of the template and the resin is not less than the contact angle between the surface of the holding body and the resin.
An imprint apparatus characterized by that.

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