# US 10,481,491 B2 · Fluid droplet methodology and apparatus for imprint lithography > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,491 B2 - Document ID: US10481491B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/375,912 - Filed: 2016-12-12 - Published: 2018-06-14 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-12 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Edward Brian Fletcher; Timothy Brian Stachowiak - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481491B2 ## CPC - G03F 7/0002: {Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping} - G06K 15/105: {Multipass or interlaced printing} - H10W 20/091: {by printing or stamping} - B29C 2043/025: {forming a microstructure, i.e. fine patterning} - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) ## Abstract A method can be used to generate a fluid droplet pattern for an imprint lithography process using a fluid dispense system having fluid dispense ports. The method can include determining a fluid droplet pattern for dispensing a formable material onto a substrate; during a first pass, dispensing the formable material onto the substrate to form a first part of the fluid droplet pattern for an imprint field; offsetting the fluid dispense ports and substrate relative to each other in an offset direction; and during a second pass, dispensing the formable material onto the substrate to form a second part of the fluid droplet pattern for the imprint field. The method can be used to form a patterned layer over a semiconductor wafer in fabricating an electronic device. An apparatus can be configured to carry out the method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of generating a fluid droplet pattern for an imprint lithography process, the method comprising: during a first pass, dispensing a formable material onto a surface of a substrate by a fluid dispense system having fluid dispense ports to form a first substrate fluid droplet pattern for a first part of an imprint field of the substrate, wherein the substrate and the fluid dispense ports move relative to each other along a translating axis; offsetting the fluid dispense ports and substrate relative to each other; and during a second pass, dispensing the formable material onto the surface of the substrate by the fluid dispense system to form a second substrate fluid droplet pattern for a second part of the imprint field, wherein offsetting the fluid dispense ports and substrate relative to each other is performed between the first pass and the second pass; wherein: the first substrate fluid droplet pattern has fluid droplets of the formable material lying along a plurality of lines, wherein lines of the plurality of lines are spaced apart from one another at a pitch in a y-direction, and offsetting is along a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate in a direction of the pitch for an offset distance that is a non-integer multiple of the pitch. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: during the first pass, dispensing the formable material comprising dispensing fluid droplets of the formable material along a Y1 line of a drop edge exclusion; and during the second pass, dispensing the formable material comprising dispensing fluid droplets of the formable material along a Y2 line of the drop edge exclusion, wherein the offsetting direction is substantially perpendicular to the translating axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein during the second pass, dispensing the formable material comprising dispensing a fluid droplet of the formable material at an intersection of an X2 line and the Y2 line of the drop edge exclusion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: fluid dispense system dispenses the fluid droplets of the formable material at a preset frequency to achieve spaced-apart droplets on a substrate at a preset minimum pitch as the substrate and the fluid dispense ports move relative to each other at a preset speed along the translating axis; and the fluid droplets in the imprint field are formed at a non-integer multiple of the preset minimum pitch along the translating axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid dispense ports have a fluid dispense port pitch, and the offset distance is a non-integer multiple of the fluid dispense port pitch. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first substrate fluid droplet pattern is different from the second substrate fluid dispense pattern. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the formable material is dispensed using a same single-pass fluid droplet pattern for the first and second passes, wherein the first fluid droplet pattern is offset from the second substrate fluid droplet pattern. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the fluid dispense system dispenses fluid droplets in a column lying along a line, the fluid dispense system further configured to dispense the fluid droplets of the formable material at a preset frequency to achieve spaced-apart droplets on a substrate at a preset minimum pitch as the substrate and the fluid dispense ports move relative to each other at a preset speed along the translating axis; determining a preset-defined fluid droplet pattern for dispensing the formable material onto the substrate, the preset-defined fluid droplet pattern based on at least a pattern of an imprint lithography template, and wherein the preset-defined fluid droplet pattern is representative of fluid droplets spaced apart on the substrate at the preset minimum pitch or an integer multiple thereof as the substrate and the fluid dispense ports are moved relative to each other at the preset speed along the transverse axis; determining an adjusted fluid droplet pattern based on the preset-defined fluid droplet pattern, wherein the adjusted fluid droplet pattern is representative of fluid droplets spaced apart at a non-integer multiple of the preset minimum pitch; determining an adjusted speed of the substrate and the fluid dispense ports relative to each other to generate the adjusted fluid droplet pattern formed during the first and second passes, wherein the adjusted speed is different than the preset speed during the first pass, the second pass, or each of the first and second passes; and during the first pass, the second pass, or each of the first and second passes, moving the substrate and the fluid dispense ports relative to each other at the adjusted speed along the translating axis, and dispensing the formable material through the fluid dispense ports at the preset frequency. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein during the first and second passes, dispensing the formable material is performed such that centers of fluid droplets closest to the edges of the imprint field lie along X1, X2, Y1, and Y2 lines of a drop edge exclusion. ### Claim 10 A method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising: providing a fluid dispense system having fluid dispense ports; during a first pass, dispensing a formable material onto a surface of a substrate by the fluid dispense system having fluid dispense ports to form a first substrate fluid droplet pattern for a first part of an imprint field of the substrate, wherein the substrate and the fluid dispense ports move relative to each other along a translating axis; offsetting the fluid dispense ports and substrate relative to each other after dispensing the formable material during the first pass; during a second pass, dispensing the formable material onto the surface of the substrate by the fluid dispense system to form a second substrate fluid droplet pattern for a second part of the imprint field, wherein offsetting the fluid dispense ports and substrate relative to each other is performed between the first pass and the second pass, wherein: the first substrate fluid droplet pattern has fluid droplets of the formable material lying along a plurality of lines, wherein lines of the plurality of lines are spaced apart from one another at a pitch in a y-direction, and offsetting is along a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate in a direction of the pitch for an offset distance that is a non-integer multiple of the pitch; contacting the formable material with the template having a surface; and curing the formable material to form a layer corresponding to the surface of the template. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the article includes an electronic device, and the substrate includes a semiconductor wafer.