Transfer method and apparatus and computer program product

An imprinting method, comprising:

• forming at least a partial stamp bulge, the partial stamp bugle having a stamp bulge portion;
• positioning the flexible stamp such that the stamp bulge portion is a partial stamp bulge portion at a first non-zero distance to the substrate without contact with the substrate and closer to the substrate than a portion of the flexible stamp outside the partial stamp bulge portion, or a full stamp bulge portion in contact with the substrate;
• measuring a lateral alignment between the stamp bulge portion and the substrate, wherein the lateral alignment is determined by obtaining a relative position between a first marker on a surface of a flexible stamp feature located in the stamp bulge portion and a second marker on a surface of a substrate feature located on the substrate;
• determining whether adjustment of the lateral alignment is needed, while the stamp bulge portion is kept in place;
• if adjustment of the lateral alignment is needed, making a lateral adjustment by lateral translation of at least the stamp bulge portion relative to the substrate, while maintaining the partial stamp bulge portion in place;
• and
• if adjustment of the lateral alignment is not needed or after the lateral adjustment has been made, advancing the stamp bulge portion towards the substrate to form a full stamp bulge portion in contact with the substrate, wherein the flexible stamp comprises a stamping area that includes a relief pattern to be transferred to an imprintable surface of the substrate.

An apparatus, comprising:

• controller circuitry to;
• form an at least partial stamp bulge, the stamp bulge having a stamp bulge portion;
• position the flexible stamp such that the stamp bulge portion is at a first non-zero distance to the substrate without contact with the substrate and closer to the substrate than a portion of the flexible stamp outside a partial stamp bulge portion;
• measure a lateral alignment between the stamp bulge portion and the substrate, wherein the lateral alignment is determined by obtaining a relative position between a first marker on a surface of a flexible stamp feature located in the stamp bulge portion and a second marker on a surface of a substrate feature located on the substrate;
• determine whether adjustment of the lateral alignment is needed, while the stamp bulge portion is kept in place;
• if adjustment of the lateral alignment is needed, making a lateral adjustment by lateral translation of at least the stamp bulge portion relative to the substrate while maintaining the partial stamp bulge portion in place;
• and
• if adjustment of the lateral alignment is not needed or after the lateral adjustment has been made, advancing the stamp bulge portion towards the substrate to form a full stamp bulge portion in contact with the;
• and
• a stamp carrier controlled by the controller circuitry, the stamp carrier comprising a plurality of engaging elements disposed across the area of the stamp carrier, each engaging element being individually switchable by the controller circuitry between a first configuration in which a flexible stamp is pulled towards the stamp carrier and a second configuration in which the flexible stamp is pushed away from the stamp carrier;
• and
• a substrate carrier for carrying the substrate or a dummy substrate.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having one or more executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for mechanically contacting a flexible stamp to a substrate, the method comprising:

• forming at least a partial stamp bulge, the partial stamp bulge having a stamp bulge portion;
• positioning the flexible stamp such that the stamp bulge portion is either a partial stamp bulge portion at a first non-zero distance to the substrate without contact with the substrate and closer to the substrate than a portion of the flexible stamp outside the partial stamp bulge portion or a full stamp bulge portion in contact with the substrate;
• measuring a lateral alignment between the stamp bulge portion and the substrate, wherein the lateral alignment is determined by obtaining a relative position between a first marker on a surface of a flexible stamp feature located in the stamp bulge portion and a second marker on a surface of a substrate feature located on the substrate;
• determining whether adjustment of the lateral alignment is needed, while the stamp bulge portion is kept in place;
• if adjustment of the lateral alignment is needed, making a lateral adjustment by lateral translation of at least the stamp bulge portion relative to the substrate, either while maintaining the partial stamp bulge portion in place or after retracting the full stamp bulge portion to a partial stamp bulge portion;
• and
• if adjustment of the lateral alignment is not needed or after the lateral adjustment has been made, advancing the stamp bulge portion towards the substrate to form a full stamp bulge portion in contact with the substrate if there is a partial stamp bulge portion in place.