# US 10,871,709 B2 · Imprint apparatus and method of manufacturing article > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,709 B2 - Document ID: US10871709B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/637,421 - Filed: 2017-06-29 - Published: 2018-01-18 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-12 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Katsutoshi Sakai; Tadashi Hattori - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871709B2 ## CPC - G03F 7/0002: {Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping} - B29C 33/424: {Moulding surfaces provided with means for marking or patterning (for injection moulding B29C45/372)} - B29C 59/02: by mechanical means, e.g. pressing {(B29C59/007 takes precedence; embossing expanded porous articles B29C44/5627)} - H10P 76/00: Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography - B29C 43/58: Measuring, controlling or regulating {(for bank adjustment in calendering B29C43/245)} - B29L 2007/002: {Panels; Plates; Sheets} - 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) - 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) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which forms a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate by using a mold, the apparatus including a mold holding unit configured to hold the mold, a substrate holding unit configured to hold the substrate, an image capturing unit configured such that a field of view of the image capturing unit includes a pattern region of the mold held by the molding unit, and a control unit configured to determine, based on an image obtained by capturing at least one of the mold and the substrate by the image capturing unit after a mold separating operation for separating the mold from a cured imprint material on the substrate, whether an abnormality is generated in the mold separating operation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An imprint apparatus which forms a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate by using a mold, the apparatus comprising: a mold holding unit configured to hold the mold by adsorption; a substrate holding unit configured to hold the substrate by adsorption; an image capturing unit configured such that a field of view of the image capturing unit includes a pattern region of the mold held by the mold holding unit, wherein the image capturing unit is arranged so as to be capable of capturing an image of a surface on which the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other during a mold pressing operation; a measurement unit configured to measure at least one of an adsorption pressure of the mold by the mold holding unit and an adsorption pressure of the substrate by the substrate holding unit; and a control unit configured to determine, based on an image captured by the image capturing unit and the adsorption pressure measured by the measurement unit after a mold separating operation for separating the mold from a cured imprint material on the substrate, whether the mold is separated from the cured imprint material on the substrate in the mold separating operation, wherein in a case where the mold separating operation is not normally performed, the control unit classifies, based on the image captured by the image capturing unit and the adsorption pressure measured by the measurement unit after the mold separating operation is performed, a type of abnormality from among three or more types of abnormalities in the mold separating operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that the mold is not separated from the cured imprint material on the substrate if brightness of the image is lower than a reference. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that an abnormality is generated in driving control of at least one of the mold holding unit and the substrate holding unit if brightness of the image is lower than a reference, and the adsorption pressure measured by the measurement unit after the mold separating operation is performed has no abnormality, determines that dechucking is generated which includes one of desorption of the mold from the mold holding unit and desorption of the substrate from the substrate holding unit if the brightness of the image is lower than the reference, and the adsorption pressure measured by the measurement unit after the mold separating operation is performed has an abnormality, determines that an abnormality is not generated in the mold separating operation if the brightness of the image is higher than the reference, and the adsorption pressure measured by the measurement unit after the mold separating operation is performed has no abnormality, and determines that an abnormality is generated in holding of the substrate by the substrate holding unit if the brightness of the image is higher than the reference, and the adsorption pressure measured by the measurement unit after the mold separating operation is performed has an abnormality. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines that the desorption of the mold from the mold holding unit is generated if the brightness of the image is lower than the reference, and the adsorption pressure of the mold measured by the measurement unit after the mold separating operation is performed has an abnormality, and determines that the desorption of the substrate from the substrate holding unit is generated if the brightness of the image is lower than the reference, and the adsorption pressure of the substrate measured by the measurement unit after the mold separating operation is performed has an abnormality. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the abnormality in holding of the substrate by the substrate holding unit includes one of displacement of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and riding of the substrate over a protective plate which surrounds the substrate holding unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if the control unit determines that dechucking is generated as an abnormality in the mold separating operation, the control unit automatically performs recovery processing for canceling the dechucking. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit stops an imprint process of forming the pattern if the control unit determines that the abnormality is generated in holding of the substrate by the substrate holding unit as an abnormality in the mold separating operation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit notifies a user that the abnormality is generated in holding of the substrate by the substrate holding unit. ### Claim 9 A method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising: forming a pattern on a substrate using an imprint apparatus; and processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed, wherein the imprint apparatus forms a pattern of an imprint material on the substrate by using a mold, and includes: a mold holding unit configured to hold the mold by adsorption; a substrate holding unit configured to hold the substrate by adsorption; an image capturing unit configured such that a field of view of the image capturing unit includes a pattern region of the mold held by the mold holding unit, wherein the image capturing unit is arranged so as to be capable of capturing an image of a surface on which the mold and the imprint material are in contact with each other during a mold pressing operation; a measurement unit configured to measure at least one of an adsorption pressure of the mold by the mold holding unit and an adsorption pressure of the substrate by the substrate holding unit; and a control unit configured to determine, based on an image captured by the image capturing unit and adsorption pressure measured by the measurement unit after a mold separating operation for separating the mold from a cured imprint material on the substrate, whether the mold is separated from the cured imprint material on the substrate in the mold separating operation, wherein in a case where the mold separating operation is not normally performed, the control unit classifies, based on the image captured by the image capturing unit and the adsorption pressure measured by the measurement unit after the mold separating operation is performed, a type of abnormality from among three or more types of abnormalities in the mold separating operation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after classifying the type of abnormality in the mold separating operation, the control unit controls to perform an operation according to the type of abnormality.