Molding apparatus, molding method, and article manufacturing method

A molding method of molding a composition on a substrate using a mold and a stage configured to hold the substrate and position the substrate, the method comprising:

• holding and positioning, with the stage, the substrate with respect to the mold;
• discharging droplets of the composition from a dispenser to arrange the droplets as a first drop pattern on the substrate while the stage is holding the substrate;
• molding, with the mold, the droplets of the composition arranged on the substate and forming a film of the composition on the substrate;
• measuring, after the molding, a film thickness of the film of the composition formed on the substrate while the stage is holding the substrate, wherein the film is a continuous film;
• obtaining, based on the measured film thickness measured in the measuring, a transition of a volume fluctuation of each discharged a droplet of the composition discharged in the dispensing by obtaining a volume of the droplet;
• and
• feedback-controlling, based on the transition, the dispenser such that a fluctuation of a volume of droplets discharged in the dispensing, to be arranged as a second drop pattern on the substrate, falls within an allowable range of ±5%.

An article manufacturing method comprising:

• molding uncured droplets of a composition arranged on a substrate using a molding apparatus;
• processing the substrate on which the composition is molded in the molding;
• and
• manufacturing an article from the processed substrate,
• wherein the molding apparatus comprises:
• a mold including a pattern;
• a stage configured to hold the substrate and position the substrate with respect to the mold;
• a dispenser that discharges droplets of the composition to arrange the droplets on the substrate while the stage is holding the substrate;
• a distance measurement sensor configured to measure, after a film of the composition has been formed on the substrate by molding, with the mold, the discharged droplets arranged as a first drop pattern on the substrate, a film thickness of the film of the composition formed on the substrate while the stage is holding the substrate, wherein the film is a continuous film;
• and
• a control unit including a processor configured to:
• obtain, based on the film thickness measured by the distance measurement sensor, a transition of a volume fluctuation of a droplet of the composition discharged from the dispenser by obtaining a volume of the droplet;
• and
• feedback-control, based on the transition, the dispenser such that a fluctuation of a volume of droplets discharged from the dispenser, to be arranged as a second drop pattern on the substrate, falls within an allowable range of ±5%.

A molding apparatus that molds a composition on a substrate using a mold, the apparatus comprising:

• a dispenser that discharges droplets of the composition to arrange the droplets on the substrate;
• a distance measurement sensor configured to measure, after a film of the composition has been formed on the substrate by molding, with the mold, the discharged droplets arranged as a first drop pattern on the substrate, a film thickness of the film of the composition formed on the substrate, wherein the film is a continuous film;
• and
• a control unit including a processor configured to:
• obtain, based on the film thickness measured by the distance measurement sensor, a transition of a volume fluctuation of a droplet of the composition discharged from the dispenser by obtaining a volume of the droplet;
• and
• feedback-control, based on the transition, the dispenser such that a fluctuation of a volume of droplets discharged from the dispenser, to be arranged as a second drop pattern on the substrate, falls within an allowable range of ±5%.