Imprint lithography
AssigneesASML Netherlands B. V., Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsHelmar Van Santen, Aleksey Kolesnychenko, Jacobus Neijzen, Emile Verstegen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An imprinting method is disclosed which involves irradiating a photo-curable imprintable medium in a flowable state on a substrate with radiation to initiate curing of the medium, after the irradiating, contacting the medium with a template to form an imprint in the medium, allowing the medium to substantially cure such that the medium is in a substantially non-flowable state while the medium is contacted by the template, and separating the template from the medium while the medium is in the substantially non-flowable state.
Claims77
An imprinting method, comprising:
- irradiating a photo-curable imprintable medium in a flowable state on a substrate with radiation to initiate curing of the medium;
- after the irradiating, contacting the medium with a template to form an imprint in the medium;
- allowing the medium to substantially cure such that the medium is in a substantially non-flowable state while the medium is contacted by the template;
- and
- separating the template from the medium while the medium is in the substantially non-flowable state.
An imprinting apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate having a photo-curable imprintable medium in a flowable state thereon;
- irradiation apparatus configured to irradiate the medium with radiation to initiate curing of the medium when the medium is on the substrate;
- a template holder configured to hold a non-photo-transparent template;
- and
- a controller configured to cause the non-photo-transparent template to contact the medium, after irradiation of the medium, to form an imprint in the medium and to cause the template to separate from the medium after the medium has been allowed to substantially cure such that the medium is in a substantially non-flowable state.
An imprinting apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate having first and second volumes of a photo-curable imprintable medium in a flowable state on respective first and second spaced target portions of the substrate;
- irradiation apparatus configured to sequentially irradiate the first and second volumes with radiation to initiate curing of the first and second volumes respectively when the first and second volumes are on the substrate;
- a template holder configured to hold a template;
- and
- a controller configured to cause the template to contact the first volume after irradiation of the first volume and during irradiation of the second volume to form an imprint in the first volume and to cause the template to separate from the first volume after the first volume has been allowed to substantially cure such that the first volume is in a substantially non-flowable state.
A method for patterning a substrate, comprising:
- irradiating a photo-curable etch barrier material in a flowable state on a substrate with radiation to initiate curing of the etch barrier material;
- after irradiating the etch barrier, contacting the etch barrier material with a template to form a pattern comprising an area of reduced thickness in the etch barrier material;
- allowing the etch barrier material to substantially cure such that the etch barrier material is in a substantially non-flowable state while the etch barrier material is contacted by the template;
- separating the template from the etch barrier material while the etch barrier material is in the substantially non-flowable state;
- etching the area of reduced thickness to expose an exposed region of a surface of the substrate;
- and
- etching the exposed region of the surface of the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.