Contact lithography apparatus and method employing substrate deformation
OwnerWei Wu, William Tonginventors
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Abstract
A contact lithography apparatus and a method of transferring a pattern to a surface employ deformation of a substrate for pattern transfer. The contact lithography apparatus includes a patterning tool and a substrate holder that variably retains a substrate. The substrate holder includes a plurality of retention zones. Each retention zone imparts a zone-specific retention force to the substrate that induces a deformation of the substrate toward the patterning tool. The method includes deforming the substrate. The deformation forms both an initial point of contact and a propagating contact front between the patterning tool and the substrate during pattern transfer.
Claims20
A contact lithography apparatus comprising:
- a substrate holder that variably retains a substrate, the substrate holder comprising a plurality of retention zones, each retention zone of the plurality imparting a zone-specific retention force to the substrate;
- and
- a patterning tool having a pattern adjacent to a receiving surface of the substrate,
- wherein the zone-specific retention forces imparted by the plurality of retention zones induce a deformation of the substrate toward the patterning tool, the deformation forming both an initial point of contact and a propagating contact front between the patterning tool and the substrate during transfer of the pattern to the substrate.
A contact lithography apparatus comprising:
- a first plate that supports a patterning tool having a pattern;
- a second plate spaced apart from the first plate, the second plate comprising a plurality of retention zones, the retention zones variably retaining a substrate to the second plate, the substrate having a receiving surface;
- and
- a gasket that bridges a perimeter of a space between the first plate and the second plate to form a chamber with an internal cavity that encloses the patterning tool and the substrate, the chamber being compressible to transfer the pattern to the receiving surface such that the patterning tool is pressed against and contacts the substrate,
- wherein the retention zones collectively induce a deformation of the substrate that results in an initial contact point between the patterning tool and the substrate, the initial contact point becoming a propagating contact front during chamber compression.
A method of transferring a pattern to a surface, the method comprising:
- establishing a proximal, spaced apart arrangement of a patterning tool and a substrate;
- deforming the substrate toward the patterning tool to form an initial point of contact between the patterning tool and the substrate, wherein deforming the substrate comprises reducing a retention force of a first zone of a substrate holder relative to a retention force of a second zone of the substrate holder;
- and
- propagating a contact front between the patterning tool and the substrate, the contact front propagating away from the initial point of contact toward a perimeter of the substrate,
- wherein the propagating contact front transfers the pattern of the patterning tool onto the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.