Fine processing method, fine processing apparatus, and recording medium with fine processing program recorded thereon

In fine processing for two-dimensionally arranging each of a plurality of resist drops on a pattern formation surface and pressing a template including protrusions and depressions onto the resist drops to form a resist pattern on the pattern formation surface, a fine processing apparatus for determining positions of the plurality of resist drops on the pattern formation surface, comprising:

• a first determination unit configured to partition the pattern formation surface into a plurality of first regions, one of the first regions being smaller than an area occupied by one of the resist drops, and to determine an amount of resist required for each of the first regions;
• a second determination unit configured to determine a total amount of resist required for an entire region of the pattern formation surface from the amount of resist;
• a third determination unit configured to divide the total amount of resist by a volume of the one of the resist drops to determine a total number of the resist drops arranged on the pattern formation surface;
• a fourth determination unit configured to determine a provisional position on the pattern formation surface for each of the resist drops of the total number as a first position;
• a partitioning unit configured to assign the first regions to the each of the resist drops, each group of the first regions assigned to the each of the resist drops being nearest to the each of the resist drops, to define the each group of the first regions as each of a plurality of second regions, and to partition again the pattern formation surface into the second regions;
• a fifth determination unit configured to divide, for the each of the second regions, the volume of the one of the resist drops by a sum of the amount of resist required for the each of the first regions belonging to the each of the second regions to determine a divided value;
• a repeating unit configured to finalize final position of the each of the resist drops as a second position, if a distribution of the divided value in the pattern formation surface falls within a target range;
• and
• to repeat moving at least one of the resist drops, the partitioning, and the determining the divided value until the distribution falls within the target range, if the distribution of the divided value in the pattern formation surface does not fall within the target range.

A recording medium with a fine processing program recorded on the recording medium, the fine processing program causing a computer to perform:

• partitioning a pattern formation surface into a plurality of first regions, one of the first regions being smaller than an area occupied by one resist drop, and determining an amount of resist required for each of the first regions;
• determining a total amount of resist required for an entire region of the pattern formation surface from the amount of resist;
• dividing the total amount of resist by a volume of the one of the resist drops to determine a total number of the resist drops arranged on the pattern formation surface;
• determining a provisional position on the pattern formation surface for each of the resist drops of the total number as a first position;
• assigning the first regions to the each of the resist drops, each group of the first regions assigned to the each of the resist drops being nearest to the each of the resist drops, defining the each group of the first regions as each of a plurality of second regions, and partitioning again the pattern formation surface into the second regions;
• dividing, for the each of the second regions, the volume of the one of the resist drops by a sum of the amount of resist required for the each of the first regions belonging to the each of the second regions to determine a divided value;
• finalizing final position of the each of the resist drops as a second position, if a distribution of the divided value in the pattern formation surface falls within a target range;
• and
• repeating moving at least one of the resist drops, the partitioning, and the determining the divided value until the distribution falls within the target range, if the distribution of the divided value in the pattern formation surface does not fall within the target range.