# US 2020/0394346 A1 · Simulation method, simulation apparatus, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0394346 A1 - Document ID: US20200394346A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/896,587 - Filed: 2020-06-09 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-11 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tosiya Asano; Junichi Seki; Yuichiro Oguchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200394346A1 ## CPC - G06F 30/20: Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) - B29C 59/026: {of layered or coated substantially flat surfaces} - G03F 7/0002: {Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - 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) - 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) ## Abstract There is provided a simulation method of predicting a behavior of a curable composition in a process of bringing a plurality of droplets of the curable composition arranged on one of a first member and a second member into contact with an other of the first member and the second member and forming a film of the curable composition on the first member. The method includes generating a link by connecting two adjacent representative points of the plurality of droplets, generating a cell as a closed region formed by a plurality of links, and determining, based on the presence/absence of merging of droplets corresponding to each link forming the cell, whether a bubble is formed in the cell. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A simulation method of predicting a behavior of a curable composition in a process of bringing a plurality of droplets of the curable composition arranged on one of a first member and a second member into contact with an other of the first member and the second member and forming a film of the curable composition on the first member, the method comprising: generating a link by connecting two adjacent representative points of the plurality of droplets; generating a cell as a closed region formed by a plurality of links; and determining, based on the presence/absence of merging of droplets corresponding to each link forming the cell, whether a bubble is formed in the cell. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, for each link forming the cell, the link as an open link if the droplets forming the link do not merge each other, and the link as a closed link if the droplets forming the link merge each other, wherein in the determining whether the bubble is formed in the cell, if a closed region is formed by a plurality of adjacent closed links, it is determined that bubbles are formed in all cells included in the closed region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein in the determining whether the bubble is formed in the cell, if a graph that connects representative points of cells facing each other with respect to the open link, and the graph is not connected to an ambient communicating cell which is known in advance to communicate with ambient, it is determined that bubbles are formed in the plurality of cells forming the graph. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating the link includes generating a link by connecting a node which is placed on a representative point of a droplet of interest to each node in a region within a predetermined search distance from the node, and deleting a longer link of each intersecting pair of links generated by repeating the generation of the link while changing the droplet of interest. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising merging, if the cell has an obtuse triangular shape, the cell with an adjacent cell on an opposite side of a vertex of an obtuse angle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising computing a behavior in which each droplet is spread along with advance of contact between the plurality of droplets and the second member, wherein the determining whether the bubble is formed in the cell is executed after the computing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising calculating the number of gas molecules of a bubble, wherein the calculated number of gas molecules is used as an index for determining the presence/absence of a bubble defect. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the number of gas molecules is computed as an amount proportional to a product of a pressure of a gas in the bubble and a volume of the bubble, and the pressure of the gas is computed based on a flow of the gas between the cells occurring via an open link whose droplets do not merge each other. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing, in a memory, a dissolution amount of the gas in the first member, the second member, and the curable composition before the bubble is formed, wherein in the determining whether the bubble is formed in the cell, the dissolution amount is used as an index for determining the presence/absence of a bubble defect. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a simulation method defined in claim 1. ### Claim 11 A simulation apparatus for predicting a behavior of a curable composition in a process of bringing a plurality of droplets of the curable composition arranged on one of a first member and a second member into contact with an other of the first member and the second member and forming a film of the curable composition on the first member, wherein the apparatus: generates a link by connecting two adjacent representative points of the plurality of droplets; generates a cell as a closed region formed by a plurality of links; and determines, based on the presence/absence of merging of droplets corresponding to each link forming the cell, whether a bubble is formed in the cell. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A film forming method of bringing a plurality of droplets of a curable composition arranged on one of a first member and a second member into contact with an other of the first member and the second member and forming a film of the curable composition on the first member under a film forming condition provided by a film forming apparatus, the method comprising: using the simulation method according to claim 1 to predict a behavior of the curable composition under a simulated film forming condition; and setting a film forming condition to be provided by the film forming apparatus so as to suppress an occurrence of bubbles in the film to be formed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A method of producing a cured product, comprising: using the film forming method according to claim 12 for forming a film of a curable composition; and curing the curable composition.