# US 7,613,538 B2 · Compensation for distortion in contact lithography > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,613,538 B2 - Document ID: US7613538B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/492,365 - Filed: 2006-07-24 - Published: 2008-01-24 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2006-07-24 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Inventors: Wei Wu; Duncan Stewart; Shih-Yuan Wang; R. Stanley Williams - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7613538B2 ## CPC - G03F 7/0002: {Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping} - B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic - B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures - 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) - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES ## Abstract A method of contact lithography includes predicting distortions likely to occur in transferring a pattern from a mold to a substrate during a contact lithography process; and modifying the mold to compensate for the distortions. A contact lithography system includes a design subsystem configured to generate data describing a lithography pattern; an analysis subsystem configured to identify one or more distortions likely to occur when using a mold created from the data; and a mold modification subsystem configured to modify the data to compensate for the one or more distortions identified by the analysis subsystem. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of contact lithography comprising: predicting distortions likely to occur in transferring a pattern from a mold to a substrate during a contact lithography process; and modifying said mold to compensate for said distortions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising producing a device design for a desired device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein said predicting distortions is performed using said device design. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising producing a mold design based on said device design. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein said predicting distortions is performed using said mold design. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: producing proposed modifications to said mold based on predictions of said distortions through a user interface; and accepting user input implementing said proposed modifications or specifying other modifications, then performing said modifying of said mold in accordance with said user input. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said predicting distortions is performed based on a lithography process to be employed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said predicting distortions is performed based on elements of said pattern likely to cause distortions. ### Claim 9 A contact lithography system comprising: a design subsystem configured to generate data describing a nanoimprint lithography pattern; an analysis subsystem configured to identify one or more distortions likely to occur when pressing using a mold created from said data into a substrate; and a mold modification subsystem configured to modify said data to compensate for said one or more distortions identified by said analysis subsystem. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising a mold creation subsystem configured to produce a physical mold based on said data that has been modified to compensate for said one or more distortions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising a user interface configured to display to a user an identification of said one or more distortions and proposed modifications to compensate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein said design subsystem is configured to receive data describing said lithography pattern from another design subsystem. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein said lithography pattern is a mold/resist lithography pattern. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein said analysis subsystem identifies distortions likely to occur as a result of a combination of factors comprising at least one of thermal expansion, chemical reactions, electrostatic effects, differential temperatures, deformation, adhesion, and fluid flow effects. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising a database of known distortions occurring in contact lithography systems, wherein said analysis subsystem compares said data to said database to identify said one or more distortions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein said mold modification system spatially offsets features of said lithography pattern to compensate for said one or more distortions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein said design subsystem applies one or more design policies during generation of said data describing a lithographic pattern. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein said analysis subsystem prioritizes said one or more imprint distortions. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein said one or more imprint distortions are prioritized by one or more of severity, frequency, probability, location, magnitude, functional effect, physical properties, manufacturing process step, difficulty to correct, and user preferences. ### Claim 20 A system of contact lithography comprising: means for predicting distortions likely to occur in transferring a pattern from a mold to a substrate during a contact lithography process; and means for modifying said mold to compensate for said distortions.