Pattern transfer apparatus, imprint apparatus, and pattern transfer method

A pattern transfer apparatus for transferring an imprint pattern formed on a mold, provided with an alignment mark, to a resin material on a substrate, provided with an alignment mark, alignment of the mold and the substrate with each other being performed in an in-plane direction that includes an x-direction and a y-direction, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a first image pickup device for obtaining an image of an object positioned at a first object position;
• (b) a second image pickup device for obtaining an image of an object positioned at a second object position, spaced apart from the first object position in a z-direction orthogonal to the in-plane direction, the second object position being more distant from the alignment mark of the mold than the first object position;
• and
• (c) an optical system configured to form an image of an object positioned at the first object position and an image of an object positioned at the second object position,
• wherein the apparatus is configured such that:
• (i) the alignment mark of the mold and an alignment mark of a reference substrate are positioned at the first object position to observe the alignment mark of the mold and the alignment mark of the reference substrate through the first image pickup device and to align the alignment mark of the mold and the alignment mark of the reference substrate with each other,
• (ii) in a state in which the alignment mark of the mold and the alignment mark of the reference substrate are aligned with each other, the alignment mark of the reference substrate is positioned at the second object position to observe the alignment mark of the reference substrate through the second image pickup device to obtain first information about a difference in the in-plane direction between a position of an image of the alignment mark of the reference substrate observed through the first image pickup device and a position of an image of the alignment mark of the reference substrate observed through the second image pickup device,
• (iii) the alignment mark of the substrate is positioned at the second object position to observe the alignment mark of the substrate through the second image pickup device to obtain second information about a position of an image of the alignment mark of the substrate in the in-plane direction, and
• (iv) the alignment is performed based on the obtained first and second information to transfer the imprinting pattern to the resin material.