Imprint apparatus and method for fine structure lithography

An imprint apparatus for forming fine structure lithography onto a surface of an imprinting object, comprising:

• a belt-like mold having a fine structure for imprint lithography formed on a surface of the belt-like mold;
• a cylindrical pressurizing mechanism including a pair of opposed rolls with a heater incorporated in the rolls for pressing the belt-like mold against the surface of the imprinting object while heating the belt-like mold and the imprinting object;
• a supporting member for supporting the imprinting object at a position between the rolls of the cylindrical pressurizing mechanism;
• and
• a separating mechanism for separating the belt-like mold and the supporting member from the imprinting object at a position downstream of the cylindrical pressurizing mechanism position, the separating mechanism comprising a first pair of opposed separating rolls at a position downstream of the cylindrical pressurizing mechanism and a second pair of opposed separating rolls at a position downstream of the first pair of opposed separating rolls, wherein a gap between the second pair of opposed separating rolls is adjustable to be greater than a gap between the first pair of opposed separating rolls to provide an adjustable separating angle of the belt-like mold and the supporting member from the imprinting object,
• wherein the belt-like mold, the imprinting object, the supporting member and the separating mechanism are configured to move to the cylindrical pressurizing mechanism in a mutually non-contact state, then at the position between the rolls, be pressed by the rolls of the cylindrical pressurizing mechanism while being heated with direct heat transfer from the rolls in a state where the imprinting object is positioned between the belt-like mold and the supporting member, and then be separated from each other by the separating mechanism at the position downstream of the cylindrical pressurizing mechanism position.