Method and system for controlled ultraviolet light exposure

An imprint lithography system comprising

• a substrate chuck configured to hold a substrate, the substrate comprising a surface having a first field and a second field, the first field directly adjacent to the second field, the first field associated with a non-rectangular shape outline;
• a template chuck configured to hold an imprint lithography template, the imprint lithography template comprising a patterning surface;
• an imprint head coupled to the template chuck and configured to adjust a distance between the surface of the substrate and the patterning surface of the imprint lithography template;
• a digital micromirror device (DMD) configured to direct an ultraviolet light beam towards the substrate;
• and
• a processor in communication with the DMD and the imprint head, the processor configured to:
• i) provide a first signal to the DMD to adjust an exposure profile of the ultraviolet light beam based on the non-rectangular shape outline of the first field to provide a non-rectangular exposure profile of the ultraviolet light beam, and
• ii) provide a second signal to the DMD to direct the ultraviolet light beam having the non-rectangular exposure profile towards the substrate such that the ultraviolet light beam irradiates only the first field of the substrate.

An imprint lithography method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising:

• identifying a non-rectangular shape outline of a first field of a substrate, the first field directly adjacent to a second field;
• adjusting an exposure profile of an ultraviolet light beam based on the non-rectangular shape outline of the first field to provide a non-rectangular exposure profile of the ultraviolet light beam;
• disposing a polymerizable composition on the first field of the substrate;
• contacting the polymerizable composition in the first field with an imprint lithography template;
• while contacting the polymerizable composition in the first field with the imprint lithography template, directing the ultraviolet light beam having the non-rectangular exposure profile towards the substrate such that the ultraviolet light beam irradiates only the first field of the substrate to yield a polymeric layer in contact with the imprint lithography template;
• and
• separating the imprint lithography template from the polymeric layer to yield the article.