Systems and methods for generating drop patterns

1 . A method of imprinting or planarizing comprising:

generating a drop pattern including

a) receiving a predetermined fluid drop volume of the drop;

b) receiving information regarding an array of cells defining a desired fill set associated with the predetermined fluid drop volume, wherein the information includes a predetermined fluid volume of each cell of the array of cells and a predetermined location of each cell of the array of cells;

c) determining a distance from a center of mass of the array of cells to the predetermined location of each cell of a plurality of cells of the array of cells;

d) identifying, among cells of the plurality of cells whose distance from the center of mass is within a predetermined threshold distance, a cell having the largest predetermined fluid volume;

e) assigning the predetermined location of the identified cell as the drop position of the drop in the drop pattern; and

f) repeating a) to e) until completing the drop pattern;

dispensing drops of formable material onto a substrate according to the completed drop pattern,

wherein the substrate includes features having a width of 50 microns or greater, and

wherein dispensing the drops of formable material according to the completed drop pattern places the drops less than 20 microns from the features; and

contacting the dispensed drops with a template or superstrate to form a film,

wherein the contacting causes the dispensed drops to fill the features, and

wherein a time to fill the features during the contacting is smaller than a time to fill the features in a case that the template or substrate contacts drops dispensed according to another drop pattern that does not place the drops less than 20 microns from the features.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined fluid volume of each cell of the array of cells is based on a field material map.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the field material map is blurred using a filter.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the filter is a box filter.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein a width or height of the box filter is based on the predetermined fluid drop volume.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined location of each cell coincides with a center or centroid of each cell.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of cells includes 100 to 1500 cells.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cells has less cells than the array of cells.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cells and the array of cells has the same number of cells.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold distance is based on a distance between two adjacent locations dispensable by a dispenser.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold distance is 50 microns to 150 microns.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined fluid drop volume is 0.3 picoliter to 3 picoliter.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined fluid volume of each cell is 0.02 femtoliter to 300 femtoliter.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined fluid volume of the identified cell is 0.01 picoliter to 0.3 picoliter.

15 . The method claim 1 ,

wherein a first instance of performing e) includes assigning a first drop at a first drop position in the drop pattern and a second instance of performing e) includes assigning a second drop to a second drop position in the drop pattern, and

wherein a predetermined fluid drop volume of the first drop is different from a predetermined fluid drop volume of the second drop.

16 . The method claim 1 ,

wherein a first instance of performing e) includes assigning a first drop at a first drop position in the drop pattern and a second instance of performing e) includes assigning a second drop to a second drop position in the drop pattern, and

wherein a predetermined fluid drop volume of the first drop is the same as a predetermined fluid drop volume of the second drop.

17 . A method of manufacturing an article, comprising:

generating a drop pattern including

a) receiving a predetermined fluid drop volume of the drop;

b) receiving information regarding an array of cells defining a desired fill set associated with the predetermined fluid drop volume, wherein the information includes a predetermined fluid volume of each cell of the array of cells and a predetermined location of each cell of the array of cells;

c) determining a distance from a center of mass of the array of cells to the predetermined location of each cell of a plurality of cells of the array of cells;

d) identifying, among cells of the plurality of cells whose distance from the center of mass is within a predetermined threshold distance, a cell having the largest predetermined fluid volume;

e) assigning the predetermined location of the identified cell as the drop position of the drop in the drop pattern; and

f) repeating a) to e) until completing the drop pattern;

dispensing drops of formable material onto a substrate according to the completed drop pattern,

wherein the substrate includes features having a width of 50 microns or greater, and

wherein dispensing the drops of formable material according to the completed drop pattern places the drops less than 20 microns from the features;

contacting the dispensed drops with a template or superstrate to form a film,

wherein the contacting causes the dispensed drops to fill the features, and

wherein a time to fill the features during the contacting is smaller than a time to fill the features in a case that the template or substrate contacts drops dispensed according to another drop pattern that does not place the drops less than 20 microns from the features;

exposing the film under the template or the superstrate to actinic radiation;

processing the substrate; and

forming the article from the processed substrate.