IP Library Granted Patent US 12703139
Granted Patent B2
US 12703139 · App. 18/662,028 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Imprint apparatus and article manufacturing method

Inventor: Hiroyuki Koide (Tochigi, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B29C59/002B29C59/02B29C2037/90
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12703139
App. No.
18/662,028
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imprint apparatus performs alignment between a substrate and a mold in a state in which the mold is in contact with an imprint material on the substrate, and then cures the imprint material by light irradiation. The apparatus includes a light irradiator configured to perform first light irradiation for partially curing the imprint material, and second light irradiation for deforming the substrate, and a controller configured to control the light irradiator. In the alignment, the controller performs switching between the first light irradiation and the second light irradiation based on a viscoelasticity of the imprint material or a deformation amount of the substrate.

Claims (27)

1 . An imprint apparatus that performs alignment between a substrate and a mold in a state in which the mold is in contact with an imprint material on the substrate, and then cures the imprint material by light irradiation, the apparatus comprising:

a substrate stage configured to hold the substrate;

a light irradiator configured to perform first light irradiation for partially curing the imprint material, and second light irradiation for deforming the substrate, wherein, in the second light irradiation, the light irradiator irradiates the substrate with light at a wavelength at which the imprint material is not cured,

a measurement device configured to measure a vibration amount of a position of one of the substrate and the substrate stage; and

a controller configured to control the light irradiator,

wherein, in the alignment, the controller is configured to perform switching between the first light irradiation and the second light irradiation based on a viscoelasticity of the imprint material corresponding to the vibration amount.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

in the alignment, the controller is configured to perform switching from the first light irradiation to the second light irradiation if the viscoelasticity obtained during execution of the first light irradiation exceeds a first threshold value.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

in the alignment, the controller is configured to further perform switching from the second light irradiation to the first light irradiation if a deformation amount of the substrate obtained during execution of the second light irradiation exceeds a second threshold value.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

in the alignment, the controller is configured to perform the switching a plurality of times.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

a value of each of the first threshold value and the second threshold value is set for each switching in each time.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

an imaging device configured to capture an image of the imprint material,

wherein the controller is configured to calculate the viscoelasticity based on the image of the imprint material obtained by image capturing by the imaging device.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising

a detector configured to detect a relative position between a mark provided in the substrate and a mark provided in the mold,

wherein the controller is configured to calculate the deformation amount based on the relative position detected by the detector.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the light irradiator includes

a first light source configured to generate first light which partially cures the imprint material,

a second light source configured to generate second light which deforms the substrate for the alignment, and

a spatial light modulator configured to generate first modulated light obtained by modulating the first light, and second modulated light obtained by modulating the second light.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the spatial light modulator includes a digital mirror device.