Imprinting method, imprint apparatus and article manufacturing method
The throughput is improved by changing a timing of beginning aligning between a mold and a substrate depending on an area in a pattern-forming region where a pattern can be formed. An imprinting method for forming a pattern of an imprint material in a plurality of pattern-forming regions on a substrate using a mold having a pattern portion, having contacting the mold and the imprint material and relatively aligning the mold and the pattern-forming region based on a positional relationship between the mold and an alignment mark of each pattern-forming region, in which, in the aligning, a timing of beginning the aligning is earlier relative to the contacting if an area in the plurality of pattern-forming regions where a pattern can be formed is a second area that is wider than a first area than if an area is the first area.
1 . An imprinting method for forming a pattern of an imprint material in a plurality of pattern-forming regions on a substrate using a mold having a pattern portion, the method comprising:
contacting the mold and the imprint material to bring the pattern portion into contact with a pattern-forming region of the plurality of pattern-forming regions, pressing the contacted pattern portion and the imprint material on the pattern-forming region by applying a pressure between the mold and the pattern-forming region to widen a contact area between the mold and the imprint material in the pattern-forming region, and decompressing the contacted pattern portion by decreasing the pressure between the mold and the pattern-forming region to put at least the contacted pattern portion into a flat state after the pressing is completed; and
relatively aligning the mold and the pattern-forming region based on a positional relationship between the mold and an alignment mark of the pattern-forming region,
wherein, in the aligning, a timing of beginning the aligning is determined based on whether a variation in relative positions between the mold and the pattern-forming region during the decompressing is within a permissible range, such that the aligning begins during a period of the decompressing if an area in the pattern-forming region where the pattern can be formed is a second area corresponding to a full field region having a contour that is not limited by the edge of the substrate, the second area being wider than a first area corresponding to a partial field region having a contour that is limited by an edge of the substrate.
2 . The imprinting method according to claim 1 ,
wherein a timing of beginning the contacting is ahead of the timing of beginning the aligning.
3 . The imprinting method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the aligning is changed to begin after the decompressing is completed or during a period of the decompressing depending on an area in the plurality of pattern-forming regions where the pattern can be formed.
4 . The imprinting method according to claim 3 ,
wherein the aligning begins during a period of the decompressing if a proportion of an area of the pattern in the pattern-forming region is a predetermined value or more.
5 . The imprinting method according to claim 3 ,
wherein the aligning begins after the decompressing is completed if the proportion of the area of the pattern in the pattern-forming region is less than the predetermined value.
6 . The imprinting method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the aligning begins during a period of the decompressing if at least a deviation between a central portion of the pattern portion and a central region in an effective area of the pattern-forming region is less than a predetermined threshold value when the pattern portion has been contacted to the imprint material.
7 . The imprinting method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the aligning begins after the decompressing is completed if at least a deviation between a central portion of the pattern portion and a central region in an effective area of the pattern-forming region is a predetermined threshold value or more when the pattern portion has been contacted to the imprint material.
8 . An article manufacturing method, comprising:
pattern-forming of forming a pattern on a substrate using an imprint apparatus having:
a moving unit configured to relatively move a mold and the substrate so that a pattern portion of the mold is contacted to an imprint material on a pattern-forming region;
a pressing unit configured to press the contacted pattern portion and the imprint material on the pattern-forming region by applying a pressure between the mold and the pattern-forming region to widen a contact area between the mold and the imprint material in the pattern-forming region, and decompress the contacted pattern portion by decreasing the pressure between the mold and the pattern-forming region to put at least the contacted pattern portion into a flat state after the pressing is completed; and
a control unit configured to control the moving unit so that the mold and the pattern-forming region are relatively aligned based on a positional relationship between the mold and an alignment mark of the pattern-forming region,
in which the control unit is further configured to determine a timing of beginning the aligning between the mold and the pattern-forming region based on whether a variation in relative positions between the mold and the pattern-forming region during the decompressing is within a permissible range, such that the aligning begins during a period of the decompressing if an area in a pattern-forming region where the pattern can be formed is a second area corresponding to a full field region having a contour that is not limited by the edge of the substrate, the second area being wider than a first area corresponding to a partial field region having a contour that is limited by an edge of the substrate;
processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed in the pattern-forming; and
manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing.