Method to provide a layer with uniform etch characteristics
View Patent ↗The present invention includes a method and a composition to form a layer on a substrate having uniform etch characteristics. To that end, the method includes controlling variations in the characteristics of a solid layer, such etch characteristics over the area of the solid layer as a function of the relative rates of evaporation of the liquid components that comprise the composition from which the solid layer is formed.
1. An imprint lithography method comprising:
sequentially depositing a plurality of discrete and spaced-apart droplets on a substrate, the droplets comprising polymerizable components, the polymerizable components having substantially uniform rates of evaporation over a pre-determined length of time;
allowing the droplets to spread on the substrate to form a flowable region; and
solidifying said flowable region to form a solidified layer with substantially uniform etch characteristics.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the substantially uniform rates of evaporation of the polymerizable components vary by less than 0.1% per second.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined length of time is in a range of 0 to 20 seconds, and extends between depositing the droplets on the substrate and solidifying the flowable region.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein solidifying further includes contacting said flowable region liquid with a surface of a template, with the pre-determined length of time terminating before contacting said flowable region with said surface.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein solidifying further includes contacting said flowable region with a surface of a template, with said flowable region conforming to a shape of said surface and said pre-determined length of time terminating before contacting said flowable region with said surface.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein one of said polymerizable components is a silicon-containing acrylate, with said rates of evaporation of said polymerizable components being established to provide said layer with a substantially uniform density of silicon-containing acrylate over an area thereof.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein one of the polymerizable components comprises an acryloxymethylbis(trimethylsiloxy)-methylsilane component.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein one of the polymerizable components comprises an acryloxymethyltris(trimethylsiloxy)silane component.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein one of the polymerizable components comprises a (3-acryloxypropylbis(trimethylsiloxy)-methylsilane component.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein one of the polymerizable components comprises a 3-acryloxypropyltris(trimethylsiloxy)silane component.
11. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable components comprise an acrylate-component, and the droplets further comprise a cross-linker and a photoinitiator.
12. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising contacting said flowable region with a mold having a surface to have said flowable region conform to a shape of said surface before solidifying.
13. An imprint lithography method comprising:
sequentially depositing a plurality of discrete and spaced-apart droplets on a substrate, the droplets comprising polymerizable components, the polymerizable components having substantially uniform rates of evaporation over a pre-determined length of time;
allowing the droplets to spread on the substrate to form a polymerizable region; and
solidifying said polymerizable region to form a solidified layer comprising a substantially uniform pre-determined weight percentage of polymerized material derived from at least one of the polymerizable components.
14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein one of said polymerizable components comprises a silicon-containing acrylate, and the solidified layer comprises a substantially uniform pre-determined weight percentage of the silicon-containing acrylate.
15. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the substantially uniform rates of evaporation vary by less than 0.1% per second.
16. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein one of the polymerizable components comprises an acryloxymethylbis(trimethylsiloxy)-methylsilane component.
17. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein one of the polymerizable components comprises an acryloxymethyltris(trimethylsiloxy)silane component.
18. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein one of the polymerizable components comprises a 3-acryloxypropylbis(trimethylsiloxy)-methylsilane component.
19. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein one of the polymerizable components comprises a 3-acryloxypropyltris(trimethylsiloxy)silane component.
20. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein one of the polymerizable components comprises an acrylate, and the droplets further comprise a cross-linker and a photoinitiator.
21. The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising contacting said polymerizable region with a mold having a surface to have said polymerizable region conform to a shape of said surface before solidifying.
22. An imprint lithography method comprising:
sequentially depositing a plurality of discrete and spaced-apart droplets of a composition on a substrate, the composition comprising polymerizable components, the polymerizable components comprising a silicon-containing acrylate component and a silicon-free acrylate component, each of which has a rate of evaporation associated therewith that is within a predetermined range during an interval of time;
allowing the droplets to spread on the substrate to form a polymerizable region; and
solidifying said polymerizable region.
23. The method as recited in claim 22 , wherein a difference between the rate of evaporation of one of said polymerizable components and the rate of evaporation associated with each of the remaining polymerizable components is less than 0.1% per second.
24. The method as recited in claim 22 , further comprising contacting said polymerizable region with a mold having a surface to have said polymerizable region conform to a shape of said surface before solidifying.