Method of compensating for a volumetric shrinkage of a material disposed upon a substrate to form a substantially planar structure therefrom
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a method of planarizing a substrate with a template spaced-apart from the substrate having a liquid disposed therebetween, the method including: contacting the liquid with the template forming a first shape therein; and impinging radiation upon the liquid causing a reduction in volume of the liquid, with the first shape compensating for the reduction in volume such that upon impinging the actinic radiation upon the liquid, the liquid forms a contoured layer having a substantially planar shape.
1. A method of planarizing a substantially nonplanar substrate with a template spaced-apart from said substrate having a liquid disposed therebetween, said method comprising:
contacting said liquid with said template forming a first shape in a first surface of said liquid, with said first shape being substantially non-planar; and
impinging actinic radiation upon said liquid causing a reduction in volume of said liquid, with said first shape compensating for said reduction in volume such that upon impinging said actinic radiation upon said liquid, said liquid forms a layer having a substantially planar surface, with said planar surface being derived from said first surface.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein contacting said liquid further includes contacting said liquid with a surface of said template, with said surface being substantially non-planar.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein impinging said radiation further includes causing said reduction in volume of said liquid by a shrinkage factor, with said shrinkage factor being a function of said liquid.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of protrusions having a height with a first thickness being defined between a first subset of said plurality of protrusions and said surface of said layer and a second thickness being defined between a second subset or said plurality of protrusions and said surface of said layer, with a difference between said first thickness and said second thickness being less than said height.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said sabstrate comprises a plurality of protrusions having a height and said surface of said layer comprises a pluarality of hills and valleys having a deviation from planarity associated therewith and wherein said deviation is less than said height.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein impinging radiation further includes selecting said radiation from a group consisting essentially of ultraviolet, infrared, visble, and combinations therof.
7. A method of planarizing a substantially nonplanar substrate with a template spaced-apart from said substrate having an imprinting material disposed therebetween, said method comprising:
contacting said imprinting material with said template forming a first shape in a first surface of said imprinting material, with said first shape being substantially non-planar, said imprinting material being in a first phase state; and
producing a phase state change within said imprinting material such that said imprinting material is in a second phase state differing from said first phase state, with said phase state change causing a reduction in volume of said imprinting material, with said first shape compensating for said reduction in volume such that upon producing said phase stage change, said imprinting material forms a layer having a substantially planar surface, with said planar surface being derived from said first surface.
8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein producing said phase state change further includes impinging radiation upon said imprinting material, with said radiation being selected from a group consisting essentially of ultraviolet, infrared, visble, and combinations thereof.
9. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein said imprinting material comprises an activating light curable liquid, with producing said phase change state further including impinging said activating light so as to cure from said activating light curable liquid, solidified material.
10. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of protrusions having a height with a first thickness being defined between a first subset of said plurality of protrusions and said surface of said layer and a second thickness being defined between a second subset of said plurality of protrusions and said surface of said layer, with a difference between said first thickness and said second thickness being less than said height.
11. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of protrustons having a height and with said surface of said layer comprises a plurality of hills and valleys having deviation from planarity associated therewith and wherein said deviation is less than said height.
12. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein contacting said imprinting material further includes contacting said imprinting material with a surface of said template, with said surfuce being substantial non-planar.
13. A method of planarizing a substantially nonplanar substrate with a template spaced-apart from said substrate having a liquid disposed therebetween, said method comprising:
contacting said liquid with said template forming a first shape in a first surface of said liquid, with said first shape being substantially non-planar; and
impinging actinic radiation upon said liquid causing a reduction in volume of said liquid by a shrinkage factor, with said first shape compensating for said reduction in volume such that upon impinging said actinic radiation, said liquid forming a layer having a substantially planar surface, with said planar surface being derived from said first surface, with said shrinkage factor being a function of said liquid.
14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein contacting said liquid further includes contacting said liquid with a surface of said template, with said surface being substantially non-planar.
15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of protrusions having a height with a first thickness being defined between a first subset of said plurality of protrusions and said surface of said contoured layer and a second thickness being defined between a second subset of said plurality of protrusions and said surface of said layer, with a difference between said first thickness and said second thickness being less than said height.
16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of protrusions having height and said surface of said layer comprises a plurality of hills and valleys having a deviation from planarity associated therewith and wherein said deviation is less than said height.
17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein impinging radiation further includes selecting said radiation from a aroup consisting essentially of ultraviolet, infrared, visible, and combinations thereof.