Imprint apparatus, imprint method, and article manufacturing method

1. An imprint apparatus, which applies an imprint material to several locations on a substrate, brings the imprint material and a mold into contact, and transfers a contoured pattern formed on the mold to the imprint material, comprising:

a controller configured to set a principal axis direction according to the contoured pattern of the mold and to determine application positions of the imprint material based on the set principal axis direction such that distances between adjacent imprint material drops in the principal axis direction are larger than distances between adjacent imprint material drops in a direction perpendicular to the principal axis direction; and

a dispenser configured to apply the imprint material based on the determined application positions,

wherein the controller determines application positions of the imprint material so that the distance between adjacent imprint material drops in a first partial area is longer than the distance between adjacent imprint material drops in a second partial area with a higher pattern density than the first partial area.

2. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the distances between the adjacent imprint material drops in the principal axis direction and the distances between the adjacent imprint material drops in the direction perpendicular to the principal axis direction based on the spreading rate of the imprint material during contact in the principal axis direction and the direction perpendicular to the principal axis direction.

3. The imprint apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein, with respect to the distances between the adjacent imprint material drops in the principal axis direction, the ratio of the distances between the adjacent imprint material drops in the direction perpendicular to the principal axis direction is, with respect to the spreading rate in the principal axis direction, an inverse of the ratio of the spreading rate in the direction perpendicular to the principal axis direction.

4. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to obtain pattern data for the mold, and to determine the principal axis direction based on the pattern data.

5. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the application positions such that the imprint material drops are disposed separated in a polygonal lattice form.

6. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, with respect to an arbitrary imprint material drop, a band is present that includes a width of the diameter of the imprint material drop along the principal axis direction, and the controller is configured:

to determine the distances between the adjacent imprint material drops in the principal axis direction using the imprint material drops that overlap the band and are closest to the imprint material drops as a reference; and

to determine the distances between the adjacent imprint material drops in the direction perpendicular to the principal axis direction using the imprint material drops that do not overlap the band and are closest to the imprint material as a reference.

7. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to set a plurality of partial areas with respect to an area on which the contoured pattern of the mold is transferred, to set a respective principal axis direction for each of a plurality of partial areas, and to determine the application positions based on the respective principal axis direction for each of the plurality of partial areas.

8. An imprint method, which applies an imprint material to several locations on a substrate, brings the imprint material and a mold into contact, and transfers a contoured pattern formed in the mold to the imprint material, comprising:

setting a principal axis direction according to the contoured pattern of the mold;

determining application positions of the imprint material based on the set principal axis direction such that distances between adjacent imprint material drops in the principal axis direction are larger than distances between adjacent imprint material drops in a direction perpendicular to the principal axis direction; and

applying the imprint material based on the determined application positions,

wherein the application positions of the imprint material are determined so that the distance between adjacent imprint material drops in a first partial area is longer than the distance between adjacent imprint material drops in a second partial area with a higher pattern density than the first partial area.

9. An article manufacturing method comprising:

forming a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate by using an imprint apparatus; and

processing the substrate in which the pattern has been formed in the forming,

wherein the imprint apparatus is an imprint apparatus that applies the imprint material to several locations on the substrate, brings the imprint material and a mold into contact, transfers a contoured pattern formed in the mold to the imprint material and comprises:

a controller configured to set a principal axis direction according to the contoured pattern of the mold and to determine application positions of the imprint material based on the set principal axis direction such that distances between adjacent imprint material drops in the principal axis direction are larger than distances between adjacent imprint material drops in a direction perpendicular to the principal axis direction; and

a dispenser configured to apply the imprint material based on the determined application positions,

wherein the controller determines application positions of the imprint material so that the distance between adjacent imprint material drops in a first partial area is longer than the distance between adjacent imprint material drops in a second partial area with a higher pattern density than the first partial area.

10. An imprint apparatus, which applies an imprint material to several locations on a substrate, brings the imprint material and a mold into contact, and transfers a contoured pattern formed on the mold to the imprint material, comprising:

a controller configured to determine application positions of the imprint material based on a principal axis direction according to the contoured pattern of the mold, such that distances between adjacent imprint material drops in the principal axis direction are larger than distances between adjacent imprint material drops in a direction perpendicular to the principal axis direction; and

a dispenser configured to apply the imprint material based on the determined application positions,

wherein the controller determines application positions of the imprint material so that the distance between adjacent imprint material drops in a first partial area is longer than the distance between adjacent imprint material drops in a second partial area with a higher pattern density than the first partial area.

11. The imprint apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a number of patterns per unit area in the second partial area is larger than a number of patterns per unit area in the first partial area.

12. The imprint apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a number of patterns per unit area in the second partial area is larger than a number of patterns per unit area in the first partial area.