Pattern forming method as well as production methods for processed substrate, optical component, circuit board, electronic component and imprint mold

1. A pattern forming method, comprising:

arranging a layer formed of a curable composition (A 1 ) containing at least a component (a 1 ) serving as a polymerizable compound and a solvent (dl) on a surface of a substrate;

dispensing droplets of a curable composition (A 2 ) containing at least a component (a 2 ) serving as a polymerizable compound dropwise discretely to the layer, which comprises a liquid film formed of the curable composition (A 1 ), to lay the droplets such that the droplets are spread on the liquid film;

after the dispensing of the droplets of the curable composition (A 2 ), sandwiching a mixture layer obtained by partially mixing the curable composition (A 1 ) and the curable composition (A 2 ) between a mold having a pattern and the substrate;

irradiating the mixture layer with light from a side of the mold to cure the mixture layer; and

releasing the mold from the mixture layer after the curing,

wherein a contact angle of a composition of components of the curable composition (A 1 ), except the solvent (dl), with respect to a surface of the mold is 10° or less.

2. The pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the curable composition (A 1 ) is brought into direct contact with the mold.

3. The pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the curable composition (A 2 ) further comprises a solvent (d 2 ), and wherein a surface tension of the composition of components of the curable composition (A 1 ), except the solvent (dl) is higher than a surface tension of a composition of components of the curable composition (A 2 ), except the solvent (d 2 ).

4. The pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the curable composition (A 2 ) further comprises a solvent (d 2 ), and wherein a viscosity of the composition of components of the curable composition (A 1 ), except the solvent (dl), is 1 mPa·s to 1,000 mPa·s, and a viscosity of a composition of components of the curable composition (A 2 ), except the solvent (d 2 ), is 1 mPa·s to 12 mPa·s.

5. The pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein a material for a surface of the mold comprises quartz.

6. The pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the sandwiching of the mixture layer is performed under an atmosphere containing a condensable gas.

7. The pattern forming method according to claim 6 , wherein the dispensing of the droplets is performed under an atmosphere of a mixed gas containing the condensable gas and a non-condensable gas.

8. The pattern forming method according to claim 7 , wherein the non-condensable gas is helium.

9. The pattern forming method according to claim 6 , wherein the condensable gas is 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane.

10. A method of producing a processed substrate, comprising the pattern forming method of claim 1 .

11. A method of producing an optical component, comprising the pattern forming method of claim 1 .

12. A method of producing a quartz mold replica, comprising the pattern forming method of claim 1 .

13. The pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the pattern comprises a nanosize groove/land pattern based on a cured product of the mixture of the curable compositions (A 1 ) and (A 2 ).

14. A method of forming a liquid film formed of an imprint pretreatment coating material consisting of a curable composition (A 1 ) as pretreatment coating on a substrate and promoting spreading of components of liquid droplets in a plane of the substrate when the liquid droplets are dispensed to the liquid film, the method comprising applying the imprint pretreatment coating material to the substrate,

wherein a surface tension of the imprint pretreatment coating material is higher than a surface tension of the liquid droplets dispensed onto the liquid film, and

wherein a contact angle of a composition of components of the imprint pretreatment coating material, except a solvent, with respect to a surface of a mold is 10° or less.

15. A pretreatment method for performing imprint processing of a substrate, comprising the method of claim 14 .

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the liquid droplets are liquid droplets of a resist to form a pattern on the substrate.

17. A pattern forming method, comprising:

dispensing a droplet of an imprint resist discretely to a liquid film formed of a liquid pretreatment coating on a substrate such that the droplet is spread on the liquid film to yield a spread imprint resist, wherein the liquid pretreatment coating comprises a polymerizable component and the imprint resist is a polymerizable composition;

after the dispensing of the droplet of the imprint resist, contacting the spread imprint resist with a mold; and

polymerizing the spread imprint resist and the pretreatment coating to yield a polymeric layer on the substrate,

wherein a contact angle of the liquid pretreatment coating with respect to a surface of the mold is 10° or less.

18. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

providing a liquid pretreatment coating on a substrate, wherein the liquid pretreatment coating comprises a polymerizable component;

dispensing a droplet of an imprint resist to a liquid film formed of the liquid pretreatment coating such that the droplet is spread on the liquid film to yield a spread imprint resist, wherein the imprint resist is a polymerizable composition, and a contact angle of the liquid pretreatment coating with respect to a surface of the mold is 10° or less;

after the dispensing of the droplet of the imprint resist, contacting the spread imprint resist with a template;

polymerizing the spread imprint resist and the pretreatment coating to yield a polymeric layer on the substrate;

separating the template from the polymeric layer; and

etching the substrate via the polymeric layer.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein:

providing the liquid pretreatment coating comprises coating the substrate using a dip coating method, an air knife coating method, a curtain coating method, a wire bar coating method, a gravure coating method, an extrusion coating method, a spin coating method, or a slit scan method; and

dispensing the droplet of the imprint resist onto the liquid pretreatment coating using an ink jet method.