Double-sided imprinting
Systems, apparatus, and methods for double-sided imprinting are provided. An example system includes first rollers for moving a first web including a first template having a first imprinting feature, second rollers for moving a second web including a second template having a second imprinting feature, dispensers for dispensing resist, a locating system for locating reference marks on the first and second webs for aligning the first and second templates, a light source for curing the resist, such that a cured first resist has a first imprinted feature corresponding to the first imprinting feature on one side of the substrate and a cured second resist has a second imprinted feature corresponding to the second imprinting feature on the other side of the substrate, and a moving system for feeding in the substrate between the first and second templates and unloading the double-imprinted substrate from the first and second webs.
1. A system for double-sided imprinting, comprising:
first rollers for moving a first web that includes a first template;
second rollers for moving a second web that includes a second template;
a locating system disposed between the first and second rollers, the locating system configured to locate, for alignment, at least one reference mark on the first web and at least one reference mark on the second web;
a first dispenser configured to dispense a first resist on the first template;
a second dispenser configured to dispense a second resist on the second template;
a loading system configured to insert a substrate between the first template and the second template;
a light source configured to cure the first resist and the second resist such that the cured first resist has a first imprinted feature associated with the first template on a first side of the substrate and the cured second resist has a second imprinted feature associated with the second template on a second side of the substrate;
a clamping system configured to
clamp the first web and the second web together at a location adjacent to the at least one reference mark on the first web and the at least one reference mark on the second web such that the first web and second web are moved and clamped with the first template aligned with the second template, and
unclamp the first web and the second web such that the substrate, the cured first resist, and the cured second resist are capable of passing through a gap between the first web and the second web; and
wherein the system is configured such that, in operation, the first rollers are rotated to draw the first web in a first direction to expose the first template to the first dispenser and the second rollers are rotated to draw the second web in a second direction to expose the second template to the second dispenser, and then, the first rollers are rotated to draw the first web in a direction opposite the first direction and the second rollers are rotated to draw the second web in a direction opposite the second direction, such that the first template with the first resist and the second template with the second resist are aligned.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an unloading system configured to unload the substrate with the first imprinted feature on the first side and the second imprinted feature on the second side.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the clamping system comprises:
a chuck configured to chuck the first web; and
a clamp configured to clamp the second web when actuated with the chuck.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the chuck comprises a vacuum chuck configured to chuck onto the first web with vacuum.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the chuck is moveable, and wherein the chuck and the clamp are moved together with the first web and the second web.
6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the chuck is positioned on a pair of guides, and each guide of the pair of guides is movable on a respective rail connected to a frame, and wherein the system further comprises an alignment system configured to align the at least one reference mark on the first web and the at least one reference mark on the second web by adjusting a relative position of the pair of guides.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first rollers and the second rollers are arranged such that, after the substrate is inserted between the first template and the second template, the substrate is moved together with the first template and the second template, and the first resist is pressed onto the first side of the substrate and filled into a first imprinting feature on the first template and the second resist is pressed onto the second side of the substrate and filled into a second imprinting feature on the second template, and wherein the first imprinted feature on the first side of the substrate corresponds to the first imprinting feature on the first template, and the second imprinted feature on the second side of the substrate corresponds to the second imprinting feature on the second template.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises an alignment system configured to align the at least one reference mark on the first web and the at least one reference mark on the second web by moving a z-roller of the first rollers in at least one of x, y, or theta direction.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the locating system comprises at least one of a camera system or a laser system.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first rollers comprise at least one air turn roller configured to float the first web by air pressure.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first rollers comprise at least one air turn roller configured to chuck the first web with vacuum.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a counter-clockwise direction with respect to the first rollers, and the second direction is a clockwise direction with respect to the second rollers.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first rollers comprise two first z-rollers arranged in a vertical direction, and the second rollers comprise two second z-rollers arranged in the vertical direction, and wherein the first dispenser is configured to dispense the first resist on the first template when the first template is in a horizontal direction relative to the two first z-rollers, and the second dispenser is configured to dispense the second resist on the second template when the second template is parallel to the horizontal direction.
14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising first and second tension sensors configured to measure tensions of the first web and the second web, respectively.
15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a chamber configured to enclose the first template and the second template; and
a controller configured to control at least one of temperature or cleanness of the chamber.
16. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a detecting system arranged before one of the first rollers, the detecting system comprising at least a camera system or a laser system, wherein the detecting system is configured to locate a first one of the at least one reference mark on the first web.
17. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first squeegee roller configured to be moved to push the first template into the first resist such that the first resist fills a first imprinting feature on the first template; and
a second squeegee roller configured to be moved to push the second template into the second resist such that the second resist fills a second imprinting feature on the second template.