Patent ID: 9533445
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: B29C,B29L,B82Y,G03F

Claim:
1. A method for imprinting a substrate having a moldable surface with a mold having a molding surface, wherein the periphery of said mold is attached on a mold fixture located inside a chamber and connected to said chamber, said mold fixture comprises a first interface seal to seal the interface between the mold fixture and the attached periphery of the mold and a second interface seal to seal the interface between said mold fixture and said chamber, comprising the steps of: disposing said substrate onto a substrate chuck inside said chamber and adjacent said mold such that said moldable surface is adjacent said molding surface; adjusting the gap between said moldable surface and said molding surface; removing gas from the space between said moldable surface and said molding surface; forming contact between said moldable surface and said molding surface; imprinting said molding surface against said moldable surface by pressing said mold and said substrate together with pressurized gas to form a mold substrate assembly; following the imprinting, deforming the assembly of said mold and said substrate that are pressed together by said step of imprinting until releasing at least a portion of the peripheral region of said substrate release from said mold, said deforming and said release are both effected by implementing differential gas pressure between the mold side of said assembly and the substrate side of said assembly; and following the deforming and the releasing of at least a portion of the peripheral of the substrate from the mold of the mold substrate assembly, separating said moldable surface away from said molding surface.