Abstract:
An imprint lithography apparatus and manufacturing method can lead to mechanical stress being formed in a substrate to which an imprint pattern is being applied. This may cause strain within the substrate leading to misalignment of a subsequent pattern with an earlier pattern in a part of the substrate, which is strained. An apparatus and method is disclosed which allows for stress relaxation in the substrate prior to further patterning to reduce, minimize or prevent such misalignment from residual strain. This is achieved by locally unclamping a portion of substrate (including optionally the entire substrate) from a corresponding portion of substrate holder so that mechanical stress leading to local strain may relax prior to further patterning. To overcome residual frictional force between the substrate and substrate holder, the substrate and substrate holder may be physically separated prior to further patterning.

Description:
This application claims priority and benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/136,963, entitled “Imprint Lithography Apparatus and Method”, filed on Oct. 17, 2008. The content of that application is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an imprint lithography apparatus and a method for manufacture of a device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In lithography, there is an ongoing desire to reduce the size of features in a lithographic pattern in order to increase the density of features on a given substrate area. In photolithography, the push for smaller features has resulted in the development of technologies such as immersion lithography and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation lithography, which are however rather costly. 
     A potentially less costly road to smaller features that has gained increasing interest is so-called imprint lithography, which generally involves the use of a “stamp” (often referred to as an imprint template) to transfer a pattern onto a substrate. An advantage of imprint lithography is that the resolution of the features is not limited by, for example, the emission wavelength of a radiation source or the numerical aperture of a projection system. Instead, the resolution is mainly limited to the pattern density on the imprint template. 
     Lithography typically involves applying several patterns onto a substrate, the patterns being stacked on top of one another such that together they form a device such as an integrated circuit. Alignment of each pattern with a previously provided pattern is an important consideration. If patterns are not aligned with each other sufficiently accurately, then this may result in some electrical connections between layers not being made. This, in turn, may cause the device to be non-functional. A lithographic apparatus therefore usually includes an alignment apparatus, which may be used to align each pattern with a previously provided pattern, and/or with alignment marks provided on the substrate. 
     SUMMARY 
     Typically, the substrate is clamped to a substrate holder and the substrate holder and/or the imprint template (or imprint templates) is moveable relative to the other between imprints. Generally, a control system, such as a computer running a computer program, uses information from the alignment apparatus to control the positions of the substrate and the imprint template relative to each other as each pattern is imprinted. 
     Strain (for instance, a non-linear displacement) of the substrate may arise from a mechanical stress induced in the substrate during patterning of the substrate, such as during imprinting of the substrate. Such stress may arise from slippage between the substrate and the substrate holder as imprinting takes place, possibly because of the high force arising as the template imprints the substrate, or possibly because of the force needed to overcome the adhesion between the substrate and the imprint template when the imprint template is detached or pulled away from the substrate after patterning the substrate. The presence of a part of the substrate which has slipped alongside a part of the substrate which is still clamped in its original position on the substrate holder, may lead to compressive and tensile stress within the substrate, and consequent straining of the substrate. Such strain in a clamped substrate may lead to local misalignment of a pattern subsequently applied to the substrate. This may lead to a reduced device yield from the processed substrate and consequent wastage. 
     It is desirable, for example, to provide a method and apparatus to overcome one or more of the problems mentioned herein or one or more of the problems not mentioned herein. 
     In an embodiment, a lithography method and apparatus is provided that allows mechanical stress within a substrate to be relaxed, consequently relaxing strain in the substrate, whereby the accuracy of alignment of a subsequently applied pattern may be improved across a substrate. The substrate referred to herein may be a simple substrate, such as a wafer, but may also include one or more layers of other materials of imprintable or imprinted medium or may already comprise processed layers. Patterning may be applied to one or more of these layers. 
     In an embodiment, there is provided a method of patterning a substrate by imprint lithography, the method comprising: 
     having an imprint template in contact with a substrate so as to pattern the substrate, the substrate at least partially releasably clamped to a substrate holder; 
     having the imprint template come out of contact with the substrate; 
     unclamping a first portion of substrate from a corresponding portion of the substrate holder such that mechanical stress in the substrate is relaxed; and 
     carrying out further patterning of the substrate. 
     In an embodiment, there is provided a method for relaxing mechanical stress induced in a substrate in imprint lithography, the method comprising: 
     bringing an imprint template into contact with a substrate so as to pattern the substrate, the substrate releasably clamped to a substrate holder; 
     separating the imprint template and the substrate; 
     unclamping a first portion of the substrate from a corresponding portion of the substrate holder such that mechanical stress in the substrate is relaxed; and 
     carrying out further patterning of the substrate. 
     One or more of the following aspects are applicable to the method of an embodiment of the invention where appropriate. When suitable, combinations of the following aspects may be employed as part of the method. The term “unclamping” as used herein may mean fully releasing a portion of substrate from a corresponding portion of substrate holder or may mean partially releasing a portion of substrate from a corresponding portion of substrate holder sufficiently for stress in the substrate to be relaxed. 
     In this specification, the term “imprint template” includes a single imprint template or a plurality of imprint templates. For instance, the contacting between the substrate and an imprint template includes contacting between the substrate and a plurality of imprint templates substantially contacting the substrate in parallel or contacting the substrate sequentially. 
     The first portion of substrate may be re-clamped to the substrate holder prior to carrying out further patterning. A second portion of substrate may be clamped to the substrate holder while carrying out further patterning. In an embodiment, at least some part of the substrate may be clamped to the substrate holder while movement or patterning of the substrate is effected. 
     In an embodiment, the substrate holder may comprise a plurality of regions, each region may be independently clamped to or released from a corresponding portion of the substrate. The unclamping and clamping of each region may be carried out in a sequence where at least one region is clamped to the substrate at any time during the sequence. 
     The first portion of substrate may be the entire substrate or may be a part of the substrate. 
     In an embodiment, the substrate may be aligned prior to further patterning. 
     The unclamping may be effected while the substrate holder is stationary or moving, e.g. accelerating, decelerating or rotating. The unclamping may be effected while the substrate holder is stationary or moving at a constant velocity in order to avoid unintended displacement of the substrate relative to the substrate holder. 
     In an embodiment, clamping may be by electrostatic or magnetic attraction between the substrate holder and the substrate. A further clamping method is by reduced pressure between the substrate holder and the substrate, also known in the art as vacuum clamping. Combinations of different clamping methods may be employed. 
     The method may comprise separating the unclamped first portion of substrate from the corresponding portion of substrate holder prior to carrying out further patterning of the substrate. This may be effected by applying an overpressure between the unclamped first portion of substrate and the corresponding portion of substrate holder, for instance by means of a pressurized gas supply. Separation may be effected by one or more structures (for instance, a peg or pin) moving from a retracted position within the substrate holder to a deployed configuration projecting from the substrate holder and contacting the substrate to push the unclamped first portion of substrate from the substrate holder. In another means for effecting separation, the substrate holder may comprise a plurality of segments, wherein the separation of the unclamped first portion of substrate from the corresponding portion of substrate holder is effected by displacing a corresponding segment of the substrate holder away from the corresponding first portion of substrate. Other suitable methods for separating the substrate and the substrate holder may be employed, such as an externally applied vacuum or an electric or magnetic field to lift the substrate from the substrate holder. An actuator such as a piezoelectric, linear motor, electrostatic or magnetic actuator may form part of the substrate holder to effect the separation. In an embodiment, the substrate, or a part of the substrate, is re-clamped to the substrate holder, as explained above, after separation and prior to carrying out further patterning of the substrate. 
     In an embodiment, the stress relaxation of the substrate may take place during and/or after the patterning of the substrate. In an embodiment, the stress relaxation of the substrate may take place after each patterning of the substrate, or it may take place after a series of pattern imprints, especially if the patterned regions are at remote locations from each other on the substrate, such that stress induced by one patterning application does not significantly influence other patterned regions of the substrate. Where multiple imprint templates are applied to each substrate, the stress relaxation can take place, for example, after one, some or all templates have made their imprint. 
     In an embodiment, there is provided an apparatus for imprint lithography of a substrate, the apparatus comprising: 
     an imprint template holder configured to hold an imprint template arranged to imprint a substrate; 
     a substrate holder configured to at least partially releasably clamp the substrate to the substrate holder; and 
     a control system configured to control the clamping of the substrate by the substrate holder, the control system configured to unclamp a portion of the substrate from the substrate holder following contact between the substrate and the imprint template. 
     In an embodiment, there is provided an imprint lithography apparatus for patterning a substrate, the apparatus comprising a substrate holder comprising a plurality of regions, each region configured to be independently clamped to or released from a corresponding portion of the substrate. The imprint lithography apparatus may further comprise a separation arrangement configured to separate an unclamped portion of the substrate from a corresponding portion of the substrate holder. 
     The control system will typically be a software program running on a computer system functionally connected to or forming part of the lithography apparatus. 
     The imprint lithography apparatus may further comprises an alignment system. An alignment system for such a lithography apparatus is well known in the art. The control system may be configured to control relative alignment of the imprint template and of the substrate, and may be configured to control the alignment system. The control system may be configured to control the imprinting of the substrate. In an embodiment, these actions are co-ordinated through the control system. 
     Where appropriate, one or more aspects mentioned above as applicable to the method of an embodiment of the invention are applicable to the apparatus of an embodiment of the invention. 
     The substrate holder may comprise a plurality of regions, each region configured to be independently clamped to or released from a corresponding portion of the substrate. The substrate holder may be configured to hold the substrate by electrostatic or magnetic attraction between the substrate holder and the substrate. The substrate holder may be configured to hold the substrate by forming a reduced pressure between the substrate holder and the substrate, known in the art as vacuum clamping. The substrate holder may be configured to use a combination of different clamping methods. 
     The apparatus may comprise a separation arrangement configured to separate the unclamped portion of the substrate from the corresponding portion of the substrate holder. The separation arrangement may be configured to apply an overpressure between the unclamped portion of the substrate and the corresponding portion of substrate holder, for instance by including a pressurized gas supply. A suitable separation arrangement may comprise one or more structures, for instance a peg or pin, moveable from a retracted position within the substrate holder to a deployed configuration projecting from the substrate holder whereby the substrate is pushed from the substrate holder. A further suitable separation arrangement may comprise a plurality of segments of the substrate holder, each segment configured to be individually displaceable away from the substrate. 
     The imprint template holder may comprise a plurality of imprint template holders and/or the imprint template may comprise a plurality of imprint templates. 
     In an embodiment, there is provided an imprint lithography apparatus for patterning a substrate, the apparatus comprising a substrate holder comprising a plurality of regions, each region configured to be independently clamped to or released from a corresponding portion of the substrate. The imprint lithography apparatus may further comprise a separation arrangement configured to separate an unclamped portion of the substrate from a corresponding portion of the substrate holder. 
     The apparatus and method described herein are particularly useful for manufacture of devices, such as electronic devices and integrated circuits or other applications, such as the manufacture of integrated optical systems, guidance and detection patterns for magnetic domain memories, flat-panel displays, liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), thin film magnetic heads, etc. For example, the method and apparatus is suitable for high resolution lithography, where features patterned onto a substrate have a feature width or critical dimension of about 1 μm or less, typically 100 nm or less or even 10 nm or less. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Specific embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: 
         FIGS. 1 a - c    schematically show examples of, respectively, micro-contact printing, hot imprint, and ultra violet (UV) radiation imprint; 
         FIGS. 2 a  to 2 c    schematically show a cross-sectional view of a hot imprinting process resulting in mechanical stress in the substrate; 
         FIG. 3  schematically shows an embodiment of the invention using an electrostatic substrate holder to release mechanical stress from a substrate by means of a method of an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  schematically shows an embodiment of the invention making use of an electrostatic substrate holder comprising a plurality of regions, wherein each region may be independently clamped to or released from a corresponding portion of the substrate; 
         FIG. 5  schematically shows an embodiment of the invention making use of a segmented electrostatic substrate holder with segments moveable relative to the substrate. 
         FIG. 6  schematically shows an embodiment of the invention using mechanical lifting by one or more structures to achieve separation of the substrate from the substrate holder; and 
         FIG. 7  schematically shows an embodiment of the invention using an overpressure between the substrate and the substrate holder to lift the substrate from the substrate holder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Examples of three known approaches to imprint lithography are schematically depicted in  FIGS. 1 a    to  1   c.    
       FIG. 1 a    shows an example of a type of imprint lithography that is often referred to as micro-contact printing. Micro-contact printing involves transferring a layer of molecules  11  (typically an ink such as a thiol) from a template  10  (e.g. a polydimethylsiloxane template) onto a imprintable medium layer  13  which is supported by a substrate  12  and planarization and transfer layer  12 ′. The template  10  has a pattern of features on its surface, the molecular layer being disposed upon the features. When the template  10  is pressed against layer  13 , the layer of molecules  11  are transferred onto layer  13 . After removal of the template  10 , layer  13  is etched such that the areas of the layer  13  not covered by the transferred molecular layer are etched down to the substrate  12 . For more information on micro-contact printing, see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,180,239. 
       FIG. 1 b    shows an example of so-called hot imprint lithography (or hot embossing). In a typical hot imprint process, a template  14  is imprinted into a thermosetting or a thermoplastic imprintable medium  15 , which has been cast on the surface of a substrate  12 . The imprintable medium  15  may be, for example, resin. The resin may, for instance, be spin coated and baked onto the substrate surface or, as in the example illustrated, onto a planarization and transfer layer  12 ′. When a thermosetting polymer resin is used, the resin is heated to a temperature such that, upon contact with the template, the resin is sufficiently flowable to flow into the pattern features defined on the template. The temperature of the resin is then increased to thermally cure (crosslink) the resin so that it solidifies and irreversibly adopts the desired pattern. The template  14  may then be removed and the patterned resin cooled. In hot imprint lithography employing a layer of thermoplastic polymer resin, the thermoplastic resin is heated so that it is in a freely flowable state immediately prior to imprinting with the template  14 . It may be necessary to heat a thermoplastic resin to a temperature considerably above the glass transition temperature of the resin. The template is pressed into the flowable resin and then cooled to below its glass transition temperature with the template  14  in place to harden the pattern. Thereafter, the template  14  is removed. The pattern will consist of the features in relief from a residual layer of the resin which residual layer may then be removed by an appropriate etch process to leave only the pattern features. Examples of thermoplastic polymer resins used in hot imprint lithography processes are poly (methyl methacrylate), polystyrene, poly (benzyl methacrylate) or poly (cyclohexyl methacrylate). For more information on hot imprint, see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,731,155 and 5,772,905. 
       FIG. 1 c    shows an example of ultra violet radiation (UV) imprint lithography, which involves the use of a transparent template and a UV-curable liquid as imprintable medium (the term “UV” is used here for convenience but should be interpreted as including any suitable actinic radiation for curing the imprintable medium). A UV curable liquid is often less viscous than the thermosetting and thermoplastic resin used in hot imprint lithography and consequently may move much faster to fill template pattern features. A quartz template  16  is applied to a UV-curable resin  17  in a similar manner to the process of  FIG. 1 b   . However, instead of using heat or temperature cycling as in hot imprint, the pattern is frozen by curing the imprintable medium  17  with UV that is applied through the quartz template onto the imprintable medium  17 . The template is then removed. The pattern will consist of the features in relief from a residual layer of the imprintable medium which residual layer may then be removed by an appropriate etch process to leave only the pattern features. 
     A particular manner of patterning a substrate through UV imprint lithography is so-called step and flash imprint lithography (SFIL), which may be used to pattern a substrate in small steps in a similar manner to optical steppers conventionally used in IC manufacture. For more information on UV imprint, see e.g. United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004-0124566, U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,960, PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 02/067055, and the article by J. Haisma entitled “Mold-assisted nanolithography: A process for reliable pattern replication”, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B14(6), November/December 1996. 
     Combinations of the above imprint techniques are possible. See, e.g., United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005-0274693, which mentions a combination of heating and UV curing an imprintable medium. 
       FIGS. 2 a - c    show schematically how an imprint lithography process, for instance such as that detailed above for  FIG. 1 b   , may lead to the development of stress in a substrate. Although the following Figures and embodiments of the invention are based on the process detailed for  FIG. 1 b   , they would be applicable to the imprint lithography processes detailed for  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 c    and to any other suitable imprint lithography process or other patterning process where mechanical strain arises in the substrate during the patterning process. 
       FIG. 2 a    shows the substrate  12  clamped to a substrate holder  18  with an imprint template  14  in position ready to come into contact with the medium  15  on the substrate  12 . In  FIG. 2 b   , the imprint template  14  held by an imprint template holder has come into contact with the medium  15  on the substrate  12  in order to imprint the medium  15 .  FIG. 2 c    shows schematically the development of stress in the substrate  12  following the detachment of the imprint template  14  from the imprintable medium  15  (e.g., by moving template  14  away from the imprintable medium  15  and/or moving imprintable medium  15  away from the template  14 ). The force required to separate the imprint template  14  from the imprint medium  15  has resulted in the substrate  12  becoming locally separated from the substrate holder  18  in the region below the imprinted segment of medium  15 . Slippage of the substrate  12  has occurred in the directions of the arrows as shown in  FIG. 2 c   . This leads to the development of mechanical stress within the substrate  12 . Typically, in an imprint lithography process, the substrate  12  is repositioned with the assistance of an alignment system prior to further imprinting by the same or other imprint template  14 . Such alignment is generally effected by measurement of the position of alignment marks on the substrate  12 . Mechanical stress present within the substrate  12  as shown schematically in  FIG. 2 c    will mean that it may not be possible for the consequently strained region to be accurately aligned by means of positioning of an alignment mark on the substrate using the alignment apparatus. This may lead to incorrect alignment of a region of the substrate, where it has been strained, when further patterning of the substrate takes place. 
       FIG. 3  shows schematically a cross-sectional view of the relaxation of stress in an imprinted substrate by means of an embodiment the invention. A control system  25  is functionally connected to an electrical voltage source, such as a battery  20 , and to the substrate holder  18 . The battery  20  provides an electrical potential difference between the substrate holder  18  and the substrate  12  so that the substrate  12  is electrostatically clamped to the substrate holder  18 . When mechanical stress within the substrate  12  is to be released, the control system  25  switches off the electrostatic clamping allowing the mechanical stress in the substrate  12  as developed in  FIG. 2 c    to relax by slippage in the direction of the arrows shown in  FIG. 3 . Although the embodiment in  FIG. 3  uses electrostatic clamping, the same principle may be applied using a further clamping method, such as vacuum clamping where a reduced pressure between the substrate holder  18  and the substrate  12  holds the substrate  12  in place (by ambient atmospheric pressure pushing the substrate  12  into the substrate holder  18 ). 
       FIG. 4  shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a substrate holder assembly suitable for use in the method and apparatus of an embodiment of the invention for lithography. The substrate holder is segmented into a number of regions  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c ,  18   d , each of which is located on an actuating bed  19 . The substrate  12  sits on a surface of each of the substrate holder regions  18   a  to  d . A potential difference is applied between the substrate holder regions  18   a  to  d  and the substrate  12  by means of, for example, a battery  20 . The actuating bed  19  independently controls the potential difference applied to each of the substrate holder regions  18   a  to  18   d , in response to a signal from the control system  25  such that each of the substrate holder regions  18   a  to  18   d  may be individually released or clamped to the substrate, independently of the other substrate holder regions. This enables a sequence of clamping and unclamping to be employed in order to release stress from the substrate  12  while ensuring that at least one of the substrate holder regions  18   a  to  18   d  is holding the substrate  12  in place to prevent it becoming detached from the substrate holder regions  18   a  to  18   d.    
       FIG. 5  shows a schematic cross sectional view of an embodiment of a substrate holder assembly suitable for use in the method and apparatus of an embodiment of the invention for lithography. As with the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , each of the substrate holder regions  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c ,  18   d  may be individually clamped or released from the surface of the substrate  12 . Additionally or alternatively, the actuating bed  19  is configured to be capable of retracting each of the substrate holder regions  18   a  to  18   d  individually and independently of the other substrate holder regions  18   a  to  18   d  such that the substrate holder regions  18   a  to  18   d  may be separated from the surface of the substrate  12 . In the configuration shown schematically in  FIG. 5 , the substrate holder regions  18   a  and  18   d  are retracted from the surface of the substrate  12  such that there is a gap between the substrate holder and the substrate  12  for each of these substrate holder regions  18   a ,  18   d . This separation ensures that any residual frictional forces remaining between the substrate holder and the substrate after unclamping of the substrate holder from the surface of the substrate  12  will be removed, allowing more complete relaxation of stress in the substrate  12 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a further embodiment, in schematic cross sectional form, of a substrate holder assembly suitable for use in the method and apparatus of an embodiment of the invention for lithography. The substrate holder  18  is provided with one or more structures, in this example taking the form of pins  21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ,  21   d , which may project through the surface of the substrate holder to push the substrate  12  away from the substrate holder. In the embodiment shown, the substrate holder  18  is not segmented, but this use of pins may also be used with a segmented substrate holder as shown in the embodiments of  FIG. 4 or 5 . Following unclamping of the substrate holder  18  from the substrate  12 , the pins  21   a  to  21   d  are moved from a retracted position within the substrate holder to a deployed position as shown in  FIG. 6 . This results in the substrate  12  being lifted from the substrate holder  18  and reduces considerably any frictional forces between the substrate  12  and the substrate holder  18  such that mechanical stress of the substrate may more readily relax. Rather than all of the pins  21   a  to  21   d  being moved in unison, each may be individually controlled, independently of the other pins. 
       FIG. 7  shows a further embodiment, in schematic, form, of a substrate holder assembly suitable for use in the method and apparatus of an embodiment of the invention for lithography. The substrate holder  18  is provided with one or more gas conduits, in this example gas conduits  23   a  to  23   d , which are connected to a pressure controller  22 . The clamping of the substrate  12  to the substrate holder  18  is achieved by the pressure controller  22  reducing the pressure in the conduits  23   a  to  23   d  to give a reduced pressure, compared to ambient pressure, between the surface of the substrate  12  and the substrate holder  18 . In order to release mechanical stress in the substrate, the pressure controller  22  can individually and independently change the pressure at any of the conduits  23   a - 23   d  from a reduced pressure to an over-pressure such that the substrate  12  is locally pushed away from the substrate holder  18  by the overpressure of gas provided by the specified conduit  21   a - d  between the substrate  12  and the substrate holder  18 . In the example shown in  FIG. 7 , a positive pressure has been applied at each of the conduits  23   a - 23   d  such that the entire substrate  12  has been pushed away from the substrate holder  18 . 
     It will be appreciated that numerous modifications to the above described embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the imprinting method used may be by a UV imprinting process as detailed above for  FIG. 1 c   , rather than the hot embossing as shown. 
     The described and illustrated embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only particular embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the inventions as defined in the claims are desired to be protected. It should be understood that while the use of words such as “preferable”, “preferably”, “preferred” or “more preferred” in the description suggest that a feature so described may be desirable, it may nevertheless not be necessary and embodiments lacking such a feature may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. In relation to the claims, it is intended that when words such as “a,” “an,” “at least one,” or “at least one portion” are used to preface a feature there is no intention to limit the claim to only one such feature unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When the language “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” is used the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary.