Patent ID: 8404170

Claim:
An imprint lithography method for forming a patterned layer from a UV-curable, imprintable liquid medium on a substrate by means of an imprint template having a patterned surface comprising recesses, the method comprising: bringing together the patterned surface and the UV-curable imprintable liquid medium as an uncured, flowable liquid for a filling period having a start time when the patterned surface first contacts the UV-curable imprintable liquid medium and an end time when the UV-curable imprintable liquid medium has substantially filled the recesses in the patterned surface; illuminating the UV-curable imprintable liquid medium with UV-radiation for an illumination period having a start time and an end time; holding the patterned surface and the UV-curable imprintable liquid medium together for a holding period having a start time and an end time, the start time of the holding period commencing at the end time of the filling period and the end time of the holding period selected to provide adequate curing of the UV-curable imprintable liquid medium to form a self-supporting patterned layer; and separating the patterned surface and the patterned layer at the end time of the holding period, wherein the start time of the illumination period is at or after the start time of the filling period and earlier than the end time of the filling period by a pre-cure period.