Patent ID: 8361336

Claim:
An imprint method in which a step of forming a pattern by imprinting a pattern of a mold onto a resin material on a substrate is repeated multiple times, said imprint method comprising: (A) a step of forming a pattern for a first time by carrying out an imprint method comprising: (a) a step of forming (i) a processed area in which an imprint pattern corresponding to the pattern of the mold is formed and (ii) an outside area at a periphery of the processed area, by bringing the mold into contact with the resin material formed on the substrate, so that a portion of the resin material is extruded from the processed area into the outside area; (b) a step of forming a protection layer for protecting the processed area, such that a layer of the resin material in the outside area, formed at a boundary between the processed area and the outside area, is used as a boundary wall; and (c) a step of removing the layer of the resin material in the outside area, while the imprint pattern formed on the layer of the resin material in the processed area is protected by the protection layer, so as not to be removed; (B) a step of forming a pattern for a second time through steps including a step of forming a second processed area by bringing the mold into contact with a resin material formed in an area that includes the outside area and is adjacent to the original processed area; (C) a step of forming a second protection layer for protecting the second processed area on a layer of the resin material in the second processed area; and (D) a step of removing excess resin material at a periphery of the second processed area, while the patterns formed in the original and the second processed areas are protected by the first and second protection layers, so as not to be removed, wherein, in the step of forming a pattern for a second time, the pattern for the second time is formed so as to be connected to the pattern for the first time.