Patents by Inventor Tomonori Otani

Tomonori Otani has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11709430
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a cured product pattern of a curable composition includes the steps of, in sequence, depositing a droplet of the curable composition onto a substrate; bringing a mold having an uneven pattern formed in a surface thereof into contact with the curable composition; curing the curable composition; and releasing a cured product of the curable composition from the mold. The mold has a recess having a bottom surface and a stair structure arranged to form an opening surface that becomes wider from the bottom surface toward the surface of the mold. In the contact step, the curable composition comes into contact with the stair portion after a top of the droplet comes into contact with the bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomonori Otani, Toshiki Ito, Tomohiro Saito, Kouhei Nagane, Kenichi Ueyama
  • Patent number: 11561468
    Abstract: A pattern forming method comprises dispensing a curable composition onto an underlayer of a substrate; bringing the curable composition into contact with a mold; irradiating the curable composition with light to form a cured film; and separating the cured film from the mold. The proportion of the number of carbon atoms relative to the total number of atoms in the underlayer is 80% or more. The dispensing step comprises a first dispensing step of dispensing a curable composition (A1) substantially free of a fluorosurfactant onto the underlayer, and a second dispensing step of dripping a droplet of a curable composition (A2) having a fluorosurfactant concentration in components excluding a solvent of 1.1% by mass or less onto the curable composition (A1) discretely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Saito, Toshiki Ito, Tomonori Otani
  • Patent number: 11376766
    Abstract: Pattern forming method includes, for each shot area group (SAG) in the following order: discretely dropping curable composition droplets to layer the droplets on a plurality of shot areas included in a certain SAG on substrate; waiting for a time of (mmax?m)×Td, where Td is a time for the dropping on one shot area, m is the number of shot areas included in the certain SAG, and mmax is the maximum value of m; and imprinting in order that the dropping is performed on the plurality of shot areas. The time Td and a time Ti for the imprinting on one shot area are equal to each other. The number of shot areas included in at least one SAG is different from the number of shot areas included in another at least one SAG. In the waiting, the dropping and the imprinting are not performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomonori Otani, Toshiki Ito
  • Patent number: 11327397
    Abstract: A pattern forming method using a photo-nanoimprint process on each of a plurality of shot areas: a step (1) of laying a layer of a curable composition (A1); a step (2) of dispensing liquid droplets of a curable composition (A2) dropwise discretely onto the layer of (A1); a step (3) of sandwiching a layer obtained by partially mixing (A1) and (A2), between a mold and the substrate; a step (4) of irradiating the layer with light to cure the layer; and a step (5) of releasing the mold from the layer of (A1) and (A2), in which when steps from the step (3) to the step (5) are collectively called an imprinting step [Im], in a time period from an end of the step (2) to a beginning of the step [Im] in one shot, the step (2) or the step [Im] is performed on another shot area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomonori Otani, Toshiki Ito, Niyaz Khusnatdinov
  • Patent number: 11281097
    Abstract: A method for forming a pattern by using a photo-nanoimprint process includes performing, on each of a plurality of shot areas on a surface of a substrate: a step (1) of dispensing liquid droplets of a curable composition (A) dropwise discretely; a step (2) of bringing the curable composition (A) and a mold into contact with each other; a step (3) of irradiating the curable composition (A) with light; and a step (4) of releasing the mold from a cured product of the curable composition (A), in which when steps from the step (2) to the step (4) are collectively called an imprinting step (Im), before the imprinting step (Im) is performed on one shot area on which the step (1) has already been performed out of the plurality of shot areas, the step (1) is performed on another shot area selected from the plurality of shot areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiki Ito, Tomonori Otani, Niyaz Khusnatdinov
  • Publication number: 20210223690
    Abstract: A photocurable composition for imprint at least has a polymerizable compound (A) and a photopolymerization initiator (B), in which the polymerizable compound (A) contains 20% by weight or more of a multifunctional (meth)acrylic monomer and the glass transition temperature of a photocured substance of the photocurable composition is 90° C. or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Shiori Yonezawa, Toshiki Ito, Tomonori Otani, Kazumi Iwashita, Takeshi Honma
  • Patent number: 11003073
    Abstract: A photocurable composition for imprint at least has a polymerizable compound (A) and a photopolymerization initiator (B), in which the polymerizable compound (A) contains 20% by weight or more of a multifunctional (meth)acrylic monomer and the glass transition temperature of a photocured substance of the photocurable composition is 90° C. or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shiori Yonezawa, Toshiki Ito, Tomonori Otani, Kazumi Iwashita, Takeshi Honma
  • Patent number: 10829644
    Abstract: A pattern is formed on a substrate with forming a layer of a curable composition (A1) containing a component (a1) serving as a polymerizable compound and a component (e1) on a surface of the substrate, then dispensing droplets of a curable composition (A2) containing at least a component (a2) serving as a polymerizable compound dropwise discretely onto the layer of the curable composition (A1), subsequently sandwiching a mixture layer of the curable composition (A1) and the curable composition (A2) between a mold and the substrate, then irradiating the mixture layer with light to cure the layer, and releasing the mold from the mixture layer after the curing, a surface tension of a composition of components of the curable composition (A1) except a solvent being higher than a surface tension a composition of components of the curable composition (A2) except a solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomonori Otani, Toshiki Ito
  • Publication number: 20200298452
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a cured product pattern of a curable composition includes the steps of, in sequence, depositing a droplet of the curable composition onto a substrate; bringing a mold having an uneven pattern formed in a surface thereof into contact with the curable composition; curing the curable composition; and releasing a cured product of the curable composition from the mold. The mold has a recess having a bottom surface and a stair structure arranged to form an opening surface that becomes wider from the bottom surface toward the surface of the mold. In the contact step, the curable composition comes into contact with the stair portion after a top of the droplet comes into contact with the bottom surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Tomonori Otani, Toshiki Ito, Tomohiro Saito, Kouhei Nagane, Kenichi Ueyama
  • Patent number: 10754245
    Abstract: A pattern is formed on a substrate with forming a layer of a curable composition (A1) containing a component (a1) serving as a polymerizable compound and a component (d1) serving as a solvent on a surface of the substrate, then dispensing droplets of a curable composition (A2) containing at least a component (a2) serving as a polymerizable compound dropwise discretely onto the layer of the curable composition, subsequently sandwiching a mixture layer of the curable composition (A1) and the curable composition (A2) between a mold and the substrate, then irradiating the mixture layer with light to cure the layer, and releasing the mold from the mixture layer after the curing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiki Ito, Tomonori Otani, Keiko Chiba, Weijun Liu, Timothy Brian Stachowiak
  • Patent number: 10754244
    Abstract: A pattern is formed on a substrate with forming a layer of a curable composition (A1) containing a component (a1) serving as a polymerizable compound on a surface of the substrate, then dispensing droplets of a curable composition (A2) containing a component (a2) serving as a polymerizable compound (a2) and a component (b2) serving as a photopolymerization initiator dropwise discretely onto the layer of the curable composition (A1), subsequently sandwiching a mixture layer of the curable composition (A1) and the curable composition (A2) between a mold and the substrate, then irradiating the mixture layer with light to cure the mixture layer, and then releasing the mold from the mixture layer after the curing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiki Ito, Weijun Liu, Timothy Brian Stachowiak, Niyaz Khusnatdinov, Tomonori Otani, Masayuki Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20200166836
    Abstract: A pattern forming method comprises dispensing a curable composition onto an underlayer of a substrate; bringing the curable composition into contact with a mold; irradiating the curable composition with light to form a cured film; and separating the cured film from the mold. The proportion of the number of carbon atoms relative to the total number of atoms in the underlayer is 80% or more. The dispensing step comprises a first dispensing step of dispensing a curable composition (A1) substantially free of a fluorosurfactant onto the underlayer, and a second dispensing step of dripping a droplet of a curable composition (A2) having a fluorosurfactant concentration in components excluding a solvent of 1.1% by mass or less onto the curable composition (A1) discretely.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Tomohiro Saito, Toshiki Ito, Tomonori Otani
  • Publication number: 20200047377
    Abstract: Pattern forming method includes, for each shot area group (SAG) in the following order: discretely dropping curable composition droplets to layer the droplets on a plurality of shot areas included in a certain SAG on substrate; waiting for a time of (mmax?m)×Td, where Td is a time for the dropping on one shot area, m is the number of shot areas included in the certain SAG, and mmax is the maximum value of m; and imprinting in order that the dropping is performed on the plurality of shot areas. The time Td and a time Ti for the imprinting on one shot area are equal to each other. The number of shot areas included in at least one SAG is different from the number of shot areas included in another at least one SAG. In the waiting, the dropping and the imprinting are not performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Tomonori Otani, Toshiki Ito
  • Patent number: 10533065
    Abstract: A photocurable composition contains a polymerizable compound; and a photopolymerization initiator, in which the photocurable composition contains a compound represented by General Formula (1) shown below as the polymerizable compound, and in which, in General Formula (1), Ar represents a monovalent aromatic group which may have a substituent, R1 represents an alkyl group which may have a substituent or a hydrogen atom, R2 represents an alkyl group having (m+n) valences which may have a substituent, m is an integer of 2 or more, and n is an integer of 1 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiki Ito, Takeshi Honma, Shiori Yonezawa, Tomonori Otani, Kazumi Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20190391483
    Abstract: A method for forming a pattern by using a photo-nanoimprint process includes performing, on each of a plurality of shot areas on a surface of a substrate: a step (1) of dispensing liquid droplets of a curable composition (A) dropwise discretely; a step (2) of bringing the curable composition (A) and a mold into contact with each other; a step (3) of irradiating the curable composition (A) with light; and a step (4) of releasing the mold from a cured product of the curable composition (A), in which when steps from the step (2) to the step (4) are collectively called an imprinting step (Im), before the imprinting step (Im) is performed on one shot area on which the step (1) has already been performed out of the plurality of shot areas, the step (1) is performed on another shot area selected from the plurality of shot areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Toshiki Ito, Tomonori Otani, Niyaz Khusnatdinov
  • Publication number: 20190377260
    Abstract: A pattern forming method using a photo-nanoimprint process on each of a plurality of shot areas: a step (1) of laying a layer of a curable composition (A1); a step (2) of dispensing liquid droplets of a curable composition (A2) dropwise discretely onto the layer of (A1); a step (3) of sandwiching a layer obtained by partially mixing (A1) and (A2), between a mold and the substrate; a step (4) of irradiating the layer with light to cure the layer; and a step (5) of releasing the mold from the layer of (A1) and (A2), in which when steps from the step (3) to the step (5) are collectively called an imprinting step [Im], in a time period from an end of the step (2) to a beginning of the step [Im] in one shot, the step (2) or the step [Im] is performed on another shot area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Tomonori Otani, Toshiki Ito, Niyaz Khusnatdinov
  • Patent number: 10395943
    Abstract: To provide a patterning method for forming a desired pattern in a reverse process. A patterning method includes a reverse process. A photocurable composition contains at least a polymerizable compound (A) component and a photopolymerization initiator (B) component. The (A) component has a mole fraction weighted average molecular weight of 200 or more and 1000 or less. The (A) component has an Ohnishi parameter (OP) of 3.80 or more. The Ohnishi parameter (OP) of the (A) component is a mole fraction weighted average of N/(NC?NO), wherein N denotes a total number of atoms in a molecule, NC denotes a number of carbon atoms in the molecule, and NO denotes a number of oxygen atoms in the molecule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiki Ito, Takeshi Honma, Shiori Yonezawa, Tomonori Otani, Kazumi Iwashita
  • Patent number: 10073341
    Abstract: In nanoimprinting processes, photo-cured products often separate from the substrate and stick to the mold due to insufficient adhesion between the photo-cured product and the substrate. This causes a defect of pattern separation. An adhesion layer composition used for forming an adhesion layer between a substrate and a photocurable composition includes a compound (A) having at least two functional groups, and a solvent (B). The functional groups include at least one functional group capable of being bound to the substrate, selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, carboxy, thiol, amino, epoxy, and (blocked) isocyanate, and at least one hydrogen donating group as a functional group capable of being bound to the photocurable composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Honma, Toshiki Ito, Tomonori Otani, Kazumi Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20180047581
    Abstract: To provide a patterning method for forming a desired pattern in a reverse process. A patterning method includes a reverse process. A photocurable composition contains at least a polymerizable compound (A) component and a photopolymerization initiator (B) component. The (A) component has a mole fraction weighted average molecular weight of 200 or more and 1000 or less. The (A) component has an Ohnishi parameter (OP) of 3.80 or more. The Ohnishi parameter (OP) of the (A) component is a mole fraction weighted average of N/(NC?NO), wherein N denotes a total number of atoms in a molecule, NC denotes a number of carbon atoms in the molecule, and NO denotes a number of oxygen atoms in the molecule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiki Ito, Takeshi Honma, Shiori Yonezawa, Tomonori Otani, Kazumi Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20170351172
    Abstract: A photocurable composition for imprint at least has a polymerizable compound (A) and a photopolymerization initiator (B), in which the polymerizable compound (A) contains 20% by weight or more of a multifunctional (meth)acrylic monomer and the glass transition temperature of a photocured substance of the photocurable composition is 90° C. or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: Shiori Yonezawa, Toshiki Ito, Tomonori Otani, Kazumi Iwashita, Takeshi Honma