Abstract: An imprint apparatus performs alignment control of a mold and a substrate. A pattern formed on the mold is transferred onto a pattern forming layer on the substrate. A mold holding portion holds the mold, a substrate holding portion holds the substrate, and a control portion effects control so that the mold and the substrate are brought near to each other during the alignment control. The mold and the pattern forming layer are brought into contact with each other and then the pattern forming layer is cured. The control portion changes a driving profile for the alignment control after the alignment control is started and at least one of before and after the mold contacts the pattern forming layer. The driving profile used to move at least one of the mold holding portion and the substrate holding portion to a target position, and includes at least one of acceleration, speed, driving voltage, and driving current.

Abstract: An imprinting method in which alignment control of a mold and a substrate is effected and a pattern formed on the mold is transferred onto a pattern forming layer provided on the substrate. The imprinting method includes a step in which the mold and the substrate are brought near to each other while effecting the alignment control, after the alignment control is started, to bring the mold and the pattern forming layer into contact with each other, and then, the pattern forming layer is cured, and a step in which the gap between the mold and the substrate is increased, after the pattern forming layer is cured. Further, the alignment control is stopped after the alignment control is started, and at least one of before and after the mold contacts the pattern forming layer.

Abstract: An imprint method for imprinting an imprint pattern of a mold onto a pattern formation material on a substrate so as to realize a high throughput includes the steps of bringing the imprint pattern and the pattern formation material into contact with each other; applying a first pressure between the mold and the substrate to increase a contact area between the imprint pattern and the pattern formation material; and adjusting a positional relationship between the mold and the substrate at a second pressure lower than the first pressure.

Abstract: Provided is an imprint method that molds an uncured resin applied to a substrate by a pattern portion formed on a mold and cures the uncured resin so as to form the pattern of the resin cured on the substrate. The imprint method includes a step of releasing the pattern portion from the resin such that two opposed boundaries are brought closer to each other to progress peeling while maintaining a parallel state after curing of the resin based on the assumption that the boundary at which the pattern portion is peeled from the resin is linear.

Abstract: A patterning process includes preparing a first mold having a first uneven pattern at a patterning surface thereof and a second mold as a peripheral shot mold having a second uneven pattern at a patterning surface thereof. A wafer includes a peripheral area along an entire peripheral edge and a non-peripheral area positioned inside the peripheral area and spaced from the edge. The first mold is used to imprint a non-peripheral pattern group completely within the non-peripheral area. The non-peripheral pattern group includes a plurality of non-peripheral pattern units each corresponding to an individual imprint of the first mold. The second mold is used to imprint a peripheral pattern positioned completely within the peripheral area. The peripheral pattern includes a shape having straight line segments corresponding to and outlining corners of a plurality of the non-peripheral pattern units and having a curved line corresponding to the peripheral edge of the wafer.

Abstract: A light transmissive mold used for imprinting a pattern onto a material applied on a semiconductor workpiece. The mold includes a first surface having an area of a pattern to be imprinted onto the material, a second surface located opposite from the first surface, and a third surface disposed between the first surface and the second surface, at a position inwardly away from the first surface. The third surface is arranged opposite to an area of the workpiece subjected to dicing. An alignment structure, provided for alignment between the mold and the workpiece, is formed in the third surface.

Abstract: There is provided an imprinting apparatus that transfers a pattern of a mold to a resin on a substrate, the imprinting apparatus including a deposition mechanism configured to deposit the resin onto the substrate; a first driving mechanism configured to change a relative position, on a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate, of the substrate and the mold; a second driving mechanism configured to change the relative position, on a plane parallel to the surface of the substrate, of the substrate and the deposition mechanism; and a control unit configured to control the deposition mechanism and the driving mechanism so as to perform a resin deposition process of depositing the resin onto the substrate and an imprint process of transferring the pattern of the mold to the resin on the substrate in parallel.

Abstract: A process of producing a member having a pattern. The process includes preparing a first mold having a pattern surface provided with a first uneven pattern at a surface of the first mold, and preparing a second mold having a pattern surface, provided with a second uneven pattern at a surface of the second mold, including a shape portion corresponding to an outer peripheral shape of the pattern surface provided with the first uneven pattern.

Abstract: An imprint apparatus for imprinting a mold pattern onto a substrate or a member on the substrate includes a light source for irradiating a surface of the mold disposed opposite to the substrate and a surface of the substrate with light; an optical system for guiding the light from the light source to the surface of the mold and the surface of the substrate and guiding reflected lights from these surfaces to a spectroscope; a spectroscope for dispersing the reflected lights guided by the optical system into a spectrum; and an analyzer for analyzing a distance between the surface of the mold and the surface of the substrate. The analyzer calculates the distance between the surface of the mold and the surface of the substrate by measuring a distance between the surface of the mold and a surface formed at a position away from the surface of the mold.

Abstract: An imprint apparatus for performing alignment between a mold and a substrate and imprinting a pattern of the mold to a layer of the substrate. A holder holds the mold. A stage holds the substrate opposite to the mold held by the holder. A microscope, including an image pickup device, detects a first alignment mark formed in the mold, via a first image pickup area of the image pickup device, and detects a second alignment mark formed in the substrate, via a second image pickup area of the image pickup device. The first and second image pickup areas do not overlap with each other.

Abstract: An imprint method includes contacting an imprint pattern of a mold and a resin material on a substrate. The resin material is cured by irradiating the resin material with light in a state in which the imprint pattern is in contact with the resin material. The mold is parted from the cured resin material, and gaseous molecules are irradiated, in an atmosphere in which the mold is placed, with an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength that is shorter than a wavelength of the light irradiating the resin material. The electromagnetic wave is emitted from an electrification removing light source that is provided in a lateral side of the mold. In the irradiating step, the gaseous molecules are ionized by the irradiation of the electromagnetic wave from the electrification removing light source. The ionized gaseous molecules are supplied into an atmosphere between the substrate and the mold to remove electrification of at least a portion of the mold.

Abstract: A pattern forming method for forming an imprinted pattern on a coating material disposed on a substrate with a pattern provided to a mold. The method includes preparing a mold provided with a first surface including a pattern area, a second surface located opposite from the first surface, and an alignment mark provided at a position at which the alignment mark is away from the first surface, contacting the pattern area of the mold with the coating material disposed on the substrate, obtaining information about positions of the mold and the substrate by using the alignment mark and a mark provided to the substrate in a state in which the coating material is disposed on the substrate at a portion where the alignment mark and the substrate are opposite to each other, and effecting alignment of the substrate with the mold in an in-plane direction of the pattern area, on the basis of the information in a state in which the pattern area and the coating material contact each other.

Abstract: A mold capable of a highly accurate alignment with a member to be processed in such a state that a photocurable resin material is disposed between the mold and the member to be processed, and is constituted by a substrate 2010 formed of a first material and an alignment mark 2102 formed of a second material different from the first material. The first material and the second material have transmissivities to light in a part of an ultraviolet wavelength range. The second material has a refractive index of not less than 1.7.

Abstract: A molding apparatus for patterning a workpiece includes a first support member for supporting the mold, a second support member arranged opposite to the first support member, and a pressing mechanism for pressing the mold and the work together using the support members to pattern the workpiece. In this structure, either the surface of the first support member for supporting the mold or the surface of the second support member for supporting the workpiece is smaller in area than both surfaces of the mold and the workpiece.

Abstract: A mold capable of a highly accurate alignment with a member to be processed in such a state that a photocurable resin material is disposed between the mold and the member to be processed, and is constituted by a substrate 2010 formed of a first material and an alignment mark 2102 formed of a second material different from the first material. The first material and the second material have transmissivities to light in a part of an ultraviolet wavelength range. The second material has a refractive index of not less than 1.7.

Abstract: In order to provide a mold and an imprint apparatus which permit adjustment of a depth of an imprint pattern after the imprint pattern is formed, the mold is constituted by a mold substrate including a first material and a surface layer, constituting a projection of the mold and including a second material, for forming a pattern on the photocurable resin material. The first material is more etchable than the second material. The first material and the second material have optical transmittances capable of curing the photocurable resin material with respect to at least a part of wavelength range of ultraviolet light.

Abstract: A mold capable of a highly accurate alignment with a member to be processed in such a state that a photocurable resin material is disposed between the mold and the member to be processed, and is constituted by a substrate 2010 formed of a first material and an alignment mark 2102 formed of a second material different from the first material. The first material and the second material have transmissivities to light in a part of an ultraviolet wavelength range. The second material has a refractive index of not less than 1.7.

Abstract: An imprint apparatus for pressing resin and a mold to each other in a Z-axis direction to form a resin pattern on a shot region includes: a mold chuck; an X-Y stage; a reference mark formed on the stage; a first scope configured to measure a positional deviation in an x-y plane between a mold mark and the reference mark; a second scope configured to measure a position of a substrate mark in the plane not via the mold mark; and a dispenser configured to dispense resin. In the plane, the dispenser center is deviated in position from the mold chuck center by a first distance in a first direction, and the second scope center is deviated in position from the dispenser center by a distance smaller than twice the first distance in the first direction or a second direction opposite thereto.

Abstract: An imprint method for imprinting a pattern of a mold onto a resin material on a substrate. The imprint method includes a step of forming a processed area in which an imprint pattern corresponding to the pattern of the mold is formed, and an outside area formed of 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, a step of forming a protection layer for protecting the processed area, and a step of removing a layer of the resin material in the outside area, while the imprint pattern formed on a layer of the resin material in the processed area, is protected by the protection layer, so as not to be removed.

Abstract: A mold for imprinting a pattern onto a member to be processed. The mold includes a mold body having a front surface, at which an imprint pattern is formed, and a rear surface opposite from the front surface. A coating layer covers the front surface of the mold body, and a coating layer covers the rear surface of the mold body. An alignment mark as an object to be subjected to optical observation is provided at the front surface of the mold body. The coating layer for covering the rear surface includes (i) a hole for observation of the alignment mark and (ii) a stress adjusting pattern corresponding to a density of the imprint pattern. The hole for observation is formed at the rear surface of the mold body opposite from the alignment mark, and the stress adjusting pattern is formed at the rear surface of the mold body opposite from the imprint pattern.