Abstract: A method of depositing an imprintable medium onto a target area of a substrate for imprint lithography is disclosed. The method includes moving the substrate, a print head comprising a nozzle to eject an imprintable medium onto the substrate, or both, relative to the other in a first direction across the target area while ejecting a first series of droplets of imprintable medium onto the substrate and moving the substrate, the print head, or both, relative to the other in a second opposing direction across the target area while ejecting a second series of droplets of imprintable medium onto the substrate on or adjacent to droplets from the first series of droplets.

Abstract: A block copolymer, adapted to self-assemble to form an ordered pattern on a substrate, has first and second blocks with a terminal moiety covalently bonded to the end of the first block. The molecular weight of the terminal moiety is 20% or less than that of the block copolymer and the terminal moiety has a low chemical affinity for the first block. The terminal moiety can assist the accurate positional placement of the domains of the ordered array and lead to improved critical dimension uniformity and/or reduced line edge roughness. The polymer may be useful in combination with a graphoepitaxy template, where the terminal moiety is chosen to associate with a sidewall of the template. This may reduce undesired aggregation of polymer domains at a sidewall and/or assist in domain placement accuracy.

Abstract: An imprint lithography method is provided. The method includes undertaking first and second imprints, which comprises for each imprint: for an area of a substrate provided with a plurality of drops of imprintable medium in respectively first and second configurations, imprinting a pattern in the imprintable medium using a same imprint template, pockets being formed between the drops of the imprintable medium, the imprint template and the substrate during the imprinting of the pattern, wherein the first configuration of drops of imprintable medium is different from the second configuration of drops of imprintable medium, such that pockets formed during the second imprint are formed at different locations relative to the imprint template to pockets formed during the first imprint.

Abstract: An imprint lithography alignment apparatus is disclosed that includes at least two detectors which are configured to detect an imprint template alignment mark, wherein the alignment apparatus further comprises alignment radiation adjustment optics which are configured to provide adjustment of locations from which the at least two alignment detectors receive alignment radiation.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a modulator configured to expose an exposure area of the substrate to a plurality of beams modulated according to a desired pattern and a projection system configured to project the modulated beams onto the substrate. The modulator includes a deflector to displace the plurality of beams with respect to an exposure area.

Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that includes a support structure configured to hold an imprint template. The apparatus further includes an actuator located between the support structure and a side of the imprint template, when the imprint template is held by the support structure, configured to apply a force to the imprint template and a force sensor between the support structure and a side of the imprint template, when the imprint template is held by the support structure.

Abstract: A method is disclosed involving depositing a neutral orientation template layer onto a substrate after formation of chemical epitaxy or graphoepitaxy features on the substrate, but before deposition and orientation of a self-assemblable polymer. The orientation layer is arranged to bond with the substrate but not with certain features, so that it may be easily removed by vacuum or rinsing with organic solvent. The neutral orientation layer has a chemical affinity to match that of blocks in the self-assemblable polymer so that blocks of differing types wet the neutral orientation layer so that domains in the self-assembled polymer may lie side by side along the substrate surface, with interfaces normal to the substrate surface. The resulting aligned and oriented self-assembled polymer may itself be used as a resist for device lithography of the substrate.

Abstract: A method of determining an offset between an imprint template and a substrate using an alignment grating on the imprint template and an alignment grating on the substrate is disclosed. The method includes bringing the imprint template alignment grating and the substrate alignment grating sufficiently close together such that they form a composite grating, directing an alignment radiation beam at the composite grating while modulating the relative position of the imprint template and the substrate, detecting the intensity of alignment radiation which is reflected from the composite grating, and determining the offset by analyzing modulation of the detected intensity.

Abstract: An imprint template cover for an imprint template having a pattern feature thereon. The cover is configured such that, in use, it extends around the pattern feature of the imprint template, and such that the cover does not contact the pattern feature.

Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus having a first frame to be mounted on a floor, a second frame mounted on the first frame via a kinematic coupling, an alignment sensor mounted on the second frame, to align an imprint lithography template arrangement with a target portion of a substrate, and a position sensor to measure a position of the imprint lithography template arrangement and/or a substrate stage relative to the second frame.

Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus has a substrate table configured to support a lithographic substrate and a plurality of nozzles arranged to eject fluid onto the lithographic substrate, the plurality of nozzles extending over a distance which is substantially equal to or greater than a width of the substrate, wherein the nozzles, the lithographic substrate, or both, are moveable relative to the other.

Abstract: An imprintable medium dispenser includes a chamber, a nozzle, and an actuator connected to the chamber and configured to be actuated and thereby generate a pressure wave within the chamber such that imprintable medium is dispensed from the nozzle. The imprintable medium dispenser is provided with a control circuit which includes a monitoring apparatus configured to receive a transient oscillation signal generated when the actuator is actuated, and to monitor the operation of the imprintable medium dispenser by monitoring the transient oscillation signal.

Abstract: A method of lithography on a substrate uses a self-assembled polymer (SAP) layer deposited on the substrate, with first and second domains arranged in a pattern across the layer. A planarization layer is formed over the SAP and a development etch applied to substantially remove a portion of the planarization layer over the second domain leaving a cap of the planarization layer substantially covering the first domain. The uncapped second domain is then removed from the surface by a breakthrough etch leaving the capped first domain as a pattern feature on the surface. A transfer etch may then be used to transfer the pattern feature to the substrate using the capped first domain. The capping allows the second domain to be removed, e.g., without excessive loss of lateral feature width for the remaining first domain, even when the difference in etch resistance between the first and second domains is small.

Abstract: An imprint lithography method is disclosed that includes, after imprinting an imprint lithography template into a layer of imprintable medium to form a pattern in that imprintable medium and fixing that pattern to form a patterned layer of imprintable medium, adding etch resistant material (i.e. a hard mask) to a part of the patterned layer of imprintable medium to reduce a difference between an intended topography and an actual topography of that part of the patterned layer of imprintable medium.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a lithography method is disclosed that includes providing a providing a first heat load to a first area of an object, and providing a second heat load to a second area of the object, wherein the second heat load is configured to ensure a deformation of the first area of the object caused by providing both the first heat load and the second heat load is smaller than a deformation of the first area of the object caused by providing only the first heat load.

Abstract: An imprint lithography method is disclosed for reducing a difference between an intended topography and an actual topography arising from a part of a patterned layer of fixed imprintable medium. The method involves imprinting an imprint lithography template into a layer of flowable imprintable medium to form a patterned layer in the imprintable medium, and fixing the imprintable medium to form a patterned layer of fixed imprintable medium. Local excitation is applied to the part of the patterned layer to adjust a chemical reaction in the part of the patterned layer to reduce the difference between the intended topography and the actual topography arising from the part of the fixed patterned layer of imprintable medium when this is subsequently used as a resist for patterning the substrate. An imprint medium suitable for imprint lithography with the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A self-assemblable polymer is disclosed, having first and second molecular configurations with the first molecular configuration has a higher Flory Huggins parameter for the self-assemblable polymer than the second molecular configuration, and the self-assemblable polymer is configurable from the first molecular configuration to the second molecular configuration, from the second molecular configuration to the first molecular configuration, or both, by the application of a stimulus. The polymer is of use in a method for providing an ordered, periodically patterned layer of the polymer on a substrate, by ordering and annealing the polymer in its second molecular configuration and setting the polymer when it is in the first molecular configuration.

Abstract: An imprint lithography method is disclosed for forming a patterned layer from a UV-curable, imprintable liquid medium on a substrate by means of an imprint template with a patterned surface. The method involves bringing together the patterned surface and the UV-curable medium for a filling period, illuminating the UV-curable medium with UV-radiation for an illumination period, holding the patterned surface and the UV-curable imprintable liquid medium together for a holding period such that the UV-curable medium has formed a self-supporting patterned layer, and separating the patterned surface and the patterned layer at the end of the holding period. The start time of the illumination period is earlier than the end time of the filling period by a pre-cure period. Also, a method is disclosed where the end time of the illumination period is earlier than the end time of the holding period.

Abstract: A method for providing an ordered polymer layer at a surface of a substrate includes depositing a self-assemblable polymer layer directly onto a primer layer on a substrate to provide an interface between the self-assemblable polymer layer and the primer layer, and treating the self-assemblable polymer layer to provide self-assembly into an ordered polymer layer, such as a block copolymer, having first and second domain types at the interface. The primer layer is adapted to improve its chemical affinity to each domain type at the interface, in response to the presence of the respective domain type in the self-assembled polymer at the interface during the self-assembly of the self-assemblable polymer layer into the ordered polymer layer. This may lead to reduction in defect levels and/or improved persistence length for the ordered polymer layer. The method may be useful for forming resist layers for use in device lithography.

Abstract: In an embodiment, there is disclosed an inspection method for detecting the presence of imprintable medium on an imprint lithography template. The method includes contacting the imprint lithography template with a marker, the marker being attachable to imprintable medium that may be on the imprint lithography template, the marker being configured to interact with incident radiation when attached to the imprintable medium, directing radiation at the imprint lithography template, and measuring radiation re-directed by the imprint lithography template to attempt to detect presence of a marker that has attached to the imprintable medium, from the interaction of the marker with the incident radiation, and thus detect the presence of imprintable medium to which the marker is attached.