Abstract: Disclosed is a method of generating a recipe for supplying an imprint material onto a substrate, the imprint material being used in imprint processing of forming a pattern on the substrate with the imprint material and a mold. The method includes obtaining first information about a volume of a pattern of the mold, and obtaining second information about a concentration of a condensable gas to be supplied to a space between the mold and the imprint material on the substrate. The condensable gas has a property of being liquefied by contact between the mold and the imprint material. The method further includes generating the recipe based on the first information and the second information.

Abstract: A compound that increases the photocuring rate of a photocurable composition and reduces the force for releasing a cured product from a mold is provided. A compound is represented by general formula (1): where Rf represents an alkyl group at least part of which is substituted with fluorine, RO represents an oxyalkylene group or a repeated structure of an oxyalkylene group, N represents a nitrogen atom, RA represents an alkyl group, and RB represents an alkyl group or a hydrogen atom.

Abstract: In an imprint process in a gaseous atmosphere containing a condensable gas, the curable composition for photoimprint is difficult to cure, the pattern is not fully formed to cause defects. The present invention relates to a curable composition for photoimprint in a gaseous atmosphere containing a condensable gas. The curable composition for photoimprint at least comprises the following component (A) and component (B): (A) polymerizable compound, and (B) photopolymerization initiator. Component (B) has a saturated solubility of less than 1% by weight in the condensable gas in a liquid state at 5° C. and 1 atm or has a Hansen distance (Ra) of larger than 7.6 to the condensable gas.

Abstract: A method is provided which allows the alignment marks of a mold and a substrate to be accurately and simply detected, and accordingly provides a method for forming a patterned film with a high throughput, and also provides a method for manufacturing an optical component, a method for manufacturing a circuit board, and a method for manufacturing an electronic component. A patterned film is formed by photo-nanoimprinting. In the method, a gas satisfies the following Inequality (1): In the Inequality (1), nR represents the refractive index of a composition not containing a gas at the wavelength of light, nR? a represents the refractive index of the photo-curable composition containing the gas at the wavelength of the light, and nM represents the refractive index of a mold at the wavelength of the light. [Math.

Abstract: A curable composition for photoimprint at least includes a polymerizable compound component (A) and a photopolymerization initiator component (B) and satisfies expression (1) and (2): 0.800?Er10/Er200??(1) 2.55?Er10??(2) wherein, Er10 represents the reduced modulus (GPa) of a photocured film prepared by exposing a film of the curable composition for photoimprint to light of 10 mJ/cm2; and Er200 represents the reduced modulus (GPa) of a photocured film prepared by exposing a film of the curable composition for photoimprint to light of 200 mJ/cm2.

Abstract: A method of producing a film includes: a disposing step of disposing a photocurable composition on a substrate; a mold contact step of bringing the photocurable composition and a mold into contact with each other; a photoirradiation step of irradiating the photocurable composition with light to form a cured product; and a mold release step of releasing the cured product and the mold from each other, in which the method further includes an alignment step of aligning the mold and the substrate with each other before the photoirradiation step, in which the photocurable composition contains at least a polymerizable compound serving as a component (A) and a photopolymerization initiator serving as a component (B), and in which the polymerizable compound has a polymerization conversion ratio of 50% or more when exposed to light under conditions of an illuminance of 0.12 mW/cm2 and an exposure time of 11.0 seconds.

Abstract: Provided is a curable composition, including a polymerization initiator; a polymerizable compound; and an internal addition type release agent having a hydrophilic functional group, in which the internal addition type release agent is prevented from being unevenly distributed in a gas-liquid interface of the curable composition.

Abstract: An imprint method that uses a condensable gas process has a problem in that the surface of a resist cured film is rough. This is resolved by a photocurable composition used for performing imprint in an atmosphere containing a condensable gas. The photocurable composition contains a component (A) which is a (meth)acrylate monomer, a component (B) which is a photopolymerization initiator, and a component (C) which is a mold releasing agent. A saturated solubility of the component (C) in the condensable gas at 5 degrees (Celsius) and 1 atm is 5% by weight or less, the condensable gas being in a liquid state at 5 degrees (Celsius) and 1 atm.

Abstract: An imprint method includes: placing a light-curable composition on a workpiece substrate (placement); bringing the light-curable composition and a mold into contact with each other an atmosphere of a condensable gas (contact); aligning the mold and the workpiece substrate (alignment); irradiating the light-curable composition with light to obtain a light-cured composition (irradiation); and separating the light-cured composition and the mold from each other after the irradiation (release). The film thickness of the light-curable composition during the alignment is 20% or more greater than that of the light-cured composition after the release.

Abstract: A compound that increases the photocuring rate of a photocurable composition and reduces the force for releasing a cured product from a mold is provided. A compound is represented by general formula (1): where Rf represents an alkyl group at least part of which is substituted with fluorine, RO represents an oxyalkylene group or a repeated structure of an oxyalkylene group, N represents a nitrogen atom, RA represents an alkyl group, and RB represents an alkyl group or a hydrogen atom.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which molds an imprint material on a substrate using a mold to form a pattern on the substrate, the apparatus including a dispenser configured to discharge the imprint material from a discharge outlet, and a gas supply unit configured to supply a gas which dissolves in the imprint material and decreases a viscosity of the imprint material, wherein the gas supply unit causes the gas to dissolve in the imprint material around the discharge outlet and decreases the viscosity of the imprint material around the discharge outlet, by supplying the gas to the discharge outlet.

Abstract: A curable composition for imprinting in a condensable gas atmosphere, wherein the maximum condensable gas solubility (gas/(curable composition+gas)) (g/g) is 0.1 or more and 0.4 or less, and the curable composition for imprinting has a viscosity of 40 cP or less at 23° C. The maximum condensable gas solubility is determined by charging a 9-ml brown bottle with 3 g of the curable composition, measuring the weight of the curable composition at 23° C. at 1 atm before and after bubbling of the condensable gas at a flow rate of 0.1 L/min for 15 minutes, and dividing the increased weight due to the bubbling by the total weight of the curable composition and the condensable gas.

Abstract: Provided are a photocurable composition having high filling property and capable of reducing a mold release force upon production of a film through the utilization of a photo-imprint method, and a method of manufacturing a film using the photocurable composition.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus having a stage configured to hold a substrate and to be moved, and a projection optical system configured to project light from a reticle to the substrate held by the stage, and exposing the substrate to light via liquid filled in a gap between the substrate and a final surface of the projection optical system is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a first nozzle configured to supply liquid to the gap; a second nozzle configured to selectively perform recovery of liquid from the gap and supply of liquid to a gap between the stage and the final surface of the projection optical system; and a third nozzle configured to recover liquid supplied via at least the second nozzle.

Abstract: An immersion exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate via liquid is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a projection optical system configured to project an image of a pattern of a reticle onto the substrate, a first recovery nozzle arranged at a periphery of a final optical element of the projection optical system and configured to recover liquid from a gap between the final optical element and the substrate, and a detector configured to detect a foreign particle in the liquid recovered via the first recovery nozzle.

Abstract: A semiconductor device which can effectively prevent impurity diffusion in heat treatment for electrically activating the impurity, and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. In the semiconductor device, a diffusion preventing layer having a depth equal to or greater than a junction depth of source/drain regions is formed along the entire junction region of the source/drain regions. The diffusion preventing layer is formed near the surface at the side of a gate insulation layer of the gate electrode including impurity.

Abstract: There is described a semiconductor device manufacturing method which enables substantial elimination of oxygen atoms or crystalline imperfections included in a gate oxide film of an element fabricated on a well which is formed in a semiconductor substrate by means of high-energy ion implantation. An element whose gate oxide film has a high degree of reliability is manufactured by combining manufacturing conditions for forming a pad film on the surface of a substrate such as the type and thickness of the pad film, the valence of ions to be implanted, an implantation energy, and ion implantation before or after removal of the pad film. If necessary, post-implantation annealing conditions or conditions for growing a sacrificial oxide film are selected.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having shallow junction, in which carrier concentration will not be reduced, sheet resistance will not be increased, and contact characteristic at a surface will not become inferior, is provided. A gate electrode is provided on a semiconductor substrate. At a surface of semiconductor substrate, a pair of source/drain layers having top and bottom surfaces are provided on both sides of gate electrode. In source/drain layer, a secondary-defect layer which extends horizontally is formed between top surface and bottom surface.

Abstract: A semiconductor device which can effectively prevent impurity diffusion in heat treatment for electrically activating the impurity, and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. In the semiconductor device, a diffusion preventing layer having a depth equal to or greater than a junction depth of source/drain regions is formed along the entire junction region of the source/drain regions. The diffusion preventing layer is formed near the surface at the side of a gate insulation layer of the gate electrode including impurity.