System for controlling a volume of material on a mold

• US 20060121141A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Lad, Pankaj B., Truskett, Van N., McMackin, Ian M., Shackleton, Steven C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,281,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 425/174.400
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0002 Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/887 Nanoimprint lithography, i.e. nanostamp

Abstract

A system for controlling a volume of liquid on a mold that features a body defining a volume with an aperture formed into the body and positioned proximate to the mold. A pump system is in fluid communication with the body, and the aperture and the pump system are established to create a stream of fluid moving between the mold and the volume. In this manner a quantity of fluid is removed while retained upon the mold is a desired portion of the fluid to undertake imprint lithographic processes.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a volume of liquid on a mold, said system comprising:

a body defining a void with an aperture formed into said body and positioned proximate to said mold; and

a pump system in fluid communication with said body, with said aperture and said pump system being established to create a stream of fluid moving between said mold and said void to remove a quantity of said fluid while maintaining a portion of said fluid upon said mold.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said body further includes an island extending from a surface of said body, with said aperture being disposed in said island so that said aperture is disposed between said mold and said surface.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said body further includes a recess formed into a surface of said body, with said aperture being disposed within said recess.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said pump system generates a vacuum in said void.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said pump system generates a positive pressure in said void.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 further including disposing an air bearing on opposed sides of said aperture, defining a pair of spaced-apart air bearings.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 further including disposing an air bearing on opposed sides of said aperture, defining a pair of spaced-apart air bearings, with each of said pair of spaced-apart air bearings including an air bearing element comprising a plurality of volumes each of which has differing pressure levels.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 further including disposing a plurality of air bearing elements on opposing sides of said aperture, each of which includes a plurality of volumes a pair of which are in fluid communication with said pump system to provide one of the volumes of said pair with a positive pressure, with the remaining volume of said pair having a vacuum and separated therefrom by an additional volume held at an ambient pressure.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said aperture has a length associated therewith sufficient to extend between opposed sides of said mold.

10. A system for controlling a volume of liquid on a mold, said system comprising:

a body defining a void with an aperture formed into said body and positioned proximate to said mold to place said void in fluid communication with said mold, with an air bearing being disposed at each end of said aperture, defining a pair of spaced-apart air bearings; and

a pump system in fluid communication with said aperture and said pair of spaced-apart air bearings, with said aperture and said pump system being established to create a stream of fluid moving between said mold and said void to remove a quantity of said fluid while maintaining a portion of said fluid upon said mold and each of said pair of spaced-apart air bearings including an air bearing element comprising a plurality of volumes having dimensions established to be maintained at differing pressure levels.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein said body further includes an island extending from a surface of said body, with said aperture being disposed in said island so that said aperture is disposed between said mold and said surface.

12. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein said body further includes a recess formed into a surface of said body, with said aperture being disposed within said recess.

13. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein said pump system generates a vacuum in said void.

14. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein said pump system generates a positive pressure in said void.

15. A system for controlling a volume of liquid on a mold, said system comprising:

a body defining a void with an aperture formed into said body and positioned proximate to said mold to place said void in fluid communication with an ambient, with an air bearing being disposed at each end of said aperture, defining a pair of spaced-apart air bearings each of which includes an air bearing element comprising a plurality of recessed areas of a surface separated by lands.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein said air bearing element further includes said first, second recessed areas, with said second recessed area substantially surrounding said first recessed area, with a said first recessed area defining a volume greater than a volume of said second recessed area.

17. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein The system as recited in claim 15 wherein said air bearing element further includes said first, second and third recessed areas, with said second recessed area substantially surrounding said first recessed area, and said third recessed area substantially surrounding said first and second recessed areas, with said third recessed area defining a volume greater than a volume of said second recessed area and less than a volume of said first recessed area.

18. The system as recited in claim 17 wherein said first recessed area have a rectangular shape, defining a rectangular perimeter, with said second and third recessed areas having a shaping conforming to said perimeter.

19. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein each of said pair air bearings includes a plurality of air bearing elements.

20. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein each of said pair of air bearing are integrally formed with said body.