METHOD FOR INSPECTING NANO-IMPRINT TEMPLATE

• US 20100315643A1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuhara, Kazuya, KASHIWAGI, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,294,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/433
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4707 Forward scatter; Low angle scatter
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/95615 with stored comparision signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/956 Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects contactless testing of electronic circuits G01R31/308; testing currency G07D; manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10

Abstract

A method for inspecting a nano-imprint template, includes irradiating light onto a template for nano-imprinting from a back surface side of the template, the template having a front surface where a pattern is formed, detecting near-field light which is generated near the front surface of the template by the irradiation of the light, and performing an inspection of the template on the basis of the detected near-field light.

Claims

1. A method for inspecting a nano-imprint template, comprising:

irradiating light onto a template for nano-imprinting from a back surface side of the template, the template having a front surface where a pattern is formed;

detecting near-field light which is generated near the front surface of the template by the irradiation of the light; and

performing an inspection of the template on the basis of the detected near-field light.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when performing the inspection, a change in absolute value or cyclicity of intensity of the detected near-field light is inspected.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the template is cleaned if a change in absolute value or cyclicity of intensity of the detected near-field light is found.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the template is discarded if a change in absolute value or cyclicity of intensity of the detected near-field light is still found after the template is cleaned.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inspection of the template is performed by comparing the near-field light detected for the template after performing a pattern transfer process, with near-field light which is generated near the surface of the template by irradiating light onto the template from the back surface side of the template before performing the pattern transfer process.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inspection of the template is performed by comparing the detected near-field light with near-field light derived from a simulation using design data of the template.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein intensity distribution of near-field light when the pattern formed in the template is clogged with a substance and intensity distribution of near-field light when the pattern formed in the template is defective are derived in advance through the simulation.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the template is cleaned if the pattern formed in the template is clogged with a substance by comparing the detected near-field light with near-field light derived from the simulation using the design data of the template.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the template is discarded if the pattern formed in the template is determined to be defective by comparing the detected near-field light with near-field light derived from the simulation using the design data of the template.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein virtual design data of the template based on the detected near-field light is derived, and true design data of the template is compared with the virtual design data of the template.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein intensity distribution of near-field light when the pattern formed in the template is clogged with a substance and intensity distribution of near-field light when the pattern formed in the template is defective are derived in advance through the simulation and are accumulated in a database.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the template comprises a L/S pattern.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the near-field light is detected by using a probe.