CONFIGURING OPTICAL LAYERS IN IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY PROCESSES

• US 20190317399A1
• Filed: 06/27/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Singh, Vikramjit, Miller, Michael N., Xu, Frank Y., Fleckenstein, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,747,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2207/101 Nanooptics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1857 using exposure or etching means, e.g. holography, photolithography, exposure to electron or ion beams
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13398 Spacer materials; Spacer properties
• 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: G03F 7/0005 Production of optical devices or components in so far as characterised by the lithographic processes or materials used therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/168 Finishing the coated layer, e.g. drying, baking, soaking

Abstract

An imprint lithography method of configuring an optical layer includes depositing a set of droplets atop a side of a substrate in a manner such that the set of droplets do not contact a functional pattern formed on the substrate. The imprint lithography method further includes curing the set of droplets to form a spacer layer associated with the side of the substrate and of a height selected such that the spacer layer can support a surface adjacent the substrate and spanning the set of droplets at a position spaced apart from the functional pattern.

Claims

1. An imprint lithography method of configuring an optical layer, the imprint lithography method comprising:

depositing a set of droplets onto a substrate along a side of the substrate in a manner such that the set of droplets contacts the substrate but does not contact a functional pattern formed on the substrate; and

curing the set of droplets to form a spacer layer associated with the side of the substrate and of a height selected such that the spacer layer can support a surface adjacent the substrate and spanning the set of droplets at a position spaced apart from the functional pattern.

2. The imprint lithography method of claim 1, wherein each droplet of the set of droplets has a volume of about 1 pL to about 100 pL.

3. The imprint lithography method of claim 1, further comprising generating a drop-on demand programming scheme.

4. The imprint lithography method of claim 1, further comprising providing a printing screen.

5. The imprint lithography method of claim 1, further comprising imprinting the functional pattern on the substrate.

6. The imprint lithography method of claim 1, wherein depositing the set of droplets onto the substrate comprises dispensing droplet volumes of a polymerizable substance directly onto the substrate atop the side of the substrate.

7. The imprint lithography method of claim 1, wherein the set of droplets is a first set of droplets, the imprint lithography method further comprising:

depositing each drop of the first set of droplets directly on the side of the substrate; and

curing the first set of droplets directly on the side of the substrate.

8. The imprint lithography method of claim 7, wherein each droplet of the first set of droplets has a cured height of about 0.5 μ

m to about 20.0 μ

m.

9. The imprint lithography method of claim 7, further comprising, after the first set of droplets is cured:

depositing a second set of droplets atop the side of the substrate such that each droplet of the second set of droplets is respectively dispensed directly atop a droplet of the first set of droplets; and

curing the second set of droplets directly atop the first set of droplets to increase a height of the spacer layer.

10. The imprint lithography method of claim 9, wherein a first number of droplets in the first set of droplets is equal to a second number of droplets in the second set of droplets such that the spacer layer has a uniform height.

11. The imprint lithography method of claim 9, wherein a first number of droplets in the first set of droplets is not equal to a second number of droplets in the second set of droplets such that the spacer layer has a variable height.

12. The imprint lithography method of claim 11, wherein the spacer layer has a wedge shape.

13. The imprint lithography method of claim 1, wherein the functional pattern is imprinted on the side of the substrate.

14. The imprint lithography method of claim 13, wherein the functional pattern is imprinted along an interior region of the side of the substrate, the imprint lithography method further comprising depositing the set of droplets along a peripheral edge of the side of the substrate.

15. The imprint lithography method of claim 1, wherein the side of the substrate is a first side of the substrate, and wherein the functional pattern is imprinted on a second side of the substrate that is opposite the first side of the substrate.

16. The imprint lithography method of claim 15, further comprising depositing the set of droplets across an entirety of the first side of the substrate.

17. The imprint lithography method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the substrate to the surface adjacent the substrate at the set of droplets such that the spacer layer forms a gap between the substrate and the surface.

18. The imprint lithography method of claim 1, wherein the gap provides a low index region.

19. The imprint lithography method of claim 18, wherein the low index region comprises air with an index of refraction of 1.

20. An optical layer, comprising:

a substrate;

a functional pattern formed on the substrate; and

a cured set of droplets disposed on the substrate along a side of the substrate such that the cured set of droplets is in contact with the substrate and spaced apart from the functional pattern, the cured set of droplets forming a spacer layer associated with the side of the substrate and of a height selected such that the spacer layer can support a surface adjacent the substrate and spanning the cured set of droplets at a position spaced apart from the functional pattern.