Imprint lithography template having opaque alignment marks

• US 7,136,150 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mii Newco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sreenivasan, Sidlgata V., Schumaker, Philip D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Peter B.
• Application Number:
  US10/670,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20050067379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 355/75, 355/53, 355/72, 356/399, 356/400, 356/401, 430/22, 430/30, 430/322, 250/548
• US Class Current: 355/75
• 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: G03F 9/00 Registration or positioning of originals, masks, frames, photographic sheets or textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. automatically G03F7/22 takes precedence; preparation of photographic masks G03F1/00; within photographic printing apparatus for making copies G03B27/00

Abstract

The present invention is directed to providing a template with alignment marks that are opaque to selective wavelength of light. In one embodiment, a template is provided having patterning areas and a template, with the template mark being formed from metal and disposed outside of the patterning areas. The alignment marks may be surrounded by a moat to prevent curable liquid from being in superimposition therewith during imprinting. In this manner, opaque alignment marks may be employed without degrading the quality of the pattern formed during imprinting.

Claims

1. A template having alignment marks formed thereon, said template comprising:

a body having a patterning area, with said alignment marks being positioned on a region of said template outside of said patterning area and further being surrounded by a moat, with said alignment marks comprising a material opaque to a first wavelength of light.

2. The template as recited in claim 1 wherein said material is a metal.

3. The template as recited in claim 1 wherein said material is selected from a set consisting of chromium and nickel.

4. The template as recited in claim 1 further including additional alignment marks positioned on said patterning area.

5. The template as recited in claim 1 wherein said template is transparent to said first wavelength of light.

6. The template as recited in claim 1 wherein said template is transparent to a second wavelength of light differing from said first wavelength of light, with said alignment marks being transparent to said second wavelength of light.

7. The template as recited in claim 1 wherein said template further includes a mold, with said patterning area being positioned within a first region of said mold and further including additional alignment marks, with said alignment marks and said additional alignment marks defining first and second sets of alignment marks, with said first set of alignment marks being disposed within said mold and said second set being disposed outside of said mold.

8. The template as recited in claim 1 wherein said template is formed from a material selected from a group of materials comprising fused-silica, quartz, silicon, organic polymers, siloxane polymers, borosilicate glass, fluorocarbon polymers, metal, and hardened sapphire.

9. The template as recited in claim 1 further including additional alignment marks comprising a material transparent to said first wavelength of light.

10. A template having alignment marks formed thereon, said template comprising:

a body having a patterning area, defining a mold, with said alignment marks being arranged in first and second sets comprising a material opaque to a first wavelength of light, with said first set being disposed on a region of said template outside of said mold and said second set being disposed within said mold, with said body further including a first moat surrounding said first set and a second moat surrounding said second set.

11. The template as recited in claim 10 wherein said material is selected from a set consisting of chromium and nickel.

12. The template as recited in claim 10 wherein said template is transparent to said first wavelength of light.

13. The template as recited in claim 10 wherein said template is transparent to a second wavelength of light differing from said first wavelength of light, with said alignment marks being transparent to said second wavelength of light.

14. The template as recited in claim 10 further including additional alignment marks comprising a material transparent to said first wavelength of light.

15. The template as recited in claim 10 wherein said template is formed from a material selected from a group of materials comprising fused-silica, quartz, silicon, organic polymers, siloxane polymers, borosilicate glass, fluorocarbon polymers, metal, and hardened sapphire.

16. A template having alignment marks formed thereon, said template comprising:

a body having a patterning area, defining a mold, with said alignment marks being arranged in first and second sets and comprising a material opaque to a first wavelength of light, said first set being disposed on a region of said template outside of said mold and said second set being disposed within said mold, with said body further including a first moat surrounding said first set and a second moat surrounding said second set, wherein said material is a metal.

17. The template as recited in claim 16 wherein said metal is selected from a set consisting of chromium and nickel.

18. The template as recited in claim 17 wherein said template is transparent to said first wavelength of light.

19. The template as recited in claim 18 wherein said template is transparent to a second wavelength of light that differs from said first wavelength of light, with said alignment marks being transparent to said second wavelength of light.

20. The template as recited in claim 19 wherein said template is formed from a material selected from a group of materials comprising fused-silica, quartz, silicon, organic polymers, siloxane polymers, borosilicate glass, fluorocarbon polymers, metal, and hardened sapphire.