Enhanced multi channel alignment

• US 7,785,096 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mii Newco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Schumaker, Philip D., Rafferty, Tom H., Choi, Byung-Jin, Nimmakayala, Pawan Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Ewald; Maria Veronica D
• Application Number:
  US12/389,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20090169662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 425/174.4, 425/385, 356/490, 264/293
• US Class Current: 425/385
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7042 Alignment for lithographic apparatus using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping or imprinting non-exposure lithographic processes per se G03F7/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7088 Alignment mark detection, e.g. TTR, TTL, off-axis detection, array detector, video detection

Abstract

An imprint lithography system operable for imprinting a pattern into a material deposited between an imprint mold and a substrate, the system including, inter alia, a first set of imaging units positioned at a first angle relative to normal of the substrate; and a second set of imaging units positioned at a second angle relative to normal of the substrate, wherein the first and second angles are not equal to each other.

Claims

1. An imprint lithography system operable for imprinting a pattern into a material deposited between an imprint mold and a substrate, the system comprising:

a first set of imaging units positioned at a first acute angle relative to normal of the substrate; and

a second set of imaging units positioned at a second acute angle relative to normal of the substrate, wherein the first and second angles are not equal to each other;

wherein the first and second sets of imaging units each comprise at least four imaging units and the first set of imaging units and the second set of imaging units comprise a N-channel imaging system, further comprising;

a M-channel imaging system having first and second N-channel imaging systems positioned at an angle to each other; and

a beam splitter operable for directing imaging light beams from both N-channel imaging systems towards alignment marks on the substrate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging units are operable to view alignment marks on the substrate in order to properly align the system with an imprinting field on the substrate.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising x-y actuators for re-aligning certain ones of the imaging units in order to align the system for imprinting of a portion of the imprinting field.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the portion of the imprinting field lies along an edge of the substrate.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the first and second angles are defined by angles in degrees between the normal angle to the substrate and longitudinal axes of the imaging units.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein each imaging unit comprises an imaging system that emits a light beam in parallel alignment with the imaging unit'"'"'s longitudinal axis towards its respective alignment mark.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein certain ones of the imaging units further comprise a prism to re-direct the light beam.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein certain ones of the imaging units further comprises a mirror to re-direct the light beam.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein each imaging unit comprises an imaging system that emits a light beam in non-parallel alignment with the imaging unit'"'"'s longitudinal axis towards its respective alignment mark.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein N≧

8 and M≧

6.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an energy source positioned to emit energy along a path, the energy capable of solidifying the material deposited between the imprint mold and the substrate, wherein the first set of imaging units and the second set of imaging units are outside of the energy path.

12. An imprint lithography system operable for imprinting a pattern into a material deposited between an imprint mold and a substrate, the system comprising:

a first N-channel imaging system positioned at a first angle, the first N-channel imaging system including a plurality of imaging sets, the imaging sets having a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit positioned at an acute angle to each other;

a second N-channel imaging system positioned at an angle to the first N-channel imaging system, the second N-channel imaging system including a plurality of imaging sets; and

,

a beam splitter operable for directing imaging light beams from the first N-channel imaging system and the second N-channel imaging system towards the substrate.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second N-channel imaging system includes at least two imaging units positioned at an acute angle relative to each other.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising an energy source positioned to emit energy along a path, the energy capable of solidifying the material deposited between the imprint mold and the substrate, wherein the imaging units are outside of the energy path.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the beam splitter directs imaging light beams toward at least a first alignment mark and a second alignment mark on the substrate.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the position of the first imaging unit corresponds to a diffracting angle of the first alignment mark on the substrate and the position of the second imaging unit corresponds to the diffracting angle of the second alignment mark on the substrate.

17. An imprint lithography system comprising:

an energy source positioned to emit energy along a path, the energy capable of solidifying material deposited between an imprint mold and a substrate;

a first set of imaging units positioned at a first inclined angle relative to normal of the substrate; and

a second set of imaging units positioned at a second inclined angle relative to normal of the substrate, wherein the first and second angles are not equal to each other

wherein the first and second sets of imaging units each comprise at least four imaging units and the first set of imaging units and the second set of imaging units comprise a N-channel imaging system, further comprising;

a M-channel imaging system having first and second N-channel imaging systems positioned at an angle to each other; and

a beam splitter operable for directing imaging light beams from both N-channel imaging systems towards alignment marks on the substrate.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the imaging units are operable to view alignment marks on the substrate and further comprise an imaging system that emits a light beam in parallel alignment with the imaging unit'"'"'s longitudinal axis towards its respective alignment mark.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising x-y actuators for re-aligning certain ones of the imaging units in order to align the system for imprinting of a portion of the imprinting field.