Method and apparatus for imprinting energy ray-setting resin, and discs and semiconductor devices with imprinted resin layer

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method for transferring a pattern of minute dents and projections to an energy ray-setting resin layer coated on a substrate plate by pressing a master pattern on a transfer mold, followed by irradiation of energy rays. The pattern transfer method comprises the steps of pressing a master pattern on a transfer mold against the resin layer under a predetermined imprinting pressure, irradiating the resin layer under the imprinting pressure with energy rays, interrupting the irradiation of energy rays and at the same time cancelling application of the imprinting pressure and holding the resin layer and the transfer mold in a non-pressed state to relieve the resin layer of internal stresses, and recommencing irradiation of the resin layer with energy rays to complete hardening of the resin layer which is held in contact with the transfer mold in a non-pressed state.

1 . A method for transferring a pattern of minute dents and projections to an energy ray-setting resin layer coated on a substrate plate by pressing a master pattern on a transfer mold, followed by irradiation with energy rays, characterized in that said method comprises the steps of: 
 pressing said transfer mold against said resin layer by application of a predetermined imprinting pressure in a pattern imprinting stage to imprint profiles of minute dents and projections of said master pattern on said resin layer;    hardening said resin layer in a first hardening stage, irradiating energy rays toward said resin layer which is still in pressed contact with said transfer mold under said imprinting pressure;    temporarily interrupting irradiation of energy rays of hardening of said resin layer halfway in an interrupting stress relieving stage, holding said transfer mold in a non-pressed state to relieve internal stresses of said resin layer; and    recommencing irradiation of energy rays to complete hardening of said resin layer in a second hardening stage, holding said transfer mold in contact with said resin layer in a non-pressed state.    
   
   
       2 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said energy ray-setting resin is an ultraviolet-setting resin.  
   
   
       3 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said energy ray-setting resin is an electron ray-setting resin.  
   
   
       4 . An apparatus for transferring profiles of minute dents and projections of a master pattern on a transfer surface of a mold onto an energy ray-setting resin layer coated on a substrate plate by pressing said mold on said resin layer, said apparatus comprising: 
 a pattern imprinting means, including a substrate positioning member adapted to hold said substrate plate fixedly in position, a mold holder member adapted to hold said transfer mold fixedly thereon, facing a master pattern on a transfer surface of said mold toward said energy ray-setting resin layer of said substrate plate on said substrate positioning member, and a pressing means adapted to move said positioning member and said mold holder member relatively toward each other to apply an imprinting pressure thereto;    an energy ray irradiation means so positioned as to irradiate said resin layer with energy rays at the time of hardening same; and    a control means adapted to control operations of said pattern imprinting stage and said energy ray irradiation means in each pattern transfer cycle of actuating said pressing means to press said transfer mold and said resin layer to each other with a predetermined imprinting pressure to transfer profiles of minute dents and projections of said master pattern onto said resin layer, irradiating said resin layer with energy rays from said energy ray irradiation means, interrupting irradiation of energy rays halfway of hardening as soon as said resin layer reaches a semi-hardened state and at the same time cancelling application of the imprinting pressure and leaving said resin layer and transfer mold in a non-pressed state for relieving internal stresses of the resin layer, and recommencing irradiation of said resin layer with energy rays in said non-pressed state to complete hardening of said resin layer.    
   
   
       5 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said control means is adapted to hold said resin layer and said transfer mold in contact with each other in a non-pressed state after negation of said imprinting pressure.  
   
   
       6 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said energy ray-setting resin is an ultraviolet curing resin.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said energy ray-setting resin is an electron ray-setting resin, and said energy ray is an electron ray.  
   
   
       8 . A data storage disc or a semiconductor device having a pattern imprinted on an energy ray-setting resin by the method defined in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       9 . A data storage disc or a semiconductor device having a pattern imprinted on an energy ray-setting resin by the use of the apparatus defined in  claim 4.