Apparatus for imprint lithography comprising a logic element configured to generate a fluid droplet pattern and a method of using such apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for imprint lithography can include a logic element configured to generate a fluid droplet pattern of fluid droplets of a formable material to be dispensed onto a substrate. The fluid droplet pattern includes an imprint field, wherein the imprint field has a side and a drop exclusion zone along the side, and the drop exclusion zone is narrower at a first point farther from the center of a side and wider at a second point closer to the center of the side. In another aspect, a method can be carried out using the apparatus. The apparatus and method can be useful in filling an imprint field with a formable material relatively quickly without extrusion defects or other complications.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for imprint lithography comprising a logic element configured to generate a fluid droplet pattern of fluid droplets of a formable material to be dispensed onto a substrate, wherein the fluid droplet pattern includes an imprint field, wherein:
 the imprint field has a side and a drop exclusion zone along the side; and   the drop exclusion zone is narrower at a first point farther from a center of the side and wider at a second point closer to the center of the side.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid droplet pattern is organized in rows, wherein each row includes a terminal fluid droplet along a boundary of the drop exclusion zone. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein:
 a first terminal fluid droplet is along a first row, and a second terminal fluid droplet is along a second row;   the center of the side of the imprint field is closer to the second terminal fluid droplet than to the first terminal fluid droplet; and   the first terminal fluid droplet has a corresponding first DEE, and the second terminal fluid droplet has a corresponding second DEE that is longer than the first DEE.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the fluid droplet pattern is arranged in rows that extend in a translating direction and has a translating fluid droplet pitch; and   a difference between the second and first DEEs is less than the translating fluid droplet pitch.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an angle between the side of the imprint field and a length of a fluid dispenser is configured to be changed during a pass or between different passes. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein a fluid dispense system comprises a first fluid dispenser and a second fluid dispenser. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second fluid dispensers are in different rotational directions with respect to the side of the imprint field. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first fluid dispenser and the second fluid dispenser are along different sides of the imprint field. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first fluid dispenser and the second fluid dispenser are along adjacent sides of the imprint field. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first fluid dispenser has a length that lies along a first line;   the second fluid dispenser has a length that lies along a second line; and   the first and second lines intersect at an angle other than 90°.   
     
     
         11 . An imprint lithography method, the method comprising:
 generating a fluid droplet pattern of fluid droplets of a formable material to be dispensed onto a substrate, wherein the fluid droplet pattern includes an imprint field, wherein:
 the imprint field has a side and a drop exclusion zone along the side; and 
 the drop exclusion zone is narrower at a first point farther from a center of the side and wider at a second point closer to the center of the side; and 
   dispensing fluid droplets of the formable material onto the substrate corresponding to the fluid droplet pattern.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein dispensing the fluid droplets of the formable material is performed during a single pass using a first fluid dispenser and a second fluid dispenser that are in different rotational positions with respect to each other. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein dispensing the fluid droplets of the formable material comprises:
 dispensing a first set of the fluid droplets using a fluid dispenser during a first pass;   rotating the fluid dispenser, the substrate, or both; and   dispensing a second set of the fluid droplets using the fluid dispenser during a second pass.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein dispensing the fluid droplets of the formable material comprises:
 dispensing a first set of the fluid droplets using a first fluid dispenser and a second set of fluid droplets using a second fluid dispenser during a pass; and   rotating the first fluid dispenser, the second fluid dispenser, the substrate or any combination during the pass.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising providing an apparatus having a fluid dispense system that includes a first fluid dispenser and a second fluid dispenser, wherein:
 the first fluid dispenser and the second fluid dispenser are oriented along adjacent sides of the imprint field before dispensing the fluid droplets;   the first fluid dispenser has a length that lies along a first line;   the second fluid dispenser has a length that lies along a second line; and   the first and second lines intersect at an angle other than 90°.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein dispensing the fluid droplets of the formable material comprises:
 dispensing a first set of the fluid droplets using the first fluid dispenser; and   dispensing a second set of the fluid droplets using the second fluid dispenser.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein generating the fluid droplet pattern is performed such that, wherein on an intra-row basis, fluid droplets from each of first and second passes or different fluid dispensers along a row has a predetermined local volume of the formable material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the fluid droplets from the first and second passes meet at a junction that is spaced apart from a central portion of the imprint field. 
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising:
 providing a fluid dispense system having fluid dispense ports;   generating a fluid droplet pattern of fluid droplets of a formable material to be dispensed onto a substrate, wherein the fluid droplet pattern includes an imprint field, wherein:
 the imprint field has a side and a drop exclusion zone along the side; and 
 the drop exclusion zone is narrower at a first point farther from a center of the side and wider at a second point closer to the center of the side; and 
   moving a substrate of the article and the fluid dispense ports relative to each other;   dispensing fluid droplets of the formable material onto the substrate corresponding to the fluid droplet pattern;   contacting the formable material with the template having a patterned surface; and   curing the formable material to form a patterned layer corresponding to the patterned surface of the template.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the article includes an electronic device, and the substrate includes a semiconductor wafer.