Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090025246 | Remote Center Compliant Flexure Device - An apparatus to control displacement of a body spaced-apart from a surface includes a flexure system having a first flexure member defining a first axis of rotation and a second flexure member defining a second axis of rotation. A body is coupled to the flexure system to move about a plurality of axes. An actuation system is coupled to the flexure system to selectively constrain movement of the body along a subset of the plurality of axes. | 01-29-2009 |
20090026657 | Alignment System and Method for a Substrate in a Nano-Imprint Process - A transparent imprint template mold is configured with gratings surrounding the active imprint area. The gratings are fabricated at the same time as the active area and thus accurately define the active area with respect to the gratings. The substrate is positioned in tool coordinates under the template mold. A sensor system generates a beam of optical energy and receives reflected energy only at a specific angular window and is used to locate the template mold. The sensor system is scanned to locate the substrate and the gratings in tool coordinates. In this manner, the relative position of the template mold is determined with respect to the substrate in tool coordinates. The substrate is then accurately positioned with respect to the template mold. The system may be used to track imprinted pattern position relative to the substrate and to determine concentricity of patterns to substrates. | 01-29-2009 |
20090037004 | Method and System to Control Movement of a Body for Nano-Scale Manufacturing - The present invention is directed towards a method and system of controlling movement of a body coupled to an actuation system that features translating movement of the body in a plane extending by imparting angular motion in the actuation system with respect to two spaced-apart axes. Specifically, rotational motion is generated in two spaced-apart planes, one of which extends parallel to the plane in which the body translates. This facilitates proper orientation of the body with respect to a surface spaced-apart therefrom. | 02-05-2009 |
20090133751 | Nanostructured Organic Solar Cells - Solar cells having at least one electron acceptor layer and at least one electron donor layer forming a patterned p-n junction are described. Electron acceptor layer may be formed by patterning formable N-type material between a template and an electrode layer, and solidifying the formable N-type material. | 05-28-2009 |
20090140458 | POROUS TEMPLATE AND IMPRINTING STACK FOR NANO-IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography template or imprinting stack includes a porous material defining a multiplicity of pores with an average pore size of at least about 0.4 nm. A porosity of the porous material is at least about 10%. The porous template, the porous imprinting stack, or both may be used in an imprint lithography process to facilitate diffusion of gas trapped between the template and the imprinting stack into the template, the imprinting stack or both, such that polymerizable material between the imprinting stack and the template rapidly forms a substantially continuous layer between the imprinting stack and the template. | 06-04-2009 |
20090169662 | Enhanced Multi Channel Alignment - 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. | 07-02-2009 |
20090214686 | Formation of Conductive Templates Employing Indium Tin Oxide - The present invention is directed to a method forming conductive templates that includes providing a substrate; forming a mesa on the substrate; and forming a plurality of recessions and projections on the mesa with a nadir of the recessions comprising electrically conductive material and the projections comprising electrically insulative material. It is desired that the mesa be substantially transparent to a predetermined wavelength of radiation, for example ultraviolet radiation. As a result, it is desired to form the electrically conductive material from a material that allows ultraviolet radiation to propagate therethrough. In the present invention indium tin oxide is a suitable material from which to form the electrical conductive material. | 08-27-2009 |
20090214689 | Imprint Lithography Templates Having Alignment Marks - One embodiment of the present invention is an imprint template for imprint lithography that comprises alignment marks embedded in bulk material of the imprint template. | 08-27-2009 |
20090214761 | REAL TIME IMPRINT PROCESS DIAGNOSTICS FOR DEFECTS - Defects and/or particles during an imprint lithography process may provide exclusion zones and/or transition zones in the patterned layer. Exclusion zones and/or transition zones in the patterned layer may be identified to provide a region of interest on a template. | 08-27-2009 |
20090243153 | Large Area Roll-To-Roll Imprint Lithography - Droplets of polymerizable material may be patterned on a film sheet. The droplets of polymerizable material may be dispensed on the film sheet. A pre-determined force may be applied to an imprint lithography template such that localized trapping of the droplets of the polymerizable material on the film sheet is minimized and the droplets coalesce to form a continuous layer. The polymerizable material may be solidified to form a patterned layer having a residual layer and at least one feature. | 10-01-2009 |
20090250840 | Template Having Alignment Marks Formed of Contrast Material - Imprint lithography substrates may include alignment marks formed of high contrast material. Exemplary methods for forming alignment marks having high contrast material are described. | 10-08-2009 |
20090283934 | Imprinting of Partial Fields at the Edge of the Wafer - Edge field patterning of a substrate having full fields and partial fields may include patterning using a template having multiple mesas with each mesa corresponding to a field on the substrate. Polymerizable material may be deposited solely between the template and the full fields of the substrate. A non-reactive material may be deposited between the template and partial fields of the substrate. | 11-19-2009 |
20090294059 | Remote Center Compliant Flexure Device - An apparatus to control displacement of a body spaced-apart from a surface includes a flexure system having a first flexure member defining a first axis of rotation and a second flexure member defining a second axis of rotation. A body is coupled to the flexure system to move about a plurality of axes. An actuation system is coupled to the flexure system to selectively constrain movement of the body along a subset of the plurality of axes. | 12-03-2009 |
20100015270 | INNER CAVITY SYSTEM FOR NANO-IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - A nano-imprint lithography template system having a support layer with at least one port, and a patterned surface layer coupled to the support layer. Coupling of the patterned surface layer to the support layer forms a cavity. Pressure within the cavity is controlled through the port of the support layer. | 01-21-2010 |
20100038827 | Interferometric Analysis Method for the Manufacture of Nano-Scale Devices - The present invention features a method to determine relative spatial parameters between two coordinate systems, which may be a mold and a region of a substrate in which mold is employed to generate a pattern. The method includes sensing relative alignment between the two coordinate systems at multiple points and determines relative spatial parameters therebetween. The relative spatial parameters include a relative area and a relative shape. | 02-18-2010 |
20100059914 | Chucking System Comprising an Array of Fluid Chambers - The present invention is directed towards a chucking system to hold a substrate, said system including, inter alia, a chuck body having first and second opposed sides, said first side including an array of fluid chambers arranged in rows and columns, said fluid chambers each comprising first and second spaced-apart recesses defining first and second spaced-apart support regions, with said first support region cincturing said second support region and said first and second recesses, and said second support region cincturing said second recess, with said substrate resting against said first and second support regions, with said first recess and a portion of said substrate in superimposition therewith defining a first chamber and said second recess and a portion of said substrate in superimposition therewith defining a second chamber, with each column of said first chambers and each row of said second chambers being in fluid communication with a differing source of fluid to control a flow of fluid in said array of fluid chambers. | 03-11-2010 |
20100072652 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY SYSTEM AND METHOD - System, method and process for imprinting a substrate using controlled deformation of a substrate and/or a template. The substrate and/or template may be positioned in single wave formation or double wave formation during an imprint lithography process. | 03-25-2010 |
20100085555 | In-Situ Cleaning of an Imprint Lithography Tool - Imprint lithography system may provide for an energy source for solidification of material positioned between a template and a substrate. Additionally, the energy source and/or an additional energy source may be used to clean contaminants from the template and/or the substrate. | 04-08-2010 |
20100090130 | Energy Sources for Curing in an Imprint Lithography System - Energy sources and methods for curing in an imprint lithography system are described. The energy sources may include one or more energy elements positioned outside of the viewing range of an imaging unit monitoring elements of the imprint lithography system. Each energy source is configured to provide energy along a path to solidify polymerizable material on a substrate. | 04-15-2010 |
20100096766 | Imprint Lithography System and Method - A loading unit, surface scanning module, and an imprint module may be integrated into a single tool. Template may be loaded on loading unit and positioned within imprint module. Substrate may then be loaded on loading unit and scanned defects using surface scanning module. If substrate passes inspection by surface scanning module, substrate may be positioned imprint module where formable material may be dispensed thereon and imprinted. The imprinted substrate may then be unloaded from imprinting module. | 04-22-2010 |
20100102469 | Strain and Kinetics Control During Separation Phase of Imprint Process - Systems and methods for improving robust layer separation during the separation process of an imprint lithography process are described. Included are methods of matching strains between a substrate to be imprinted and the template, varying or modifying the forces applied to the template and/or the substrate during separation, or varying or modifying the kinetics of the separation process. | 04-29-2010 |
20100109202 | Substrate Alignment - Systems and methods for imprinting a patterned layer on a substrate are described. Features of patterned layer may be concentrically imprinted in relation to a shaft positioned on a substrate chuck. The substrate may be biased using a radius difference between a diameter of the shaft and an inner diameter of the substrate in relation to a point on an inner edge of the substrate. | 05-06-2010 |
20100110409 | Separation in an Imprint Lithography Process - Systems, methods, and processes for separating a template from a substrate retained on an air cavity chuck during an imprint lithography process. Generally, vacuum level provided by air cavity chuck may be controlled during conforming of polymerizable material between the template and the substrate and during separation of the template and the substrate. | 05-06-2010 |
20100110434 | Alignment for Edge Field Nano-Imprinting - Systems and methods for alignment of template and substrate at the edge of substrate are described. | 05-06-2010 |
20100112116 | Double-Sided Nano-Imprint Lithography System - A nano-imprint lithography system is described for patterning first and second substrates, the system includes a translation stage constructed to alternatively place substrate chucks in position with respect to a nano-imprint mold assembly such that the nano-imprint mold assembly may imprint a pattern on one of the substrates, while concurrently obtaining a desired spatial relationship for the remaining substrate. | 05-06-2010 |
20100112310 | Substrate Patterning - Systems and methods for providing identification patterns on substrates are described. | 05-06-2010 |
20100119637 | Method to Control an Atmosphere Between a Body and a Substrate - Systems to control an atmosphere about a substrate are described. The systems include a wall coupled to the substrate to create a resistance of the flow between different regions of the substrate. | 05-13-2010 |
20100129486 | Method and System for Double-Sided Patterning of Substrates - A system of patterning first and second opposed sides of a substrate is described. The system may employ a mold assembly and obtaining a desired spatial relationship between the first and second opposed sides of the substrate and the mold assembly. In a further embodiment, the method and system may employ a first and a second mold assembly. | 05-27-2010 |
20100140841 | Capillary Imprinting Technique - The present invention provides a method for patterning a substrate with a template having a mold that features positioning conformable material between the substrate and the mold and filling a volume defined between the mold and the substrate with the conformable material through capillary action between the conformable material and one of the mold and the substrate. Thereafter, the conformable material is solidified. Specifically, the distance between the mold and the substrate is controlled to a sufficient degree to attenuate, if not avoid, compressive forces between the mold and the substrate. As a result, upon initial contact of the mold with the conformable material, spontaneous capillary filling of the volume between the mold and the substrate occurs. | 06-10-2010 |
20100143521 | Method for Expelling Gas Positioned Between a Substrate and a Mold - The present invention is directed towards a system for expelling a gas positioned between a substrate and a mold, the substrate and the mold further having a liquid positioned therebetween. | 06-10-2010 |
20100154993 | SEPARATION METHODS FOR IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - Methods for separating a template from a substrate are described. Generally, the template and the substrate have a template-substrate interface. A tilting motion may be generated about a tilting axis located at the template-substrate interface. The tilting motion may include forming a wedge between the template and the substrate at one end of the template-substrate interface. The substrate may be titled with respect to the template, and the template may remain stationary. Additionally, a force may be applied to increase a distance between the template and the substrate, such that the template is spaced apart from the substrate. | 06-24-2010 |
20100173034 | Conforming Template for Patterning Liquids Disposed on Substrates - The present invention includes a template for patterning liquids disposed on a substrate. The template includes a body having opposed first and second surfaces with one surface having at least one recess and the other surface having a patterning region. In one embodiment, the template may be mounted to a fluid chamber having an inlet and a throughway. The template may be connected to the throughway and the inlet is connected to a fluid source. | 07-08-2010 |
20100259745 | METHOD FOR OBTAINING FORCE COMBINATIONS FOR TEMPLATE DEFORMATION USING NULLSPACE AND METHODS OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES - The present invention is directed towards a method for determining deformation parameters that a patterned device would undergo to minimize dimensional variations between a recorded pattern thereon and a reference pattern, the method including, inter alia, comparing spatial variation between features of the recorded pattern with respect to corresponding features of the reference pattern; and determining deformation forces to apply to the patterned device to attenuate the dimensional variations, with the forces having predetermined constraints, wherein a summation of a magnitude of the forces is substantially zero and a summation of moment of the forces is substantially zero. | 10-14-2010 |
20100278954 | Method of Concurrently Patterning a Substrate Having a Plurality of Fields and a Plurality of Alignment Marks - Imprint lithography templates for patterning substrates are described. The templates include a section having a mold a first pattern of alignment forming areas and template alignment marks. The additional sections are generally devoid of a mold. One or more of the additional section may include the first pattern of a second pattern of alignment forming areas and template alignment marks. The second pattern may correspond to the first pattern. | 11-04-2010 |
20100291257 | Template Having a Varying Thickness to Facilitate Expelling a Gas Positioned Between a Substrate and the Template - A nanoimprint lithography template including, inter alia, a body having first and second opposed sides with a first surface disposed on the first side, the second side having a recess disposed therein, the body having first and second regions with the second region surrounding the first region and the recess in superimposition with the first region, with a portion of the first surface in superimposition with the first region being spaced-apart from the second side a first distance and a portion of the first surface in superimposition with the second region being spaced-apart from the second side a second distance, with the second distance being greater than the first distance; and a mold disposed on the first side of the body in superimposition a portion of the first region. | 11-18-2010 |
20100314803 | Chucking System for Nano-Manufacturing - A chucking system may include a plurality of discrete vacuum sections. The size of at least one vacuum section may be configured to be substantially similar to size of a strained region of the substrate. The strained region of the substrate is a localized deformation in the substrate due to separation force applied during a nano-imprint lithography process. | 12-16-2010 |
20100320645 | DUAL ZONE TEMPLATE CHUCK - A template chuck includes multiple zones to provide 1) an imprint bend optimized to provide high curvature and provide contact at middle radius of substrate and/or, 2) separation bend zone with an increased free span zone and high crack angle. | 12-23-2010 |
20110001954 | CHUCKING SYSTEM WITH RECESSED SUPPORT FEATURE - In an imprint lithography system, a recessed support on a template chuck may alter a shape of a template positioned thereon providing minimization and/or elimination of premature downward deflection of outer edges of the template in a nano imprint lithography process. | 01-06-2011 |
20110014314 | Chucking System for Nano-Manufacturing - Chucking mechanisms may include a plurality of chucking sections respectively connecting to a pressure control device to generate individual chucking forces. The individual chucking forces of the chucking sections may be varied by the pressure control device such that a magnitude of separation force is reduced for an imprint lithography system. | 01-20-2011 |
20110026039 | Alignment System and Method for a Substrate in a Nano-Imprint Process - Methods described include placing a sensor system over a substrate positioned on a chuck. The sensor system generates a beam of optical energy towards the substrate and is configured to receive optical energy deflected from the substrate. The sensor system generates sensor signals in response to variations in received optical energy from the substrate and the chuck. | 02-03-2011 |
20110042345 | METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING CHUCKING SYSTEMS - Methods for manufacturing chucking systems are described. Generally, a plurality of flow holes may be provided in an optical flat. A surface of the optical flat may be masked and patterned to provide a desired feature (e.g., pins or grooves). The surface may etched to produce the desired feature on the surface of the optical flat. | 02-24-2011 |
20110048160 | Method and System to Control Movement of a Body for Nano-Scale Manufacturing - Systems to control movement of a template during an imprint lithography process are described. The systems include an orientation stage having an inner frame, and outer frame, and a plurality of actuators coupled between the inner frame and the outer frame to vary translational motion and impart angular motion about a plurality of axes. | 03-03-2011 |
20110084417 | LARGE AREA LINEAR ARRAY NANOIMPRINTING - Systems and methods for imprinting and aligning an imprint lithography template with a field on a substrate are described. The field of the substrate may include an elongated side, and alignment sensitivity on the elongated side may be intentionally minimized. | 04-14-2011 |
20110140302 | Capillary Imprinting Technique - The present invention provides a method for patterning a substrate with a template having a mold that features positioning conformable material between the substrate and the mold and filling a volume defined between the mold and the substrate with the conformable material through capillary action between the conformable material and one of the mold and the substrate. Thereafter, the conformable material is solidified. Specifically, the distance between the mold and the substrate is controlled to a sufficient degree to attenuate, if not avoid, compressive forces between the mold and the substrate. As a result, upon initial contact of the mold with the conformable material, capillary filling of the volume between the mold and the substrate occurs. | 06-16-2011 |
20110140304 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY TEMPLATE - Nano imprint lithography templates for purging of fluid during nano imprint lithography processes are described. The templates may include an inner channel and an outer channel. The inner channel constructed to provide fluid communication with a process gas supply to a region between the template and a substrate during the nano imprint lithography process. The outer channel constructed to evacuate fluid and/or confine fluid between the active area of template and the substrate. | 06-16-2011 |
20110171340 | Template Having a Varying Thickness to Facilitate Expelling a Gas Positioned Between a Substrate and the Template - A nanoimprint lithography template including, inter alia, a body having first and second opposed sides with a first surface disposed on the first side, the second side having a recess disposed therein, the body having first and second regions with the second region surrounding the first region and the recess in superimposition with the first region, with a portion of the first surface in superimposition with the first region being spaced-apart from the second side a first distance and a portion of the first surface in superimposition with the second region being spaced-apart from the second side a second distance, with the second distance being greater than the first distance; and a mold disposed on the first side of the body in superimposition a portion of the first region. | 07-14-2011 |
20110180964 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SUBSTRATE FORMATION - Templates for patterning large area substrates are provided. Generally, templates include a body and a plurality of molds positioned on the body. Each mold has a first length and each mold may be separated by an open space having a distance therebetween. The length of the mold may be substantially similar to the distance between the open space or the length of the mold may be substantially greater than the distance between the open space. Additionally, purging techniques that incorporate features of the template are described. | 07-28-2011 |
20110183070 | ROLL-TO-ROLL IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY AND PURGING SYSTEM - Droplets of polymerizable material may be patterned on a film sheet using a roll-to-roll system. The droplets of polymerizable material may be dispensed on the film sheet such that a substantially continuous patterned layer may be formed on the film sheet. A contact system provides for smooth fluid front progression the polymerizable material during imprinting. A gas purging system may be positioned during imprinting. Gas purging systems may provide for purging in parallel as fluid front of polymerizable material moves through roll-to-roll system. | 07-28-2011 |
20110183521 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF MATERIAL REMOVAL AND PATTERN TRANSFER - Polymerized material on a substrate may be removed by exposure to vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation from an energy source within a gaseous atmosphere of a controlled composition. Following such removal, additional etching techniques are also described for nano-imprinting. | 07-28-2011 |
20110193251 | Process Gas Confinement for Nano-Imprinting - Gas confinement systems and methods are described. In particular, systems and methods are described that include a barrier that confines purging gas and restricts flow of purging gas to other elements within a nano-lithography system. The barrier can be adjusted to accommodate and/or control desired pressure variations between working and external environments. | 08-11-2011 |
20110212263 | Imprinting of Partial Fields at the Edge of the Wafer - Edge field patterning of a substrate having full fields and partial fields may include patterning using a template having multiple mesas with each mesa corresponding to a field on the substrate. Polymerizable material may be deposited solely between the template and the full fields of the substrate. A non-reactive material may be deposited between the template and partial fields of the substrate. | 09-01-2011 |
20110260361 | SAFE DEPARATION FOR NANO IMPRINTING - Control of lateral strain and lateral strain ratio (d | 10-27-2011 |
20120112385 | PATTERNING OF NON-CONVEX SHAPED NANOSTRUCTURES - Methods of making nano-scale structures with geometric cross-sections, including convex or non-convex cross-sections, are described. The approach may be used to directly pattern substrates and/or create imprint lithography templates or molds that may be subsequently used to directly replicate nano-shaped patterns into other substrates, such as into a functional or sacrificial resist to form functional nanoparticles. | 05-10-2012 |
20130214452 | LARGE AREA IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - Methods and systems are provided for patterning polymerizable material dispensed on flexible substrates or flat substrates using imprint lithography techniques. Template replication methods and systems are also presented where patterns from a master are transferred to flexible substrates to form flexible film templates. Such flexible film templates are then used to pattern large area flat substrates. Contact between the imprint template and substrate can be initiated and propagated by relative translation between the template and the substrate. | 08-22-2013 |
20140117574 | Strain and Kinetics Control During Separation Phase of Imprint Process - Systems and methods for improving robust layer separation during the separation process of an imprint lithography process are described. Included are methods of matching strains between a substrate to be imprinted and the template, varying or modifying the forces applied to the template and/or the substrate during separation, or varying or modifying the kinetics of the separation process. | 05-01-2014 |
20140312532 | IMPRINT APPARATUS AND ARTICLE MANUFACTURING METHOD - Provided is an imprint apparatus that imprints a pattern formed on a mold onto a substrate. The imprint apparatus includes a substrate holder that holds the substrate and can move in a direction along the surface of the substrate; a gas supply unit for supplying a gas into a space between a pattern part of the mold and the substrate; and a wall part that is disposed so as to enclose the space that is supplied with gas, wherein at a position opposed to the substrate and the mold, the wall part faces the substrate holder or the substrate with a gap therebetween. | 10-23-2014 |
20140314897 | NANO IMPRINTING WITH REUSABLE POLYMER TEMPLATE WITH METALLIC OR OXIDE COATING - Methods and systems are provided for fabricating polymer-based imprint lithography templates having thin metallic or oxide coated patterning surfaces. Such templates show enhanced fluid spreading and filling (even in absence of purging gases), good release properties, and longevity of use. Methods and systems for fabricating oxide coated versions, in particular, can be performed under atmospheric pressure conditions, allowing for lower cost processing and enhanced throughput. | 10-23-2014 |
20140319727 | PATTERNING OF NON-CONVEX SHAPED NANOSTRUCTURES - Methods of making nano-scale structures with geometric cross-sections, including convex or non-convex cross-sections, are described. The approach may be used to directly pattern substrates and/or create imprint lithography templates or molds that may be subsequently used to directly replicate nano-shaped patterns into other substrates, such as into a functional or sacrificial resist to form functional nanoparticles. | 10-30-2014 |