JP7597409B2 - Microstructure transfer device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a microstructure transfer device and a microstructure transfer method that transfers a microstructure onto a substrate using a mold on whose surface a fine uneven pattern of nanometer order or the like is formed.

Ultraviolet/electron beam lithography, a microfabrication technique used in exposure devices for semiconductor manufacturing, is expensive and has complex processes, and there are problems with improving the time and cost required for manufacturing. However, with the development of nanoimprint lithography (hereinafter referred to as NIL), which directly transfers a mold (also called a stamper or template) with a fine concave-convex pattern onto a resin material, etc., it has become possible to easily realize fine patterns on the order of 10 nm to several hundreds of nm using simple equipment and processes, and this has led to increased advantages in terms of equipment price and mass production costs. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a microstructure in which a fine concave-convex pattern formed on the surface of a mold is inverted and transferred to the mold by electroless plating. In particular, Patent Document 1 describes that a cushioning material is placed on the top surface of the obtained microstructure (the surface opposite to the surface on which the fine concave-convex pattern is formed), and a release agent is coated on the surface of the fine concave-convex pattern to form a stamper.

Patent Document 2 proposes an NIL device in which the cross-sectional area of the portion that holds the substrate pressure surface is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the substrate pressure surface of the stamper in order to improve the time required for the temperature rise and cooling cycle in heat and pressure transfer. Patent Document 3 discloses an NIL device that is provided with a temporary placement surface on which a substrate is temporarily placed, and a temporary placement member that is gradually moved to the substrate placement surface, thereby preventing misalignment due to air voids between the substrate and the substrate placement stage and enabling highly accurate transfer.

Patent document 4 proposes a roll-to-roll NIL device that allows the buffer material to be replaced sequentially during heating and pressure application, with the aim of achieving more accurate transfer.

Patent Document 5 also discloses a NIL device that uses multiple rollers to heat and press a stamper onto a resin layer to transfer the pattern, enabling accurate and high-precision pattern transfer even when the rotation speed of the transfer roll is increased, with the aim of improving production throughput and reducing mass production costs.

For example, Patent Document 6 discloses a NIL device that uses a photocurable resin, in which a mold is pressed against a workpiece made of a thin film of ultraviolet-curable resin to perform compression molding, and then ultraviolet light is applied to transfer a pattern. The device uses a light source that does not continuously radiate heat rays at the same time as the ultraviolet light to suppress temperature rise. Patent Document 7 discloses a NIL device that uses a roll-to-roll method to send out a photocurable transfer sheet having a photocurable transfer layer to which a transparent film is adhesively fixed, exposes the photocurable transfer layer, presses it with a stamper, irradiates it with light from a UV lamp, and transfers the fine uneven pattern of the stamper.

JP 2005-189128 A JP 2004-288784 A JP 2006-62208 A JP 2004-288804 A JP 2006-326948 A WO2009/110596 publication JP 2011-66100 A

The NIL apparatuses disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 to 6 are configured to imprint substrates one by one using a mold. However, since this is a stamp method that directly contacts the mold, there is a risk of the mold being damaged due to the adhesion of material or foreign matter to the mold.
Since the cost of producing a mold is very high and the time required for producing the mold is long, it is necessary to minimize the number of times the mold is used. Also, there is a risk of the mold being damaged or chipped due to being dropped or hit during mold changeover.

For this reason, a method is used in which replica molds are formed from soft materials using a master mold, and then production is carried out using the replica mold, without using expensive master molds in production. However, replica molds need to be replaced every few hundred times, although the frequency varies depending on the product and material, and because replacing replica molds (hereafter referred to as replicas) and setup work take time, there has been a desire to reduce setup costs.

In addition, the NIL device disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 7 is configured to form an intermediate stamper (replica) using a mold, then pitch-feed the intermediate stamper and imprint the substrates one by one with the intermediate stamper. Therefore, since the expensive mold is configured to be constantly placed under the photocurable transfer sheet having a photocurable transfer layer to which the transparent film on which the intermediate stamper is formed is adhesively fixed, there is a risk that the mold may be damaged by foreign objects falling from the photocurable transfer sheet.

Furthermore, with the recent rapid spread of relatively small displays such as those used in smartphones and tablet devices, there is a demand for manufacturing equipment for LCD panels and the like that can produce them with higher throughput. In addition, the trend for larger screens and higher resolution in TV display panels and the like is accelerating, and there is a demand for even higher-definition next-generation displays.

The present invention provides a microstructure transfer device and a microstructure transfer method capable of fixing multiple replicas to a sheet-like body (film). The present invention also provides a microstructure transfer device and a microstructure transfer method capable of continuously forming a pattern on a substrate using multiple consecutive replicas on the above-mentioned sheet-like body (film).

In order to solve the above problems, the microstructure transfer device of the present invention includes an unwinder that winds up a sheet-like body or a sheet-like body with a replica fixed thereto and unwinds the sheet-like body or the sheet-like body with the replica fixed thereto, a winder that winds up the sheet-like body or the sheet-like body with the replica fixed thereto that is transported via a plurality of guide rolls, a stage that is disposed between the unwinder and the winder and is disposed below the sheet-like body or the sheet-like body with the replica fixed thereto, a gantry into which a mold or a substrate to be mounted on the stage is carried, and a photocurable resin for replicas that is disposed on both sides of the gantry. The system comprises a coating mechanism and a photocurable resin coating mechanism for substrates, a first transport mechanism which loads a mold on which replica photocurable resin has been coated by the replica photocurable resin coating mechanism onto the stage from the side in the traveling direction of the sheet-like body relative to the gantry, a second transport mechanism which loads the substrate on which the photocurable resin for substrates has been coated onto the stage from the side in the traveling direction of the sheet-like body, and an imprint roll which is arranged between the unwinder and the winder on the opposite side of the sheet-like body from the stage and moves back and forth while applying pressure to at least the mold or the sheet-like body between both ends of the substrate towards the stage.

In the fine structure transfer device according to the present invention, the replica photocurable resin application mechanism or the substrate photocurable resin application mechanism is an inkjet printer.

The micropattern transfer device according to the present invention is characterized in that the stage is movable within a horizontal plane and displaceable in a rotational direction .

In addition, the fine structure transfer device according to the present invention is characterized in that the transport mechanism is a robot arm .

The present invention makes it possible to provide a microstructure transfer device and a microstructure transfer method that can continuously attach multiple replicas to a sheet-like body (film).

For example, since multiple replicas can be continuously attached to a sheet-like body, the throughput of replica formation can be improved. Furthermore, even if one of the multiple replicas attached to the sheet-like body reaches its usage limit, the next new replica can be used simply by feeding the sheet-like body in a pitch, which reduces the costs of replica replacement and setup work.

Problems, configurations, and advantages other than those described above will become clear from the description of the embodiments below.

1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a micropattern transfer device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the microstructure transfer device shown in FIG. 1 . 13A to 13C are diagrams showing an alignment step by an imaging unit during replica formation. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a film clamp and imprint roll pressing process during replica formation. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating nanoimprint operation steps during replica formation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a curing light irradiation step during replica formation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a peeling step during replica formation. 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the upstream guide roll, the imprint roll, and the downstream guide roll, and showing the state when a marker added to a sheet is detected. FIG. 13A to 13C are diagrams showing the operation of the upstream guide roll, the imprint roll, and the downstream guide roll, and are diagrams showing the state during the positioning operation and the positioning confirmation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the upstream guide roll, the imprint roll, and the downstream guide roll, and is a diagram showing the state when the film is clamped and the upstream guide roll is clamped. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the upstream guide roll, the imprint roll, and the downstream guide roll, illustrating the state when the imprint roll is lowered. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the upstream guide roll, the imprint roll, and the downstream guide roll, illustrating the state at the start of pressing the imprint roll and the downstream guide roll. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the upstream guide roll, the imprint roll, and the downstream guide roll, illustrating the state when both the imprint roll and the downstream guide roll move downstream and apply pressure. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the upstream guide roll, the imprint roll, and the downstream guide roll, and is a diagram showing the state when the curing light irradiator is lowered. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the upstream guide roll, the imprint roll, and the downstream guide roll, illustrating a state during irradiation with curing light. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the upstream guide roll, the imprint roll, and the downstream guide roll, illustrating the state when the film clamp is raised/retracted and both the imprint roll and the downstream guide roll start to move upstream. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the upstream guide roll, the imprint roll, and the downstream guide roll, illustrating a state during peeling. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the upstream guide roll, the imprint roll, and the downstream guide roll, illustrating the state when both the imprint roll and the downstream guide roll start to move upstream. FIG. 1 shows an overview of the process for replica formation, in which (A) is film alignment, (B) is pressing (imprinting), (C) is curing light irradiation, (D) is peeling, and (E) is a diagram showing the completion of replica formation. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the fine structure transfer device shown in FIG. 1, and is a side view showing the transfer of a fine concave-convex pattern onto a glass substrate by replica. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the microstructure transfer device shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 1 shows an overview of the process for forming a pattern on a glass substrate, in which (A) shows replica alignment, (B) shows pressing (imprinting), (C) shows curing light irradiation, (D) shows peeling, and (E) shows the completion of pattern formation on the glass substrate. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a micropattern transfer device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a micropattern transfer device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a mold is set on a stage in a replica formation process. 1A to 1C are diagrams showing the application of photocurable resin and mold positioning in a replica formation process. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a continuous replica formation state in the replica formation process. FIG. 13 shows the mold return state in the replica formation process. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a state in which a glass substrate is set on a stage in a process of forming a pattern on the glass substrate. 1A to 1C are diagrams showing the application of a photocurable resin and the positioning of a mold in a process of forming a pattern on a glass substrate. 1A to 1C are diagrams showing a state in which patterns are continuously formed in a pattern forming process on a glass substrate. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a state in which the glass substrate is returned in the process of forming a pattern on the glass substrate; FIG. 13 is a front view of a micropattern transfer device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 14 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 13, and is a cross-sectional view of the backup roll mechanism.

In this specification, a fine pattern area having a fine uneven pattern formed on a single mold or on the surface of a single mold is referred to as a "cell."

In addition, in this specification, a glass substrate is described as an example of a substrate to which a fine pattern is transferred by a replica to which the fine pattern of a mold (metal mold) is transferred, but the substrate is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that the substrate also includes substrates made of various panel materials such as resin substrates or film substrates. In other words, the substrate to which a fine pattern is transferred by a replica is a substrate.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of a microstructure transfer device of Example 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the microstructure transfer device shown in Figure 1. The white arrows shown in Figures 1 and 2 indicate the transport direction (supply direction) of the sheet-like body (film) 4.

(Configuration of the microstructure transfer device)

As shown in FIG. 1, the microstructure transfer device 1 includes, from the upstream side, a winder 5 that winds up the unwinding film (sheet-like body), a guide roll 3 that transports the sheet-like body (film) 4 sent out from the winder 5, a dry cleaner 9 that blows air onto the sheet-like body (film) 4 to remove dust adhering to the film surface, two guide rolls 3 that transport the sheet-like body (film) 4 vertically downward, an upstream guide roll (first guide roll) 3a that is arranged upstream of the imprint roll 2 described in detail below via a curing light irradiator 8, the curing light irradiator 8, the imprint roll 2, and a downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b that is adjacent to the imprint roll 2 and arranged downstream of it. Here, the curing light irradiator 8 irradiates, for example, ultraviolet light (ultraviolet light) as the curing light.

The microstructure transfer device 1 also includes a guide roll 3 that guides the sheet-like body (film) 4 passing through the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b vertically upward, a guide roll 3 that transports the sheet-like body (film) 4 horizontally downstream from the guide roll 3 and guides the sheet-like body (film) 4 vertically downward, a laser marker 10 that irradiates a laser to add markers to positions corresponding to the beginning and end of a fine pattern area formed on a mold when the sheet-like body (film) 4 passes through the guide roll 3, a dry cleaner 9 that blows air onto the sheet-like body (film) 4 to remove dust adhering to the film surface, two guide rolls 3 arranged below the dry cleaner 9, a dancer roll 7, a cleaning roll 12, two guide rolls 3, and a winder 6 that winds up the sheet-like body (film) 4.

The cleaning roll 12 has a surface (outer surface) of the paired cleaning roll coated with glue or the like in advance, and the sheet-like body (film) 4 passes between the paired cleaning rolls 12 while being sandwiched and in contact with the paired cleaning rolls 12, thereby removing dust and other particles adhering to the film surface. At this time, the replica, which will be described in detail later, is hardened and firmly fixed to the sheet-like body (film) 4, so that the replica does not detach or peel off from the sheet-like body (film) 4 when passing through the paired cleaning rolls 12. Note that, although this embodiment shows a configuration in which the microstructure transfer device 1 has a cleaning roll 12, the installation of the cleaning roll 12 is optional. In other words, a configuration without a cleaning roll 12 is also possible.

The sheet-like body (film) 4 is flexible and has the property of transmitting light. The dancer roll 7 applies a predetermined tension to the sheet-like body (film) 4 being transported by displacing left and right in FIG. 1, that is, back and forth in the horizontal plane. For example, based on the difference in diameter of each guide roll, even if the sheet-like body (film) 4 is sent out from the unwinder 5 at a predetermined feed amount (speed), the film may bend. However, by displacing the dancer roll 7 back and forth to adjust the tension of the sheet-like body (film) 4, the above-mentioned bending can be prevented.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the microstructure transfer device 1 has a stage 11 on which a mold 14 is placed, which is movable in the X-Y directions in a horizontal plane and displaceable in a rotational direction (θ). A photocurable resin is applied in advance to the fine unevenness pattern formed on the surface of the mold 14, and the mold is loaded onto and unloaded from the stage 11 by a transport mechanism such as a robot arm (not shown) (arrows in Figure 2). The stage 11 is provided with, for example, a vacuum chuck, which fixes the mold 14 placed on it to the stage 11.

2, the microstructure transfer device 1 includes two imaging unit support parts 18, both ends of which are supported movably by the gantry 13, between the upstream guide roll (first guide roll) 3a and the curing light irradiator 8, and two upstream imaging units 17a that are spaced apart from each other along the width direction of the sheet-like body (film) 4. Also, between the imprint roll 2 and the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b, two imaging unit support parts 18, both ends of which are supported movably by the gantry 13, and two downstream imaging units 17b that are spaced apart from each other along the width direction of the sheet-like body (film) 4 are included. For example, a CCD or the like is used as the upstream imaging unit 17a and the downstream imaging unit 17b. The upstream imaging unit 17a and the downstream imaging unit 17b are used to detect markers at four locations on the sheet-like body (film) 4 added by the laser marker 10 when positioning the sheet-like body (film) 4, which will be described later. A film clamp 16 is provided between the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b and the stage 11.

(Operation of the microstructure transfer device during replica formation)

3A to 3E show each process during replica formation. In the alignment process by the imaging unit shown in FIG. 3A, the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b moves downstream while maintaining a predetermined distance from the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14 placed on the stage 11 to a position beyond the end of the stage 11. In addition, the upstream imaging unit 17a and the downstream imaging unit 17b move vertically above the sheet-like body (film) 4 to positions corresponding to the start of the fine pattern area on the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14 (the upstream end in the conveying direction of the sheet-like body (film) 4) and the end of the fine pattern area (the downstream end in the conveying direction of the sheet-like body (film) 4). Then, when the upstream imaging unit 17a and the downstream imaging unit 17b detect the markers added to the conveyed sheet-like body (film) 4, the winder 6 stops the winding operation of the sheet-like body (film) 4.

Next, in the film clamp and imprint roll pressing process shown in FIG. 3B, first, the film clamp 16 descends and clamps the sheet-like body (film) 4. This fixes the sheet-like body (film) 4. The imprint roll 2 also descends and presses the sheet-like body (film) 4. In this state, the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b moves upstream together with the guide roll 3 arranged vertically above, and stops at a position where it is a predetermined distance from the imprint roll 2.

In the nanoimprint operation process shown in Fig. 3C, the imprint roll 2 moves downstream while pressing the sheet-like body (film) 4 at the same speed as the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b. At this time, in the example shown in Fig. 3C , the curing light irradiator 8 moves so as to follow the imprint roll 2, the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b, and the guide roll 3 arranged vertically above it. Since the imprint roll 2 moves downstream at the same speed as the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b, the positional relationship between them, i.e., the distance, is kept constant, so that the path length of the sheet-like body (film) 4 does not change, and even if the imprint roll 2 moves while pressing the sheet-like body (film) 4, the tension applied to the sheet-like body (film) 4 does not fluctuate.

In the curing light irradiation process shown in FIG. 3D, as described above, the curing light irradiator 8 moves downstream to follow the imprint roll 2, so it moves downstream while irradiating ultraviolet light (curing light), and the photocurable resin previously applied to the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14 having a fine pattern region works with the pressing force of the imprint roll 2 to adhere to the sheet-like body (film) 4. As a result, the fine uneven pattern formed on the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14 is inverted and transferred to the sheet-like body (film) 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, the nanoimprint operation process and the curing light irradiation process are performed simultaneously.

Next, in the peeling process shown in FIG. 3E, the imprint roll 2 moves upstream at the same speed as the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b and the guide roll 3 arranged vertically above it, so that the replica adhered to the sheet-like body (film) 4 is peeled off from the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14 in a uniform state. In other words, it is possible to peel off the replica adhered to the sheet-like body (film) 4 and the mold (metal mold) 14 without damaging them.

As described above, according to the microstructure transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the imprint roll 2 moves back and forth downstream and upstream at the same speed as the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b and the guide roll 3 arranged vertically above it, making it possible to easily form a replica.

Next, the operation of the upstream guide roll (first guide roll) 3a, the imprint roll 2, and the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4A to 4K. As shown in Figure 4A, the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b moves downstream and stops at a position beyond the downstream end of the mold (metal mold) 14. At this time, the distance L1 between the axial centers of the upstream guide roll (first guide roll) 3a and the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b is, for example, 4000 mm. In addition, the length L2 of the fine pattern region, which is the region where the fine uneven pattern formed on the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14 exists, is, for example, 65 inches. Two upstream imaging units 17a and two downstream imaging units 17b are positioned vertically above the sheet-like material (film) 4 transported between the upstream guide roll (first guide roll) 3a, the imprint roll 2, and the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b, and detect markers at positions corresponding to the start and end of the fine pattern area that have been added to the sheet-like material (film) 4 in advance by the laser marker 10. The sheet-like material (film) 4 is transported in pitches by the drive of the winder 6 over a length equivalent to one cell.

As shown in FIG. 4B, when the four markers are detected by the upstream imaging unit 17a and the downstream imaging unit 17b, the stage 11 on which the mold (metal mold) 14 is placed is rotated, for example, in the rotation direction (θ) based on the four detected markers, and positioned so that the four markers overlap with the beginning and end of the fine pattern area. The positioning is also confirmed based on the images captured by the upstream imaging unit 17a and the downstream imaging unit 17b.

When positioning is complete, as shown in FIG. 4C, the film clamp 16, which has a generally L-shaped cross section, presses and clamps the sheet-like body (film) 4 against the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14. It also clamps the upstream guide roll (first guide roll) 3a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4D, the imprint roll 2 descends, and as shown in FIG. 4E, the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b, which had been stopped at a position beyond the downstream end of the mold (metal mold) 14, moves upstream to be in a predetermined positional relationship with the imprint roll 2. At this time, the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b is positioned vertically above the imprint roll 2 and upstream of the upstream guide roll (first guide roll) 3a. Therefore, the sheet-like body (film) 4 that is applied from the position pressed by the imprint roll 2 to the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b forms a predetermined angle with the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14.

As shown in FIG. 4F, the imprint roll 2 presses the sheet-like body (film) 4 while moving at a constant speed with the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b to a position beyond the downstream end of the mold (metal mold) 14. By moving the imprint roll 2 and the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b at a constant speed, their positional relationship remains constant as they move downstream, and no fluctuation occurs in the tension applied to the sheet-like body (film) 4. Here, for example, the movement speed of the imprint roll 2 and the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b is 150 mm/s.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4G, the curing light irradiator 8 descends to directly above the film clamp 16. The curing light irradiator 8 then irradiates ultraviolet light (curing light) from above the sheet-like body (film) 4 onto the photocurable resin that has been applied in advance to the fine pattern area on the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14 and that has been pressed onto the sheet-like body (film) 4 by the pressing force of the imprint roll 2, while moving to the vicinity of the imprint roll 2 located beyond the downstream end of the mold (metal mold) 14. This causes the photocurable resin to harden, and the fine uneven pattern formed on the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14 is inverted and transferred onto the sheet-like body (film) 4.

As shown in FIG. 4I, the film clamp 16 then rises and retreats from the mold (metal mold) 14. Then, the imprint roll 2 starts to move upstream at a constant speed together with the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b. As shown in FIG. 4J, the imprint roll 2 moves upstream at a constant speed together with the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b, so that the replica fixed to the sheet-like body (film) 4 is peeled off from the fine uneven pattern formed on the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14 in a uniform state. The upstream guide roll (first guide roll) 3a continues to be clamped until the imprint roll 2 reaches the vicinity of the upstream end of the mold (metal mold) 14. Finally, as shown in FIG. 4K, when the imprint roll 2 reaches the vicinity of the upstream end of the mold (metal mold) 14, the upstream guide roll (first guide roll) 3a is released from the clamp, and the imprint roll 2 and the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b rise, resulting in a replica of one cell that is fixed to the sheet-like body (film) 4.

Although not shown, the winder 6 then winds up the sheet-like material (film) 4 at a length (pitch) of at least one cell, and the unwinder 5 pitch-feeds the sheet-like material (film) 4. Then, by repeating (step and repeat) the operations shown in Figures 4A to 4K, multiple replicas transferred from the same mold 14 are fixed to the sheet-like material (film) 4.

Note that, while the above-mentioned Figs. 3A to 3E show a case where the nanoimprint operation process and the curing light irradiation process are performed simultaneously, Figs. 4A to 4K are different in that the curing light irradiation process is performed after the nanoimprint operation process is completed. In this way, it is possible to either perform the nanoimprint operation process and the curing light irradiation process simultaneously, or to perform the curing light irradiation process after the nanoimprint operation process is completed. In addition, the tact time related to the curing light irradiation process depends on the irradiation process characteristics (irradiation speed, irradiation energy, etc.) due to the photocuring characteristics of the photocurable resin, the amount of resin applied, and the adhesion characteristics of the film and substrate material, and the irradiation start timing, curing light irradiator movement speed, and irradiation time can be arbitrarily controlled by a curing light irradiator control mechanism (not shown).

Figure 5 is a diagram showing an overview of the process during replica formation, where (A) is film alignment, (B) is pressing (imprinting), (C) is curing light irradiation, (D) is peeling, and (E) is a diagram showing the completion of replica formation. In Figure 5(A), a sheet-like body (film) 4 is aligned in a state in which a resin 19, which is a photocurable resin, is applied in advance to a mold (metal mold) 14 having a fine uneven pattern formed on its surface. After that, in Figure 5(B), the imprint roll 2 moves the sheet-like body (film) 4 downstream while pressing it against the resin 19. In Figure 5(C), the curing light irradiator 8 irradiates ultraviolet light (curing light) onto the sheet-like body (film) 4 pressed against the resin 19, while the curing light irradiator 8 moves downstream. In Figure 5(D), the imprint roll 2 moves upstream, and the sheet-like body (film) 4 to which the cured resin is fixed is peeled off from the mold (metal mold) 14. In FIG. 5(E), the replica 20 is formed by completely peeling it off from the mold (metal mold) 14 and adhering it to the sheet-like body (film) 4.

(Operation of the microstructure transfer device when forming a pattern on a glass substrate)

The operation of forming (transferring) a fine concave-convex pattern by replica to a glass substrate using the microstructure transfer device 1 will be described below. Fig. 6 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the microstructure transfer device shown in Fig. 1, showing the side view when transferring a fine concave-convex pattern by replica to a glass substrate, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the microstructure transfer device shown in Fig. 6. The difference from Figs. 1 and 2 above is that instead of a configuration in which a mold (metal mold) 14 is placed on the stage 11, a glass substrate 15 is placed on it. Therefore, the description of Figs. 6 and 7 will be omitted here.

In each process shown in Figures 3A to 3E above, a glass substrate 15 with a photocurable resin applied thereto in advance is placed on the stage 11, and a replica having a fine concave-convex pattern on its surface, which is fixed to a sheet-like body (film) 4, is pressed against the photocurable resin of the glass substrate 15 by the imprint roll 2, while moving downstream at the same speed as the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b. In addition, the photocurable resin of the glass substrate 15 is cured by a curing light irradiator 8 that moves downstream while irradiating ultraviolet light (curing light) so as to follow the imprint roll 2, and as shown in Figure 3E, the replica is peeled off from the glass substrate 15 with the cured photocurable resin, forming a fine concave-convex pattern on the surface of the glass substrate 15.

4A to 4K, a glass substrate 15 is used on which a photocurable resin has been applied in advance instead of the mold 14 on which a photocurable resin has been applied in advance, and a fine concave-convex pattern of the replica fixed to the sheet-like body (film) 4 is formed (transferred) on the glass substrate 15 by the operation of the upstream guide roll (first guide roll) 3a, the imprint roll 2, and the downstream guide roll (second guide roll) 3b. When the replica reaches a usage limit number, for example, several hundred times, the winder 6 winds up the sheet-like body (film) 4 by at least one cell length (pitch), and the unwinder 5 pitch-feeds the sheet-like body (film) 4.
As a result, the operations of FIGS. 4A to 4K are repeated again using a new replica, and the fine concave-convex patterns of the replica are transferred onto a plurality of glass substrates 15 to form patterns.

In this way, it is possible to replace the replica with a new one simply by pitch-feeding the sheet-like body (film) 4, thereby reducing the costs of replica replacement and setup work.

In addition, the replicas can be continuously attached to multiple sheet-like bodies (films) using the same microstructure transfer device 1, and then the replicas can be used to form patterns on a glass substrate. This makes it possible to improve throughput.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an overview of the process when forming a pattern on a glass substrate, where (A) is replica alignment, (B) is pressing (imprinting), (C) is curing light irradiation, (D) is peeling, and (E) is a diagram showing the completion of pattern formation on the glass substrate. In Figure 8 (A), the replica 20 fixed to the sheet-like body (film) 4 is aligned to the glass substrate 15 on whose surface the resin 19, which is a photocurable resin, has been applied in advance. After that, in Figure 8 (B), the replica 20 fixed to the sheet-like body (film) 4 is moved downstream while being pressed against the glass substrate 15 on which the resin 19 has been applied by the imprint roll 2. In Figure 8 (C), the curing light irradiator 8 irradiates ultraviolet light (ultraviolet light) to the resin 19 on the glass substrate 15 through the replica 20 fixed to the sheet-like body (film) 4, while the curing light irradiator 8 moves downstream. In FIG. 8(D), the replica 20 adhered to the sheet-like body (film) 4 is peeled off from the glass substrate 15 having the cured resin 19 by moving the imprint roll 2 upstream. In FIG. 8(E), the replica 20 adhered to the sheet-like body (film) 4 is completely peeled off from the glass substrate 15, forming a fine concave-convex pattern of the replica on the glass substrate 15.

In this embodiment, the microstructure transfer device 1 is configured to continuously attach multiple replicas 20 to the sheet-like body (film) 4, and then transfer (form) a fine concave-convex pattern using the replicas 20 onto a glass substrate 15 that has been previously coated with a photocurable resin, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the microstructure transfer device 1 of this embodiment may be configured to continuously attach multiple replicas 20 to the sheet-like body (film) 4, and then use the replicas to transfer the fine concave-convex pattern of the replicas onto a glass substrate in another device.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a microstructure transfer device and a microstructure transfer method that can continuously attach multiple replicas to a sheet-like body (film).

In addition, according to this embodiment, multiple replicas can be continuously attached to a sheet-like body, improving the throughput of replica formation.

In addition, if replica formation and pattern formation by transferring the fine concave-convex pattern of the replica onto a glass substrate are performed using the microstructure transfer device of this embodiment, even if one of the multiple replicas attached to the sheet-like body reaches its limit of use, the next new replica can be used simply by feeding the sheet-like body by a pitch, thereby reducing the costs of replica replacement and setup work.

Figure 9 is a plan view of a microstructure transfer device of Example 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 9, this embodiment differs from Example 1 in that it is composed of a replica continuous formation device 21, a photocurable resin application mechanism 22, a replica shape inspection device 31, and a pattern formation device 41. In particular, it is different from Example 1 in that a replica continuous formation device 21 is provided for replica formation, and a photocurable resin application mechanism 22 that applies photocurable resin to a mold (metal mold) is provided in the replica continuous formation device 21, and further, it is different from Example 1 in that a replica shape inspection device 31 is provided to inspect the shape of the replica before forming a fine uneven pattern on a glass substrate using the replica. The same components as those in Example 1 are given the same reference numerals, and the following description that overlaps with Example 1 will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9, the configuration of the replica continuous forming device 21 is almost the same as that of the microstructure transfer device 1 shown in the above-mentioned Example 1. Before the mold (metal mold) 14 is carried into the stage, the photocurable resin application mechanism 22 applies photocurable resin to the fine uneven pattern formed on the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14. Note that, for example, an inkjet printer is used as the photocurable resin application mechanism 22. The mold (metal mold) 14 to which the photocurable resin has been applied is placed on the stage, and multiple replicas 20 are continuously fixed to the sheet-like body (film) 4 by the operation of the imprint roll 2, guide roll 3, unwinder 5, winder 6, etc., in the same manner as in the above-mentioned Example 1.

The replica 20 formed by the replica continuous formation device 21 is sent to the replica shape inspection device 31, where the fine uneven pattern formed (transferred) on the replica 20 is inspected for defects or failures. As a shape inspection device used in the replica shape inspection device 31, for example, an atomic force microscope (AFM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), or an optical inspection device such as scatterometry can be used. Among them, it is preferable to use an AFM.

When the replica shape inspection device 31 judges a replica to be defective, it recognizes the information of the cell where the defect is identified (placement, defect details, etc.) and stores it in a storage unit (not shown). The replica shape inspection device 31 and the pattern formation device 41 share the defect information of the defective cell via a network, etc.

The pattern forming device 41 is equipped with a transport mechanism 42 that transports the glass substrate 15 coated with photocurable resin carried in from an upstream device to the pattern forming device 41, or transports the glass substrate 15 on which a fine uneven pattern has been formed by the pattern forming device 41 to a downstream device. The pattern forming device 41 also accommodates the glass substrate 15 coated with photocurable resin carried in by the transport mechanism 42 in the gantry 13, and from there, is equipped with an unwinder 5 and a winder 6 similar to those of the microstructure transfer device 1 shown in the above-mentioned Example 1, as well as various rolls (not shown), and forms (transfers) the fine uneven pattern of the replica 20 onto the glass substrate 15.

According to this embodiment, multiple replicas can be continuously attached to a sheet-like body using the replica continuous forming device 21, so it is possible to reduce the setup time for replica replacement, as in the first embodiment.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the pattern forming device 41 can automatically skip cells that are determined to be defective by the replica shape inspection device 31, making it possible to form a fine uneven pattern using only good replicas, thereby improving the yield of glass substrates having a fine uneven pattern formed on their surface.

Figure 10 is a plan view of a microstructure transfer device of Example 3 according to another embodiment of the present invention. This example differs from Examples 1 and 2 in that the microstructure transfer device includes a mechanism for applying a photocurable resin for replicas and a mechanism for applying a photocurable resin for glass substrates. Components similar to those in Examples 1 and 2 are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted below.

As shown in FIG. 10, the microstructure transfer device 1a includes a replica photocurable resin application mechanism 22a and a glass substrate photocurable resin application mechanism 22b on both sides of the gantry 13. Here, in FIG. 10, the length direction of the microstructure transfer device 1a is defined as the X direction, and the width direction of the microstructure transfer device 1a is defined as the Y direction. The replica photocurable resin application mechanism 22a arranged on the side where the mold (metal mold) 14 placed on the stage 11 and carried into the gantry 13 is located can move back and forth in the Y direction, and is configured to apply photocurable resin to the mold (metal mold) 14 placed on the stage 11 and carried into the gantry 13. In addition, the glass substrate photocurable resin application mechanism 22b arranged on the side where the glass substrate 15 placed on the stage 11 and carried into the gantry 13 is located can move back and forth in the Y direction, and is configured to apply photocurable resin to the glass substrate 15 placed on the stage 11 and carried into the gantry 13. For example, an inkjet printer or the like is used as the replica photocurable resin application mechanism 22a and the glass substrate photocurable resin application mechanism 22b.

Next, the operation of the micropattern transfer device 1a in the replica formation process will be described.
FIG. 11A is a diagram showing a state in which a mold is set on a stage in a replica formation process. As shown in FIG. 11A, a mold (metal mold) 14 is set (placed) on the stage 11. At this time, the replica photocurable resin application mechanism 22a is waiting at the initial position. FIG. 11B is a diagram showing a photocurable resin application and mold positioning state in a replica formation process. The replica photocurable resin application mechanism 22a moves in the Y direction to a position where the mold (metal mold) 14 placed on the stage 11 is carried into the gantry 13. The replica photocurable resin application mechanism 22a applies a photocurable resin to the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14 when the mold (metal mold) 14 placed on the stage 11 is carried into the gantry 13. FIG. 11C is a diagram showing a replica continuous formation state in a replica formation process. In FIG. 11C, as shown in the above-mentioned Example 1, a replica in which a fine concave-convex pattern formed on the surface of the mold (metal mold) 14 is inverted and transferred to a sheet-like body (film) not shown is formed. 11D is a diagram showing the mold returning state in the replica formation process. After the replica is formed, the mold (metal mold) 14 placed on the stage 11 is carried out to the outside of the gantry.

Next, the operation of the microstructure transfer device 1a in the pattern formation process on the glass substrate will be described. FIG. 12A is a diagram showing the state in which the glass substrate is set on the stage in the pattern formation process on the glass substrate. As shown in FIG. 12A, the glass substrate 15 is set (placed) on the stage 11. At this time, the photocurable resin application mechanism 22b for the glass substrate is waiting at the initial position. FIG. 12B is a diagram showing the state of photocurable resin application and glass substrate positioning in the pattern formation process on the glass substrate. As shown in FIG. 12B, the photocurable resin application mechanism 22b for the glass substrate moves in the Y direction to a position where the pattern formation is performed in the region of the glass substrate 15 placed on the stage 11 and is carried into the gantry 13. When the glass substrate 15 placed on the stage 11 is carried into the gantry 13, the photocurable resin application mechanism 22b for the glass substrate applies photocurable resin to the region of the glass substrate 15 where the pattern formation is performed. FIG. 12C is a diagram showing the state of continuous pattern formation in the pattern formation process on the glass substrate. In the gantry 13, the fine uneven pattern of the replica 20 is formed (transferred) on the area of the glass substrate 15 placed on the stage 11 where the photocurable resin is applied by the glass substrate photocurable resin application mechanism 22b. FIG. 12D is a diagram showing the glass substrate returning state in the pattern formation process on the glass substrate. After the pattern is formed on the glass substrate 15, the glass substrate 15 is transported out of the gantry while still placed on the stage 11.

According to this embodiment, by providing a mechanism for applying photocurable resin for replicas 22a and a mechanism for applying photocurable resin for glass substrates 22b that can operate independently during the replica formation process and the pattern formation process on the glass substrate, it is possible to perform the processes from applying photocurable resin to continuous replica formation and even pattern formation on the glass substrate 15 with the same microstructure transfer device 1a, improving workability.

Figure 13 is a front view of a microstructure transfer device according to Example 4 of the present invention (viewed in the direction of the arrow A in Figures 1 and 6), and Figure 14 is a view in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 13. This example differs from Examples 1 to 3 in that the outer peripheral surface of the imprint roll has a urethane rubber lining and a backup roll mechanism is provided directly above the imprint roll.

As shown in FIG. 13, the microstructure transfer device of this embodiment includes a pair of Z-axis drive units 51 arranged above both ends of the imprint roll 2 in the longitudinal direction, and a load cell 52 arranged below each Z-axis drive unit 51 for monitoring the load. Also, as shown in FIG. 14, the imprint roll 2 has a urethane rubber lining 56 on its outer circumferential surface, and a backup roll mechanism 55 is provided directly above the imprint roll 2. As shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of backup roll mechanisms 55 are provided at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the imprint roll 2. These multiple backup roll mechanisms can individually adjust the height and pressing force. In the example shown in FIG. 13, a mold (metal mold) 14 is placed on the stage 11, that is, a case in which multiple replicas are continuously fixed to the sheet-like body (film) 4 is shown, but when a fine uneven pattern is transferred to a glass substrate 15 using replicas, the glass substrate 15 is placed on the stage 11.

According to this embodiment, the height and pressing force of the imprint roll 2 can be adjusted individually by the backup roll mechanism 55, making it possible to suppress deflection of the imprint roll 2 itself.

Furthermore, the height and pressing force of the imprint roll 2 can be individually adjusted using the backup roll mechanism 55, allowing the imprint roll 2 to flexibly follow the sheet-like body (film) against the mold (metal mold) and imprint with uniform pressure.

Furthermore, since the height and pressing force of the imprint roll 2 can be adjusted individually by the backup roll mechanism 55, when multiple molds are used, it is possible to absorb the steps between the molds, flexibly follow them, and imprint with uniform pressure. Furthermore, for highly viscous resin materials, the backup roll mechanism 55 transmits pressure uniformly, making it possible to imprint with high precision. Furthermore, after imprinting is completed and the photocurable resin is hardened, the backup roll mechanism 55 prevents roller escape during peeling for films with poor peeling properties or photocurable resins with strong adhesion, and makes it possible to reliably peel the film with a uniform peeling force (tension).

In FIG. 13, the backup roll mechanisms 55 are arranged at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the imprint roll 2, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and the backup roll mechanisms 55 may be arranged at any one location along the longitudinal direction of the imprint roll 2. The number of backup roll mechanisms 55 may be set as needed.

In addition, the arrangement of the backup roll mechanisms 55 when installed is not limited to the single row shown in the figure. For example, the backup roll mechanisms 55 may be arranged in multiple rows, such as two or three rows, on the outer periphery of the imprint roll 2.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes various modifications.
For example, the above-mentioned embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the configurations described. Also, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Also, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment.

1, 1a... Microstructure transfer device 2... Imprint roll 3... Guide roll 3a... Upstream guide roll (first guide roll)
3b: downstream guide roll (second guide roll)
4...Sheet-like body (film)
5: Unwinder 6: Winder 7: Dancer roll 8: Curing light irradiator 9: Dry cleaner 10: Laser marker 11: Stage 12: Cleaning roll 13: Gantry 14: Mold (metal mold)
15: Glass substrate 16: Film clamp 17a: Upstream imaging section 17b: Downstream imaging section 18: Imaging section support section 19: Resin 20: Replica 21: Replica continuous forming device 22: Photocurable resin application mechanism 22a: Photocurable resin application mechanism for replica 22b: Photocurable resin application mechanism for glass substrate 31: Replica shape inspection device 41: Pattern forming device 42: Transport mechanism 51: Z-axis drive section 52: Load cell 55: Backup roll mechanism 56: Urethane rubber lining

Claims (4)

an unwinder that winds up the sheet-like body or the sheet-like body to which the replica is fixed and unwinds the sheet-like body or the sheet-like body to which the replica is fixed;
a winding machine that winds up the sheet-like body or the sheet-like body to which the replica is fixed, the sheet-like body being transported via a plurality of guide rolls;
a stage disposed between the unwinder and the winder and disposed below the sheet-like body or the sheet-like body to which the replica is fixed;
a gantry into which a mold or substrate to be mounted on the stage is carried, a replica photocurable resin application mechanism and a substrate photocurable resin application mechanism respectively disposed on either side of the gantry, a first transport mechanism which loads a mold onto which the replica photocurable resin has been applied by the replica photocurable resin application mechanism onto the stage from the side in the traveling direction of the sheet-like body relative to the gantry, and a second transport mechanism which loads a substrate onto which the substrate photocurable resin has been applied onto the stage from the side in the traveling direction of the sheet-like body;
A microstructure transfer device comprising an imprint roll that is arranged between the unwinder and the winder, on the opposite side of the stage of the sheet-like body, and that moves back and forth while pressing at least the mold or the sheet-like body between both ends of the substrate against the stage side. 2. The micropattern transfer apparatus according to claim 1,
The microstructure transfer device is characterized in that the mechanism for applying a photocurable resin for a replica or the mechanism for applying a photocurable resin for a substrate is an inkjet printer. 2. The micropattern transfer apparatus according to claim 1,
2. The micropattern transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stage is movable in a horizontal plane and displaceable in a rotational direction. 2. The micropattern transfer apparatus according to claim 1,
4. The micropattern transfer apparatus, wherein the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism are robot arms.

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