KR20080040800A - Fine pattern forming apparatus and fine pattern forming method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a micropattern forming apparatus and a method for forming a micropattern using the same, the apparatus for forming a micropattern according to the present invention comprises: a chamber providing a predetermined processing space; provided on one side of the processing space, and the fine pattern is engraved. A stamp chuck attaching a stamp; a stage provided at a position at which the stamp falls, and supporting a substrate on which a photosensitive film is formed; and when the stamp falls from the stamp chuck and contacts the substrate, the stamp is pressed to the photosensitive film. A pump for injecting a pressurized gas imprinting the micropattern into the chamber, thereby uniformly applying a pressing force to press the stamp to ensure stability of the micropattern formed on the substrate and to improve work efficiency. There is an effect that can be increased.

Description

Apparatus for forming a nano-pattern and method using the same}

1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a part of a substrate on which a stamp and a photosensitive film are used, which are used in the micropattern forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a fine pattern forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3A to 3E are operation diagrams illustrating a fine pattern forming operation of the fine pattern forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for forming a fine pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a micropattern forming apparatus and a method of forming a micropattern using the same, and more particularly, to press a stamp using a pressurized gas to imprint a micropattern on a photoresist film of a substrate. It relates to a pattern forming apparatus and a fine pattern forming method using the same.

In recent years, as the information age rapidly enters, a display technology that displays information by text or image so that the user can see the information anytime and anywhere is becoming more important.

Looking at the consumption trend of such display devices, conventional CRTs are bulky and heavy, so the demand for flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma display panels (PDPs) is increasing rapidly.

The manufacturing process of a flat panel display includes an electrode process for forming a color filter, a pixel, a thin film transistor, and the like on a large transparent substrate, a panel assembly process for injecting liquid crystals by bonding an alignment-treated substrate, and a liquid crystal panel. It can be divided into three steps of mounting process for attaching driver IC, substrate, backlight, etc.

The gate wiring layer of the thin film transistor, which is classified as a core process, is manufactured by lithography technology.

Photolithography is a method of coating a thin film such as SiO ₂ or Si ₃ N ₄ on the substrate by deposition. The photoresist, a chemical that reacts well to light, is spin-coated and uniformly coated. The photosensitive film-coated substrate is placed on a mobile reduction projection stepper, which is a representative photolithography device, and a mask or reticle having a pattern to be formed is placed between the light source and the substrate to selectively pass light. As a result, there is a chemical difference between the part that receives light and the part that does not. The photoresist film that dissolves relatively well in response to the developer is called a positive photoresist film. On the contrary, the photoresist film that remains undissolved in the developer solution becomes larger due to the increased binding force of the lighted part. It is called a negative photoresist. Through this development process, a photoresist film remains to cover the thin film underneath, and a portion where the photoresist film is dissolved to expose the thin film underneath. When chemicals are added, the part where no photoresist film is left is removed by chemical reaction (etching) with the exposed thin film, and the part where the photoresist film used as a protective film is not chemically reacted and the thin film under it remains as it is. . Stripping the remaining photoresist film finally forms a pattern having a desired shape.

The precision of the formation of the fine pattern of the photolithography technique is determined according to the wavelength of light used. Therefore, initially, visible light (visible light) was used, but soon ultraviolet light (ultraviolet) was used, and recently, an electron beam (eb) was used to handle fine patterns of 1 μm or less.

However, such a photolithography method has a problem of increasing the initial investment cost of exposure equipment and increasing the price of a mask having a resolution similar to the wavelength of light used as the circuit is miniaturized.

Therefore, the fine pattern formation technology is attracting attention as a technology that replaces the expensive photo development technology. The micropattern forming technique is a method of pressing a photoresist film of a polymer material spin-coated a stamp having a fine pattern imprinted on a substrate.

Such a micropattern forming method may be divided into a thermosetting method for physically contacting a stamp and a photoresist film, applying a pressure, and then lowering a temperature, and an ultraviolet curing method for curing through ultraviolet irradiation using an ultraviolet curable photosensitive film.

However, the general micropattern forming apparatus advances a process by contacting a stamp to the photosensitive film | membrane of a board | substrate, and mechanically pressurizing on the upper part of a stamp (or the bottom of a board | substrate).

When mechanically pressing the stamp or the substrate in this manner, precise alignment between the stamp and the substrate and uniform distribution of the pressing force are required. However, if the alignment between the stamp and the substrate, and even pressure distribution is not achieved, there is a problem that the work efficiency is lowered due to an increase in the probability that a non-uniform or defective pattern occurs between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate.

This problem is more prominent due to the large area of the substrate.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a micropattern forming apparatus and a micropattern forming method using the same, so that the pressing force for pressing the stamp is uniform.

Micro pattern forming apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a chamber for providing a predetermined processing space; Stamp chuck is provided on one side of the processing space, the stamp is attached to the stamp stamped fine pattern; A stage for supporting a substrate on which a photosensitive film is formed; and a pressurized gas for imprinting the fine pattern on the photosensitive film by pressing the stamp when the stamp falls from the stamp chuck and contacts the substrate. It is provided with a; pump to inject the inside of the chamber.

The stage may be provided with a substrate chuck for attaching the substrate.

The stamp chuck and the substrate chuck may be an electrostatic chuck attaching the stamp and the substrate using electrostatic force.

The stamp chuck and the substrate chuck may be a vacuum chuck for vacuum sucking the stamp and the substrate.

The stage may be provided with a heater for heating the substrate.

The chamber may be provided with an ultraviolet lamp for providing ultraviolet light.

The stage may be provided with a cooler.

The chamber may be provided with an alignment unit for performing alignment between the stamp and the substrate.

On the other hand, the method for forming a micropattern according to the present invention comprises the alignment step of aligning the stamp stamped with the micropattern carried into the chamber and the substrate on which the photosensitive film is formed in the drop position of the stamp; the contacting step of contacting the stamp and the substrate And an imprint step of injecting a pressurized gas into the chamber to pressurize the stamp in contact with the substrate to imprint the fine pattern on the photosensitive film.

The alignment step includes adjusting the inclination of the stamp chuck attaching the stamp to adjust the flatness between the stamp and the substrate, and photographing the alignment marks formed on the stamp and the substrate, respectively, to set the stage on which the substrate is seated. Driving back and forth, left and right, may include performing the alignment between the stamp and the substrate.

 The contacting step may include heating the substrate to secure the flexibility of the photosensitive film.

The imprinting step may include curing ultraviolet rays by providing ultraviolet rays to the photoresist film having the fine pattern imprinted thereon.

The imprinting step may include cooling and curing the photoresist film on which the micropattern is imprinted.

Hereinafter, a fine pattern forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of a substrate on which a stamp and a photosensitive film are used for the micropattern forming apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the micropattern forming apparatus according to the present invention.

1 to 2, the micropattern forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber 300 that is divided into a first chamber 100 and a second chamber 200 to provide an internal space. do. The first chamber 100 is supported by the elevating screw 410 and the elevating drive unit 400 installed in the second chamber 200 to be installed up and down.

A transfer device (not shown) is provided outside the chamber 300, and the substrate 10 having the photoresist film 12 formed thereon and the stamp 20 having the fine pattern 22 engraved therein are respectively loaded.

Meanwhile, the stamp chuck 110 attaching the stamp 20 is installed inside the first chamber 100. The stamp chuck 110 is coupled to and fixed to the chuck plate 120 supported by the support bar 121 fixed to the inner wall of the first chamber 100.

Here, a linear actuator (not shown) for adjusting the flatness of the chuck plate 120 may be installed around the edge of the chuck plate 120. The linear actuator maintains a uniform gap between the stamp 20 and the substrate 10 and adjusts the flatness of the chuck plate 120 to bring the stamp 20 into contact with the substrate 10.

Meanwhile, a stage 210 for supporting the substrate 10 is installed inside the second chamber 200. The substrate chuck 220 for attaching the substrate 10 carried into the chamber 300 is installed at the upper end of the stage 210.

Here, the stamp chuck 110 and the substrate chuck 220 may employ an electrostatic chuck which attaches the substrate 10 and the stamp 20 using electrostatic power generated by applying power to the chuck and the substrate (or stamp). In another embodiment, a vacuum chuck for vacuum sucking the stamp 20 and the substrate 10 may be employed.

An aligner (not shown) may be installed around the edge of the stage 210. The aligner may adjust the stage 210 to the front and rear, left and right according to the alignment of the stamp 20 and the substrate 10 using the camera 140 and the lighting device 260 which will be described later, the stamp 20 and the substrate 10. Sorting will occur.

In addition, the stage 210 is provided with a heater 240 and a cooler 230. The heater 240 heats the substrate 10 to secure the flexibility of the photosensitive film 12 of the substrate 10 so that the fine pattern 22 stamped on the stamp 20 can be imprinted on the photosensitive film 12 smoothly.

The cooler 230 cools and hardens the photosensitive film 12 having the fine pattern 22 imprinted thereon.

On the other hand, the upper side of the first chamber 100, the separation driver 130 for providing power for separating the stamp 20 attached to the stamp chuck 110 from the stamp chuck 110 and the first chamber 100 ) And a separation pin 131 which is lifted and penetrated through the stamp chuck 110.

Here, the above-mentioned lifting driver 400 lowers the lifting screw 410 to bring the stamp 20 closer to the substrate 10. Therefore, the first chamber 100 supported by the lifting screw 410 is lowered, and the stamp 20 is close to the substrate 10.

At this time, the power applied to the stamp chuck 110 is cut off from the stamp chuck 110 to contact the substrate 10, and the separation driver 130 lowers the separation pin 131 to form a stamp ( 20 performs separation from the stamp chuck 110.

Meanwhile, a lift driver 250 for guiding the substrate 10 carried into the chamber 300 to the substrate chuck 220 is disposed below the second chamber 200, the second chamber 200, and the substrate chuck ( The lift pin 251 is provided to be elevated through the 220. The lift driver 250 and the lift pin 251 raise the substrate 10 from the substrate chuck 220 to discharge the substrate 10 when the fine pattern forming process is completed.

In addition, a plurality of cameras 140 for aligning the stamp 20 and the substrate 10 and the first chamber 100 and the stamp chuck 110 penetrate up and down on the upper side of the first chamber 100. The hole 141 is provided. In addition, the lower side of the second chamber 200, against the camera 140 of the first chamber 100, an illumination device 260 for providing illumination for camera shooting, the second chamber 200 and the substrate chuck An illumination hole 261 penetrating through the 220 is formed.

The photographing hole 141 and the lighting hole 261 communicate with each other to allow the camera 140 to photograph the alignment mark formed on the stamp 20 and the substrate 10.

The camera 140 and the lighting device 260 together with the linear actuator and the aligner constitute an alignment unit 150 for aligning the stamp 20 and the substrate 10.

Meanwhile, a pump 500 is formed outside the second chamber 200 to form a vacuum atmosphere in the chamber 300 and to inject a pressurized gas for pressurizing the stamp 20 in contact with the substrate 10.

Here, as described above, the elevating driver 400 lowers the elevating screw 410 to bring the stamp 20 close to the substrate 10. At this time, the first chamber 100 is lowered to the second chamber 200 is sealed inside the chamber 300, the pump 500 to freely drop the stamp 20 on the substrate 10, the chamber 300 The air inside the chamber 300 is exhausted to form the inside of the chamber 300 in a vacuum atmosphere.

When the stamp 20 is in contact with the substrate 10, the pump 500 injects pressurized gas from the outside of the chamber 300 into the chamber 300 to pressurize the stamp 20. In this case, nitrogen (N ₂ ), helium (He), argon (Ar), or the like may be used as the process gas injected into the chamber 300.

Meanwhile, an ultraviolet lamp 600 is provided above the first chamber 100 to provide ultraviolet light for curing the photosensitive film 12 of the substrate 10 on which the micropattern 22 is imprinted. Therefore, the transmission window 610 may be installed on the upper surface of the first chamber 100 so that ultraviolet rays provided from the ultraviolet lamp 600 may be transmitted.

Here, the fine pattern forming apparatus according to the present invention, as described above, the heater 240 and the cooler 230 are installed in the stage 210, and the ultraviolet lamp 600 is provided on the first chamber 100. .

Therefore, the apparatus for forming a micropattern according to the present invention may be performed by selecting one of a thermal curing method and an ultraviolet curing method according to the material of the photosensitive film 12 of the substrate 10. At this time, when using the ultraviolet curing method, the material of the stamp 20 is preferably used a material that can transmit ultraviolet rays.

 Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail the operation of the micropattern forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3A to 3E are operation diagrams illustrating a micropattern forming operation of the micropattern forming apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a micropattern forming method according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 3A through 4, first, a stamp 20 having a substrate 10 having a photosensitive film 12 formed thereon by a transfer device and a fine pattern 22 to be imprinted on the photosensitive film 12 of the substrate 10 is stamped. Is brought into the chamber 300.

The stamp 20 carried into the chamber 300 is attached by a stamp chuck 110 installed in the first chamber 100, and the substrate 10 is a substrate of the stage 210 installed in the second chamber 200. It is seated on the chuck 220 (see FIG. 3A).

The heater 240 installed in the stage 210 heats the substrate 10 seated on the stage 210 in order to secure the flexibility of the photosensitive film 12 of the substrate 10.

As such, when the stamp 20 and the substrate 10 are attached to the stamp chuck 110 and the substrate chuck 220, respectively, the lift driver 400 lowers the lift screw 410 and lifts the first chamber 100. Lower

At this time, the linear actuator installed around the rim of the chuck plate 120 adjusts the flatness of the chuck plate 120 to adjust the flatness of the stamp 20 with respect to the substrate 10. In addition, the camera 140 installed above the first chamber 100 and the illumination device 260 installed below the second chamber 200 capture the alignment marks of the stamp 20 and the substrate 10. The aligner installed around the edge of the stage 210 performs alignment between the stamp 20 and the substrate 10 (S11).

As such, the first chamber 100 is lowered to the second chamber 200 while the stamp 20 and the substrate 10 are aligned, and the inside of the chamber 300 is sealed, and the stamp 20 is attached to the substrate 10. Close.

At this time, the pump 500 exhausts the air in the chamber 300 to freely drop the stamp 20 attached to the stamp chuck 110 to form a vacuum atmosphere in the chamber 300 (see FIG. 3B).

When the vacuum atmosphere inside the chamber 300 is formed, the power supplied to the stamp chuck 110 is cut off, and the separation driving unit 130 lowers the separation pin 131 to contact the stamp 20 with the substrate 10. (S12).

At this time, the pump 500 injects the pressurized gas into the chamber 300 of the vacuum atmosphere. The pressurized gas injected into the chamber 300 pressurizes the stamp 20 to imprint the fine pattern 22 on the photosensitive film 12 of the substrate 10 (see FIG. 3C).

As such, since the stamp 20 is pressurized by a uniform pressure instead of mechanical pressure, the pressing force for pressurizing the stamp 20 is uniformly applied to the micro pattern 22 formed on the substrate 10. Stability can be secured.

Next, when the fine pattern 22 is imprinted on the photoresist film 12, the lift driver 400 operates the lift screw 410 to raise the first chamber 100 and open the inside of the chamber 300.

When the inside of the chamber 300 is opened, ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the ultraviolet lamp 600 provided on the first chamber 100 according to the material of the photosensitive film 12 (S16) to cure the photosensitive film 12, or The photosensitive film 12 is cured by the cooler 230 provided at 210. (See FIG. 3D.)

When the photosensitive film 12 is cured, the stamp chuck 110 installed in the first chamber 100 attaches a stamp 20 to separate the stamp 20 from the photosensitive film 12 (see FIG. 3E).

When the stamp 20 is separated from the substrate 10, the lift driver 250 drives the lift pin 251 so that the substrate 10 imprinted with the fine pattern 22 is carried out to the outside by the transfer device. The pattern forming process is completed.

The micropattern forming apparatus and the micropattern forming method using the same according to the present invention have an effect of uniformly applying the pressing force to press the stamp, ensuring the stability of the micropattern formed on the substrate and increasing the working efficiency.

Claims (13)

A chamber providing a predetermined processing space; A stamp chuck provided at one side of the processing space and attaching a stamp with a fine pattern imprinted thereon; A stage provided at a position at which the stamp falls on the other side of the processing space and supporting a substrate on which a photosensitive film is formed; and And a pump that pressurizes the stamp and injects pressurized gas into the chamber to imprint the micropattern on the photosensitive film when the stamp falls from the stamp chuck and contacts the substrate. Fine pattern forming device. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stage is provided with a substrate chuck for attaching the substrate. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the stamp chuck and the substrate chuck are electrostatic chucks attaching the stamp and the substrate using electrostatic force. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the stamp chuck and the substrate chuck are vacuum chucks for vacuum sucking the stamp and the substrate. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stage is provided with a heater for heating the substrate. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber is provided with an ultraviolet lamp for providing ultraviolet light. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a cooler is provided in the stage. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chamber is provided with an alignment unit for performing alignment between the stamp and the substrate. An alignment step of aligning a stamp having a fine pattern carried into the chamber and a substrate on which a photosensitive film is formed at a drop position of the stamp; Contacting the stamp with the substrate; and And imprinting the impregnated gas into the chamber to pressurize the stamp in contact with the substrate to imprint the fine pattern on the photosensitive film. The method of claim 9, wherein the aligning step comprises adjusting the inclination of the stamp chuck attaching the stamp to adjust the flatness between the stamp and the substrate, Photographing the alignment marks formed on the stamp and the substrate, respectively, and driving the stage seating the substrate back and forth, left and right, to perform alignment between the stamp and the substrate. . The method of claim 9, wherein the contacting step comprises heating the substrate to secure the flexibility of the photosensitive film. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the imprinting step comprises providing the ultraviolet light to the photoresist film on which the fine pattern is imprinted, and forming a micelle. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the imprinting comprises cooling and curing the photosensitive film on which the micropattern is imprinted.

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