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  Imprint lithography template to facilitate control of liquid movementUSPTO Application #: 20060177535Title: Imprint lithography template to facilitate control of liquid movement Abstract: The present invention is directed to a template that features a control surface extending from a periphery of a mold toward a recessed surface of the template forming an oblique angle between a portion of the control surface disposed proximate to the periphery. (end of abstract) Agent: Molecular Imprints - Austin, TX, US Inventors: Ian M. McMackin, Pankaj B. Lad, Van N. Truskett USPTO Applicaton #: 20060177535 - Class: 425385000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Plastic Article Or Earthenware Shaping Or Treating: Apparatus, Preform Reshaping Or Resizing Means: Or Vulcanizing Means Including A Conforming Preform Support, Surface Deformation Means Only The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060177535. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] The present application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/051,533 entitled "Imprint Lithography Template to Control Extrusion of a Liquid from a Desired Region on a Substrate," naming inventors Edward B. Fletcher, Ian M. McMackin, Michael N. Miller, Nicholas A. Stacey, Wesley Martin, Frank Y. Xu, Christopher J. Mackay and Van N. Truskett, filed Feb. 4, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The field of the invention relates generally to micro-fabrication techniques. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a template to control movement of a liquid suitable for imprint lithography. [0004] The prior art is replete with examples of exemplary micro-fabrication techniques. One particularly well-known micro-fabrication technique is imprint lithography. Imprint lithography is described in detail in numerous publications, such as United States published patent application 2004/0065976 filed as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/264,960, entitled "Method and a Mold to Arrange Features on a Substrate to Replicate Features having Minimal Dimensional Variability"; United States published patent application 2004/0065252 filed as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/264,926, entitled "Method of Forming a Layer on a Substrate to Facilitate Fabrication of Metrology Standards"; and United States published patent application 2004/0046271 filed as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/235,314, entitled "Method and a Mold to Arrange Features on a Substrate to Replicate Features having Minimal Dimensions Variability"; all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The fundamental imprint lithography technique as shown in each of the aforementioned published patent applications includes formation of a relief pattern in a polymerizable layer and transferring a pattern corresponding to the relief pattern into an underlying substrate. To that end, a template, having a mold, is employed. The mold is spaced-apart from, and in superimposition with, the substrate with a formable liquid present therebetween. The liquid is patterned and solidified to form a solidified layer that has a pattern recorded therein that is conforming to a shape of a mold. The substrate and the solidified layer may then be subjected to processes to transfer, into the substrate, a relief image that corresponds to the pattern in the solidified layer. [0005] One manner in which to locate the polymerizable liquid between the template and the substrate is by depositing the liquid on the substrate as one or more droplets, referred to as a drop dispense technique. Thereafter, the polymerizable liquid is concurrently contacted by both the template and the substrate to spread the polymerizable liquid over the surface of the substrate. It is desirable to have the liquid confined to an area of the substrate in superimposition with the mold. [0006] Thus, there is a need to provide greater control over movement of a liquid during imprint lithographic processes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention is directed to a template that features a control surface extending from a periphery of a mold toward a recessed surface of the template forming an oblique angle between a portion of the control surface disposed proximate to the periphery. In this fashion, a capillary force gradient may be created between imprinting material and the surface of the template facing the imprinting material. This provides greater control over a quantity of imprinting material extruding from a volumetric gap defined between the mold and a region of a substrate in superimposition. As a result, formation of undesirable artifacts during imprint lithography is reduced, if not avoided. These and other embodiments of the present invention are discussed more fully below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a template, having disposed opposite to a substrate with imprinting material disposed therebetween, in accordance with the prior art; [0009] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a solidified imprinting layer formed upon the substrate employing the template shown in FIG. 1, having a conformal layer disposed thereon in accordance with the prior art; [0010] FIG. 3 is a simplified top-down view of the conformal layer shown in FIG. 2, in accordance with the prior art; [0011] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a template, having disposed opposite to a substrate with imprinting material disposed therebetween, in accordance with the present invention; [0012] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a template shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with a first alternate embodiment of the present invention; [0013] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a template shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with a second alternate embodiment of the present invention; [0014] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a template shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with a fifth alternate embodiment of the present invention; [0015] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a template shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with a sixth alternate embodiment of the present invention; and [0016] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a template shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with a seventh alternate embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0017] Referring to FIG. 1, a template 10 is shown in contact with imprinting material 12, with imprinting material 12 being disposed between a mold 14 and substrate 16 in furtherance of patterning imprinting material. To that end, mold 14 is spaced-apart from substrate 16 and imprinting material 12 substantially fills a volumetric gap defined between mold 14 and a region 18 of substrate 16 in superimposition therewith. Thereafter, imprinting material 12 is solidified by exposing the same to an actinic component. In this manner, the shape of a surface 20 of mold 14, facing imprinting material 12, is recorded therein by formation of solidified imprinting layer 22, shown in FIG. 2. [0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, surface 20 of mold 14 is patterned by inclusion of a plurality of protrusions 24 and recessions 26. The apex portion of each of protrusions 24 lies in a common plane, P. It should be understood, however, that surface 20 may be substantially smooth, without protrusions 24 and recessions 26, if not planar. [0019] The actinic component employed to solidify imprinting material 12 may be any known substance, depending upon the composition of imprinting material 12. Exemplary compositions for imprinting material 12 are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/763,885, filed Jan. 24, 2003, entitled "Materials and Methods for Imprint Lithography," which is incorporated by reference. As a result, the actinic component employed is typically ultraviolet wavelengths, and mold 14, not the entire template 10, is fabricated from fused silica. However, other actinic components may be employed, e.g., thermal, electromagnetic and the like. [0020] Imprinting material 12 may be deposited upon either substrate 16 and/or template 10 employing virtually any known technique, dependent upon the composition employed. Such deposition techniques include but are not limited to, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD) spin-coating, and drop dispense techniques. After formation of solidified imprinting layer 22, mold 14 is separated therefrom, and solidified imprinting layer 22 remains on substrate 16. Solidified imprinting layer 22 includes residual regions 28 having a thickness t.sub.1 and projections 30 having a thickness t.sub.2, with t.sub.1 being 10 nm or greater and t.sub.2 being 40 nm or greater. Control of the dimensions of features recorded in solidified imprinting layer 22 is dependent, in part, upon the volume of imprinting material 12 in superimposition with region 18. As a result, attempts have been undertaken to confine imprinting material 12 to the volumetric gap during imprinting processes. Continue reading... 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