Active wafer shape modulation using a multi-actuator chucking system

•High throughput and low defectivity necessary for commercial viability of imprint lithography.•Wafer shape modulation during imprint decreases imprint time and defects.•Novel wafer chuck design for active shape modulation proposed and prototyped.•Chuck design accommodates universal field layout while minimizing number of actuators required.•24× increase in imprint speed with reduction in defects observed.

Jet and Flash Imprint Lithography has proven to be a viable alternative to optical lithography for fabrication of sub 30 nm nanostructures for large volume semiconductor manufacturing. Machine throughput, overlay and process defectivity that meet and exceed the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) are essential for commercial viability of any new lithography technology. Jet and Flash Imprint Lithography uses an inkjet head to dispense a grid of liquid drops on the wafer surface to match the volume requirements of the pattern being imprinted. Wafer shape modulation has been shown to increase imprinting speed significantly by reducing air bubble trapping in the drop interstitial sites. A wafer shape modulation chuck that can address arbitrary field locations and sizes on a wafer with a novel actuation scheme that minimizes the number of actuators while increasing imprinting speed and reducing process defects significantly is presented.