System for magnification and distortion correction during nano-scale manufacturing

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward a system to vary dimensions of a substrate, such as a template having a patterned mold. To that end, the system includes a substrate chuck adapted to position the substrate in a region; a pliant member; and an actuator sub-assembly elastically coupled to the substrate chuck through the pliant member. The actuator assembly includes a plurality of lever sub-assemblies, one of which includes a body lying in the region and spaced-apart from an opposing body associated with one of the remaining lever sub-assemblies of the plurality of lever sub-assemblies. One of the plurality of lever assemblies is adapted to vary a distance between the body and the opposing body. In this manner, compressive forces may be applied to the template to remove unwanted magnification or other distortions in the pattern on the mold. The pliant member is configured to attenuate a magnitude of resulting forces sensed by the substrate chuck generated in response to the compressive forces.

1 . An apparatus to vary dimensions of a substrate, said apparatus comprising: 
 a substrate chuck adapted to position said substrate in a region;    a pliant member; and    an actuator sub-assembly elastically coupled to said substrate chuck through said pliant member, with said actuator assembly including a plurality of lever sub-assemblies one of which includes a body lying in said region and spaced-apart from an opposing body associated with one of the remaining lever sub-assemblies of said plurality of lever sub-assemblies, with one of said plurality of lever sub-assemblies being adapted to vary a distance between said body and said opposing body.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said body and said opposing body are positioned to receive said substrate therebetween and apply compressive forces thereto, with said pliant member configured to attenuate a magnitude resulting forces sensed by said substrate chuck generated in response to said compressive forces.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  further including a flexure, with said substrate chuck being fixedly attached to said flexure and a first end of said pliant member being fixedly attached to said actuator assembly and a second end of said pliant member being fixedly attached to said flexure.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  further including a flexure, with said substrate chuck being fixedly attached to said flexure and said pliant member being coupled between said flexure and said actuator sub-assembly to facilitate translational movement therebetween along two orthogonal axes lying in a common plane, while restricting translation movement along an additional axis extending normal to said plane.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 4  wherein said pliant member facilitates rotational movement about said additional axis.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said actuator assembly includes additional bodies, with said additional bodies and said body and said opposing body defining a plurality of bodies, with said plurality of bodies defining an area therebetween lying within said region, said plurality of bodies being adapted to vary said area.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein a subset of said plurality of lever sub-assemblies further includes a lever arm having first and second opposed termini; a linkage, coupled between said body and said lever arm, to translate angular motion of said lever arm about an axis into motion of said body along a direction extending transversely to said axis, with said direction being substantially constant over a range of motion of said body about said axis; and an actuation system to impart said angular motion.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 7  wherein said body further includes a contact surface and said linkage further includes a linkage system coupled between said lever arm and said body to allow said contact surface to compress against a side of said substrate.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 7  wherein said linkage further includes a linkage system coupled between said lever arm and said body to facilitate angular movement of said lever arm with respect to said body about two additional axes, one of which extends orthogonally to the remaining axis of said two axes.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 7  wherein said body further includes a contact surface formed from a compliant material to contact a side of said substrate and conform to a shape of said side.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 7  further including an amplifier coupled to said body, with said actuation system imparting a first force upon an additional contact surface of said opposing body, with said amplifier imparting a second force upon said contact surface in response to said first force with a magnitude of said second force being greater than a magnitude of said first force.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 7  further including an amplifier coupled to said body, with said actuation system imparting a first force upon an additional contact surface of said opposing body, with said amplifier imparting a second force upon said contact surface, with a magnitude of said second force being a multiple of a magnitude of said first force.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 7  further including an amplifier coupled to said opposing body, with said actuation system imparting a first force upon an additional contact surface of said opposing body, with said amplifier imparting a second force upon said contact surface in response to said first force, with said amplifier including a pivot disposed from said first end a first length and disposed from said second end a second length with said magnitude of said second force being a function of a ratio of said first length and said second length.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 7  wherein said actuation system comprises an actuator selected from a set of actuators consisting essentially of a pneumatic acutator, a piezo-electric actuator, a magnetostrictive actuator and a voice coil actuator.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus to vary dimensions of a substrate, said apparatus comprising: 
 a substrate chuck adapted to position said substrate in a region;    a plurality of pliant members;    a flexure, with said substrate chuck being fixedly attached to said flexure; and    an actuator sub-assembly elastically coupled to flexure through said plurality of pliant members, with said actuator assembly including a plurality of lever sub-assemblies a subset of which includes a body lying in said region and spaced-apart from an opposing body associated with one of the remaining lever sub-assemblies of said plurality of lever sub-assemblies, with each of the lever sub-assemblies of said subset being adapted to vary a distance between said body and opposing body.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 15  wherein said body and said opposing body are positioned to receive said substrate therebetween and apply compressive forces thereto, with said pliant member configured to attenuate a magnitude of resulting forces sensed by said substrate chuck generated in response to said compressive forces.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 15  wherein a first end of a subset of said plurality of pliant members are fixedly attached to said actuator assembly and a second end of the pliant members of said subset are fixedly attached to said flexure.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 15  wherein said plurality of pliant members are configured to facilitate translational movement between said flexure and said actuator sub-assembly along two orthogonal axes lying in a common plane, while restricting translation movement along an additional axis extending normal to said plane.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 15  wherein said actuator assembly includes additional bodies, with said additional bodies and said body and said opposing body defining a plurality of bodies, with said plurality of bodies defining an area therebetween lying within said region, said plurality of bodies being adapted to vary said area.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 15  wherein a subset of said plurality of lever sub-assemblies further includes a lever arm having first and second opposed termini; a linkage, coupled between said body and said lever arm, to translate angular motion of said lever arm about an axis into motion of said body along a direction extending transversely to said axis, with said direction being substantially constant over a range of motion of said body about said axis; and an actuation system to impart said angular motion.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 20  wherein said body further includes a contact surface and said linkage further includes a linkage system coupled between said lever arm and said body to allow said contact surface to compress against a side of said substrate.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 20  wherein said linkage further includes a linkage system coupled between said lever arm and said body to facilitate angular movement of said lever arm with respect to said body about two additional axes, one of which extends orthogonally to the remaining axis of said two axes.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 20  wherein said body further includes a contact surface formed from a compliant material to contact a side of said substrate and conform to a shape of said side.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 20  wherein said actuation system comprises an actuator selected from a set of actuators consisting essentially of a pneumatic acutator, a piezo-electric actuator, a magnetostrictive actuator and a voice coil actuator.  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus to vary dimensions of a substrate, said apparatus comprising: 
 a first body having a first end;    a second body having a contact surface spaced-apart from said first end a distance;    a lever arm having first and second opposed termini;    a linkage, coupled between said second body and said lever arm, to translate angular motion of said lever arm about an axis into movement of said second body in a direction to vary said distance, while allowing angular movement between said second body and said lever arm; and    an actuation system to impart said angular movement.    
     
     
         26 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 25  wherein said linkage further includes a linkage system coupled between said lever arm and said second body to facilitate angular movement of said lever arm with respect to said second body about an additional axis extending parallel to said axis.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 25  wherein said linkage further includes a linkage system coupled between said lever arm and said second body to facilitate angular movement of said lever arm with respect to said second body about an additional axis extending orthogonally to said axis.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 25  wherein said linkage further includes a linkage system coupled between said lever arm and said second body to facilitate angular movement of said lever arm with respect to said second body about two additional axes one of which extends orthogonally to said axis, with the remaining axis of said two additional axes extending parallel to said axis.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 25  wherein said contact surface is formed from a compliant material.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 25  further including an amplifier coupled to said second body, with said actuation system imparting a first force upon an additional contact surface of said second body, with said amplifier imparting a second force upon said contact surface in response to said first force with a magnitude of said second force being greater than a magnitude of said first force.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 25  further including an amplifier coupled to said second body, with said actuation system imparting a first force upon an additional contact surface of said second body, with said amplifier imparting a second force upon said first terminus, with a magnitude of said second force being a multiple of a magnitude of said first force.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 25  further including an amplifier coupled to said second body, with said actuation system imparting a first force upon an additional contact surface of said second body, with said amplifier imparting a second force upon said first terminus in response to said first force, with said amplifier including a pivot disposed from said first end a first length and disposed from said second end a second length with said magnitude of said second force being a function of a ratio of said first length and said second length  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 25  wherein said actuation system comprises a piezo-electric actuator.  
     
     
         34 . An apparatus to vary dimensions of a substrate, said apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of bodies disposed about a perimeter defining an area, with a subset of said plurality of bodies being coupled to a lever arm through a linkage to translate angular motion of said lever arm about an axis to vary said area by imparting motion onto one of said plurality of bodies along a direction extending transversely to said axis, with said direction being substantially constant over a range of motion of said lever arm about said axis; and    an actuation system to impart said angular movement.    
     
     
         35 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 34  wherein said linkage further includes a linkage system coupled between one of said plurality of bodies and said lever arm to facilitate angular movement of said body with respect to said lever arm about an additional axis extending parallel to said axis.  
     
     
         36 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 34  wherein said linkage further includes a linkage system coupled between one of said plurality of bodies and said lever arm to facilitate angular movement of said body with respect to said lever arm about an additional axis extending orthogonally to said axis.  
     
     
         37 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 34  wherein said linkage further includes a linkage system coupled between one of said plurality of bodies and said lever arm to facilitate angular movement of said body with respect to said lever arm about two additional axes one of which extends orthogonally to said axis, with the remaining axis of said two additional axes extending parallel to said axis.  
     
     
         38 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 34  wherein one end of said body is formed from a compliant material.  
     
     
         39 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 34  further including an amplifier coupled to said lever arm, with said actuation system imparting a first force upon a said lever arm, with said amplifier imparting a second force upon said one of the bodies of said subset in response to said first force, with a magnitude of said second force being greater than a magnitude of said first force.  
     
     
         40 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 34  further including an amplifier coupled to said second body, with said actuation system imparting a first force upon said lever arm, with said amplifier imparting a second force upon said body, with a magnitude of said second force being a multiple of a magnitude of said first force.  
     
     
         41 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 34  further including an amplifier coupled to said second body, with said actuation system imparting a first force upon said lever arm, with said amplifier imparting a second force upon said body in response to said first force, with said amplifier including a pivot positioned between opposed ends of said lever arm, with said pivot being positioned, with respect to one of said opposed ends, a first length and positioned from the remaining of said opposed ends, a second length with a magnitude of said second force being a function of a ratio of said first length and said second length  
     
     
         42 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 34  wherein said actuation system comprises of a piezo-electric actuator.