SURFACE STATE INSPECTION METHOD, AND MANUFACTURING METHOD AND IMPRINT METHOD OF IMPRINT MOLD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a surface state inspection method allowing for accurately recognizing a surface state of an inspection object with a high reproducibility without contaminating the surface of the inspection object such as an imprint mold or a transferred substrate.SOLUTION: A surface state inspection method includes the steps of: preparing a probe 2 having a curved surface 2A and bringing the curved surface 2A of the probe 2 into contact with a surface 1A of an inspection object 1; and separating the probe 2 coming into contact with the surface 1A of the inspection object 1 from the surface 1A of the inspection object 1. The variation in the load charged on the probe 2 in the period from the bringing the curved surface 2A of the probe 2 into contact with the surface 1A of the inspection object 1 to the separating them from each other is measured, and the maximal value of the load is determined. The surface state of the inspection object 1 is evaluated using the maximal value of the load as an index.