Optical spot grid array printer
First Claim
1. A printer adapted for use with a substrate layered with a memoryless resist, the printer comprising:
- a programmable optical radiation source for providing an array of substantially parallel optical beams, the optical beams individually modulated in response to the input signal;
a beam shaper for narrowing the optical beams;
focusing optics positioned to receive the narrowed modulated optical beams and for focusing the narrowed modulated optical beams; and
a movable stage for introducing a linear movement between the substrate and the focused narrowed modulated optical beams, the translation providing for a slanted scan.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A high resolution and high data rate spot grid array printer system is provided, wherein an image is formed by scanning spot-grid array of optical beams across a substrate layered with a resist. High resolution is achieved by apodizing the optical beams to provide a narrower main lobe. Unwanted recordation of side lobes upon the substrate is prevented by assuring that the side lobes do not include energy above the threshold of the resist, using a memoryless resist, and by using a slanted and interleaved scan pattern adapted for use with the spot-grid array pattern and the memoryless characteristic of the resist.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A printer adapted for use with a substrate layered with a memoryless resist, the printer comprising:
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a programmable optical radiation source for providing an array of substantially parallel optical beams, the optical beams individually modulated in response to the input signal;
a beam shaper for narrowing the optical beams;
focusing optics positioned to receive the narrowed modulated optical beams and for focusing the narrowed modulated optical beams; and
a movable stage for introducing a linear movement between the substrate and the focused narrowed modulated optical beams, the translation providing for a slanted scan. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Apparatus for exposing a substrate to a light image comprising:
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a programmable light source for providing and modulating a plurality of substantially parallel optical beams, the optical beams modulated in response to an input data signal;
a beam shaper for narrowing the beams such that the beams comprise a central main lobe and at least one side; and
a movable stage for scanning the substrate through the narrowed array of beams in a direction slanted relative to the axes of the beam array.
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22. Apparatus for exposing a substrate to a light image comprising:
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a programmable light source for providing and modulating providing a plurality of substantially parallel optical beams, the optical beams modulated in response to an input data signal;
focusing optics positioned to received the optical beams for focusing the optical beams to form a spot-grid array pattern; and
a movable stage for scanning the substrate through the focused narrowed array of beams. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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23. A method comprising the steps of:
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applying a memoryless resist to a substrate;
generating an array of substantially parallel light beams;
modulating a plurality of the light beams of the array for irradiating a substrate, the light beams modulated in response to an input signal corresponding to a predefined image to be recorded on the substrate;
moving the substrate on a movable stage in a direction slanted relative to the axes of the beam array while the generating, modulating steps are performed, such that the predefined image is recorded on the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A printer for exposing a substrate comprising:
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a programmable light source for providing and modulating a plurality of substantially parallel optical beams in response to an input data signal; and
a movable stage for scanning the substrate through the optical beams. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 45, 46)
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33. A device for exposing a lithographic material, the lithographic material having the characteristic of being substantially memoryless after a predetermined period of time, the device comprising:
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a light source;
a programmable two-dimensional spatial light modulator positioned to receive light from the light source for providing a parallel array of modulated light beams, the light beams modulated in response to an input data pattern signal;
a beam shaper array, with an element corresponding to each beam, for narrowing the optical beams, the narrowed optical beams characterized by a strong main lobe and lesser side lobes;
a focusing array, with an element corresponding to each beam, for focusing the narrowed modulated optical beams to form a spot array; and
a movable stage for introducing a relative movement between the lithographic material and the focusing optics such that the following conditions are meet;
a) the exposure time of imaged main lobes is sufficient to expose the lithographic material;
b) the exposure time of the imaged side lobes is not sufficient to individually expose the lithographic material; and
c) adjacent positions of the lithographic material are not exposed within the predetermined time period characterizing the lithographic material.
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34. A device for exposing a lithographic material, the lithographic material having the characteristic of being substantially memoryless after a predetermined period of time, the device comprising:
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an optical radiation source for providing an array of imaging beams and for modulating the optical beams in a sequence of desired patterns, the sequence of desired patterns corresponding to an image to be recorded on the lithographic material;
a beam shaper array, with an element corresponding to each beam, for narrowing each modulated optical beam, the narrowed optical beams characterized by a strong main lobe and lesser side lobes;
a focusing array, with an element corresponding to each beam, for focusing the narrowed modulated optical beams onto the lithographic material;
a movable stage for introducing a relative movement between the lithographic material and the beam shaper array such that the following conditions are meet;
a) the exposure time of imaged main lobes is sufficient to expose the lithographic material;
b) the exposure time of the imaged side lobes is not sufficient to expose the lithographic material;
c) adjacent positions of the lithographic material are not exposed within the predetermined time period characterizing the lithographic material; and
d) closest parallel scan lines are spaced apart by an integer fraction (px/n) of the pixel width, and sequential pixels exposed by a beam are spaced apart by an integer multiple of the pixel width (px*n).
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35. A printer adapted for use with a substrate layered with a memoryless resist, the printer comprising:
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a programmable optical radiation source for providing an array of substantially parallel optical beams, the optical beams individually modulated in response to the input signal;
focusing optics positioned to receive the modulated optical beams and for focusing the modulated optical beams; and
a movable stage for introducing a linear movement between the substrate and the focused modulated optical beams, the translation providing for a slanted scan. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. A printer adapted for use with a substrate layered with a memoryless resist, the printer comprising:
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an optical radiation source for providing an array of substantially parallel optical beams, the optical beam array forming a sequence of spot-grid array patterns;
optics positioned to receive the optical beam array and for focusing the optical beams onto the substrate; and
a movable stage for introducing a linear movement between the substrate and the focused optical beams in a direction slanted relative to the axes of the beam array, the translation synchronized with sequence of patterns for superimposing the patterns to form a final image on the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. A printer adapted for use with a substrate layered with a memoryless resist, the printer comprising:
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an optical radiation source for providing an array of substantially parallel optical beams, the array of optical beams forming a spot-grid array pattern;
a beam shaper for narrowing the optical beams;
optics positioned to receive the narrowed modulated optical beams for focusing the narrowed modulated optical beams onto the substrate; and
a movable stage for introducing a linear movement between the substrate and the focused narrowed modulated optical beams, the translation providing for a slanted scan. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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Specification