METHOD FOR HIGH PRECISION PRINTING OF PATTERNS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for printing fine patterns with high precision, comprising the actions of:
- providing an SLM having an array of modulator elements, providing an electromagnetic radiation source to illuminate said SLM with partially coherent illumination with a coherence length that is larger than half the pitch of the modulating elements in the SLM, creating a negative complex amplitude with at least one modulator element.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An aspect of the present invention includes a method to print pattern with improved edge acuity. In one embodiment a method for printing fine patterns comprising the actions of: providing an SLM and providing a pixel layout pattern with different categories of modulating elements, the categories differing in the phase of the complex amplitude. Other aspects of the present invention are reflected in the detailed description, figures and claims.
32 Citations
42 Claims
-
1. A method for printing fine patterns with high precision, comprising the actions of:
-
providing an SLM having an array of modulator elements, providing an electromagnetic radiation source to illuminate said SLM with partially coherent illumination with a coherence length that is larger than half the pitch of the modulating elements in the SLM, creating a negative complex amplitude with at least one modulator element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method for printing fine patterns, comprising the actions of:
-
providing an SLM, providing a data path including a rasterizer, rasterizing an input pattern to a grayscale bitmap, providing an edge-sharpening filter operating on the bitmap. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method for printing fine patterns comprising the actions of
providing an SLM and a partially coherent optical system, providing a data path including a rasterizer, rasterizing an input pattern to a grayscale bitmap, providing an edge-sharpening filter operating on the bitmap, wherein said edge-sharpening filter producing pixels with negative complex amplitude.
-
18. A method for printing fine pattern comprising the actions of:
-
providing an SLM, providing a partially coherent optical system, providing pixels with less reflection close to the axis. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method for printing fine pattern comprising the actions of:
-
providing an SLM with an array of reflecting elements, providing a surface profile for at least one reflecting element, said surface profile having area elements with at least two heights. - View Dependent Claims (23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
24. A method for printing fine patterns comprising the actions of:
-
providing an SLM, providing a bitmap representing the input data, separating said bitmap into two bitmaps, filtering the two bitmaps using different filters, combining the two bitmaps to expose the image.
-
-
33. A method for printing fine patterns comprising the actions of:
-
detecting edges in the bitmap, characterizing the steepness of the transition of the edges, making digital edge enhancements based on said steepness. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. A method for printing fine patterns comprising the actions of:
-
providing an SLM having analog function with a range from positive to negative complex amplitude reflection, providing a data path, providing input data describing a pattern having extended areas with at least three complex amplitude values and edges between them, converting said data input to a bitmap of pixel values that correspond to both negative and positive complex amplitude. - View Dependent Claims (38)
-
-
39. A method for printing fine patterns comprising the actions of:
-
providing an SLM, providing a pixel layout pattern with different categories of modulating elements, the categories differing in the phase of the complex amplitude. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
-
Specification