Methods and systems to compensate for a stitching disturbance of a printed pattern in a maskless lithography system utilizing overlap of exposure zones with attenuation of the aerial image in the overlap region
First Claim
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1. A method to compensate for errors in a pattern to be printed using a spatial light modulator (SLM), comprising:
- defining exposure areas on a photosensitive surface, the exposure areas overlapping to form an overlap zone therebetween;
determining attenuation of at least one of a predicted aerial image and a corresponding resist image;
exposing the exposure areas to print an image therein, the exposing extending through the overlap zone; and
implementing the determined attenuation during the exposing within the overlap zone.
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Abstract
A method and system are provided for printing a pattern on a photosensitive surface using a spatial light modulator (SLM). An exemplary method includes defining two or more exposure areas on the photosensitive surface, the exposure areas overlapping along respective edge portions of the exposure areas to form an overlap zone therebetween. Two or more exposure areas are exposed to print an image therein, the exposing extending through the overlap zone. The exposing within the overlap zone is then attenuated.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method to compensate for errors in a pattern to be printed using a spatial light modulator (SLM), comprising:
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defining exposure areas on a photosensitive surface, the exposure areas overlapping to form an overlap zone therebetween;
determining attenuation of at least one of a predicted aerial image and a corresponding resist image;
exposing the exposure areas to print an image therein, the exposing extending through the overlap zone; and
implementing the determined attenuation during the exposing within the overlap zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus configured to compensate for errors in a pattern to be printed using a spatial light modulator (SLM), the apparatus comprising:
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means for defining exposure areas on a photosensitive surface, the exposure areas overlapping to form an overlap zone therebetween;
means for determining attenuation of at least one of a predicted aerial image and a corresponding resist image;
means for exposing the exposure areas to print an image therein, the exposing extending through the overlap zone; and
means for implementing the determined attenuation during the exposing within the overlap zone.
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10. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to compensate for errors in a pattern to be printed using a spatial light modulator (SLM), the control logic comprising:
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a first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to define exposure areas on a photosensitive surface, the exposure areas overlapping to form an overlap zone therebetween;
a second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine attenuation of at least one of a predicted aerial image and a corresponding resist image;
a third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to expose the exposure areas to print an image, the exposing extending through the overlap zone; and
a fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to implement the determined attenuation during the exposing within the overlap zone.
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Specification