Compositions and methods involving direct write optical lithography
First Claim
1. A method for deprotecting reaction sites on a substrate comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate having protected reaction sites;
modulating light direction with a spatial light modulator so as to generate a predetermined light pattern used for deprotecting selected portions of said protected reaction sites.
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Abstract
An improved optical photolithography system and method provides predetermined light patterns generated by a direct write system without the use of photomasks. The Direct Write System provides predetermined light patterns projected on the surface of a substrate (e.g., a wafer) by using a computer controlled means for dynamically generating the predetermined light pattern, e.g., a spatial light modulator. Image patterns are stored in a computer and through electronic control of the spatial light modulator directly illuminate the wafer to define a portion of the polymer array, rather than being defined by a pattern on a photomask. Thus, in the Direct Write System each pixel is illuminated with an optical beam of suitable intensity and the imaging (printing) of an individual feature is determined by computer control of the spatial light modulator at each photolithographic step without the use of a photomask. The Direct Write System including a spatial light modulator is particularly useful in the synthesis of DNA arrays and provides an efficient means for polymer array synthesis by using spatial light modulators to generate a predetermined light pattern that defines the image patterns of a polymer array to be deprotected.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for deprotecting reaction sites on a substrate comprising the steps of:
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providing a substrate having protected reaction sites;
modulating light direction with a spatial light modulator so as to generate a predetermined light pattern used for deprotecting selected portions of said protected reaction sites.
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2. An apparatus for constructing DNA probes comprising:
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(a) a reactor providing a reaction site at which nucleotide addition reactions may be conducted;
(b) a light source providing a light capable of promoting nucleotide addition reactions;
(c) a set of electronically addressable micromirrors positioned along an optical path between the light source and the reactor to receive and reflect the light, the micromirrors separated by lanes having lane widths; and
(d) projection optics positioned along the optical path between the reaction site and the image generator to focus an image of the lanes on the reaction site;
wherein the resolution of the projection optics expressed as a separation distance between resolvable line pairs is greater than half the lane width.
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3. Apparatus for use in synthesis of arrays of DNA probes, comprising:
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(a) a substrate with an active surface on which the arrays may be formed;
(b) a flow cell enclosing the active surface of the substrate and having ports for applying DNA synthesis reagents into the flow cell which can be flowed over the active surface of the substrate; and
(c) an image former providing a high precision, two-dimensional light image projected onto the substrate active surface, comprising;
(1) a light source providing a light beam;
(2) a micromirror device receiving the light beam from the source and formed of an array of electronically addressable micromirrors, each of which can be selectively tilted between one of at least two separate positions, wherein in one of the positions of each micromirror the light from the source incident upon the micromirror is deflected away from an optical axis and in a second of the at least two positions of the micromirror the light is reflected along the optical axis; and
(3) projection optics receiving the light reflected from the micromirrors along the optical axis and imaging the pattern of the micromirrors onto the active surface of the substrate, wherein the light is directed from the micromirror onto the active surface by reflective optical elements.
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4. Apparatus for use in synthesis of arrays of DNA probes, comprising:
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(a) a substrate with an active surface on which the arrays may be formed;
(b) a flow cell enclosing the active surface of the substrate and having ports for applying DNA synthesis reagents into the flow cell which can be flowed over the active surface of the substrate; and
(c) an image former providing a high precision, two-dimensional light image projected onto the substrate active surface, comprising;
(1) a light source providing a light beam;
(2) a micromirror device receiving the light beam from the source and formed of an array of electronically addressable micromirrors, each of which can be selectively tilted between one of at least two separate positions, wherein in one of the positions of each micromirror the light from the source incident upon the micromirror is deflected away from an optical axis and in a second of the at least two positions of the micromirror the light is reflected along the optical axis; and
(3) projection optics receiving the light reflected from the micromirrors along the optical axis and imaging the pattern of the micromirrors onto the active surface of the substrate, wherein the light is directed from the micromirror onto the active surface by a reflective mirror.
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5. Apparatus for use in synthesis of arrays of DNA probes, comprising:
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(a) a substrate with an active surface on which the arrays may be formed;
(b) a flow cell enclosing the active surface of the substrate and having ports for applying DNA synthesis reagents into the flow cell which can be flowed over the active surface of the substrate; and
(c) an image former providing a high precision, two-dimensional light image projected onto the substrate active surface, comprising;
(1) a light source providing a light beam;
(2) a micromirror device receiving the light beam from the source and formed of an array of electronically addressable micromirrors, each of which can be selectively tilted between one of at least two separate positions, wherein in one of the positions of each micromirror the light from the source incident upon the micromirror is deflected away from an optical axis and in a second of the at least two positions of the micromirror the light is reflected along the optical axis; and
(3) projection optics receiving the light reflected from the micromirrors along the optical axis and imaging the pattern of the micromirrors onto the active surface of the substrate.
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6. Apparatus for use in synthesis arrays of DNA probes, comprising:
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(a) a substrate with an active surface on which the arrays may be formed;
(b) a flow cell enclosing the active surface of the substrate and having ports for applying DNA synthesis reagents into the flow cell which can be flowed over the active surface of the substrate; and
(c) an image former providing a high precision, two-dimensional light image projected onto the substrate active surface, comprising;
(1) a light source providing a light beam;
(2) a micromirror device receiving the light beam from the source and formed of an array of electronically addressable micromirrors, wherein the micromirror device is formed of a two dimensional array of micromirrors, cach of which can be selectively tilted between one of at least two separate positions, wherein in one of the positions of each micromirror the light from the source incident upon the micromirror is deflected away from an optical axis and in a second of the at least two positions of the micromirror the light is reflected along the optical axis; and
(3) projection optics receiving the light reflected from the micromirrors along the optical axis and imaging the pattern of the micromirrors onto the active surface of the substrate, wherein the projection optics is telecetric and wherein light is directed from the micromirrors to the active surface is by reflective optical elements.
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7. An apparatus for generating a time and spatially dependent light spectrum comprising:
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a light source positioned to direct a light output, wherein said light source comprises a light that is redirected by a micromirror array under the control of a computer to produce said light output;
a variable spectrum filter placed in the path of the light redirected by said light source, wherein said variable spectrum filter passes one or more spatially separated wavelengths of light; and
said computer controls the relative position of said variable spectrum filter and said light output.
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8. An apparatus for projecting one or more wavelengths of light comprising:
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a light source positioned to redirect light from said light source toward a target, wherein said light source is further defined as comprising a light that produces one or more wavelengths of light that are redirected by a micromirror array under the control of a computer to produce said light;
a variable spectrum generator positioned to pass one or more spatially separated wavelengths of light from said light source; and
said computer connected to, and controlling, said light source and said variable spectrum generator to pass one or more wavelengths of light from said light source toward said target.
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9. An apparatus for generating a time and spatially dependent light spectrum comprising:
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(a) a light source positioned to direct a light output, wherein said light source comprises a light that is redirected by a micromirror array under the control of a computer to produce said light output; and
(b) a filter placed in the path of the light redirected by said light source, wherein said filter passes one spatially separated wavelength of light.
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Specification