Lamp system producing uniform high intensity ultraviolet light for exposure of photolithographic and other light polymerizable materials
First Claim
1. A lamp system comprising:
- a plurality of lamps generating light in an ultraviolet spectrum range;
a separate reflector associated with and covering each of the plurality of lamps, forming distinct lamp and reflector pairs, such that each lamp reflector pair has a generally separate reflective light path to a surface of a substrate;
at least one capacitor connected to each lamp to store energy to energize the lamp; and
a triggering and control circuit to trigger the at least one capacitor connected to each lamp independently, such that each lamp can be controlled separately with respect to illumination time and intensity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A lamp exposure system producing uniform, high intensity ultraviolet light includes a plurality of lamps generating light in an ultraviolet spectrum range, a separate reflector associated with and covering each of the plurality of lamps, forming distinct lamp and reflector pairs, such that each lamp reflector pair has a generally separate reflective light path to a surface of a substrate, at least one capacitor connected to each lamp to store energy to energize the lamp, and a triggering and control circuit to trigger the at least one capacitor connected to each lamp independently, such that each lamp can be controlled separately with respect to illumination time and intensity. A method for exposing substrates to ultraviolet light, and a method for calibrating the lamp exposure system are also disclosed.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A lamp system comprising:
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a plurality of lamps generating light in an ultraviolet spectrum range; a separate reflector associated with and covering each of the plurality of lamps, forming distinct lamp and reflector pairs, such that each lamp reflector pair has a generally separate reflective light path to a surface of a substrate; at least one capacitor connected to each lamp to store energy to energize the lamp; and a triggering and control circuit to trigger the at least one capacitor connected to each lamp independently, such that each lamp can be controlled separately with respect to illumination time and intensity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A lamp exposure system for exposing a substrate to ultraviolet light, the system comprising:
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a plurality of ultraviolet lamps; a separate reflector associated with and covering each of the plurality of lamps, forming distinct lamp and reflector pairs, such that each lamp reflector pair has a generally separate reflective light path to a surface of a substrate, wherein the plurality of lamps and reflectors are arranged in a rectangular array, such that each lamp is separated from adjacent lamps by respective reflectors, and the light energy from each lamp is independently directed to a different area of the substrate, and wherein the rectangular array is located less than 6 inches from the surface of the substrate; at least one capacitor connected to each lamp to store energy to energize the lamp; and a triggering and control circuit to flash trigger the at least one capacitor connected to each lamp independently, such that each lamp can be controlled separately with respect to illumination time and intensity. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method of exposing a substrate to ultraviolet light, the method comprising:
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measuring light energy from each of a plurality of ultraviolet lamps in order to normalize the intensity of light energy across a surface of a substrate, wherein each lamp is directed toward a different surface area of the substrate; determining a triggering profile for each lamp based on a result of the measuring; storing each triggering profile in a memory; placing a substrate within ten inches of the plurality of ultraviolet lamps, wherein each lamp has an associated reflector; independently flash triggering each lamp according to its stored triggering profile in at least a subset of the plurality of ultraviolet lamps for a predetermined period of time.
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18. A method of calibrating a lamp exposure system having a plurality of ultraviolet lamps, the method comprising:
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measuring light energy at a plurality of positions across a surface of a substrate located a fixed distance from the plurality of ultraviolet lamps; determining a triggering profile for each lamp based on the measuring, in order to produce a uniform energy intensity across the surface of the substrate; and storing the triggering profile for each lamp. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification