APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING HIGH REGISTRATION PHOTO MASKS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for generating good registration exposures, said system comprising:
- control means for providing control signals;
a machine for providing a plurality of contact exposures of a master image means on an illumination sensitive medium in response to the control signals;
master image means for selectively exposing the illumination sensitive medium, said master image means including a plurality of spaced apart master images for exposing a plurality of arrays of image exposures having good registration between the plurality of arrays wherein each array of image exposures corresponds to a spaced apart master image; and
illumination sensitive medium operationally connected for receiving the selective exposures and for providing a plurality of exposure arrays each having a plurality of exposures of a corresponding spaced apart master image and each having good registration therebetween.
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Abstract
A system is provided for producing high registration photooptical masks. A control system generates signals to a step and repeat contact printing machine that exposes many prints of the master die images on a photographic film, where these prints have a high registration characteristic.
2 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A system for generating good registration exposures, said system comprising:
- control means for providing control signals;
a machine for providing a plurality of contact exposures of a master image means on an illumination sensitive medium in response to the control signals;
master image means for selectively exposing the illumination sensitive medium, said master image means including a plurality of spaced apart master images for exposing a plurality of arrays of image exposures having good registration between the plurality of arrays wherein each array of image exposures corresponds to a spaced apart master image; and
illumination sensitive medium operationally connected for receiving the selective exposures and for providing a plurality of exposure arrays each having a plurality of exposures of a corresponding spaced apart master image and each having good registration therebetween.
- control means for providing control signals;
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2. The system as set forth in claim 1 above, further comprising contact exposure means for providing the plurality of contact exposures wherein each of the plurality of contact exposures generates a corresponding image in each of the plurality of exposure arrays.
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3. The system as set forth in claim 1 above, further comprising translation means for providing positional translation between the illumination sensitive medium and the master image means wherein the registration precision between the plurality of arrays is substantially better than the positional accuracy between the exposed images in each of said arrays.
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4. The system as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein the plurality of master images are spaced apart from each other on said master image means by distances related to the desired spacing between said plurality of arrays.
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5. The system as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein each of the arrays of exposed images is related to a corresponding one of the master images and wherein each of the arrays has good registration in relation to each of the other arrays.
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6. The system as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said system is a photographic mask making system for making a plurality of integrated circuit masks having good registration, said system further comprising:
- translation means for providing translation between said master means and said illumination sensitive medium for controlling position therebetween; and
contact exposure means for exposing the illumination sensitive medium with the master image means at a plurality of different positions for generating an array of exposures including a plurality of exposed images related to a corresponding master image, wherein each of the plurality of master images generates a corresponding array and wherein each image in one of the arrays is related to each corresponding image in each of the other arrays.
- translation means for providing translation between said master means and said illumination sensitive medium for controlling position therebetween; and
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7. The machine as set forth in claim 1 above, further comprising:
- a plurality of containing means including master containinG means for containing the master image means and medium containing means for containing the illumination sensitive medium; and
contact means for providing translation between said master containing means and said medium containing means in a first direction to bring said master containing means and said medium containing means into contact for providing an exposure and in a second direction to bring said master containing means and said medium containing means apart for providing clearance therebetween.
- a plurality of containing means including master containinG means for containing the master image means and medium containing means for containing the illumination sensitive medium; and
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8. The machine as set forth in claim 7 above, further comprising positioning means for providing positioning translation between said master containing means and said medium containing means in a direction substantially perpendicular to the translation direction of said contact means, said positioning translation providing for changing the relative position of said master containing means and said medium containing means therebetween.
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9. An illumination exposure system comprising:
- means for generating control signals;
means for containing a plurality of illumination devices, said illumination devices including an exposure responsive medium and a master image;
means for exposing said exposure responsive medium with said master image;
positioning means for providing positioning translation between said illumination devices; and
means for providing a plurality of clearance positions between said exposure responsive medium and said master image, wherein the clearance positions include a first clearance position for providing positioning translation of the positioning means and a second clearance position for removal and replacement of at least one of the illumination devices.
- means for generating control signals;
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10. A contact exposure system comprising:
- means for generating control signals;
a machine for providing contact exposures in response to the control signals;
means for generating a contact signal in response to a contact condition; and
contact control means for controlling a contact condition in response to the contact signal.
- means for generating control signals;
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11. A contact exposure system comprising:
- means for generating control signals;
a machine for providing contact exposures in response to the control signals;
a proximity sensor for generating a proximity signal in response to a contact proximity condition and proximity control means for controlling said machine in response to the proximity signal.
- means for generating control signals;
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12. The contact exposure system as set forth in claim 11 above, wherein said proximity control means provides for control of translation velocity, said proximity control means providing a first velocity in response to a first state of the proximity signal and providing a second velocity in response to a second state of the proximity signal.
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13. A contact exposure system comprising:
- control means for generating control signals;
contact means for providing contact exposures in response to the control signals;
positioning means for providing translation between a plurality of exposure positions;
wherein at least one of said control signals is a contact control signal, wherein said control means generates the contact control signal at a time when said positioning means is providing positioning translation to a next exposure position, and wherein said contact means initiates contact translation in response to the contact control signal at a time when said positioning means is providing the positioning translation.
- control means for generating control signals;
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14. A contact exposure system comprising:
- control means for generating control signals;
contact means for providing contact exposures in response to the control signals;
positioning means for providing positioning translation between a plurality of exposure positions;
wherein at least one of said control signals is a positioning control signal, wherein said control means generates the positioning control signal at a time when said contact means is providing retract translation to a retract position, and whErein said positioning means initiates positioning translation in response to the positioning control signal at a time when said contact means is providing the retract translation.
- control means for generating control signals;
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15. An illumination exposure system comprising:
- control means for generating control signals;
containing means for containing a plurality of illumination devices, said illumination devices including an exposure responsive medium and a master image;
exposure means for exposing said exposure responsive medium with said master image; and
removeable means included in said containing means for providing access to at least one of said illumination devices.
- control means for generating control signals;
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16. An illumination exposure system comprising:
- control means for generating control signals;
containing means for containing a plurality of illumination devices, said illumination devices including an exposure responsive medium and a master image;
exposure means for exposing said exposure responsive medium with said master image; and
for providing a clearance position with a small distance between said exposure responsive medium and said master image for rapidly translating therebetween.
- control means for generating control signals;
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17. A contact exposure system comprising:
- control means for providing control signals; and
a machine for providing contact exposures of master image means on an illumination sensitive medium in response to the control signals, said machine including orientation means for providing repeatable angular orientation between said illumination sensitive medium and said master image means.
- control means for providing control signals; and
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18. The orientation means as set forth in claim 17 above, comprising first surface means having an angular orientation related to the angular orientation of the illumination sensitive medium and second surface means having an angular orientation related to the orientation of the master image means for providing the repeatable angular orientation therebetween.
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19. The orientation means as set forth in claim 17 above, comprising first taper means operationally connected to the illumination sensitive medium and second taper means operationally connected to the master image means for providing the repeatable angular orientation therebetween.
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20. The machine as set forth in claim 17 above, wherein said orientation means is operationally connected between said master image means and said illumination sensitive medium for providing an angular orientation repeatability therebetween substantially better than an angular orientation accuracy therebetween.
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21. A system for making contact exposures, said system comprising:
- control means for providing control signals;
a machine for providing contact exposures of a master image on an illumination sensitive medium in response to the control signals;
positioning means for providing translation between said illumination sensitive medium and said master image, said positioning means having a first position precision characteristic; and
orientation means for providing repeatable angular orientation between said illumination sensitive medium and said master image, said orientation means having a second position precision characteristic related to an angular nonrepeatability related tangential translation, said orientation means providing the second position precision characteristic with substantially greater precision than the first position precision characteristic.
- control means for providing control signals;
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22. A contact exposure system comprising:
- control means for providing control signals; and
a machine for providing contact exposures of master image means on an illumination sensitive medium in response to the control signals, said machine including contact pressure means for controlling contact pressure between said illumination sensitive medium and said master image means.
- control means for providing control signals; and
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23. The machine as set forth in claim 22 above, wherein said contact pressure means includes compliance means for controlling the contact pressure with a compliance characteristic of said compliance means.
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24. A contaCt exposure system comprising:
- control means for providing control signals;
a plurality of illumination devices including a master image and an illumination sensitive medium;
a machine for providing contact exposures of said master image on said illumination sensitive medium in response to the control signals;
said machine including means for adjusting to a thickness characteristic of at least one of said illumination devices.
- control means for providing control signals;
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25. A contact exposure system comprising:
- control means for providing control signals; and
a machine for providing contact exposures of master image means on an illumination sensitive medium in response to the control signals, said machine including means for providing translation between said master image means and said illumination sensitive medium, said translation providing means having a positional accuracy characteristic substantially less precise than a desired registration precision, said machine providing the desired registration precision in response to the control signals.
- control means for providing control signals; and
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26. The contact exposure system as set forth in claim 25 above, wherein said master image means includes a plurality of spaced apart images, wherein each of said spaced apart images is related to a desired cluster of images, wherein said machine provides a plurality of the contact exposures for exposing a plurality of clusters, wherein each cluster includes a plurality of exposures of a particular spaced apart image, and wherein each of said clusters provides good registration with each other of said clusters.
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27. The contact exposure system as set forth in claim 25 above, wherein said machine further includes orientation means for providing repeatable angular orientation between said illumination sensitive medium and said master image means.
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28. The contact exposure system as set forth in claim 25 above, wherein said master image means includes a plurality of spaced apart images, said translation being less than the distance between two of the spaced apart images.
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29. The contact exposure system as set forth in claim 25 above, wherein at least one exposure of said master image means on said illumination sensitive medium overlaps a plurality of other exposures of said master image means on said illumination sensitive medium.
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30. A contact exposure system comprising:
- control means for providing control signals;
a plurality of illumination devices including a master image and an illumination sensitive medium;
a machine for providing contact exposures of said master image on said illumination sensitive medium in response to the control signals;
said machine including translation means for providing positioning translation between said illumination devices, detector means for generating a contact signal in response to a contact condition, and interlock means for disabling the positioning translation in response to the contact signal.
- control means for providing control signals;
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31. A system for generating a plurality of exposures having good registration therebetween, said system comprising:
- control means for providing a control signal;
a machine for providing contact exposures of a master image means on an illumination sensitive medium in response to the control signals;
said machine including positioning means for providing translation between said master image means and said illumination sensitive medium, said positioning means having a translation distance substantially smaller than the size of said master image means.
- control means for providing a control signal;
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32. A machine system comprising:
- control means for providing control signals;
exposure means for providing exposures of a master image means on an illumination sensitive medium in response to the control signals;
master containing means for containing the master image means;
means containing means for containing the illumination sensitive medium; and
positioning means for providing translation between said master containing means and said medium containing means, said positioning means havinG a maximum translation distance smaller than the size of the master containing means.
- control means for providing control signals;
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33. A system for generating good registration exposures, said system comprising:
- control means for providing control signals;
a machine for providing a plurality of contact exposures of a master image on an illumination sensitive medium in response to the control signals, said machine including illumination means for providing illumination, said master image means being responsive to the illumination for exposing said illumination sensitive medium to generate the contact exposures.
- control means for providing control signals;
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34. The machine as set forth in claim 33 above, further comprising positioning means for providing translation between the master image means and the illumination sensitive medium and having translation distances substantially less than the effective exposure area.
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35. The machine as set forth in claim 33 above, further comprising:
- means for providing translation between the master image means and the illumination sensitive medium; and
containing means for containing the master image means having a size greater than the maximum distance of translation.
- means for providing translation between the master image means and the illumination sensitive medium; and
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36. The machine as set forth in claim 33 above, further comprising:
- means for providing translation between said master image means and said illumination sensitive medium to a plurality of different exposure positions spaced apart by distances less than the distances between a plurality of master images;
means for providing a contact exposure of said master image means on said illumination sensitive medium at each of the exposure positions; and
a plurality of master images included on said master image means for providing a corresponding plurality of exposure images on said illumination medium for each of the contact exposures.
- means for providing translation between said master image means and said illumination sensitive medium to a plurality of different exposure positions spaced apart by distances less than the distances between a plurality of master images;
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37. The illumination means set forth in claim 33 above, further comprising a plurality of spaced apart means for illuminating each of a corresponding plurality of master images included on said master image means.
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38. The illumination means set forth in claim 37 above, further comprising positioning means for positioning each of the spaced apart illuminating means for illuminating a corresponding master image.
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39. The system as set forth in claim 33 above, further comprising a stored program data processor means for processing digital information in response to a stored program and for generating at least one of the control signals under program control.
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40. A contact exposure system comprising:
- a machine for providing contact exposures of a master image on an illumination sensitive medium in response to control signals;
control means for providing the control signals, said control means including a stored program data processor operable under control of a stored program to generate the control signals, said data processor including a read only memory for storing the stored program.
- a machine for providing contact exposures of a master image on an illumination sensitive medium in response to control signals;
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41. The control means as set forth in claim 33 above, further comprising digital means for generating at least one of the control signals.
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42. The system as set forth in claim 33 above, wherein the control signals include at least one translation signal for controlling said machine means to translate between exposure positions.
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43. The system as set forth in claim 33 above, wherein the control signals include at least one exposure control signal for controlling the exposure of the illumination sensitive medium.
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44. The system as set forth in claim 33 above, further comprising:
- feedback means included in said machine means for generating a feedback signal in response to a machine condition; and
feedback processing means included in said control means and operationally connected to said feedback means for generating at least one of the control signals in response to the feedback signal.
- feedback means included in said machine means for generating a feedback signal in response to a machine condition; and
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45. The control means as set forth in claim 33 above further comprising input means for providing input signals, said control means generating at least one of the control signals in response to the input signals.
Specification