Method of performing lithography using cantilever array
First Claim
1. A method of performing lithography on a substrate using a layer of resist, said method comprising the following steps:
- providing an array of cantilevers, said cantilevers being formed in a first substrate, each of said cantilevers including a tip located near a free end of said cantilever and a conductive path extending to said tip;
providing a second substrate, said second substrate being coated with a layer of resist;
bringing said first and second substrates together such that said tips of said cantilevers are adjacent a surface of said layer of resist;
scanning said cantilevers above said surface, said step of scanning comprising the step of causing one of said first and second substrates to oscillate back and forth along a first axis while causing the other of said first and second substrates to advance along a second axis generally perpendicular to said first axis; and
causing an electric current to flow between said tips and said layer of resist and then interrupting said electric current whereby said layer of resist is exposed in a plurality of selected lithographic patterns by said electric current.
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Abstract
A lithography system includes a plurality of cantilevers, preferably formed in a silicon wafer. Each cantilever includes a tip located near the free end of the cantilever and an electrical conduction path which extends along the length of the cantilever to the tip. A switch is included in the conduction path to control the voltage at the tip of the cantilever.
The array of such cantilevers is positioned adjacent a wafer which is to be patterned, in the manner of an atomic force microscope operating in either the contact or noncontact mode. The cantilever array is scanned over the wafer, preferably in a raster pattern, and the individual switches are operated so as to control an electric current or electric field at the tip of each cantilever. The electric current or field is used to write a pattern on a layer of resist coating the wafer or on the surface of the wafer itself. Alternatively, the lithographic pattern may be formed by using the tip to scribe lines in a thin layer of soft material coating the wafer.
198 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of performing lithography on a substrate using a layer of resist, said method comprising the following steps:
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providing an array of cantilevers, said cantilevers being formed in a first substrate, each of said cantilevers including a tip located near a free end of said cantilever and a conductive path extending to said tip; providing a second substrate, said second substrate being coated with a layer of resist; bringing said first and second substrates together such that said tips of said cantilevers are adjacent a surface of said layer of resist; scanning said cantilevers above said surface, said step of scanning comprising the step of causing one of said first and second substrates to oscillate back and forth along a first axis while causing the other of said first and second substrates to advance along a second axis generally perpendicular to said first axis; and causing an electric current to flow between said tips and said layer of resist and then interrupting said electric current whereby said layer of resist is exposed in a plurality of selected lithographic patterns by said electric current. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of performing lithography on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing an array of cantilevers, said cantilevers being formed in a first substrate, each of said cantilevers including a tip located near a free end of said cantilever and a conductive path extending to said tip; providing a second substrate; bringing said first and second substrates together such that said tips of said cantilevers are adjacent a surface of said second substrate; scanning said cantilevers above said surface, said step of scanning comprising the step of causing one of said first and second substrates to oscillate back and forth along a first axis while causing the other of said first and second substrates to advance along a second axis generally perpendicular to said first axis; and electrically biasing each of said tips so as to create an electric field between said tip and said second substrate and then interrupting said electric field whereby said electric field causes an oxide layer to form in a plurality of selected lithographic patterns on said second substrate. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of performing lithography on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing an array of cantilevers, said cantilevers being formed in a first substrate, each of said cantilevers including a tip located near a free end of said cantilever and a conductive path extending to said tip; providing a second substrate, said second substrate including a surface layer of a material that is softer than a material at a surface of said tip; bringing said first and second substrates together such that said tips of said cantilevers are adjacent said surface layer; scanning said cantilevers across said surface, said step of scanning comprising the step of causing one of said first and second substrates to oscillate back and forth along a first axis while causing the other of said first and second substrates to advance along a second axis generally perpendicular to said first axis; and causing each of said cantilevers to bend in a direction toward said substrate such that said tip of said cantilever scribes a trench in said surface layer. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification