Maskless, reticle-free, lithography
First Claim
1. A maskless lithography system comprising;
- a programmable array of binary light switches (PABLS), said programmable array comprising active elements that can be digitally programmed to direct, or not direct, incident light into a fixed pupil location,a pulsed or strobed radiation source that illuminates the programmable array with a sequence of pulses,a projection system that images the array pattern onto a substrate, anda scanning substrate stage that is in motion during the sequence of pulses but which moves only a small fraction of a minimum feature size during the time duration of a single pulse.
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Abstract
A lithography system in which the mask or reticle, which usually carries the pattern to be printed onto a substrate, is replaced by a programmable array of binary (i.e. on/off) light valves or switches which can be programmed to replicate a portion of the pattern each time an illuminating light source is flashed. The pattern of light produced by the programmable array is imaged onto a lithographic substrate which is mounted on a scanning stage as is common in optical lithography. The stage motion and the pattern of light displayed by the programmable array are precisely synchronized with the flashing illumination system so that each flash accurately positions the image of the pattern on the substrate. This is achieved by advancing the pattern held in the programmable array by an amount which corresponds to the travel of the substrate stage each time the light source flashes. In this manner the image is built up of multiple flashes and an isolated defect in the array will only have a small effect on the printed pattern. The method includes projection lithographies using radiation other than optical or ultraviolet light. The programmable array of binary switches would be used to control extreme ultraviolet (EUV), x-ray, or electron, illumination systems, obviating the need for stable, defect free masks for projection EUV, x-ray, or electron, lithographies.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A maskless lithography system comprising;
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a programmable array of binary light switches (PABLS), said programmable array comprising active elements that can be digitally programmed to direct, or not direct, incident light into a fixed pupil location, a pulsed or strobed radiation source that illuminates the programmable array with a sequence of pulses, a projection system that images the array pattern onto a substrate, and a scanning substrate stage that is in motion during the sequence of pulses but which moves only a small fraction of a minimum feature size during the time duration of a single pulse. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for maskless lithography comprising;
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programming a programmable array of binary light switches (PABLS) to reflect a desired array pattern, said programmable array comprising active elements that can be digitally programmed to direct, or not direct, incident light into a fixed pupil location, illuminating the programmable array with a sequence of radiation pulses, imaging the array pattern onto a substrate, and moving the substrate during the sequence of pulses but only a small fraction of a minimum feature size during the time of a single pulse. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification