Method for optical inspection and lithography
First Claim
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1. A process for illuminating a structured surface, comprising:
- introducing a fluid into a volume, said fluid nearly completely chemically inactive with respect to said structured surface;
establishing within said volume a pressure and temperature which maintains said fluid in a supercritical state;
immersing the structured surface in said supercritical fluid; and
directing optical energy through the supercritical fluid and onto said structured surface.
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Abstract
A process for illuminating a structured surface initially introduces a fluid into a volume, the fluid nearly completely chemically inactive with respect to the structured surface. Next, pressure and temperature are established within the volume which maintains the fluid in a supercritical state. The structured surface is then immersed in the supercritical fluid, and optical energy is directed through the supercritical fluid and onto the structured surface.
946 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A process for illuminating a structured surface, comprising:
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introducing a fluid into a volume, said fluid nearly completely chemically inactive with respect to said structured surface; establishing within said volume a pressure and temperature which maintains said fluid in a supercritical state; immersing the structured surface in said supercritical fluid; and directing optical energy through the supercritical fluid and onto said structured surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A process for optically characterizing a patterned surface, the process comprising:
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immersing the patterned surface in a supercritical fluid that is nearly completely chemically inactive with respect to said patterned surface; illuminating the patterned surface with optical energy that passes through the supercritical fluid, the optical energy selected from the group consisting of;
visible and ultraviolet wavelengths;collecting onto a detection means scattered optical energy that has been transmitted through the supercritical fluid after scattering from the patterned surface; and generating a signal in the detection means from the collected, scattered optical energy to enable a characterization of the patterned surface. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A process for optically projecting an image onto a photoresist covered surface, the process using a transmission mask defining the image to be projected and a system of lenses and mirrors for forming an image of the transmission mask, the process comprising:
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immersing the photoresist covered surface in a supercritical fluid that is nearly completely chemically inactive with respect to said photoresist covered surface; aligning the photoresist covered surface in the supercritical fluid so that the image of the transmission mask produced by the system of lenses is aligned with a predetermined orientation of the photoresist covered surface; illuminating the mask with optical energy comprising optical radiation selected from the group consisting of visible and ultraviolet wavelengths; and projecting optical energy that has passed through the mask with the system of lenses and mirrors through the supercritical fluid and onto the photoresist covered surface. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification