Maskless photolithography using plasma displays
First Claim
1. A system for maskless photolithography comprising:
- a. a computer system for generating mask patterns; and
b. a plasma display, having individually addressable pixels, operably connected to and controllable by said computer system, wherein said display generates a patterned light beam corresponding to said mask patterns provided by said computer system to expose an object to said patterned light beam and to create patterns on the object corresponding to said mask patterns.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a maskless photolithography system and method using a plasma display for creating two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures. Advantageously, the invention does not require masks, templates or stencils to create each of the planes or layers on a multi layer two-dimensional or three-dimensional structure. The invention employs a plasma display having individually addressable pixels to generate and direct light onto an object that has photoreactive or photoresist compounds applied to the exposed surface. Unlike conventional plasma displays that generate visible light, the plasma display of the current invention lacks the phosphor coating conventionally used to convert ultraviolet (UV) light to visible light. Therefore, the instant plasma display generates UV light appropriate for reactive processes typically used in photolithography. The desired pattern is designed and stored using conventional computer aided drawing techniques and is used to control the pixels of the plasma display to generate the corresponding desired pattern. Patterned light is directed onto the object to create light and dark spots according to the pattern. In an alternative embodiment, a fixture three dimensions, for mounting of the substrate and allows the substrate to be moved three dimensions, providing alignment in two, coplanar dimensions and the capability to produce three dimensional structures by aligning the substrate in a third dimension perpendicular to the two coplanar dimensions. The system and method is easily reconfigurable and allows rapid prototyping of microscopic and macroscopic devices.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A system for maskless photolithography comprising:
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a. a computer system for generating mask patterns; and
b. a plasma display, having individually addressable pixels, operably connected to and controllable by said computer system, wherein said display generates a patterned light beam corresponding to said mask patterns provided by said computer system to expose an object to said patterned light beam and to create patterns on the object corresponding to said mask patterns. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for maskless photolithography comprising:
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a. receiving mask pattern information corresponding to a desired pattern to be created on an object;
b. generating mask patterns based on received mask pattern information;
c. providing said mask patterns to a plasma display having individually addressable pixels, operably connected to and controllable by a computer system;
d. generating a patterned light beam corresponding to said mask pattern;
e. allowing exposure of an object to said patterned light beam; and
f. repeating steps (a-e) to allow creation of a desired pattern on the object. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
a. allowing manual alignment of the object under said patterned light beam by moving the object in three dimensions, wherein the object is moved in coplanar first and second dimensions, and moved in a third dimension direction substantially perpendicular to said first and second coplanar dimensions, and substantially parallel to said patterned light beam radiated from said plasma display; and
b. allowing optical monitoring of alignment of the object under said patterned light beam to visually verify that an image projected on the object is properly aligned.
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18. The method of claim 17, wherein said allowing manual alignment of the object further comprises manually aligning a object under said patterned light beam by moving the object in three dimensions in response to mechanical alignments provided by a user.
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19. The method of claim 17, wherein said allowing optical monitoring further comprises optically monitoring positioning of the object under said patterned light beam to visually verify that an image projected on the object is properly aligned.
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20. The method of claim 11, further comprising electronically aligning the mask patterns by:
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a. receiving alignment information corresponding to alignment of the desired mask pattern projected onto a object;
b. generating alignment instructions based on received alignment information;
c. providing alignment instructions, based on said alignment information, to said plasma display to further align said mask patterns in the coplanar first and second dimensions; and
d. adjusting addressing of said pixels of said plasma display according to said alignment instructions by shifting the mask pattern in at least one of the coplanar first and second dimensions.
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21. The method of claim 11, wherein said receiving mask pattern information further comprises providing mask pattern information corresponding to a desired pattern to be created on a object.
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22. The method of claim 11 wherein the object is a photoresist coated object and successive layers are etched away from the substrate according to the projected mask pattern.
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23. The method of claim 11 wherein the substrate is a photoreactive coated substrate and successive layers are added to the substrate according to the projected mask pattern.
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24. A method for maskless photolithography comprising:
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a. providing a computer system for generating mask patterns; and
b. providing a plasma display, having individually addressable pixels, operably connected to and controllable by said computer system, wherein said display generates a patterned light beam according to said mask patterns provided by said computer system, wherein said display generates a patterned light beam corresponding to said mask patterns provided by said computer system to expose an object to said patterned light beam and to create patterns on the object corresponding to said mask patterns. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A computer system for maskless photolithography comprising:
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a. a computing device comprising a display, a central processing unit (CPU), operating system software, memory for storing data, a user interface, and input/output capability for reading and writing data;
said computing device operably connected to and operating in conjunction with a maskless photolithography system;
b. computer program code for;
1) receiving mask pattern information corresponding to a desired pattern to be created on an object;
2) generating mask patterns based on received mask pattern information;
3) providing said mask patterns to a plasma display having individually addressable pixels, operably connected to and controllable by a computer system;
4) generating a patterned light beam corresponding to said mask pattern;
5) allowing exposure of an object to said patterned light beam; and
6) repeating steps (1-5) to allow creation of a desired pattern on the object;
wherein said computing device operates in conjunction with said maskless photolithography system and executes said computer code to control said plasma display according to said received pattern information. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A computer program product recorded on computer readable medium for a maskless photolithography system comprising:
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a. computer readable medium for receiving mask pattern information corresponding to a desired pattern to be created on an object;
b. computer readable medium for generating mask patterns based on received mask pattern information;
c. computer readable medium for providing said mask patterns to a plasma display having individually addressable pixels, operably connected to and controllable by a computer system;
d. computer readable medium for generating a patterned light beam corresponding to said mask pattern;
e. computer readable medium for allowing exposure of an object to said patterned light beam; and
f. computer readable medium for repeating steps (a-e) to allow creation of a desired pattern on the object;
wherein said computer program product provides instructions for a computer system operating in conjunction with said maskless photolithography system to control said plasma display according to said received pattern information.
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Specification