Continuous direct-write optical lithography
First Claim
1. A lithographic tool for patterning a substrate, comprising:
- a spatial light modulator, said spatial light modulator comprising an area array of individually switchable elements;
a light source configured to illuminate said spatial light modulator;
imaging optics configured to project a blurred image of said spatial light modulator on said substrate; and
an image movement mechanism for moving said image across the surface of said substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical lithography system comprises a light source, a spatial light modulator, imaging optics and means for continuously moving a photosensitive substrate relative to the spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator comprises at least one array of individually switchable elements. The spatial light modulator is continuously illuminated and an image of the spatial light modulator is continuously projected on the substrate; consequently, the image is constantly moving across the surface of the substrate. While the image is moving across the surface, elements of the spatial light modulator are switched such that a pixel on the surface of the substrate receives, in serial, doses of energy from multiple elements of the spatial light modulator, thus forming a latent image on the substrate surface. The imaging optics is configured to project a blurred image of the spatial light modulator on the substrate, enabling sub-pixel resolution feature edge placement.
98 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A lithographic tool for patterning a substrate, comprising:
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a spatial light modulator, said spatial light modulator comprising an area array of individually switchable elements; a light source configured to illuminate said spatial light modulator; imaging optics configured to project a blurred image of said spatial light modulator on said substrate; and an image movement mechanism for moving said image across the surface of said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 28, 29)
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20. A lithographic tool for patterning a substrate, comprising:
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a plurality of spatial light modulators, each of said plurality of spatial light modulators comprising an area array of individually switchable elements; a light source configured to illuminate said plurality of spatial light modulators; a multiplicity of projection lens systems configured to project a blurred images of each one of said plurality of spatial light modulators on said substrate; and an image movement mechanism for moving said image across the surface of said substrate; wherein the number of said spatial light modulators is greater than the number of said projection lens systems. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A lithographic tool for patterning a substrate, comprising:
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a spatial light modulator, said spatial light modulator comprising an array of individually switchable elements; a light source configured to illuminate said spatial light modulator; imaging optics configured to project a blurred image of said spatial light modulator on said substrate; a light switching mechanism positioned on a light path, said light path going from said light source to said spatial light modulator and ending at said substrate, said light switching mechanism being configured to control passage of light along said light path; and an image movement mechanism for moving said image across the surface of said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A lithographic tool for patterning a substrate, comprising:
- a first spatial light modulator, said first spatial light modulator comprising an area array of individually switchable elements;
a light source configured to illuminate said first spatial light modulator;
imaging optics configured to project a blurred image of said first spatial light modulator on said substrate;
a second spatial light modulator positioned on a light path, said light path going from said light source to said first spatial light modulator and ending at said substrate, said second spatial light modulator being configured to control passage of light along said light path; and
an image movement mechanism for moving said image across the surface of said substrate.
- a first spatial light modulator, said first spatial light modulator comprising an area array of individually switchable elements;
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27. A lithographic tool for patterning a substrate, comprising:
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a plurality of spatial light modulators, each of said spatial light modulators comprising an area array of individually switchable elements; a light source configured to illuminate said plurality of spatial light modulators; imaging optics configured to project blurred images of each one of said plurality of spatial light modulators on said substrate, at least two of said images of said spatial light modulators overlapping in register; and an image movement mechanism for moving said images across the surface of said substrate.
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30. A lithographic tool for patterning a substrate, comprising:
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a plurality of spatial light modulators, each of said plurality of spatial light modulators comprising an area array of individually switchable elements; a light source configured to illuminate said plurality of spatial light modulators; imaging optics configured to project a blurred image of said plurality of spatial light modulators on said substrate; and an image movement mechanism for moving said image across the surface of said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification