Electrically programmable reticle and system

• US 7,724,416 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2007
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, Keith Randolph
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben; Loha
• Application Number:
  US11/696,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20080245975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 359/240, 359/263, 359/265, 359/267, 359/268, 359/270, 359/273, 359/275, 359/443, 359/632, 362/135, 362/140, 362/488, 362/491, 362/494, 362/511, 345/76, 345/84, 345/105, 345/107, 340/438, 340/461, 340/525, 349/11, 349/16, 250/492.22, 396/506, 355/43
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/52 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70291 Addressable masks, e.g. spatial light modulators [SLMs], digital micro-mirror devices [DMDs] or liquid crystal display [LCD] patterning devices

Abstract

An electrically programmable reticle is made using at least one electrochromatic layer that changes its optical transmissibility in response to applied voltages. Transparent conductor layers are configured to the desired patterns. The electrically programmable reticles are either patterned in continuous forms that have separately applied voltages or in a matrix of rows and columns that are addressed by row and column selects such that desired patterns are formed with the application of a first voltage level and reset with the application of a second voltage level.

Claims

1. An electrically programmable reticle comprising:

an electrochromatic layer having a substantially reflective area and a substantially opaque area, wherein said substantially reflective area is in response to a first electric field, and further wherein said substantially opaque area is in response to a second electric field.

2. The electrically programmable reticle of claim 1, wherein said substantially reflective area is defined by a first transparent conductor layer positioned under a first surface of said electrochromatic layer and patterned to form first elements in response to exposing said first elements to said first electric field, wherein said substantially opaque area is defined by a second transparent conductor layer positioned above a second surface of said electro chromatic layer and patterned to form second elements in response to exposing said second elements to said second electric field.

3. The programmable reticle of claim 2, wherein said first conductor layer comprises a multiplicity of isolated rows each selectively coupled by a respective electronic switch to a first voltage potential of a programmable voltage source.

4. The programmable reticle of claim 3, wherein said second conductor layer comprises a multiplicity of isolated columns each selectively coupled by a respective electronic switch to a second voltage potential of said programmable voltage source.

5. The programmable reticle of claim 4, wherein said substantially reflective area is formed by addressing a pixel by applying a programmable voltage differential across a row and column intersecting at said pixel.

6. The programmable reticle of claim 2, wherein said first conductor layer comprises a plurality of isolated continuous first sub-patterns each selectively coupled by a respective electronic switch to a first voltage potential of a programmable voltage source.

7. The programmable reticle of claim 6, wherein said second conductor layer comprises a plurality of isolated continuous second sub-patterns each a mirror image of a corresponding one of said first sub-patterns and each selectively coupled by a respective electronic switch to a second voltage potential of said programmable voltage source.

8. The programmable reticle of claim 1, wherein the electrochromatic layer is formed by a material having a property such that said substantially reflective area remains substantially reflective following removal of said first electric field, and such that said substantially opaque area remains substantially opaque following removal of said second electric field.

9. The programmable reticle of claim 1 further comprising one or more layers that enhance a transference of ions into said electrochromatic layer in response to said second electric field.

10. A lithography system comprising:

a light source; and

an electrocbromatic reticle positioned to receive light transmitted by said light source, wherein said electrochromatic reticle includes a substantially opaque region in response to a first signal and a substantially transparent region in response to a second signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said first signal results in a first electric field across a first portion of an electrochromatic layer, wherein said second signal results in a second electric field across a second portion of said electrochromatic layer, wherein said first electric field induces a flow of charge carriers to said first portion of said electrochromatic layer resulting in generation of said substantially opaque region.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of said first and second portions of said electrocbromatic layer results from patterned transparent conductive layers, comprising:

a first transparent conductor layer positioned above a first surface of said electrochromatic layer and patterned to form first elements; and

a second transparent conductor layer positioned under a second surface of said electrochromatic layer directly opposite said first transparent layer and patterned to form second elements that operate in cooperation with said first elements to form predetermined patterned areas responsive to coupling a voltage across said first and second elements.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said predetermined patterned areas are programmed transparent when subjected to said electric field at a first voltage level and programmed opaque when subjected to said electric field at a second voltage level.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said first conductor layer comprises a multiplicity of isolated rows each selectively coupled by a respective electronic switch to a first voltage potential of a programmable voltage source in response to a first program signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said second conductor layer comprises a multiplicity of isolated columns each selectively coupled by a respective electronic switch to a second voltage potential of said programmable voltage source in response to a second program signal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said patterned areas are formed by addressing pixels in said patterned areas.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said first conductor layer comprises a plurality of isolated, continuous, first sub-patterns, wherein each is selectively coupled by a respective electronic switch to a first voltage potential of a programmable voltage source in response to program signals.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said second conductor layer comprises a plurality of isolated, continuous, second sub-patterns, wherein each is a mirror image of a corresponding one of said first sub-patterns and is each selectively coupled by a respective electronic switch to a second voltage potential of said programmable voltage source.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein said electrochromatic layer is formed by a material having a property such that said optical transmissivity of said first portion of said electrocbromatic layer remains substantially opaque following removal of said first electric field.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising a controller for programming said electroebromatic reticle by applying programmable voltages in response to row and column addresses defining selected pixels of said electrochromatic reticle, wherein said optical transmissivity of said selected pixels of said electrochromatic reticle is altered while said reticle is within an expose unit, wherein said alteration forms a predetermined pattern.

21. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a programmable reticle, said method comprising:

providing a first voltage to a first portion of an electrochromatic layer of said programmable reticle resulting in said first portion having substantial transparency;

providing a second voltage to a second portion of said electrochromatic layer of said programmable reticle resulting in said second portion having substantial opaqueness;

directing a beam at a portion of a wafer upon which said semiconductor device is formed through said programmable reticle.

22. The method of claim 21, said method further comprising:

automatically moving an X-Y table to sequentially expose a plurality of wafer portions to a portion of said beam passing through said programmable reticle.

23. The method of claim 21, said method further comprising:

exposing a first wafer portion to energy passing through said programmable reticle;

providing a complement of said programmable reticle by providing said second voltage to said first portion of said electrochromatic layer and by providing said first voltage to said second portion of said electrochromatic layer; and

exposing a second wafer portion to energy passing through said complement of said programmable reticle.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said electrochromatic layer has a third portion and a fourth portion, wherein each of said first, second, third, and fourth portions is an independent, addressable pixel coupled to one or more voltage signals through a switch.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said providing a first voltage and providing a second voltage are implemented in an off-line system operated prior to coupling said programmable reticle to an expose unit, wherein said directing a beam at a said portion of said wafer through said programmable reticle occurs after coupling said programmable reticle to said expose unit.