Optical projection array exposure system

• US 9,733,573 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2016
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Markle, David, Kaskey, Jeffrey, Laidig, Thomas, Chen, Jang Fung
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitesell Gordon, Steven H
• Application Number:
  US14/993,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20160124316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/42 for automatic sequential copying of the same original G03B27/34, G03B27/53 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7015 Details of optical elements
• 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

A spatial light modulator imaging system is disclosed. The system comprises an illumination module configured to provide illumination light representing data patterns to be imaged by the spatial light modulator imaging system, a projection module configured to project the illumination light to a substrate, and an illumination-projection beam separator coupled between the illumination module and the projection module, where the illumination-projection beam separator is configured to receive the illumination light along an illumination optical axis and transmit the illumination light received to the projection module along a projection optical axis, and where the illumination optical axis and the projection optical axis are substantially parallel to each other.

Claims

1. An illumination-projection assembly, comprising:

a first prism, wherein the first prism comprises;

a first surface;

a second surface; and

a first hypotenuse; and

a second prism, wherein the second prism comprises;

a third surface;

a fourth surface;

a second hypotenuse;

wherein the first hypotenuse and the second hypotenuse are facing one another, and wherein the first hypotenuse and the second hypotenuse are separated by an air gap; and

a digital micro-mirror device adjacent the third surface, the digital micro-mirror device having a width less than a width of the third surface, and having a midpoint of the width that is vertically offset from a midpoint of the width of the third surface.

2. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 1, wherein the first surface and the fourth surface are parallel to one another.

3. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 1, wherein the second surface and the third surface are parallel to one another.

4. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 1, wherein the second surface is sloped.

5. An illumination-projection assembly, comprising:

a first prism, wherein the first prism comprises;

a first surface;

a second surface;

a grating surface, wherein the grating surface is on and in contact with the second surface; and

a first hypotenuse; and

a second prism, wherein the second prism comprises;

a third surface;

a fourth surface;

a second hypotenuse;

wherein the first hypotenuse and the second hypotenuse are facing one another, and wherein the first hypotenuse and the second hypotenuse are separated by an air gap; and

a digital micro-mirror device adjacent the third surface, the digital micro-mirror device having a width less than a width of the third surface, and having a midpoint of the width that is vertically offset from a midpoint of the width of the third surface.

6. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 5, wherein the first surface and the fourth surface are parallel to one another.

7. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 5, wherein the second surface and the third surface are parallel to one another.

8. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 5, wherein the grating surface is a blazed grating surface.

9. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 5, wherein the grating surface comprises lines oriented at 45°

to an X or a Z axis.

10. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 5, wherein the air gap is between about 0.005 millimeters and about 0.015 millimeters.

11. An illumination-projection assembly, comprising:

a first prism, wherein the first prism comprises;

a first surface;

a second surface;

a wedge mirror, wherein the wedge mirror is on and in contact with the second surface; and

a first hypotenuse; and

a second prism, wherein the second prism comprises;

a third surface;

a fourth surface;

a second hypotenuse;

wherein the first hypotenuse and the second hypotenuse are facing one another, and wherein the first hypotenuse and the second hypotenuse are separated by an air gap; and

a digital micro-mirror device adjacent the third surface, the digital micro-mirror device having a width less than a width of the third surface, and having a midpoint of the width that is vertically offset from a midpoint of the width of the third surface.

12. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 11, wherein the first surface and the fourth surface are parallel to one another.

13. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 11, wherein the second surface and the third surface are parallel to one another.

14. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 11, wherein the wedge mirror comprises lines oriented at 45°

to an X or a Z axis.

15. The illumination-projection assembly of claim 11, wherein the air gap is between about 0.005 millimeters and about 0.015 millimeters.