Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for removing a particle from a photolithographic mask

US11899359B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

4References

16Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH · DE

Inventors

Christof Baur · Darmstadt, DE
Hans Hermann Pieper · Darmstadt, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Jun 13, 2022
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jun 13, 2042

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG03F7/70925
WIPO fieldOptics
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present application relates to a method for removing a particle from a photolithographic mask, including the following steps: (a) positioning a manipulator, which is movable relative to the mask, in the vicinity of the particle to be removed; (b) connecting the manipulator to the particle by depositing a connecting material on the manipulator and/or the particle from the vapor phase; (c) removing the particle by moving the manipulator relative to the photolithographic mask; and (d) separating the removed particle from the manipulator by carrying out a particle-beam-induced etching process which removes at least a portion of the manipulator.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.