Maskless lithography system and method with doubled throughput
US6238852A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 4, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 29, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 4, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/704
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A maskless lithography system that provides large-area, seamless patterning using a reflective spatial light modulator such as a Deformable Micromirror Device (DMD) directly addressed by a control system so as to provide a first pattern, via a first projection subsystem, on a first photoresist-coated substrate panel, while simultaneously providing a duplicate pattern, which is a negative of the pattern on the first substrate panel, via a second projection subsystem, onto a second photosensitive substrate panel, thus using the normally-rejected non-pattern "off" pixel radiation reflected by the "off" pixel micromirrors of the DMD, to pattern a second substrate panel. Since the "off" pixel reflections create a pattern which is complementary to the "on" pixel pattern, using a complementary photoresist coating on the second substrate panel provides for a duplicate pattern, as is usually desired. Since both the "on" and "off" reflections are used from each pixel position, using the same selection, the result is the doubling of throughput.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.