Flexible piezoelectric chuck and method of using the same
US6556281B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 23, 2000 |
| Grant date | Apr 29, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 23, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/70783
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A flexible chuck for supporting a substrate during lithographic processing is described. This flexible chuck includes an electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer disposed on the electrode layer, and a substrate support layer disposed above the piezoelectric layer. By providing electrical signals to the piezoelectric layer through the electrode layer, the support layer can be flexed, thereby changing surface topography on a substrate disposed on the flexible chuck. The contact layer can include projections, each of the projections corresponding to a respective electrode within the electrode layer. Furthermore, the substrate support layer can be formed of a conductive material and thus serve as the ground layer. Alternatively, separate substrate support and ground layers can be provided. The flexible chuck in accordance with the instant invention can be a vacuum chuck. Also described is a method of monitoring topographic changes in a flexible chuck in accordance with the instant invention.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.