Methods and structures for protecting reticles from electrostatic damage
US6569584B1 · kind B1 · utility
12Cited by
3References
28Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 29, 2001 |
| Grant date | May 27, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 8, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F1/40
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A reticle (mask) that is modified to prevent bridging of the masking material (e.g., chrome) between long mask lines of a lithographic mask pattern during an integrated circuit fabrication process. A dummy mask pattern is provided on the reticle adjacent to long mask lines that causes the large charge collected on the long mask line to be distributed along its length, thereby minimizing voltage potentials across a gap separating the long mask line from an adjacent mask line.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.