Patent · US Expired

Photomask for off-axis illumination and method of fabricating the same

US6866968B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
1References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 13, 2002
Grant dateMar 15, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 6, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F1/34
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A photomask that is capable of implementing off-axis illumination (OAI), and a method of fabricating the same, are provided. The photomask includes a transparent substrate, a plurality of opaque patterns formed on the front surface of the transparent substrate, for defining a floodlighting portion for forming patterns, and a plurality of phase gratings formed on the back surface of the transparent substrate, allowing off-axis illumination (OAI) of an incident light source beyond the OAI limit of exposure equipment, allowing use in the outmost region of an aperture, and allowing modified illumination having a shape suitable for the layout of the opaque patterns.

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