Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for repair of reflective photomasks

US7170030B2 · kind B2 · utility

21Cited by
8References
40Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 12, 2003
Grant dateJan 30, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 4, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB23K2103/50
  • WIPO fieldMachine tools
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A method of selectively ablating an undesired material from a substrate includes providing a substrate with two regions; providing laser pulses; tuning a wavelength of the laser pulses to match a desired wavelength characteristic of a material and directing the tuned laser pulses onto the substrate; and controlling a pulse duration, wavelength, or both, of the laser pulses to ablate the undesired material without damaging the substrate or any adjacent material. In another embodiment, an apparatus for repairing a defect on a reflective photomask includes a femtosecond pulse width laser; a harmonic conversion cell; a filter for passing a selected EUV harmonic of the laser light; a lens arrangement configured to direct the selected EUV harmonic of the laser light onto the photomask; and a control unit connected to the laser to control an ablation of the defect on the reflective photomask.

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