Multi-stage optical homogenization

US8432613B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Dean Jennings · San Ramon, US
• Timothy N. Thomas · Beaverton, US
• Samuel C. Howells · Portland, US
• Bruce E. Adams · Portland, US
• Jiping Li · Nanhu, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 18, 2010
• Grant date: Apr 30, 2013
• Expiry date: Jun 1, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/268
• WIPO field: Machine tools
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Substrate processing equipment and methods are used to improve the uniformity of illumination across an illuminated portion of a substrate by processing light with multiple optical homogenizers. The multiple optical homogenizers each include micro-lens arrays and Fourier lens. The multiple optical homogenizers are arranged so that the output numerical aperture of one of the optical homogenizers is within 5% of the input numerical aperture of another optical homogenizer.