US3900737A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electron beam exposure system
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1974-04-18
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Granted: 1975-08-19
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Expires: 1994-04-18
Abstract
Abstract An electron beam exposure system includes an electron column characterized by a high scanning rate and a limited scan area. Illustratively, the medium to be exposed constitutes a relatively large area made up of multiple subregions that are to be identically patterned. Efficient and high-speed exposure of the large-area medium is achieved by carrying the medium on a motordriven stage. The stage moves continuously and in synchronism with the beam which is successively scanned raster fashion over corresponding stripe areas in the subregions. All similarly situated stripe areas are repeatedly exposed with the same pattern as the medium is translated in a serpentine path under the beam.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Jacob Collier
- 👤 Donald Richard Herriott
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 23:03
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/30; H01J37/304
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
An exposure system for selectively irradiating each of multiple subregions of a radiation-sensitive resist layer, each of said subregions including plural abutting stripe areas, correspondingly-positioned stripe areas in said respective subregions constituting a set of such areas, a single pattern being respectively associated with each different set of stripe areas, said system comprising means for sequentially scanning a radiant beam over the plural sets of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas in said respective subregions in a set-by-set way, one stripe area at a time, in a two-dimensional way, and means for intensity modulating said radiant beam in accordance with plural specified patterns as the respective plural sets of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas are scanned.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
111 words
An exposure system for selectively irradiating each of multiple subregions of a radiation-sensitive resist layer, each of said subregions including plural abutting stripe areas, correspondingly-positioned stripe areas in said respective subregions constituting a set of such areas, a single pattern being respectively associated with each different set of stripe areas, said system comprising means for sequentially scanning a radiant beam over the plural sets of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas in said respective subregions in a set-by-set way, one stripe area at a time, in a two-dimensional way, and means for intensity modulating said radiant beam in accordance with plural specified patterns as the respective plural sets of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas are scanned.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said scanning means comprises means for raster scanning each of said stripe areas.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system as in claim 2 wherein said raster scanning means includes means for scanning each of said stripe areas in its entirety in a line-by-line way.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
151 words
Apparatus for defining a microminiature pattern in a resist layer disposed on a supporting substrate, said resist layer comprising a multitude of subregions in which multiple identical patterns are to be respectively defined, said subregions being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, each such subregion being composed of plural abutting stripe areas, said apparatus comprising means for continuously moving a driven stage that carries said substrate to bring corresponding stripe areas of the subregions of a column within the limited-scan-area capability of a radiant beam, means for scanning said beam over corresponding stripe areas of the subregions Of a column, means for controlling said stage movement to describe a serpentine path that brings corresponding stripe areas of successive columns within the scan capability of said beam, and means for modulating said beam in each of said corresponding stripe areas of said columns to form repeatedly the same pattern therein.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
151 words
Apparatus for defining a microminiature pattern in a resist layer disposed on a supporting substrate, said resist layer comprising a multitude of subregions in which multiple identical patterns are to be respectively defined, said subregions being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, each such subregion being composed of plural abutting stripe areas, said apparatus comprising means for continuously moving a driven stage that carries said substrate to bring corresponding stripe areas of the subregions of a column within the limited-scan-area capability of a radiant beam, means for scanning said beam over corresponding stripe areas of the subregions Of a column, means for controlling said stage movement to describe a serpentine path that brings corresponding stripe areas of successive columns within the scan capability of said beam, and means for modulating said beam in each of said corresponding stripe areas of said columns to form repeatedly the same pattern therein.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said scanning means comprises means for raster scanning said beam over each of said stripe areas.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
154 words
Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said modulating means comprises an electron column including an electron beam blanking unit, a stripe area memory unit for storing a bit-by-bit representation definitive of the pattern to be formed in a set of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas, said representation comprising plural bits representative of each of multiple rows to be scanned within each stripe area, two shift registers responsive to the representation stored in said stripe area memory unit, each of said registers having a storage capacity equal to the number of plural bits per row of the stripe area to be scanned, and means for controlling the on-off state of said beam blanking unit in accordance with the bits stored in one of said shift registers and for loading plural bits into the other one of said shift registers from said memory unit during the time in which the one register is controlling said beam blanking unit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus as in claim 6 further comprising an electron beam deflection unit included in said column, means for storing an indication of the absolute location of said stage, means for storing an indication of the desired location of said stage, and means responsive to the difference if any between said indications for applying an error signal representative of the difference to said deflection unit and to said moving means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus as in claim 7 further comprising means for reloading said stripe area memory unit with another pattern representation during the time in which said stage is being moved by said moving means to position said beam over the first one of another set of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
103 words
Apparatus for selectively irradiating multiple subregions of a radiation-sensitive layer to define the same pattern in each of said subregions, each of said subregions being composed of plural abutting stripe areas, correspondingly-positioned stripe areas of said subregions adapted to have identical subpatterns defined therein, said apparatus comprising means for storing information representative of the subpattern to be defined in a set of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas, and means responsive to a particular subpattern representation contained in said storing means for repeatedly controlling the irradiation of each of a set of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas by identically scanning each such stripe area in a two-dimensional fashion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
103 words
Apparatus for selectively irradiating multiple subregions of a radiation-sensitive layer to define the same pattern in each of said subregions, each of said subregions being composed of plural abutting stripe areas, correspondingly-positioned stripe areas of said subregions adapted to have identical subpatterns defined therein, said apparatus comprising means for storing information representative of the subpattern to be defined in a set of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas, and means responsive to a particular subpattern representation contained in said storing means for repeatedly controlling the irradiation of each of a set of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas by identically scanning each such stripe area in a two-dimensional fashion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
67 words
Apparatus as in claim 9 further including means for reloading said storing means with information representative of the subpatterns to be defined in a next abutting set of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas during the time that elapses between the irradiation of the last stripe area in one set of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas and irradiation of the first stripe area in the next abutting set of correspondingly-positioned stripe areas.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of fabricating microminiature devices, which involves selectively irradiating multiple subregions of a radiation-sensitive resist layer to define the same pattern in each of said subregions, each of said subregions being composed of plural abutting stripe areas, correspondingly-positioned stripe areas of said subregions adapted to have identical subpatterns defined therein, said subregions of said layer being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, said method comprising the steps of directing a radiant beam at said resist layer, controlling said beam to identically irradiate in sequence the striPe areas of a correspondingly-positioned set of stripe areas by following a serpentine path that traverses the stripe areas in adjacent columns of said matrix in opposite directions, and repeating said irradiation with respect to abutting sets of stripe areas to define the same pattern in each of said multiple subregions.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of fabricating microminiature devices, which involves selectively irradiating multiple subregions of a radiation-sensitive resist layer to define the same pattern in each of said subregions, each of said subregions being composed of plural abutting stripe areas, correspondingly-positioned stripe areas of said subregions adapted to have identical subpatterns defined therein, said subregions of said layer being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, said method comprising the steps of directing a radiant beam at said resist layer, controlling said beam to identically irradiate in sequence the striPe areas of a correspondingly-positioned set of stripe areas by following a serpentine path that traverses the stripe areas in adjacent columns of said matrix in opposite directions, and repeating said irradiation with respect to abutting sets of stripe areas to define the same pattern in each of said multiple subregions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as in claim 11 wherein said resist layer is disposed on a planar layer, and further including the step of processing said irradiated resist layer and said planar layer to define multiple identical patterns in said planar layer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as in claim 12 further including the step of directing radiant energy at the patterns defined in said planar layer to project a replica of said patterns onto a radiant-sensitive medium that is positioned adjacent to said planar layer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3644700A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-08-18 | 1979-02-17 | 1979-08-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-08-18 | 1983-02-17 | 1983-08-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-08-18 | 1987-02-17 | 1987-08-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |