US3924136A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Charged particle apodized pattern imaging and exposure system
Assignee: SRI International Inc
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Filing: 1975-02-18
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Granted: 1975-12-02
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Expires: 1995-02-18
Abstract
Abstract A charged particle beam pattern forming and imaging system for producing an apodized pattern is disclosed in which charged particles from one or more sources impinge upon an imaging plate. A high voltage electrical source is connected between the imaging plate and a target to produce a strong electrical field therebetween. The imaging plate contains one or more long and narrow slits. Each slit functions as a lens to yield one image of itself for each particle source, each image being converged only along the width of the slit (convergence in one dimension). A relatively narrow apodizing mask member is positioned between the particle source and the target (preferably between source and imaging plate) so that the mask divides the image of each slit lens at the target. The number of particle sources displaced in a direction transverse to the long dimension of the slit lenses determines the number of parallel slits imaged at the target, and their relative orthogonal displacement determines the distance between the parallel slit images at the target. Relative displacement of each particle source in a direction parallel with the length of the slit lenses determines the placement of each source relative to the apodizing mask and, consequently, the location of the division of the slit image formed by each source. The width (dimension orthogonal to the slit lens) of each slit image is proportional to the dimension transverse to the slit of the particle source used to produce that slit image, and the intensity of the particle stream used to produce that slit image is proportional to the length (dimension parallel with the slit lens) of the particle source, so slit images of varying widths but constant intensity are produced by corresponding variations of the transverse widths of the particle sources while utilizing particle sources of equal lengths.
Inventors
- 👤 Louis N Heynick
- 👤 Eugene R Westerberg
- 👤 Alfred J Bahr
- 👤 Robert E Lee
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 07:15
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J37/00; H01J37/30; H01J37/3002; H01J37/3007
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
216 words
A beaM forming and imaging system comprising: charged particle source means of directing charged particles along a path; a source mask disposed in said path and having at least one aperture therein, whereby charged particles directed along said path pass through the said aperture in said source mask; a target disposed in said path; an imaging plate disposed in said path between said target and said source mask, comprising a member opaque to said charged particles and having at least one slit therein, said slit being substantially long in length and relatively narrow in width; a voltage source connected between said imaging plate and said target and adapted to produce an electrical field therebetween, said electrical field convergent only in a direction parallel to said relatively narrow width, said convergent electrical field present along the substantially long length of said slit, whereby the charged particles in said path are focused by the convergent electrical field to form a one dimensionally converged image of said slit on said target for each aperture in said source mask; and an apodizing mask comprising a member opaque to said charged particles and extending transversely across the said slit in said imaging plate, thereby to divide the said converged image of said slit on said target into at least two segments.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
216 words
A beaM forming and imaging system comprising: charged particle source means of directing charged particles along a path; a source mask disposed in said path and having at least one aperture therein, whereby charged particles directed along said path pass through the said aperture in said source mask; a target disposed in said path; an imaging plate disposed in said path between said target and said source mask, comprising a member opaque to said charged particles and having at least one slit therein, said slit being substantially long in length and relatively narrow in width; a voltage source connected between said imaging plate and said target and adapted to produce an electrical field therebetween, said electrical field convergent only in a direction parallel to said relatively narrow width, said convergent electrical field present along the substantially long length of said slit, whereby the charged particles in said path are focused by the convergent electrical field to form a one dimensionally converged image of said slit on said target for each aperture in said source mask; and an apodizing mask comprising a member opaque to said charged particles and extending transversely across the said slit in said imaging plate, thereby to divide the said converged image of said slit on said target into at least two segments.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
72 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 1, wherein the said slit in said imaging plate is essentially rectangular and the said source mask has a plurality of apertures therein, each of the said apertures being displaced relative to each other in both a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the said slit in the said imaging plate and a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the said slit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
80 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 1, wherein the slit in said imaging plate is essentially rectangular and the said source mask has a plurality of apertures therein displaced relative to each other in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the said slit, at least some of said apertures in said source mask being displaced relative to each other in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the said slit in the said source mask.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 1, wherein said charged particle source means comprises a source of electrons and wherein said target includes an electron sensitive resist in the path of said electrons.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 2, wherein said charged particle source means comprises a source of electrons and wherein said target comprises a substrate having a coating of electron sensitive resist thereon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 3, wherein said charged particle source means comprises a source of ions and wherein said target comprises a substrate having electron sensitive resist thereon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 1, wherein said charged particle source means comprises a material susceptible to ion sputtering.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 1, wherein said charged particle source means comprises a source of ions and wherein said target comprises a substrate having a coating of ion sensitive resist thereon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
86 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 1, wherein the said slit in said imaging plate is essentially rectangular and the said source mask has a plurality of pairs of apertures therein, the apertures of each pair being displaced along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the said slit and displaced on opposite sides of the center of said longitudinal axis, each of said pairs of apertures being displaced relative to each in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of said slit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
81 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 9, wherein a septum is provided between the said source mask and the said apodizing mask essentially perpendicular to the said source mask and imaging plates, whereby charged particles passing through apertures in the said source mask on opposite sides of said septum do not cross over the said apodizing mask and, consequently, do not pass through the said slit in the said imaging plate on opposite sides of the said apodizing mask.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
93 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 1, wherein the said aperture in said source mask is rectangular and the sides of said rectangle along its length and width are parallel to the corresponding sides of the said slit of said imaging plate, whereby the width of the said one dimensionally converged image of the said slit on said target is proportional to the width of the said aperture in the source mask and the intensity of the said image is proportional to the length of the aperture in the source mask.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
97 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 2, wherein the said plurality of apertures in said source mask is rectangular and the sides of each said rectangle along its length and width are parallel to the corresponding sides of the said slit of said imaging plate, whereby the width of the said one dimensionally converged image of the said slit on said target is proportional to the width of each said aperture in the source mask and the intensity of the said image is proportional to the length of each said aperture in the source mask.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
96 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 3, wherein the said plurality of apertures in said source mask is rectangular and the sides of each said rectangle along its length and width are parallel to the corresponding sides of the said slit of said imaging plate, whereby the width of the said one dimensionally converged image of the said slit on said target is proportional to the width of the said aperture in the source mask and the intensity of the said image is proportional to the length of the aperture in the source mask.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
52 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 9, wherein each of the said apertures of said plurality of pairs of apertures is rectangular, with the sides of each said rectangle along its length and width being parallel to the corresponding sides of the said rectangular slit in the said imaging plate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
The beam forming and imaging system of claim 10, wherein each of the said apertures of said plurality of pairs of apertures is rectangular, with the sides of each said rectangle along its length and width being parallel to the corresponding sides of the said rectangular slit in the said imaging plate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3619608A
Cited
US3614423A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-01 | 1979-06-02 | 1979-12-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-01 | 1983-06-02 | 1983-12-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-01 | 1987-06-02 | 1987-12-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |