Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
292 words
In the method of exposing a relatively large number of parallel, spaced apart stripe-like areas on a surface of a photo-sensitive member by the steps of directing light against said surface through an original photo-mask having a light-permeable pattern comprised of a relatively small number of parallel, spaced apart, stripe-like light-permeable areas of lengths substantially smaller than the lengths of said stripe-like areas to be exposed on said surface of the photo-sensitive member, effecting repeated relative movements of said photo-sensitive member and original photo-mask in a direction parallel to said stripe-like light-permeable areas so that light passing through the latter will scan said surface of the photo-sensitive member along the full length of said stripe-like areas to be exposed thereon, and relatively shifting said photo-sensitive member and said original photo-mask in the direction transverse to said direction of said relative movements thereof for each of said repeated relative movements so that, upon the completion of the latter, light passing through said light-permeable pattern of the original photo-mask will have scanned said relatively large number of stripe-like areas on said surface of the photo-sensitive member: the improvement comprising forming said stripe-like, light-permeable areas of the original photo-mask with respective lengths that decrease progressively from maximum values adjacent the center of said light-permeable pattern, considered in said direction of the relative shifting, to minimum values at the opposite sides of said pattern, also considered in said direction of the relative shifting; and effecting each said relative shifting through a predetermined distance which is substantially less than the width of said pattern in said direction of the relative shifting so that each said stripe-like area on said surface of the photo-sensitive member is exposed to a substantially uniform amount of light along the length thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
292 words
In the method of exposing a relatively large number of parallel, spaced apart stripe-like areas on a surface of a photo-sensitive member by the steps of directing light against said surface through an original photo-mask having a light-permeable pattern comprised of a relatively small number of parallel, spaced apart, stripe-like light-permeable areas of lengths substantially smaller than the lengths of said stripe-like areas to be exposed on said surface of the photo-sensitive member, effecting repeated relative movements of said photo-sensitive member and original photo-mask in a direction parallel to said stripe-like light-permeable areas so that light passing through the latter will scan said surface of the photo-sensitive member along the full length of said stripe-like areas to be exposed thereon, and relatively shifting said photo-sensitive member and said original photo-mask in the direction transverse to said direction of said relative movements thereof for each of said repeated relative movements so that, upon the completion of the latter, light passing through said light-permeable pattern of the original photo-mask will have scanned said relatively large number of stripe-like areas on said surface of the photo-sensitive member: the improvement comprising forming said stripe-like, light-permeable areas of the original photo-mask with respective lengths that decrease progressively from maximum values adjacent the center of said light-permeable pattern, considered in said direction of the relative shifting, to minimum values at the opposite sides of said pattern, also considered in said direction of the relative shifting; and effecting each said relative shifting through a predetermined distance which is substantially less than the width of said pattern in said direction of the relative shifting so that each said stripe-like area on said surface of the photo-sensitive member is exposed to a substantially uniform amount of light along the length thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method according to claim 1; in which said predetermined distance for each relative shift is equal to (1/2 n )W, in which n is an integer and W is said width of the light-permeable pattern.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method according to claim 2; in which said light-permeable pattern is in the form of an equilateral parallelogram having two opposed corners thereof aligned with said direction of the relative movements of said photo-sensitive member and said original photo-mask.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method according to claim 2; in which said light-permeable pattern is in the form of an isosceles triangle with its apex extending in said direction of the relative movements of said photo-sensitive member and said original photo-mask.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method according to claim 2; in which said light-permeable pattern is in the form of a rhomboid having its relatively shorter sides extending parallel to said direction of the relative shifting of said photo-sensitive member and said original photo-mask.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
89 words
The method according to claim 1; in which the intensity of said light directed through said original photo-mask and the speed of relative movement of said photo-sensitive member and said original photo-mask in said direction parallel to the stripe-like light-permeable areas are selected so that, in any one such relative movement, the exposure of a stripe-like area on said surface of the photo-sensitive member by light passing through each said stripe-like light-permeable area of minimum length is lower than the level thereof required for development of each exposed area.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
64 words
The method according to claim 6; in which said intensity of the light and said speed of the relative movement are further selected so that, in any one said relative movement, the exposure of a stripe-like area on said surface of the photo-sensitive member by light passing through a stripe-like light-permeable area of maximum length is greater than said exposure level required for development.