← Back to Patent Explorer
US4465759A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of fabricating a pellicle cover for projection printing system

Assignee: SVG LITHOGRAPHY Inc A CORP OF
•
Filing: 1983-02-14
•
Granted: 1984-08-14
•
Expires: 2003-02-14
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The invention is directed to a method of fabricating a pellicle cover assembly for use in a projection printing system for forming an image on a radiation sensitive wafer, the method comprising the steps of applying a gold film onto the surface of a wafer, applying a polymer film onto the gold film surface, curing the polymer film, adhering a support ring to the polymer film, cutting through the polymer and gold films between the ring and wafer edges to expose the wafer surface, peeling the ring off the wafer and etching off the gold film.

Inventors

  • 👤 Dawn L. Duly
  • 👤 Henry Windischmann
  • 👤 W. D. Buckley

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 10:35
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F1/00; G03F1/62

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 121 words
A method of fabricating a pellicle cover assembly for use in a projection system for forming an image on a radiation sensitive wafer, said method comprising the steps of mounting a thin membrane on a metal ring, said membrane including a layer of titanium and a layer of gold, coating the front surface of said membrane with a uniform thin polymer film, curing said polymer film, coating the back surface of the membrane with photoresist, defining an aperture of preselected dimension in said photoresist by exposure and development, the boundaries of said aperture being substantially adjacent the inner surface of said metal ring, baking said photoresist, etching said thin membrane away leaving a free standing polymer film extending across said aperture.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 121 words
A method of fabricating a pellicle cover assembly for use in a projection system for forming an image on a radiation sensitive wafer, said method comprising the steps of mounting a thin membrane on a metal ring, said membrane including a layer of titanium and a layer of gold, coating the front surface of said membrane with a uniform thin polymer film, curing said polymer film, coating the back surface of the membrane with photoresist, defining an aperture of preselected dimension in said photoresist by exposure and development, the boundaries of said aperture being substantially adjacent the inner surface of said metal ring, baking said photoresist, etching said thin membrane away leaving a free standing polymer film extending across said aperture.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
A method of fabricating a pellicle cover assembly according to claim 1 wherein said step of coating the front surface of said membrane is effected by spinning.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method of fabricating a pellicle cover assembly according to claim 1 wherein said layer of titanium is about 1 micrometer thick and said layer of gold is about 300 angstroms thick.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 53 words
A method of fabricating a pellicle cover assembly according to claim 1 wherein said step of etching said thin membrane away includes the step of etching the titanium layer away using a 1 to 19 solution of hydrogen fluoride and deionized water and etching the gold layer away with a potassium iodide solution.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 53 words
A method of fabricating a pellicle cover assembly according to claim 3 wherein said step of etching said thin membrane away includes the step of etching the titanium layer away using a 1 to 19 solution of hydrogen fluoride and deionized water and etching the gold layer away with a potassium iodide solution.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method of fabricating a pellicle cover assembly according to claim 1 wherein said step of curing the polymer film is effected in an oven at a temperature of about 170° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 18 words
A method of fabricating a pellicle cover assembly according to claim 1 wherein said polymer film is polymethylmethacrylate.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 177 words
A method of fabricating a pellicle cover assembly for use in a projection system for forming an image on a radiation sensitive wafer said method comprising the steps of: tensioning and mounting on a ring a thin metal membrane including a layer of titanium of about 1 micrometer thick and a layer of gold about 300 angstroms thick; coating the front surface of said membrane with a uniform thin polymer film of polymethylmethacrylate by spinning; curing said polymer film in an oven at a temperature of about 170° C.; coating the back surface of the membrane with photoresist; defining an aperture of preselected dimension in said photoresist by exposure and development, the boundaries of said aperture being substantially adjacent the inner surface of said ring; hard baking said photoresist; etching said thin metal membrane away including the steps of etching the titanium layer away using a 1 to 19 solution of hydrogen floride and deionized water and etching the gold layer away with a potassium iodide solution, leaving a free standing polymer film extending across said aperture.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 177 words
A method of fabricating a pellicle cover assembly for use in a projection system for forming an image on a radiation sensitive wafer said method comprising the steps of: tensioning and mounting on a ring a thin metal membrane including a layer of titanium of about 1 micrometer thick and a layer of gold about 300 angstroms thick; coating the front surface of said membrane with a uniform thin polymer film of polymethylmethacrylate by spinning; curing said polymer film in an oven at a temperature of about 170° C.; coating the back surface of the membrane with photoresist; defining an aperture of preselected dimension in said photoresist by exposure and development, the boundaries of said aperture being substantially adjacent the inner surface of said ring; hard baking said photoresist; etching said thin metal membrane away including the steps of etching the titanium layer away using a 1 to 19 solution of hydrogen floride and deionized water and etching the gold layer away with a potassium iodide solution, leaving a free standing polymer film extending across said aperture.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3892973A Cited
US4131368A Cited
US4037111A Cited
US4063812A Cited
US4246054A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-08-14 1988-02-13 1988-08-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-08-14 1992-02-13 1992-08-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-08-14 1996-02-13 1996-08-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag