Micronic Laser Systems AB Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20110216302 | ILLUMINATION METHODS AND DEVICES FOR PARTIALLY COHERENT ILLUMINATION - The technology disclosed relates to a partially coherent illuminators. In particular, it relates to a partially coherent illuminator that directs laser radiation across multiple areas of an illumination pupil. In some circumstances, this reduces spatial and/or temporal coherence of the laser radiation. It must be used with a continuous laser to provide partially coherent illumination from a coherent laser. It can be combined with a workpiece tracker that effectively freezes the workpiece and extends the time that laser radiation can be applied to expose a pattern stamp on the workpiece or, it can be used with a stepper platform, without a tracker. A dynamically controllable aperture architecture is a by product of the technology disclosed. | 09-08-2011 |
20100229146 | Variable Overlap Method and Device for Stitching Together Lithographic Stripes - The technology disclosed relates to variable tapers to resolve varying overlaps between adjacent strips that are lithographically printed. Technology disclosed combines an aperture taper function with the variable overlap taper function to transform data and compensate for varying overlaps. The variable taper function varies according to overlap variation, including variation resulting from workpiece distortions, rotor arm position, or which rotor arm printed the last stripe. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings. | 09-09-2010 |
20100225992 | Oversized micro-mechanical light modulator with redundant elements, device and method - The present invention relates to a reconfigurable micro-mechanical light modulator including a two-dimensional array of modulating elements with redundant rows of modulating elements. In particular, it relates to extending the life of the modulator by shifting the set of elements used, without physically replacing the micro-mechanical light modulator. The modulating elements are adapted to modulate light impinging on the micro-mechanical light modulator. The array of modulating elements comprises a first and a second set of modulating elements. The second set is a redundant set of modulating elements that can be selected to substitute for the first set of modulating elements in modulating light impinging on the micro-mechanical light modulator, without physically replacing the micro-mechanical light modulator. Devices and methods are described. | 09-09-2010 |
20100225979 | ROTOR IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH VARIABLE-RATE PIXEL CLOCK - The technology disclosed relates to handling varying pixel overlaps long a first axis as a scanning head sweeps a curved path that is not parallel to the first axis. In particular, we teach use of a variable frequency pixel clock to produce equally spaced pixels along the first axis as a rotor arm scans a curved path that is not parallel to the first axis. The pixel clock has a varying frequency that varies approximately sinusoidally with the position of the scanning head relative to the first axis. | 09-09-2010 |
20100225974 | LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING SYSTEM WITH PLACEMENT CORRECTIONS - The technology disclosed relates to methods and devices that compensate for displacements in a pattern or deformations of a workpiece. In particular, this relates to using timing to compensate for displacements along a first axis along the scanning direction while using resampling, interpolation or a similar method to compensate for displacements along a second axis that is substantially orthogonal to the first axis. The scanning direction may be an actual direction of movement of the scanning head or it may be a direction perpendicular to an orientation of an image projected onto a workpiece. | 09-09-2010 |
20100225943 | Rotor Optics Imaging Method and System with Variable Dose During Sweep - The technology disclosed relates to translating between a Cartesian grid and a curved scanning path that produces varying exposure doses as the scanning head traces the curved scanning path. It can be applied to writing to or reading from a workpiece. In particular, we teach use of varying exposure dose that compensates for the time it takes for the curved scan path to transit a straight axis. This simplifies either modulation of a modulator, from which data is projected onto the workpiece, or analysis of data collected by a detector, onto which partial images of the workpiece are projected. | 09-09-2010 |
20100225236 | Statistical Illuminator - The technology disclosed relates to an illumination source including numerous laser diodes. In particular, it relates to extending the duty cycle and/or reducing the frequency of component replacement by detecting failure of one or more individual laser diodes and compensating for the failure, without replacing the laser diodes. | 09-09-2010 |
20100208329 | SLM Device and Method - The present invention describes a micro-mechanical light modulator including a two-dimensional array of modulating elements, in which small modulating elements are organized into larger modulating areas. Using smaller elements organized into larger areas increases the resonant frequency of the modulators and the modulation speed. In some implementations, multiple modulating elements are driven by shared signals, allowing the number of elements driven and the resulting area to increase without increasing the data traffic. In some implementations, an anamorphic optical path is used that leaves individual modulating elements of the micro-mechanical light modulator that are operated as a single area unresolved at an image plane of the workpiece being patterned. Devices and methods are described. | 08-19-2010 |
20100142838 | GRADIENT ASSISTED IMAGE RESAMPLING IN MICRO-LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING - The present disclosure relates to the re-sampling of pixel data, with one application being micro-lithography. In particular, it relates to the extraction of modulator pixels from a rasterized image, as a function of how the modulator moves across the rasterized image. | 06-10-2010 |
20100142757 | Method And Device Using Rotating Printing Arm To Project Or View Image Across A Workpiece - The technology disclosed relates to scanning of large flat substrates for reading and writing images. Examples are flat panel displays, PCB's and photovoltaic panels. Reading and writing is to be understood in a broad sense: reading may mean microscopy, inspection, metrology, spectroscopy, interferometry, scatterometry, etc. of a large workpiece, and writing may mean exposing a photoresist, annealing by optical heating, ablating, or creating any other change to the surface by an optical beam. In particular, we disclose a technology that uses a rotating or swinging arm that describes an arc across a workpiece as it scans, instead of following a traditional straight-line motion. | 06-10-2010 |
20100127431 | IMAGE READING AND WRITING USING A COMPLEX TWO-DIMENSIONAL INTERLACE SCHEME - The current invention relates to writing or reading a pattern on a surface, such as in microlithography or inspection of mircrolithographic patterns. In particular, Applicant discloses systems recording or reading images by scanning sparse 2D point arrays or grids across the surface, e.g., multiple optical, electron or particle beams modulated in parallel. The scanning and repeated reading or writing creates a dense pixel or spot grid on the workpiece. The grid may be created by various arrays: arrays of light sources, e.g., laser or LED arrays, by lenslet arrays where each lenslet has its own modulator, by aperture plates for particle beams, or arrays of near-field emitters or mechanical probes. For reading systems, the point grid may be created by a sparse point matrix illumination and/or a detector array where each detector element sees only one spot. The idea behind the use of large arrays is to improve throughput. However, the throughput does not scale with the array size, since above a certain size of arrays, previously known schemes fall into in their own tracks and start repeating the same data over and over again. This application discloses methods to scan workpieces with large arrays while preserving the scaling of throughput proportional to array size, even for very large arrays, in fact essentially without limits. | 05-27-2010 |
20100099051 | MULTI-FOCUS METHOD OF ENHANCED THREE-DIMENSIONAL EXPOSURE OF RESIST - The field of this disclosure is making three-dimensional topographic structures by means of graduated exposure in a photosensitive material, such as a photoresist, photosensitive polymide, or similar. Such patterns may be written either to be used directly as optical, mechanical, fluidic, etc. components, e.g. diffusors, non-reflecting surfaces, Fresnel lenses and Fresnel prisms, computer-generated holograms, lenslet arrays, etc, or to be used as masters for the fabrication of such components by replication. Replication can be done by molding, pressing, embossing, electroplating, etching, as known in the art. This disclosure includes descriptions of using passive absorbing components in thin resist, using high gamma thick resists with high resolution pattern generators, using multiple focal planes including at least one focal plane in the bottom half of the resist, and iterative simulation of patterning and adjustment of an exposure map. | 04-22-2010 |
20100099035 | METHOD OF ITERATIVE COMPENSATION FOR NON-LINEAR EFFECTS IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL EXPOSURE OF RESIST - The field of this disclosure is making three-dimensional topographic structures by means of graduated exposure in a photosensitive material, such as a photoresist, photosensitive polymide, or similar. Such patterns may be written either to be used directly as optical, mechanical, fluidic, etc. components, e.g. diffusors, non-reflecting surfaces, Fresnel lenses and Fresnel prisms, computer-generated holograms, lenslet arrays, etc, or to be used as masters for the fabrication of such components by replication. Replication can be done by molding, pressing, embossing, electroplating, etching, as known in the art. This disclosure includes descriptions of using passive absorbing components in thin resist, using high gamma thick resists with high resolution pattern generators, using multiple focal planes including at least one focal plane in the bottom half of the resist, and iterative simulation of patterning and adjustment of an exposure map. | 04-22-2010 |
20100099034 | METHOD OF COMPENSATION FOR BLEACHING OF RESIST DURING THREE-DIMENSIONAL EXPOSURE OF RESIST - The field of this disclosure is making three-dimensional topographic structures by means of graduated exposure in a photosensitive material, such as a photoresist, photosensitive polymide, or similar. Such patterns may be written either to be used directly as optical, mechanical, fluidic, etc. components, e.g. diffusors, non-reflecting surfaces, Fresnel lenses and Fresnel prisms, computer-generated holograms, lenslet arrays, etc, or to be used as masters for the fabrication of such components by replication. Replication can be done by molding, pressing, embossing, electroplating, etching, as known in the art. This disclosure includes descriptions of using passive absorbing components in thin resist, using high gamma thick resists with high resolution pattern generators, using multiple focal planes including at least one focal plane in the bottom half of the resist, and iterative simulation of patterning and adjustment of an exposure map. | 04-22-2010 |
20090303571 | Spatial Light Modulator with Structured Mirror Surfaces - The invention relates to methods to improve SLMs, in particular to reflecting micromechanical SLMs, for applications with simple system architecture, high precision, high power handling capability, high throughput, and/or high optical processing capability. Applications include optical data processing, image projection, lithography, image enhancement, holography, optical metrology, coherence and wavefront control, and adaptive optics. A particular aspect of the invention is the achromatization of diffractive SLMs so they can be used with multiple wavelengths sequentially, simultaneously or as a result of spectral broadening in very short pulses. | 12-10-2009 |
20090303452 | Image Enhancement Technique - The present invention relates to a method to improve at least one feature edge steepness in an image to be exposed onto a moving workpiece, comprising the actions of: moving the image in essentially the same direction relative to the direction of movement of the workpiece, synchronizing said moving of the image with a pulse length of an exposure radiation source. The invention also relates to a pattern generator for creating patterns on a workpiece | 12-10-2009 |
20090213354 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROJECTION PRINTING - A method, apparatus for and a device manufactured by the same, for printing a microlithographic pattern with high fidelity and resolution using simultaneously optimized illuminator and pupil filters having semi-continuous transmission profiles. The optimization can be further improved if the illuminator and pupil filters are polarization selective. The optimization method becomes a linear programming problem and uses a set of relevant features in the merit function. With a suitably chosen merit function and a representative feature set both neutral printing without long-range proximity effects and good resolution of small features can be achieved. With only short-range proximity effects OPC correction is simple and can be done in real time using a perturbation method. | 08-27-2009 |
20090197188 | Method for a multiple exposure beams lithography tool - An aspect of the present invention includes a method for patterning a workpiece covered at least partly with a layer sensitive to electromagnetic radiation by simultaneously using a plurality of exposure beams. In an example embodiment it is determined if any of the beams have an actual position relative to a reference beam which differs from its intended position. An adjustment of the exposure dose for a wrongly positioned beam is performed if said beam is printed at en edge of a feature. Other aspects of the present invention are reflected in the detailed description, figures and claims. | 08-06-2009 |
20090170016 | IMAGE ENHANCEMENT FOR MULTIPLE EXPOSURE BEAMS - An aspect of the present invention includes a method for patterning a workpiece covered at least partly with a layer sensitive to electromagnetic radiation by using a plurality of exposure beams having a predetermined separation in at least a first direction for exposing a pattern onto said workpiece, where said predetermined separation is fixed to an initial system pitch in said first direction, comprising the actions of: scaling a pattern pitch in said first direction to be an integer multiple of said system pitch, adjusting the initial system pitch in said first direction to be an adjusted system pitch to maintain a scale of said pattern, adjusting said predetermined separation of exposure beams to said adjusted system pitch. | 07-02-2009 |
20090066926 | IMAGE FORMING METHOD AND APPARATUS - An acousto-optic cell is used in a method and device for patterning a workpiece, for exposing a radiation sensitive layer on a workpiece such as a mask or a device substrate. The acousto-optic cell includes an array of transducers. The transducers may supply columns of ultrasound to the cell. They may produce a two dimensional modulation pattern within the cell. Electromagnetic radiation is modulated by the cell and related to a workpiece. The modulation of the cell may modulate the amplitude and/or phase of the electromagnetic radiation. In some embodiments, adjoining columns of ultrasound may be positioned so that portions of the electromagnetic radiation partially overlap and interfere, after they are modulated. | 03-12-2009 |
20090028423 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MURA DETECTION AND METROLOGY - The invention addresses the lack of comprehensive and quantitative methods for measurements of unwanted visual “mura” effects in displays and image sensors. Mura is generated by errors that are significantly smaller than what is needed for the function of the device, and sometimes smaller than the random variations in the patterns or structures. Capturing essentially all mura defects in a workpiece in a short time requires a daunting combination of sensitivity, statistical data reduction and speed. The invention devices an inspection method, e.g. optical, which maximizes the sensitivity to mura effects and suppresses artifacts from the mura inspection hardware itself and from noise. It does so by scanning the sensor, e.g. a high-resolution camera, creating a region of high internal accuracy across the mura effects. One important example is for mura related to placement errors, where a stage with better than 10 nanometer precision within a 100 mm range is created. A sampling scheme reduces the data volume and separates between instrument errors and real defects based on their different geometrical signatures. The high-resolution camera scans sparse lines at an angle to the dominating directions of expected mura defects, creating extended sensor fields with high internal precision, and quantifying edge placements in small windows in said extended fields. The mura is classified and presented as type, location and severity. | 01-29-2009 |
20090008580 | FOURIER PLANE ANALYSIS AND REFINEMENT OF SLM CALIBRATION - The present disclosure relates to phase-sensitive calibration of an SLM system. In particular, it relates to selecting among local calibrations when there is more than one calibration that satisfies a calibration intensity criteria. It utilizes information available before Fourier filtering, from non-zeroth order diffraction components to counter drift among alternative local calibrations. | 01-08-2009 |
20080316457 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR QUANTIFICATION OF ILLUMINATION NON-UNIFORMITY IN THE MASK PLANE OF A LITHOGRAPHIC EXPOSURE SYSTEM - This disclosure relates to lithography using pulsed laser illumination. In particular it relates to lithography for producing electronic devices on wafers using multi-mode excimer and molecular lasers, e.g. KrF, ArF, and F2 lasers. It may also apply to illumination systems where several single-mode sources are mixed or one single-mode laser beam is split and recombined with time delays, thereby creating an equivalent multimode source and to EUV lithography. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings. | 12-25-2008 |
20080260283 | Triangulating Design Data and Encoding Design Intent for Microlithographic Printing - The present disclosure relates to fracturing of polygon data, with one application being microlithography. In particular, it relates to preserving data regarding edges and/or vertices of the original polygons as the polygons are triangulated and even if the results of triangulation are further fractured. | 10-23-2008 |
20080244371 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DATA INTEGRITY CHECKING - The present invention relates to high speed datapaths, sometimes including mixed digital and analog voltage signals. In particular, it relates to error checking strategies for large data volumes, in digital and/or analog domains and to analog signal patterns that accelerate charge loading of micromirrors in an SLM. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings. | 10-02-2008 |