Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120138095 | VAPOR CLEAN FOR HAZE AND PARTICLE REMOVAL FROM LITHOGRAPHIC PHOTOMASKS - A reticle is cleaned by vapor condensing on the active surface of the reticle. An embodiment includes positioning the reticle in a cleaning chamber having a bottom surface, with the active surface of the reticle facing the bottom surface of the cleaning chamber, and directing vapor at the active surface of the reticle. Embodiments further include filling a reservoir in a bottom portion of the cleaning chamber with liquid and directing vapor by heating the liquid. Embodiments further include cooling the reticle concurrently with heating the liquid. Embodiments further include rotating the reticle concurrently with heating the liquid and cooling the reticle. Embodiments further include emptying the reservoir and dry spinning the reticle, subsequent to cleaning the reticle. | 06-07-2012 |
20120140199 | MECHANICAL FIXTURE OF PELLICLE TO LITHOGRAPHIC PHOTOMASK - A pellicle frame is mechanically attached to a reticle, without use of an adhesive. An embodiment includes mechanically attaching a pellicle frame to a front surface of a reticle, removing the pellicle frame from the reticle, cleaning the reticle, and mechanically reattaching the pellicle frame to the reticle. Embodiments further include using a clamp to mechanically attach the pellicle frame to the reticle. Embodiments further include forming the pellicle frame with a flange having an opening in the center, and forming the clamp with two portions, one portion with a protrusion that fittingly engages the opening in the flange and with a second opening, and the second portion with a segment that extends behind the reticle and with a second protrusion that fittingly engages the second opening. | 06-07-2012 |
20130078557 | LITHOGRAPHIC CD CORRECTION BY SECOND EXPOSURE - Correction of critical dimension variation is accomplished with a second exposure, e.g. using a second reticle. Embodiments include exposing a first wafer with a first dose using a first reticle, having a pattern corresponding to a target pattern for a wafer, identifying CD variations between the exposed wafer and the target pattern for different features in the target pattern, exposing a second wafer with the first reticle using a second dose, less than or equal to the first dose, and correcting the CD variations by applying an additional exposure of the second wafer. Embodiments further include using one or more additional exposures to prevent printing unwanted structures on the reticle or to deliberately vary the sizes of selected structures on the wafer for development purposes. | 03-28-2013 |
20130078558 | LITHOGRAPHIC CD CORRECTION BY SECOND EXPOSURE - Correction of CD variation is accomplished with a second exposure, e.g. using a second reticle. Embodiments include exposing a first wafer with a first dose using a first reflective reticle having a pattern corresponding to a wafer target pattern, or measuring and/or inspecting first reticle pattern portions and calculating and/or simulating corresponding first wafer pattern portions obtained with a predetermined first dosage, identifying CD variations between the exposed wafer or the calculated/simulated first wafer pattern and the target pattern for different target pattern features, exposing a second wafer with the first reticle using a second dose, and correcting the CD variations by applying an additional exposure of the second wafer, before or after exposing the second wafer with the first reticle. Embodiments further include using additional exposures to prevent printing unwanted structures on the reticle or to deliberately vary sizes of selected structures on the wafer for development purposes. | 03-28-2013 |
20130078746 | RETICLE DEFECT CORRECTION BY SECOND EXPOSURE - Correction of reticle defects, such as EUV reticle defects, is accomplished with a second exposure. Embodiments include obtaining a reticle with a first pattern corresponding to a design for a wafer pattern, detecting dark defects and/or design/OPC weak spots in the first pattern, exposing a resist covered wafer using the reticle, and exposing the wafer using a second reticle with a second pattern or a second image field with openings corresponding to the dark defects, with a repair pattern on the reticle or on another reticle, or with a programmed e-beam or laser writer. | 03-28-2013 |
20130198697 | RETICLE DEFECT CORRECTION BY SECOND EXPOSURE - Correction of reticle defects, including reticle weak spots or shortcomings, is accomplished with a second exposure. Embodiments include obtaining a reticle with a pattern corresponding to a wafer pattern design, exposing a wafer with the reticle, modifying the design, designating variations between the design and the modified design as reticle defects, and exposing the wafer with correction patterns containing structure corresponding to the modified design at defect positions. Other embodiments include modifying, eliminating, and/or shifting the pattern near a reticle blank defect position, and exposing a wafer with the reticle and with a correction pattern containing structure corresponding to the design at a defect position; modifying a patterned reticle surface layer near a defect forming an expanded defect, exposing a wafer with the modified reticle and with an expanded defect correction pattern; and exposing a wafer with a reticle and with a correction pattern larger than a detected reticle defect. | 08-01-2013 |
20140185030 | ASYMMETRIC RETICLE HEATING OF MULTILAYER RETICLES ELIMINATED BY DUMMY EXPOSURES AND RELATED METHODS - Asymmetric heating and/or thermal expansion of a reticle or an image field is reduced. Embodiments include exposing a wafer with an actual image field (including a pattern for a chip layer) on a multilayer reticle, and performing a dummy exposure with another image field of the reticle. Other embodiments include exposing a wafer with a reticle area including both the actual and one or more other image fields of a multilayer reticle, sacrificing any die on the wafer that is exposed with substantial illumination with an image field other than the actual image field. Further embodiments include dummy exposures or enlargement of the illuminated reticle area of a single layer reticle with variation in pattern density between regions of the image field. Further embodiments include changing the image field geometry of a multilayer or single layer reticle. | 07-03-2014 |
20140247438 | RETICLE DEFECT CORRECTION BY SECOND EXPOSURE - Correction of reticle defects, such as EUV reticle defects, is accomplished with a second exposure. Embodiments include obtaining a reticle with a first pattern corresponding to a design for a wafer pattern, detecting dark defects and/or design/OPC weak spots in the first pattern, exposing a resist covered wafer using the reticle, and exposing the wafer using a second reticle with a second pattern or a second image field with openings corresponding to the dark defects, with a repair pattern on the reticle or on another reticle, or with a programmed e-beam or laser writer. | 09-04-2014 |
20140268090 | CROSS TECHNOLOGY RETICLE (CTR) OR MULTI-LAYER RETICLE (MLR) CDU, REGISTRATION, AND OVERLAY TECHNIQUES - Methods for reducing reticle transmission differences and for optimizing layer placement for overlay in MTRs and CTRs are disclosed. Embodiments include providing a reticle having a prime area and a frame area surrounding the prime area; determining RT differences across the prime area; and providing RT adjustment structures on the reticle to decrease the RT differences. Other embodiments include grouping multiple layers of a semiconductor production flow, the layers for each group having an RT difference less than a predetermined value; and placing the layers on plural ordered reticles of a reticle set, each reticle having multiple image fields, by selecting, for each reticle, layers from a single group and optimizing placement of the layers for overlay. Other embodiments include selectively rotating image fields on a reticle having multiple image fields to improve overlay, or optimizing placement of DDLs on CTRs by placing each design orientation on a different reticle. | 09-18-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090133662 | Method for Operating an Internal Combustion Engine having a plurality of cylinder banks - A method is provided for operating an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinder banks, of which at least one first cylinder bank is able to be deactivated. At least one cylinder of the first cylinder bank is intermittently activated again during the deactivation of the first cylinder bank. | 05-28-2009 |
20090260429 | PROCEDURE AND DEVICE FOR DIAGNOSING THE DYNAMIC OF AN EXHAUST GAS SENSOR - The invention concerns a procedure and a device for diagnosing the dynamic of an exhaust gas sensor, which is arranged in an exhaust gas duct of a combustion engine and with which a parameter of the gas mixture that is supplied to the combustion engine is regulated by a control loop. It is thereby provided according to the invention that during a diagnosing period a temporal deflection of a regulation correcting variable for the parameter that is derived from an output signal of the exhaust gas sensor or a temporal course of the output signal of the exhaust gas sensor is used for the diagnosis and that the dynamic of the exhaust gas sensor is assumed in an evaluation algorithm. Thereby an improvement of the on-board diagnosis of the dynamic of the exhaust gas sensor can be achieved and in particular lambda probes, which provide a slowing down of their responding behavior, can be detected early on. | 10-22-2009 |
20100083743 | PROCEDURE AND DEVICE FOR DIAGNOSING AN EXHAUST GAS PROBE - The invention relates to a procedure and a device for diagnosing the increasing speed and the dead time of an exhaust gas probe, which is arranged in the exhaust gas duct of a combustion engine, whereby the diagnosis is carried out due to a comparison of a modeled and a measured signal after a default change of a fuel air ratio of an air fuel mixture that is supplied to the combustion engine and whereby the signal is an output signal of the exhaust gas probe or a modeled or measured signal that is derived from the output signal. It is thereby provided that a first extreme value is determined in the course of the modeled signal and that a first point of time and a first starting value are determined if the modeled signal deviates by a default amount from the first extreme value, that a second extreme value in the course of the measured signal is determined and that a second point of time and a second starting value are determined, if the measured signal deviates from the second extreme value by a pre-determined amount, that a first integral is created over a pre-determined period of time, beginning at the first point of time above the different between the first starting value and the modeled signal and that a second integral is created over a second period of time, beginning at the second point of time, above the difference between the second starting value and the measured signal, that the second period of time is equal to the pre-determined period of time or that the end of the second period of time related to the point of time of the change of the fuel air ratio or related to a first point of time is determined and that from a quantitative comparison between the first integral and the second integral a quantitative comparative value is created, which indicates the increasing speed and/or the dead time of the exhaust gas probe. The procedure and the device enable a secure diagnosis of the increasing speed and the dead time of exhaust gas probes in the exhaust gas of combustion engines depending on the changing direction of the fuel air ratio that is supplied to the combustion engine. | 04-08-2010 |
20100212291 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REGULATING THE FUEL/AIR RATIO OF A COMBUSTION PROCESS - A method for regulating the fuel/air ratio of a combustion process which is operated alternatingly with excess air and air deficiency, and having at least one catalyst volume in the exhaust gas of the combustion process which stores oxygen when there is excess oxygen in the exhaust gas and gives it off when there is oxygen deficiency, in which method the oxygen charges into the catalyst volume taking place when there is excess air, and the oxygen discharges from the catalyst volume taking place when there is air deficiency determined, and in which the fuel/air ratio is regulated in a first control loop such that the sum of the oxygen charges and oxygen discharges determined in a predefined interval takes on a predetermined value, wherein the combustion process is operated using oxygen excess or oxygen deficiency, respectively, at least until these appear at an oxygen-sensitive Nernst probe downstream from the catalyst volume. | 08-26-2010 |