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US 2006/0077361 A1Published application
Means of removing particles from a membrane mask in a vacuum
OwnerMichael Sogardinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of removing particles from a membrane reticle by a laser beam or beams. The particles on the bottom of the reticle are knocked off and fall away and particles on the top are removed a short distance from the surface and deposited on or near the strut wall and then released. Alternatively, the particles are dragged or rolled to the vicinity of the strut wall.
Claims30
An apparatus, comprising:
- a membrane reticle defining a patterned area;
- and
- a laser configured to generate a laser beam focused proximate to the patterned area on the membrane reticle, the laser being configured to create an attractive force that attracts particles on the patterned area of the membrane reticle to the laser beam and to use the attractive force to move the particles away from the patterned area on the membrane reticle.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a reticle defining a patterned area;
- and
- a laser configured to generate a laser beam focused proximate to the patterned area on the reticle, the laser being configured to create an attractive force that attracts particles illuminated by the laser beam on the patterned area of the reticle to the focal region of the laser beam and to use the attractive force to move the particles away from the patterned area on the reticle.
A method of cleaning a membrane reticle, comprising the steps of:
- generating a laser beam focused proximate to a patterned area on a membrane reticle;
- attracting particles on the patterned area of the membrane reticle with the laser beam;
- and
- moving the particles away from the patterned area on the membrane reticle using the attractive force of said laser beam.
1 more element
The method of cleaning a membrane reticle, comprising:
- generating a plurality of laser beams focused proximate to patterned areas on the membrane reticle;
- attracting particles on the patterned areas of the membrane reticle with said plurality of laser beams;
- and
- moving the particles away from the patterned areas on the membrane reticle using the attractive force of said plurality of laser beams.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.