Surface sensitized chalcogenide product and process for making and using the same
AssigneeIonomet Company, Inc.
InventorsJoseph I. Masters, Gershon M. Goldberg, Jerome M. Lavine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Surface sensitization of a chalcogenide glass is achieved by depositing an extremely thin silver layer, for example, by depositing a silver halide and developing and fixing in the absence of exposure. The sensitized chalcogenide can then be exposed to light to make it etch-resistant. Further exposure reverses the etch resistance, permitting positive or negative images and permitting erasure. Microlithographic resists such as masks can be formed.
Claims12
A photosensitive product for the formation of microlithographic resists, masks and the like comprising
- a substrate,
- a layer of an etchable chalcogenide glass on said substrate, and
- an extremely thin deposit of silver on the surface of said chalcogenide glass, said silver deposit being thinner than about 100 A., said silver deposit being formed by depositing binderless silver halide thereon and photographically reducing and fixing said silver halide in the absence of exposure to activating radiation.
A photosensitive resist for the formation of microlithographic resists, masks and the like comprising
- a substrate,
- a layer of an etchable chalcogenide glass vacuum evaporated on said substrate, and
- an extremely thin deposit of silver on the surface of said chalcogenide glass, said silver deposit being thinner than about 100 A, said silver deposit being formed by depositing binderless silver halide in the absence of exposure to activating radiation.
A method of making a photosensitive product for the formation of microlithographic resists, masks and the like, comprising
- vacuum evaporating a chalcogenide glass on a substrate,
- depositing a binderless silver halide on the surface of said chalcogenide glass,
- partially reducing said silver halide, in the absence of photographic developer quantitatively sufficient to form an extremely thin layer of reduced silver less than 100 A in thickness on said chalcogenide glass surface, and
- fixing said layer to remove silver halide,
- whereby a surface sensitized chalcogenide layer results, said layer being reversibly altered in etch resistance by exposure to moderate activating radiation.
The process of forming a pattern of chalcogenide glass comprising
- evaporating a layer of chalcogenide glass on a substrate,
- depositing a binderless silver halide on the surface of said chalcogenide glass to form a unitary product,
- in the absence of exposure to activiating radiation, developing said silver halide in a photographic developer quantitatively sufficient to form an extremely thin layer of reduced silver less than 100 A in thickness,
- fixing said unitary product, thereby removing silver halide therefrom,
- exposing said product to a pattern of light and shadow to be reproduced, and
- etching said chalcogenide glass to form a pattern of said glass on the substrate, said pattern of glass corresponding to the pattern of light and shadow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.