Method and apparatus for generating high-resolution images
AssigneeSubmicron Structures, Inc.
InventorGreyson Gilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The exposure component (10) of a photo-etching system for a semiconductor wafer (28) includes a laser (12) that shines coherent light through an expansion lens (14) and then a contraction lens (16) to supply a spherically convergent beam of light through a lensless-Fourier-transform hologram (22) and onto the semiconductor wafer (28). The wafer (28) is located tangent to a hemisphere centered on the hologram (22) that has the focal point (26) of the convergent spherical beam at the middle of its curved surface. This forms a reduced version of the source image from which the hologram (22) was formed and achieves feature sizes significantly smaller than those attainable with conventional mask-type systems employing light of the same wavelength.
Claims45
A microfabrication method that includes processing a workpiece by forming a pattern on the workpiece with a particle beam wherein:
- A. the method includes the step of providing, at a predetermined position with respect to the workpiece, a mask containing a Fourier transform of the intended image;
- B. the step of forming a pattern on the workpiece includes directing a beam of particles through the mask and onto the workpiece in such a manner as to form the inverse transform of the mask contents on the workpiece.
For reducing the size of an image, a method comprising the steps of:
- A. providing a source image of a given size;
- B. forming a mask containing a Fourier transform of the source image;
- C. providing a workpiece;
- and
- D. directing a beam of particles through the mask and onto the workpiece in such a manner as to form from the mask contents an inverse transform thereof that includes a demagnified version of the source image whose size is less than one-half that of the source image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.