Deep ultraviolet photolithography and microfabrication

Abstract

A high resolution, deep UV beam delivery system for exposing a surface, directly or through a mask, for the purpose of photolithography, surface cleaning, microstructuring, pattern microimaging, surface modification or the like includes a deep UV radiation source for generating a beam of deep ultraviolet radiation along a first path; single element variable attenuator apparatus disposed in the first path for adjustment of the deep UV beam energy in the first path; an optical system in the first path for homogenizing and shaping the deep UV beam energy in the first path; a second radiation source for generating visible wavelength radiation along a second beam path; merging structure for merging radiation energy in the first path and radiation energy in the second path for passage along a common third path; beam splitter structure in the third path for directing radiation energy in the third optical path along a fourth optical path angularly offset from the third path; large area mirror structure having a numerical aperture greater than 0.3 disposed in the fourth optical path for directing radiation energy in the fourth optical path onto the surface of a substrate to be processed that is disposed in the fourth path; and an optical sensing system disposed in a fifth optical path aligned with the fourth path and on the side of the beam splitter structure opposite the large area mirror structure for optically viewing the substrate being processed by deep ultraviolet energy in the fourth optical path as illuminated by visible wavelength radiation from the second radiation source.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.