Laser system for recording data patterns on a planar substrate
AssigneeCreo Products Inc.
InventorsDaniel Gelbart, Amos Michelson
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Abstract
A processless phototool generator uses a pulsed excimer laser to image a deformable mirror spatial light modulator onto a thin ablateable coating on a quartz substrate. The light pulse ablates and clears the coating from selected areas according to the data pattern in the deformable mirror array. Exposure uniformity is enhanced by a two dimensional overwriting method. The high image reduction ratio enables high power densities on the substrate without exceeding the permissible power density on the deformable mirror array. Since the recording is processless (i.e. no development required) the generated image can be verified immediately after writing. The last feature is of particular importance in phase-shift masks.
Claims9
A system for recording data patterns on a planar substrate comprising:
- a laser operating in a pulsed mode;
- a deformable mirror array light modulator illuminated by said laser and means of loading said data patterns into said modulator;
- a reduction lens forming a reduced image of said modulator onto said substrate, said reduction lens positioned relative to said modulator in a manner allowing only light reflected by those of said deformable mirrors activated by said data pattern to reach said reduction lens;
- means of generating relative motion between said substrate and said reduction lens;
- means of synchronizing said data patterns in said modulator and light pulses of said pulsed laser to said relative motion, in order to record said data patterns on a portion of said substrate larger than said reduced image, by combining a plurality of said reduced images;
- a thin coating applied to said substrate capable of reacting with the said light pulses of said laser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.