Apparatus for repairing defects in emulsion masks by passing laser light through a variable shaped aperture

An apparatus for repairing a detect in an emulsion layer of an emulsion mask, comprising:

• a laser oscillator for generating a laser light;
• an aperture means comprising an aperture for shaping the laser light upon passage of the light through it, said aperture means further comprising a plurality of blades having edges which are in mutually overlying relationship to form said aperture, wherein at least some of the edges of the blades have a circular protrusion while the other edges of the blades are linear, the protrusion and the linear edge being cooperable to define a partly curved contour of the aperture, said blades being adjustable in position to change the shape and size of the aperture;
• and means for projecting the laser light through said aperture onto the emulsion layer to form an image of the aperture on the detect so as to remove the defect.

An apparatus for repairing a defect in an emulsion layer of an emulsion mask, comprising:

• a laser oscillator for generating a laser light;
• an aperture means comprising an aperture for shaping the laser light upon passage of the light through it, said aperture means comprising a plurality of blades having respective edges and disposed in partly overlying relationship in a region of said blade edges, the edge of one of said blades having curved protrusions and the edge of another blade having curved cutouts, each of said protrusions and each of said cutouts being cooperable to define a curved contour of the aperture, wherein said blades with the protrusions and cutouts are supported for relative movement to provide different combinations of a protrusion and a cutout so as to define different contours of the aperture;
• and means for projecting the laser light through said aperture onto the emulsion layer to form an image of the aperture on the detect so as to remove the defect.

An apparatus for repairing a defect in an emulsion layer of an emulsion mask, comprising:

• a laser oscillator for generating a laser light;
• an aperture means comprising an aperture for shaping the laser light upon passage of the light through it, said aperture means further comprising a turnable aperture table, a first aperture blade disposed on the table which has transparent portions, a second aperture blade which has light intercepting portions and which is disposed in superposed relation to the first aperture blade, and a position adjustment means for slidingly displacing the aperture blades relative to each other;
• and means for projecting the ultraviolet light through said aperture onto the emulsion layer to form an image of the aperture on the defect so as to remove the defect.