Cylindrical photolithography exposure process and apparatus

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a novel apparatus for exposing a pattern onto a photoresist-coated substrate cylinder and the process of using the apparatus. The cylindrical photolithography apparatus of the present invention comprises two adjacent cylindrical support rollers between which a portion of a flexible photomask extends in the form of a loop. The photoresist-coated substrate cylinder is received in the loop and a tension device, such as a weight, is engaged with the photomask to pull the photomask into contact with the photoresist-coated substrate cylinder over a substantial portion of the circumference of the substrate cylinder. A drive mechanism pulls the photomask over the surface of the photoresist-coated substrate cylinder thereby causing the substrate cylinder to rotate. Exposure light is provided during movement of the photomask to expose a pattern contained on the photomask onto the photoresist. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, designed for small substrate cylinders and/or substrate cylinders coated with a thick resist, a cylindrical lens is supported above the support cylinders and the photoresist-coated substrate cylinder to focus the light from the light device in a radial direction to increase resolution of the pattern. In applications requiring even higher resolution, a panel defining an aperture slit is placed between the light device and cylindrical lens to further focus the light rays.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.