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US 6,742,884 B2Granted
Apparatus for printing etch masks using phase-change materials
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsWilliam S. Wong, Robert A. Street, Stephen D. White, Robert Matusiak, Raj B. Apte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for masking a surface to be etched is described. A droplet source ejects droplets of a masking material for deposit on a thin-film or other substrate surface to be etched. The temperature of the thin-film or substrate surface is controlled such that the droplets rapidly freeze upon contact with the thin-film or substrate surface. The thin-film or substrate is then etched. After etching the masking material is removed.
Claims25
A system to deposit a mask on a substrate prior to etching the substrate, the system comprising:
- a droplet source to output liquid droplets of a phase change material on the substrate to generate a printed mask including a plurality of features;
- a detection apparatus to detect alignment marks, the alignment marks used to determine the orientation and position of the mask to be printed by the droplet source
- a temperature control system to maintain a temperature of the substrate below the freezing point of the phase change material;
- a control system that causes the droplet source to eject droplets based on what areas of the substrate will be etched;
- and
- the detection apparatus to detect alignment marks from a previously deposited mask layer, the alignment marks correspond to the positioning of the previously deposited mask layer, the alignment marks used to determine the orientation and position of the mask to be printed by the droplet source.
3 more elements
A system to deposit a mask on a substrate prior to etching the substrate, the system comprising:
- a droplet source to output liquid droplets of a phase change material on the substrate to generate a printed mask including a plurality of features;
- a detection apparatus to detect alignment marks, the alignment marks used to determine the orientation and position of the mask to be printed by the droplet source
- a temperature control system to maintain a temperature of the substrate below the freezing point of the phase change material;
- a control system that causes the droplet source to eject droplets based on what areas of the substrate will be etched;
- and,
- an imaging system to measure the spreading of a droplet after deposition, the imaging system coupled to the temperature control system to cause the temperature control system to raise the substrate temperature when the spreading of the droplet after deposition is insufficient prior to deposition of a subsequent droplet.
3 more elements
A system to deposit a mask on a substrate prior to etching the substrate, the system comprising:
- a droplet source to output liquid droplets of a phase change material on the substrate to generate a printed mask including a plurality of features;
- a temperature control system to maintain a temperature of the substrate below the freezing point of the phase change material, the temperature control system to increase the temperature of the substrate when large feature sizes are to be printed, the temperature control system to decrease the temperature of the substrate when smaller feature sizes are to be printed;
- a control system that causes the droplet source to eject droplets based on what areas of the substrate will be etched;
- and
- an ultraviolet light source for photolithographically processing the substrate after deposition of the printed mask.
2 more elements
A system to deposit a mask on a substrate prior to etching the substrate, the system comprising:
- a droplet source to output liquid droplets of a phase change material on the substrate to generate a printed mask including a plurality of features;
- a detection apparatus to detect alignment marks, the alignment marks used to determine the orientation and position of the mask to be printed by the droplet source
- a temperature control system to maintain a temperature of the substrate below the freezing point of the phase change material;
- and
- a control system that causes the droplet source to eject droplets based on what areas of the substrate will be etched wherein the substrate includes a photosensitive material.
2 more elements
A system to deposit a mask on a substrate prior to etching the substrate, the system comprising:
- a droplet source to output liquid droplets of a phase change material on the substrate, the substrate maintained at a temperature below the freezing point of the phase change material, the phase change material to generate a first printed mask including a plurality of features;
- a detection apparatus to detect alignment marks, the alignment marks used to determine the orientation and position of the first printed mask and to enable printing by the droplet source of a second mask, the second mask aligned with the previously deposited first printed mask.
A system to deposit a mask on a substrate prior to etching the substrate, the system comprising:
- a droplet source to output liquid droplets of a phase change material on the substrate to generate a printed mask including a plurality of features;
- a temperature control system to maintain a temperature of the substrate below the freezing point of the phase change material;
- a control system that causes the droplet source to eject droplets based on what areas of the substrate will be etched;
- and
- an ultraviolet light source for photolithographically processing the substrate after deposition of the printed mask.
2 more elements
A system to deposit a mask on a substrate prior to etching the substrate, the system comprising:
- a droplet source to output liquid droplets of a phase change material on the substrate to generate a printed mask including a plurality of features;
- a detection apparatus to detect alignment marks, the alignment marks used to determine the orientation and position of the mask to be printed by the droplet source
- a temperature control system to maintain a temperature of the substrate below the freezing point of the phase change material;
- a control system that causes the droplet source to eject droplets based on what areas of the substrate will be etched;
- and,
- a measurement system to measure the spreading of a droplet after deposition, the measurement system coupled to the temperature control system to cause the temperature control system to raise the substrate temperature when the spreading of the droplet after deposition is insufficient prior to deposition of a subsequent droplet.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.