Apparatus for enhancing the lifetime of stencil masks
AssigneeIMS-Ionen Mikrofabrikations Systeme GmbH
InventorsElmar Platzgummer, Hans Löschner, Gerhard Stengl
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Abstract
An apparatus for masked ion-beam lithography comprises a mask maintenance module for prolongation of the lifetime of the stencil mask. The module comprises a deposition means for depositing material to the side of the mask irradiated by the lithography beam, with at least one deposition source being positioned in front of the mask, and further comprises a sputter means in which at least one sputter source, positioned in front of the mask holder means and outside the path of the lithography beam, produces a sputter ion beam directed to the mask in order to sputter off material from said mask in a scanning procedure and compensate for inhomogeneity of deposition.
Claims12
An apparatus for masked ion-beam irradiation wherein a beam consisting of energetic ions is radiated through a substantially flat stencil mask, said stencil mask comprising a stencil pattern made up of a plurality of transparent structures, and said beam transfers the stencil pattern to a substrate, the apparatus comprising a mask holding means to position said stencil mask in the path of the beam, the apparatus further comprising:
- first means for depositing material to said mask, said first means comprising at least one deposition source being positioned in front of the mask as seen in the direction of the beam and outside the path of the beam, the at least one deposition source being suitable for depositing material to the side of the mask irradiated by the beam, and
- second means for sputtering off material from said mask, said second means comprising at least one sputter source producing a sputter ion beam directed to the mask, the at least one sputter source being positioned in front of the mask holder means as seen in the direction of the beam of energetic ions and outside the path of the beam of energetic ions.
An apparatus for masked ion-beam lithography wherein a lithography beam consisting of energetic ions is radiated through a substantially flat stencil mask, said stencil mask comprising a stencil pattern made up of a plurality of transparent structures, and said lithography beam transfers the stencil pattern to a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a mask holding means to position said stencil mask in the path of the lithography beam;
- a deposition source for depositing material to said mask, said deposition source being positioned in front of the mask as seen in the direction of the lithography beam and outside the path of the lithography beam, and being suitable for depositing material to the side of the mask irradiated by the lithography beam;
- and
- a sputter source producing a sputter ion beam directed to the mask, said sputter source being positioned in front of the mask holder means as seen in the direction of the lithography beam and outside the path of the lithography beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.