# US 7,612,866 B2 · Lithography system

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- Number: US 7,612,866 B2
- Document ID: US7612866B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/982,119
- Filed: 2007-11-01
- Published: 2008-03-13
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2002-10-25
- Assignees: Mapper Lithography IP B.V.
- Inventors: Jan-Jaco Marco Wieland; Johannes Christiaan van't Spijker; Remco Jager; Pieter Kruit
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612866B2

## CPC

- G03F 7/70383: {Direct write, i.e. pattern is written directly without the use of a mask by one or multiple beams (maskless lithography using a programmable mask G03F7/70291)}
- B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
- B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- G03B 27/52: Details
- G03F 7/70291: {Addressable masks, e.g. spatial light modulators [SLMs], digital micro-mirror devices [DMDs] or liquid crystal display [LCD] patterning devices}
- G03F 7/70508: {Data handling in all parts of the microlithographic apparatus, e.g. handling pattern data for addressable masks or data transfer to or from different components within the exposure apparatus}
- G03F 7/70825: {Mounting of individual elements, e.g. mounts, holders or supports (workpiece or mask holders G03F7/707)}
- G03F 7/70991: {Connection with other apparatus, e.g. multiple exposure stations, particular arrangement of exposure apparatus and pre-exposure and/or post-exposure apparatus; Shared apparatus, e.g. having shared radiation source, shared mask or workpiece stage, shared base-plate; Utilities, e.g. cable, pipe or wireless arrangements for data, power, fluids or vacuum}
- H01J 37/045: {Beam blanking or chopping, i.e. arrangements for momentarily interrupting exposure to the discharge}
- H01J 37/3174: {Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography}
- H01J 37/3177: {Multi-beam, e.g. fly's eye, comb probe}
- H01J 2237/0432: High speed and short duration
- H01J 2237/0435: Multi-aperture
- H01J 2237/0437: Semiconductor substrate
- H01J 2237/2482: Optical means
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

A maskless lithography system for transferring a pattern onto the surface of a target. At least one beam generator for generating a plurality of beamlets. A plurality of modulators modulate the magnitude of a beamlet, and a control unit controls of the modulators. The control unit generates and delivers pattern data to the modulators for controlling the magnitude of each individual beamlet. The control unit includes at least one data storage for storing the pattern data, at least one readout unit for reading out the data from the data storage, at least one data converter for converting the data that is read out from the data storage into at least one modulated light beam, and at least one optical transmitter for transmitting the at least one modulated light beam to the modulation modulators.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A maskless lithography system for transferring a pattern onto the surface of a target, comprising:
a beam generating means for generating a plurality of beamlets;
a modulation array for either letting said beamlet pass or completely or partly stopping said beamlets from reaching the target surface, which modulation array comprises an array of modulators,
a lens system for focussing said passed beamlets on the target surface,
wherein said modulator array is controlled using modulated light beams, wherein each light beam holds part of the pattern data for controlling one or more modulators,
wherein said light beam is projected from an optical fiber end on a light sensitive element for converting said light beam into a signal for actuating said one or more modulators and is directed into a virtual space column defined by said plurality of beamlets.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modulators are deflector elements.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the modulators are electrostatic deflectors.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2, 3)

The system as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the beamlets are substantially parallel and the modulator is adapted for either deflecting a beamlet away from its optical axis or letting a beamlet pass undeflected, which undeflected beamlets pass to the deflector array.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light sensitive elements are located in the vicinity of the modulators.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the light sensitive elements are coupled to said modulators through on chip electric wires.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light sensitive elements are coupled to said modulators through on chip electric wires.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1, 5)

The system as claimed in claim 1 or 5, wherein the light sensitive elements are integrated into the modulation array.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light beam is directed through the same medium as wherein the beamlets travel, creating a free space optical interconnect.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light beam is directed through an optical wave-guide.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lens system comprises a deflector array, said deflector array deflecting said passed beamlets in a first writing direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising projection lenses for reducing the cross section of each beamlet.

### Claim 13

A maskless lithography system for transferring a pattern onto the surface of a target, comprising:
a beam generating means for generating a plurality of beamlets defining a virtual space column;
a modulation array for completely or partly stopping said beamlets from reaching the target surface, which modulation array comprises an array of modulators,
a lens system for focussing said passed beamlets on the target surface,
wherein said modulator array is controlled using modulated light beams, wherein each light beam holds part of the pattern data for controlling one or more modulators,
wherein said light beam is optically transmitted to a light sensitive element for converting said light beam into a signal for actuating said one or more modulators, which light sensitive element is located within the virtual space column in the vicinity of said one or more modulators.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the light sensitive elements are integrated into the modulation array.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The maskless lithography system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said signals are transported towards the modulators through electric wires embedded in the modulation array.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the light sensitive elements are coupled to said modulators through on chip electric wires.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said light sensitive elements are photodiodes.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The maskless lithography system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said each of said modulated light beams is projected from an optical fiber end on the light sensitive element of said modulator.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said light beam is directed through the same medium through which the beamlets travel, creating a free space optical interconnect.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The maskless lithography system as claimed in claim 13, wherein an optical assembly is used to perform both reduction and focusing of the modulated light beams.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The maskless lithography system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the light beams are transferred through an optical wave-guide.

### Claim 22 (depends on 13)

The maskless lithography system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said modulated light beams are transported through optical fibers to said light sensitive elements, a group of optical fibers being attached to said modulation array.

### Claim 23 (depends on 13)

The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said lens system comprises a deflector array, said deflector array deflecting said passed beamlets in a first writing direction.

### Claim 24 (depends on 13)

The system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising projection lenses for reducing the cross section of each beamlet.

### Claim 25

A method for transferring a pattern onto the surface of a target using a lithography system comprising at least one beam generator, a modulation array and a deflector array, said method comprising:
generating a plurality of beamlets in said beam generator;
modulating said plurality of beamlets in said modulation array to either let the beamlet pass or completely or partly stopping each of said beamlets individually from reaching the target surface, under control of said signals coming from a control unit
focussing said passed beamlets on the target surface, wherein said modulation array is controlled using modulated light beams, wherein each light beam holds part of the pattern data for controlling one or more modulators, wherein said light beam is projected from an optical fiber end on a light sensitive element for converting said light beam into a signal for actuating said one or more modulators and is directed into the virtual space column defined by said plurality of beamlets.