Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Radiation modifying product or process of making – Radiation mask
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-15
2001-04-24
Young, Christopher G. (Department: 1756)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Radiation modifying product or process of making
Radiation mask
C430S009000, C430S022000, C430S030000, C430S302000, C430S311000, C430S321000, C355S018000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06221541
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
This invention relates to a device manufacturing method and apparatus particularly suitable for manufacture of a diffractive optical element for use in an optical system in various applications such as a semiconductor device manufacturing exposure apparatus, a camera, a telescope or a microscope, for example.
A diffractive optical element, called a binary optical element (BOE), having a grating section of multi-stage like shape, can be produced by using a photolithographic process similar to that used among semiconductor device manufacturing processes.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application, Laid-Open No. 252027/1994 shows a photolithographic process wherein, after positioning a substrate on the basis of alignment marks formed thereon, a desired pattern is printed on a photosensitive layer on the substrate.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application, Laid-Open No. 72101/1989 shows an arrangement such as illustrated in
FIG. 8
of the drawings, wherein a rotary encoder
2
is coupled to a rotary stage
1
on which a substrate is placed. Disposed above the stage
1
is energy beam projecting means
3
. Control means
4
controls the whole system, and its output is connected to straight driving means
5
and rotary driving means
6
for the stage
1
. The output of the rotary driving means
6
is connected to the rotary encoder
2
. The output of the control means
4
and the output of the rotary encoder
2
are connected to angle consistency discriminating means
7
and revolution consistency discriminating means
8
. The outputs of the angle consistency discriminating means
7
and of the revolution consistency discriminating means
8
are connected to the energy beam projecting means
3
by way of blanking signal output means
9
.
In operation, an energy beam is projected to the substrate while rotating the rotary stage
1
, whereby a photosensitive layer on the substrate
1
is exposed with a single ring-like pattern. The rotary stage
1
is moved straight sequentially by predetermined distances (of different amounts), in the diametrical direction of the rotary stage
1
, and during this period the energy beam is flickered with which the rotating substrate is exposed, such that concentric patterns are formed on the substrate.
In this procedure, concentric patterns are formed one by one. Thus, if the number of ring-like patterns of concentric shape is large, a long exposure time is necessary. In order to reduce the exposure time, the substrate rotating speed has to be increased, or a photosensitive material of higher sensitivity has to be used. Alternatively, the intensity of exposure light has to be enlarged. This requires extremely high control precision which leads to a technical difficulty.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device manufacturing method and/or apparatus by which a large size element, such as an optical element, can be produced in a reduced time period.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an element with a concentric pattern by use of a photolithographic process, said method comprising the steps of: preparing masks having segment patterns corresponding to fan-shaped regions, respectively, of the pattern which fan-shaped regions can be defined by dividing the pattern by at least one circle concentric with the pattern to provide plural zones and then by dividing each zone equiangularly; and exposing regions of a substrate corresponding to said plural zones, respectively, by using the masks corresponding to said zones, respectively, while rotating the substrate by regular angles.
Based on a unique and improved manufacturing method as described just above, the present invention provides an improved apparatus for manufacturing an element, an improved optical element, an improved optical system, an improved exposure apparatus or an improved device manufacturing method.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3181419 (1965-05-01), Knaup et al.
patent: 4032343 (1977-06-01), Deml et al.
patent: 4895790 (1990-01-01), Swanson et al.
patent: 5156943 (1992-10-01), Whitney
patent: 5289231 (1994-02-01), Magome et al.
patent: 5483343 (1996-01-01), Iwamoto et al.
patent: 0 150 129 (1985-07-01), None
patent: 1-72101 (1989-03-01), None
patent: 6-265708 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 6-252027 (1994-09-01), None
Ogusu Makoto
Saitoh Kenji
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Young Christopher G.
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