Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Liquid crystal process – composition – or product
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-29
2001-01-30
Young, Christopher G. (Department: 1756)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Liquid crystal process, composition, or product
C430S005000, C430S296000, C430S942000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06180296
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a technique of manufacturing electronic apparatus wherein lithographic planar patterning is used together with focused particle beam processing in permitting further processing operations to be carried out within larger areas. The technique of the invention is particularly useful in widening the viewing angle in the liquid crystal display technology by making possible additional domains in a pixel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In electronic apparatus manufacturing, situations arise where it becomes desirable to fit structural elements and their relative positioning into small areas on a planar surface of a substrate. In such manufacturing it is always advantageous to use processes which are well developed in the art.
One well developed process uses a focused particle beam, usually in a high vacuum, that can, as examples, deliver localized energy such as heat and light that can promote or retard a physical process or chemical reaction on or through a surface or in an ambient and can physically abrade or alter a surface of a solid.
Another such type of process involves additive and subtractive operations through openings in a planar mask. The mask openings are usually lithographically positioned openings in a coating of a masking material.
While both types of processes provide manufacturing benefits and capabilities there have however, been limits encountered in efforts in combining the focused particle beam type processing with the planar masking type processing.
Among the considerations in using focused beam processing has been a need to pump down to a usually fairly high vacuum every time there is a different location or operation. Another consideration is that while the focus of the beam in energy delivery purposes is precise there is usually some scattering at the periphery.
Needs have been developing in the electronic apparatus manufacturing art for being able to use the wide range of localized energy delivery capabilities of focused particle beams with the precision of lithographic planar patterning.
One example of such a need frequently occurs in simple downsizing where it would be useful to be able to pack more devices into each area of an already laid out raster of areas on a surface. Another example of such a need is in the flat panel display technology where flexibility in substrate abrasion would be desirable. In the flat panel display technology, abrading of a surface in the pixel gives a pretilt to the liquid crystal increments and enhances the display. The relatively long standing in the art technique for the abrading has been rubbing the substrate surface with a velvet like material. A step in the art has been provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,826 where a focused particle beam is used to abrade the substrate surface. There is however a further need to be able to give different abrasion textures to different areas within an individual pixel area on a substrate. Each different texture area provides another liquid crystal rotational domain that in turn provides another widening increment to the viewing capability of the display.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the invention a lithographically patterned three dimensional stencil type mask is formed on a substrate over a specific area that is to undergo processing. The three dimensional mask functionally provides an energy beam stencil at a precise height over the specific area. The stencil has surface properties that provide a resist function for any scattering of a focused particle beam that passes through an aperture or opening in the center of the stencil. The mask has a larger opening at the surface of the specific area at the substrate and a smaller, centered, aperture or opening in the surface of the mask that is a precise distance away from the specific area surface. The energy beam can pass through the aperture or opening diagonally, so as to be able to apply focused particle beam processing to selected portions of the specific area and variations of the specifications of the beam are available to produce differences in processing results. The stencil is formed using standard in the art additive and subtractive processes so that the stencil can be removed after the particle beam processing. The three dimensional stencil mask of the invention has a particular advantage in an application where it is desired to have sub regions in a pixel area in a liquid crystal display that can provide different domains which operate to provide different pretilt states to the liquid crystal which in turn widens the viewing range of the display.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5770826 (1998-06-01), Chaudhari et al.
Cordes Michael James
Speidell James Louis
International Business Machines - Corporation
Morris Daniel P.
Riddles Alvin J.
Young Christopher G.
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