Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Illumination systems or details
Reexamination Certificate
2006-05-30
2006-05-30
Nguyen, Henry Hung (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Illumination systems or details
C355S053000, C355S071000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07053987
ABSTRACT:
Methods and apparatuses for controlling characteristics of radiation directed to a microlithographic workpiece are disclosed. An apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a source of radiation positioned to direct a radiation beam having an amplitude distribution, a phase distribution, and a polarization distribution, toward a workpiece. An adaptive structure can be positioned in a path of the radiation beam and can have a plurality of independently controllable and selectively radiation transmissible elements, each configured to change at least one of the amplitude distribution, the phase distribution and the polarization distribution of the radiation beam. A controller can be operatively coupled to the adaptive structure to direct the elements of the adaptive structure to change from one state to any of a plurality of available other states. Accordingly, the adaptive structure can provide radiation beams having a variety of continuously variable distributions for a variety of radiation beam characteristics.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4988188 (1991-01-01), Ohta
patent: 5142132 (1992-08-01), MacDonald et al.
patent: 5194893 (1993-03-01), Nishi
patent: 5300971 (1994-04-01), Kudo
patent: 5436464 (1995-07-01), Hayano et al.
patent: 5602620 (1997-02-01), Miyazaki et al.
patent: 5631721 (1997-05-01), Stanton et al.
patent: 5661546 (1997-08-01), Taniguchi
patent: 5684566 (1997-11-01), Stanton
patent: 5721608 (1998-02-01), Taniguchi
patent: 5796467 (1998-08-01), Suzuki
patent: 5883700 (1999-03-01), Someya
patent: 5907392 (1999-05-01), Makinouchi
patent: 5969800 (1999-10-01), Makinouchi
patent: 6084244 (2000-07-01), Saiki et al.
patent: 6188464 (2001-02-01), Makinouchi
patent: 6215578 (2001-04-01), Lin
patent: 6251550 (2001-06-01), Ishikawa
patent: 6259513 (2001-07-01), Gallatin et al.
patent: 6285440 (2001-09-01), Takahashi
patent: 6285488 (2001-09-01), Sandstrom
patent: 6291110 (2001-09-01), Cooper et al.
patent: 6379867 (2002-04-01), Mei et al.
patent: 6392740 (2002-05-01), Shiraishi et al.
patent: 6498685 (2002-12-01), Johnson
patent: 6501532 (2002-12-01), Suzuki
patent: 6504644 (2003-01-01), Sandstrom
patent: 6549266 (2003-04-01), Taniguchi
patent: 6577379 (2003-06-01), Boettiger et al.
patent: 6586160 (2003-07-01), Ho et al.
patent: 6674512 (2004-01-01), Novak et al.
patent: 6707534 (2004-03-01), Bjorklund et al.
patent: 6710854 (2004-03-01), Shiraishi et al.
patent: 6784975 (2004-08-01), Boettiger et al.
patent: 6794100 (2004-09-01), Boettiger et al.
patent: 6816302 (2004-11-01), Sandstrom et al.
patent: 6844972 (2005-01-01), McGuire, Jr.
patent: 6894765 (2005-05-01), Mackey et al.
patent: 6897943 (2005-05-01), Schroeder et al.
patent: 6900827 (2005-05-01), Taniguchi
patent: 11-231234 (1999-08-01), None
patent: WO 00/79345 (2000-12-01), None
Optic.org, “Micronic and Fraunhofer Develop New Pattern Generators,” 1 page, Dec. 10, 1999, <http://www.optics.org>.
Fukuda, H. et al., “Improvement of defocus tolerance in a half-micron optical lithography by the focus latitude enhancement exposure method: Simulation and experiment,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol B., vol. 7 No. 4, Jul./Aug. 1989, pp. 667-674.
Texas Instruments Incorporated, “What the Industry Experts Say About Texas Instruments Digital MicroMirror Display (DMD) Technology,” 2 pages, Jun. 1994.
Farsari, M. et al., “Microfabrication by use of a spatial light modulator in the ultraviolet: experimental results,” Optics Letters, vol. 24, No. 8, pp. 549-550, Apr. 15, 1999, Optical Society Of America, Washington, DC.
Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., “PPM—Programmable Phase Modulator,” 4 pages, Sep. 2000, <http://www.hamamatsu.com>.
CRL Opto Limited, LCS2-G Datasheet, 4 pages, 2002, <http://www.crlopto.com/products/datasheets/files/LCS2-datasheet.pdf>.
Boulder Nonlinear Systems, “Liquid Crystal Rotators—Ferroelectric and Nematic,” 2 pages, <http://www.bnonlinear.com/papers/rotators.pdf>.
Boulder Nonlinear Systems, “Liquid Crystal Shutters / Variable Optical Attenuaters—Ferroelectric and Nematic,” 2 pages, <http://www.bnonlinear.com/papers/shutters.pdf>.
Boulder Nonlinear Systems, “512×512 Multi-level/Analog Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator,” 2 pages, <http://www.bnonlinear.com/papers/512SLM.pdf>.
Boulder Nonlinear Systems, “256×256 Multi-level/Analog Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator,” 2 pages, <http://www.bnonlinear.com/papers/256SLM.pdf>.
Digital Optics Corporation, “Pattern Generators,” 1 page, 2002, retrieved from the Internet on Jul. 30, 2003, <http://www.digitaloptics.com/products—ind.asp?pid=55>.
Micro-Optics, Inc., “Polarzation Maintaining Faraday Rotator (PMFR),” 1 page, retrieved from the Internet on Jul. 30, 2003, <http://www.microopticsinc.com/PMFR.html>.
International Search Report and Written Opinion for International Application No. PCT/US2004/033904, mailed Jul. 5, 2005, 11 pages.
Mackey Jeffrey L.
Stanton Willilam A.
Micro)n Technology, Inc.
Nguyen Henry Hung
Perkins Coie LLP
LandOfFree
Methods and systems for controlling radiation beam... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Methods and systems for controlling radiation beam..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Methods and systems for controlling radiation beam... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3613055