Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Optical or pre-photocell system
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-18
2002-11-05
Font, Frank G. (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Optical or pre-photocell system
C250S576000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06476381
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nano-pattern lithographic fabrication using a micro-pipette and a method thereof, and in particular to a nano-pattern lithographic fabrication using a pulled micro-pipette and a method thereof which is capable of forming a fine pattern using the pulled micro-pipette in a probe type, by inserting a certain solution in the micro-pipette, accessing an end portion of the micro-pipette to a surface of a certain sample, and ejecting the solution on the surface of the sample.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, as circuit parts are intensively integrated, the sizes of electronic and electrical products have decreased. For example, a memory circuit such as a DRAM or a computation processing circuit such as a CPU, etc., are known. As the integrity of the above-described circuits have enhanced, the size of the product has become more compact. In order to increase the integrity of the circuit, the line widths of the circuits in the DRAM and CPU must be decreased by using a nano-pattern lithographic fabrication technique.
The above-described nano-pattern lithographic fabrication technique is used when manufacturing a semiconductor as well as a storing medium. For example, in the case of a disk storing medium such as a hard disk and an optical disk, the line width of a fine pattern formed on the surface of a disk is 200 to 500 nm which is obtained based on a nano-pattern lithographic fabrication technique.
The above-described nano-pattern lithographic fabrication technique is important for manufacturing a micro-actuator which is an ultra small electrical mechanical structure. As the size of products decreases, an applicable range of the nano-pattern lithographic fabrication technique will significantly widen.
The conventional nano-pattern lithographic fabrication technique will be explained as below.
When fabricating a desired pattern on a sample, a mask having the same pattern as the pattern which will be formed must be previously prepared. In the thusly fabricated mask, the pattern which does not transmit light on a glass substrate is formed.
After the mask is manufactured, the desired pattern is prepared for the sample to be fabricated. The sample is hardened by uniformly coating a photoresist (PR) on the sample and heating the PR using an oven.
The mask is covered to have a certain distance from the PR-hardened sample using a distance adjusting apparatus, and then light is scanned onto the mask. Thereafter, the portion through which light is transmitted and the portion through which light is not transmitted are formed on the PR of the sample. The light-exposed PR portion is differently shown. Next, the exposed PR portion is removed using a developing liquid for thereby exposing a substrate to the outside. The thusly exposed substrate is etched using an etchant which does not chemically react with the PR but chemically reacts with the substrate. The thusly exposed substrate is etched. Next, the PR portion remaining on the substrate is removed for thereby forming the pattern on the sample.
However, in the conventional nano-pattern lithographic fabricating apparatus and the method thereof, an expensive controlling apparatus and a light source generating apparatus are required for aligning the mask on the sample with a certain distance. In addition, in order to form a desired pattern, complicated controlling processes are required. Also, since light from the light source generating apparatus is diffracted when passing through the pattern formed on the mask, it is impossible to decrease the line widthes of the pattern formed on the sample by half of the wavelength of the incident light. In addition, even when a light source having a small wavelength such as X-ray or electron beam, the mask must be manufactured to have a fine pattern based on an accuracy better than the line width of the pattern fabricated on the sample.
The lithography method based on the conventional electron beam is used for forming a test pattern and mask. Generally, it is impossible to fabricate the line widths of the pattern below 100 nm due to back scattering phenomenon as an acceleration energy of an electron beam is increased.
Therefore, in the conventional nano-pattern lithographic fabrication method such as a photo lithography method has a limit for decreasing the line widths of the fine pattern of 100 nm.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a nano-pattern lithographic fabrication for fabricating a fine pattern using a pulled micro-pipette.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for fabricating a fine pattern using a pulled micro-pipette.
In order to achieve the above objects, there is provided a nano-pattern lithographic fabrication using a pulled micro-pipette according to the present invention which includes a container for receiving a certain solution therein, a container controlling unit for controlling the movement of the container and an ejection of the solution filled in the container, a sample moving unit for supporting and moving the sample, a detector for detecting a distance between the container controlling unit and the sample moving unit, and a controlling unit for receiving a detection signal from the detector and controlling the movement of the container and the sample moving unit and a distance therebetween.
In order to achieve the above objects, there is provided a nano-pattern lithographic fabrication method using a pulled micro-pipette according to the present invention which includes the steps of accessing a container having a certain solution therein to a surface of a sample, maintaining a certain distance between an end portion of the container and a surface of a sample, and moving a sample moving unit which supports and moves the sample and ejecting the solution onto the sample for thereby fabricating a desired pattern on the sample.
Additional advantages, objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the description which follows.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4880496 (1989-11-01), Nebenzahl et al.
patent: 5141871 (1992-08-01), Kureshy et al.
Jhe Won Ho
Kim Ki Hyun
Chou Chien-Wei (Chris)
Font Frank G.
Jhe Won Ho
Luu Thanh X.
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP
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