Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Incoherent light emitter structure – With reflector – opaque mask – or optical element integral...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-27
2004-09-07
Thai, Luan (Department: 2827)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Incoherent light emitter structure
With reflector, opaque mask, or optical element integral...
C438S942000, C430S030000, C430S005000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06787813
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 90130499, filed Dec. 10, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a substrate exposure apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate exposure apparatus that uses a display apparatus to directly perform exposure on the photoresist.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photolithography process is one of the crucial steps in the IC substrate, printed circuit board, and semiconductor fabrication process. In wafer fabrication, the patterned and doped regions for each thin film layer are determined by photolithography process. Also, the formation of metal film patterns in printed circuit board and IC substrate are determined by photolithography process. And, for each one, the photomask must be well prepared. In photolithography process, after some preparation process, the photoresist is coated on the substrate and soft bake and hard bake are further performed. After the photoresist is cured, the steps of exposure and development are performed to transfer the pattern of the photomask to the photoresist.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional photolithography process that uses a contact mode photomask to transfer the pattern to the photoresist is schematically shown. A substrate
100
, on which a circuit, dielectric layer, dielectric pattern or conductive layer may have been formed, is provided. A photoresist
102
is formed on the substrate
100
. A photomask
110
is disposed on the photoresist
102
. To protect the surface of the photomask
110
, a protect film
104
is placed between and separates the photomask
110
and the photoresist
102
. The protect film
104
is in contact with both the surface of the photomask
110
and the photoresist
102
. By radiation of a light source
112
, an exposure step is performed on the photoresist
102
, so that the pattern of the photomask
110
is transferred to the photoresist
102
.
The conventional contact mode photomask
110
includes formation of a patterned blocking layer
108
on a surface of a transparent substrate
106
. To protect the photomask
110
, the protect film
104
sandwiched between the photomask substrate
106
and the photoresist
102
is in contact with both surfaces of the photomask substrate
106
and the photoresist
102
. The patterned blocking layer
108
of the photomask
110
blocks the light source
112
to determine the pattern on the photoresist
102
to be radiated.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, a conventional photolithography process using a non-contact mode photomask to transfer a pattern to a photoresist is schematically shown. A substrate
200
on which a photoresist
202
is formed is provided. Circuits, dielectric layers, dielectric patterns or conductive layers may have been formed on the substrate
200
. A photomask
210
is located above the photoresist
202
. A lens set
214
is disposed between the photomask
210
and the photoresist
202
. By radiation of a light source
212
, the photoresist
202
is exposed, and the pattern of the photomask
210
is transferred to the photoresist
202
.
The conventional non-contact mode photomask is constructed by forming a patterned blocking layer
208
on a transparent substrate
206
. The patterned blocking layer
208
on the transparent substrate
206
blocks the light source to determine the pattern of the photoresist
202
to be radiated. In a non-contact mode, the pattern of the photomask
210
is transferred to the photoresist
202
by the lens set
214
.
The fabrication of the conventional photomask is very time consuming and costly. The photomask has to be kept in an appropriate environment, and the maintenance cost is also high.
In addition, the pattern of the photomask cannot be modified. When the circuit design of the wafer or printed circuit board requires a modification, a new photomask has to be fabricated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a substrate exposure apparatus that does not require a photomask. The fabrication cost and maintenance cost of a photomask in the photolithography process are thus saved.
The present invention further provides a patternable substrate exposure apparatus, in which the displayed pattern is easily modified according to the required exposure pattern. The substrate exposure apparatus can thus be iteratively used.
The substrate exposure apparatus provided by the present invention comprises a display apparatus and a control system. The display apparatus is used to display the pattern to be transferred to the photoresist. The control system is used to control the pattern displayed by the display apparatus.
In the substrate exposure apparatus provided by the present invention, the display apparatus comprises a non-self luminescent display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a self-luminescent display such as an organic light emitting diode display (OLED), a polymer light emitting diode display (PLED), a plasma display panel (PDP) and a field emission display (FED). The above liquid crystal display further comprises a non-self luminescent liquid crystal display panel and a light source module to provide the exposure light source.
In the present invention, the substrate exposure apparatus performs a contact mode or a non-contact mode exposure process. A protect film is used in contact with the photoresist in the contact mode substrate exposure apparatus. A lens set is selectively located between the display apparatus and the photoresist in the non-contact mode substrate exposure apparatus.
Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5082755 (1992-01-01), Liu
patent: 5666261 (1997-09-01), Aguilera
patent: 6407723 (2002-06-01), Okuno et al.
J. C. Patents
Thai Luan
Via Technologies Inc.
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