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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7389813 | Systems and methods for controlling local environment The present invention provides systems and methods of controlling local environment. In one embodiment, incoming air enters a contactor such the Direct Contact Cooler-Condenser (DCCC) where the air contacts water distributed on the contact media. After passing throu... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7375791 | Laminar flow gas curtains for lithographic applications Laminar flow gas curtains for use in lithographic applications. In an embodiment, a gas curtain system includes a nozzle that enhances the fluidic purge process. The nozzle includes a first housing, a second housing, a flow distribution plate, and a plurality of flo... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7369214 | Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method utilizing a metrology system with sensors A system and method include an object supported on a moveable support, an optical system that transmits radiation onto the object, a support having an aperture therethrough, a sensor system coupled to the support, and a control system coupled to the sensor system an... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7365848 | System and method using visible and infrared light to align and measure alignment patterns on multiple layers A system and method are used to increase alignment accuracy of feature patterns through detection of alignment patterns on both a surface layer and at least one below surface layers of an object. Visible light is used to detect alignment patterns on the surface laye... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7304720 | System for using a two part cover for protecting a reticle A system and method are used to protect a mask from being contaminated by airborne particles. They include coupling a reticle and a cover to protect the reticle. The cover includes a frame and a movable panel that moves to allow direct access of light to the reticle... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7304719 | Patterned grid element polarizer The invention relates to a patterned grid polarizer for use in lithography, comprising a substrate that is transparent to ultraviolet (UV) light; and an array of elements patterned on the substrate, wherein the elements polarize UV light. The array of elements can b... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7298459 | Wafer handling method for use in lithography patterning A method utilizing a lithography system comprises a lithography patterning chamber, a wafer exchange chamber separated from the lithography patterning chamber by a first gate valve, and at least one alignment load-lock separated from the wafer exchange chamber by a ... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7292308 | System and method for patterning a flexible substrate in a lithography tool A system and method are used to feed a flexible substrate through a patterned beam to be exposed at target portions by the pattered beam. In one example, the flexible substrate is passed over a chuck (e.g., a vacuum chuck). In one example, the chuck can bias the fle... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7290931 | Vacuum pre-loaded pneumatic bearing with onboard vacuum generator A pneumatic bearing for supporting a payload is disclosed. The pneumatic bearing comprises a bearing body having an active surface divided into a lift portion and a pre-load portion. A plurality of gas distribution channels are formed in the bearing body, wherein a ... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7278817 | Method for transferring and loading a reticle An apparatus and method of transferring and loading a reticle onto a receiving station (for example, a reticle exposure stage). The reticle is first retrieved from a storage facility with an end effector having a reticle plate coupled to a mounting plate. The mounti... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7256865 | Methods and apparatuses for applying wafer-alignment marks Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses for efficient and cost-effective imaging of alignment marks. For one embodiment, alignment mark imaging is accomplished separately from, and independent of product imaging through use of a relatively low c... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7241342 | Non-dripping nozzle apparatus According to one aspect of the invention, a dispense head for a wafer processing apparatus is provided. The dispense head may include an inlet, at least one outlet, a drain, and a passageway therethrough interconnecting the inlet, the outlet, and the drain. The inle... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7242464 | Method for characterizing optical systems using holographic reticles Characterization of an optical system is quickly and easily obtained in a single acquisition step by obtaining image data within a volume of image space. A reticle and image plane are positioned obliquely with respect to each other such that a reticle having a plura... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7239446 | Optical reduction system with control of illumination polarization An optical reduction system with polarization dose sensitive output for use in the photolithographic manufacture of semiconductor devices having variable compensation for reticle retardation before the long conjugate end. The variable compensation component(s) befor... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7224504 | Deformable mirror using piezoelectric actuators formed as an integrated circuit and method of use A deformable optical device includes a reflection device having a first reflecting surface and a second surface, an actuator (e.g., an integrated circuit piezoelectric actuator) having a support device and moveable extensions extending therefrom, which are coupled t... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7209275 | Method and system for maskless lithography real-time pattern rasterization and using computationally coupled mirrors to achieve optimum feature representation A method and system for determining specific pixel modulation states of a spatial light modulator (SLM) to print a desired pattern on a substrate are disclosed. The method includes selecting at least one super-pixel in an object plane of the desired pattern, the sup... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7161684 | Apparatus for optical system coherence testing The present invention is directed at a coherence test reticle or lithographic plate, and a method for testing the coherence of a laser beam using the test reticle. The quality or coherence of the laser beam is measured by illuminating the test reticle and recording ... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7153616 | System and method for verifying and controlling the performance of a maskless lithography tool A maskless lithography tool that includes a reference reticle having reference features for tuning and calibrating the tool. The reference reticle is illuminated by a illumination source to form a reference image of the reference features. A signal is applied to an ... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7139631 | Method and system to compensate for scanner system timing variability in a semiconductor wafer fabrication system A semiconductor wafer fabrication system that includes at least a track system and a scanner system compensates for deviations from nominal periodicity in the scanner system by dynamically introducing time delays when such deviations are detected. Preferably prior a... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7133121 | Methods and systems to compensate for a stitching disturbance of a printed pattern in a maskless lithography system utilizing overlap of exposure zones with attenuation of the aerial image in the overlap region A method and system are provided for printing a pattern on a photosensitive surface using a spatial light modulator (SLM). An exemplary method includes defining two or more exposure areas on the photosensitive surface, the exposure areas overlapping along respective... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7078355 | Method and system of coating polymer solution on surface of a substrate A method and system of coating a polymer solution on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The method includes providing a substrate. Dispensing a polymer solution onto the surface of the substrate using a pump. The pump is connected in-line with a buffer tank ... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7063920 | Method for the generation of variable pitch nested lines and/or contact holes using fixed size pixels for direct-write lithographic systems Provided is a method and system for developing a lithographic mask layout. The lithographic mask layout is adapted for configuring an array of micro-mirrors in a maskless lithography system. The method includes generating an ideal mask layout representative of image... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7052919 | Recipe cascading in a wafer processing system The invention allows a cluster tool to change from a first recipe to a second recipe, while preserving periodicity and ensuring that there are no delays at critical points. This procedure is referred to as recipe cascading. Cascading involves emptying a first lot of... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7049618 | Virtual gauging method for use in lithographic processing A virtual gauging method for use in a lithographic process includes gauging a region at a surface of a wafer when the region is located away from an axis of illumination producing wafer surface data, while other portions of the wafer are being illuminated. The metho... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7048800 | Semiconductor substrate processing apparatus According to one aspect of the invention, a semiconductor substrate, or wafer, processing apparatus is provided. The wafer processing apparatus may include a frame, a semiconductor substrate support, a dispense head connected to the frame to dispense a semiconductor... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7041172 | Methods and apparatus for dispensing semiconductor processing solutions with multi-syringe fluid delivery systems Methods and apparatus for controllably dispensing photoresist solutions and other fluids in semiconductor manufacturing equipment from an array of syringe-based fluid dispensers. A multi-syringe fluid dispensing system is provided for photoresist coating within a wa... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7025498 | System and method of measuring thermal expansion A chuck having a high specific stiffness and high thermal conductivity compared to conventional chucks, with an apparatus for measuring thermal expansion in the chuck. High specific stiffness allows for a higher control bandwidth and improved scanning performance. H... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7024440 | Method and system for processing a discrete time input signal where the clock rate of a discrete time output signal is a multiple of the clock rate of input signal samples A method and system of efficiently processing a discrete time input signal having a plurality of input signal samples that occur at a first clock rate into a discrete time output signal having a second clock rate that is R times the first clock rate is presented. Th... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7023526 | Methods and systems to compensate for a stitching disturbance of a printed pattern in a maskless lithography system utilizing overlap without an explicit attenuation A method and system are provided for printing a pattern on a photosensitive surface using a maskless lithography system including a spatial light modulator (SLM). The method includes defining two or more exposure areas within a predetermined region of the surface, e... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7018943 | Method of uniformly coating a substrate A method of and an apparatus for coating a substrate with a polymer solution to produce a film of uniform thickness, includes mounting the substrate inside an enclosed housing and passing a control gas, which may be a solvent vapor-bearing gas into the housing throu... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7004708 | Apparatus for processing wafers Systems and methods are described for wafer processin. A wafer processing apparatus includes: a first wafer transporter; a process station coupled to the first wafer transporter, the process station including: a first plurality of wafer processing stacks, each of th... | 02/28/2006 |
| 7002747 | Diffuser plate and method of making same An electromagnetic radiation diffuser, operative at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths, is fabricated on a substrate. The diffuser comprises a randomized structure having a peak and valley profile over which a highly reflective coating is evaporated. The reflecti... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6994444 | Method and apparatus for managing actinic intensity transients in a lithography mirror An apparatus and method of maintaining a time-constant heat load on a lithography mirror. The mirror includes a resistive layer formed on a substrate, contacts for coupling a power supply to the resistive layer, an insulating sublayer formed on the resistive layer, ... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6991416 | System and method for reticle protection and transport A substrate protection and transport system and method for transitioning a substrate from atomospheric pressure to vacuum in a lithography tool. The system includes one or more removable substrate transport cassettes. Each cassette has at least one vent and at least... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6984474 | Reticle barrier system for extreme ultra-violet lithography The present invention is directed to a reticle barrier system that prevents contaminants from landing on a mask within lithographic systems using extreme ultra violet light. In particular, a reticle barrier system is provided that consists of a mask barrier and a se... | 01/10/2006 |
| 6984836 | System and method for monitoring the topography of a wafer surface during lithographic processing A system for monitoring wafer surface topography during a lithographic process is described that includes projection optics that illuminate a portion of the wafer surface. The system further includes at least one off-axis wafer surface gauge that monitors wafer surf... | 01/10/2006 |
| 6978658 | Proximity sensor with self compensation for mechanism instability A retractable proximity sensor system with a self-compensating mechanism to reduce the impact of mechanical instability on the precision of a proximity sensor is disclosed. The retractable proximity sensor system includes a retractable proximity sensor and a proximi... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6979833 | System for monitoring the topography of a wafer surface during lithographic processing A system for monitoring wafer surface topography during a lithographic process is described that includes means for capturing wafer position and surface data at a first time when a wafer is at a first location, means for generating correction data for a second wafer... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6977098 | Method of uniformly coating a substrate A method of and an apparatus for coating a substrate with a polymer solution to produce a film of uniform thickness, includes mounting the substrate inside an enclosed housing and passing a control gas, which may be a solvent vapor-bearing gas into the housing throu... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6977716 | Catadioptric lithography system and method with reticle stage orthogonal to wafer stage The present invention relates to a lithography apparatus and method using catadioptric exposure optics that projects high quality images without image flip. The apparatus includes means for illuminating a reticle stage to produce a patterned image. The apparatus als... | 12/20/2005 |
