Etec Systems, Inc.

Other

Applied Materials, Inc.

Allan L Sagle

Lee H Veneklasen

Marian Mankos

Andres Fernandez

Steven Thomas Coyle

Paul C Allen

Douglas Earl Holmgren

Xiaolan Chen

Jeffrey S Sullivan

Windsor Owens

Jerome R Singer

Mark A Gesley

Stephen A Rishton

Sergey Babin

Robert Innes

Glen Stevick

David Rondinone

Chen Hwa

Weidong Wang

Jeffery K Varner

Tim Thomas

A method for creating a 3D map of the surface contours of an object includes projecting a variety of patterns onto the object, and imaging the patterns as they fall on the object to encode the topographic features of the object. In one embodiment a three dimensional image is taken in a single flash to avoid blurring due to motion of the object. Thereafter a secondary pattern is projected to detect changes in the initial image. The images are processed in a computer program in a manner such that a complete 3D map of the surface of the object is obtained in digital form. Reiteration of the method can detect motional variation such as a breathing human, flexure of a complex mechanical structure, or a stress-strain testing of an airplane, vehicle, beam, bridge, or other structure.

Method and apparatus for dynamic space-time imaging system

An electron beam lithography system includes a laser for generating a laser beam, and a beam splitter for splitting the laser beam into a plurality of light beams. The intensity of the light beams is individually modulated. The light beams are of sufficient energy such that, when they impinge on a photocathode, electrons are emitted. Modulation of the light beams controls modulation of the resulting electron beams. The electron beams are provided to an electron column for focusing and scanning control. Finally, the electron beams are used to write a scanning surface, for example, using an interlaced writing strategy.

Multiple electron beam lithography system with multiple beam modulated laser illumination

A shield assembly for reducing electron fogging effects in electron beam lithography. This shield, located between an electron beam column final aperture and the beam target, is of multiple vanes with sharp edges pointing towards the electron beam incident point on the target; the vanes are conically shaped and concentric around the electron beam path, which travels through the center of the assembly. Additionally, the sharp edges are such that they present oblique surfaces at the ends of the vanes angled between 10&deg; and 20&deg; relative to the outer vane surface and these oblique surfaces face towards the electron beam path. Furthermore, the shield assembly may also have the vanes angled towards the beam incident point such that the vertex of the conical vane assembly is coincident with the beam incident point.

Minimization of electron fogging in electron beam lithography

An electron beam column (or other charged particle beam column) for lithography which exposes a surface to variable shapes in a raster scan. The beam column includes an electron (or ion) source that generates a charged particle beam, a transfer lens, an upper aperture, an upper deflector, a lower aperture, a lower deflector, magnetic deflection coils, and a beam objective lens. The beam is first shaped as a square in cross section by the upper aperture. The upper deflector changes the direction of the square shaped beam to pass through a specific portion of an opening defined in the lower aperture to shape the beam as desired. The lower aperture defines either a cross shaped opening or four L-shaped openings arranged as corners of a square. The combination of upper and lower apertures enable definition of exterior and interior corners as well as horizontal and vertical edges of a pattern, so that only one flash need be exposed in any one location on the surface. The lower deflector reverses any change in direction imposed by the upper deflector and further applies a retrograde scan to counteract a movement of the beam by the magnetic coils in a raster scan. The retrograde scan ensures that an exposure exposes an intended target area.

Raster shaped beam, electron beam exposure strategy using a two dimensional multipixel flash field

Growing community of inventors

Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Allan L Sagle