Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Motorola Corporation

The Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning / Mcgill University

Cornell Research Foundation Inc.

Franco Cerrina

Masad Jose Damha

Marvin P Wickens

Whitson G Waldo, Iii

Gong Chen

John P Wallace

Jeremy Lackey

Mark Somoza

Debbie Mitra

Christopher Kemper Ober

Brock Binkowski

Paul Franklin Nealey

Michael Richard Sussman

Peter Jeremy Belshaw

Thomas B Lucatorto

Kathryn E Richmond

James Howard Kaysen

Lin Wang

Omar Negrete

Changhan Kim

Richard K Cole, Iii

Jaibei Xiao

Viktoriya N Golovkina

Eric Brodsky

Junyan Dai

Masad Damha

Brock F Binkowski

Karhryn E Richmond

The present invention is directed to RNA monomers comprising O-acetal levulinyl protecting groups at the 2' and/or the 5&#x2032;-hydroxy functionalities of the ribose moiety. Said monomers may be incorporated into oligoribonucleotides or RNA polynucleotides. Furthermore, the invention is directed to methods for the synthesis of said RNA monomers, oligoribonucleotides and RNA polynucleotides, as well as methods for their deprotection and methods for the use of said compounds and compositions comprising said compounds. In particular, such compounds and compositions comprising them are used in methods for light-directed synthesis of RNA microarrays.

RNA monomers containing 0-acetal levulinyl ester groups and their use in RNA microarrays

RNA monomers containing O-acetal levulinyl ester groups and their use in RNA microarrays

A device and a method for synthesizing a microarray are provided. The device includes a reduction optics assembly and a target assembly. The reduction optics assembly is configured to receive a light array of selectable regions of light and dark areas, to reduce a size of the light array in two-dimensions, and to project a pattern of the light array on a target surface. The target assembly includes a first stage and a second stage. The first stage is configured to move the target surface in at least two directions in plane with the projected pattern with a first precision. The second stage is mounted to the first stage and is configured to move the target surface in the at least two directions in plane with the projected pattern with a second precision that is smaller than the first precision.

Stepping optical reduction system

A prepared substrate upon which light directed DNA synthesis is to occur is exposed to light via an inverse mask pattern to deprotect inactive regions of the substrate where the synthesis is not intended to occur. The deprotected sites are then capped to disable permanently the inactive areas, thereby forming an inverse capped substrate. Unwanted DNA synthesis in the inactive areas is thus prevented, resulting in purer quality DNA, even though such areas may be exposed to light due to diffraction, scattering and flare during subsequent DNA synthesis of the intended active areas of the substrate.

Light directed DNA synthesis using inverse capping for error reduction

A method is disclosed for the direct synthesis of double stranded DNA molecules of a variety of sizes and with any desired sequence. The DNA molecule to be synthesis is logically broken up into smaller overlapping DNA segments. A maskless microarray synthesizer is used to make a DNA microarray on a substrate in which each element or feature of the array is populated by DNA of a one of the overlapping DNA segments. The complement of each segment is also made in the microarray. The DNA segments are released from the substrate and held under conditions favoring hybridization of DNA, under which conditions the segments will hybridize to form duplexes. The duplexes are then separated using a DNA binding agent which binds to improperly formed DNA helixes to remove errors from the set of DNA molecules. The segments can then be hybridized to each other to assemble the larger target DNA sequence.

Method of error reduction in nucleic acid populations

Synthesis of arrays of chain molecules, such as oligonucleotides, in large quantities can be carried out utilizing projection onto an active substrate of a magnified image of a light emitting object array having selectable regions of light and dark areas forming a pattern. Projection optics formed entirely of mirrors are used to receive the light emitted from the object array and image the pattern of the array onto the active surface of the substrate. The mirrors in the projection optics include a first, concave mirror, a second, convex mirror, a third, concave mirror, and a fourth, convex mirror, each receiving the beam of light in turn, with the light reflected from the fourth mirror being imaged onto the active surface of the substrate with an image area greater than that of the original light emitting array.

Synthesis of arrays of oligonucleotides and other chain molecules

Resist compositions containing silicon, boron, or both silicon and boron may be used with ultra-violet lithography processes and extreme ultra-violet (EUV) lithography processes to increase the reactive ion etch resistance of the resist compositions, improve transmission of the resist materials, and to dope substrates.

Organoelement resists for EUV lithography and methods of making the same

Inspection of objects such as X-ray lithography masks is carried out by passing X-rays or extreme ultraviolet light through an object which absorbs in a pattern to provide a patterned X-ray or ultraviolet image which is then directed to a converter. The converter converts the image incident upon it to an image formed by electrons emitted from the converter. The emitted electrons are magnified in an electron microscope and the magnified electron image is displayed by the electron microscope. The visible image may be further digitized and processed by a computer, including long-term storage or display on a computer monitor. X-ray lithography masks may be inspected by passing X-rays through masks of the same type that will be used for lithography so that the magnified image of the X-rays passed through the masks corresponds to the pattern of X-rays that will be incident on a photoresist, allowing accurate inspection of X-ray masks before use.

Method and apparatus for X-ray and extreme ultraviolet inspection of

An imaging mount and apparatus that reduces or eliminates stress induced in an imaging mask mounted thereto. The mount comprises a support block and a trio of mounting pads connected thereto. At least two of the mounting pads are connected to the support block so that their respective positions are adjustable within a predetermined plane which is preferably substantially parallel to a surface of a substrate to be imaged. Each of the mounting pads including means for securing the imaging mask generally parallel to the predetermined plane. The positions the adjustable mounting pads adjust within the predetermined plane responsive to securing of the lithography mask thereto so that the imaging mask is essentially undeflected due to the securing thereof. The absence of deformation (and, as a result, stress) in the imaging mask due to its being secured to the mount reduces the degree of distortion of radiation passing through the mask and to the imprinted surface.

Stress-free mount for imaging mask

An x-ray interface (40) provides increased x-ray collection efficiency for use in x-ray photolithography. The interface (40) comprises a housing (44) having a plurality of mirrored funnels (46) for collecting the x-rays. The mirrored funnels (46) are shaped to partially collimate and focus the x-rays. The interface (40) collects a greater percentage of the available x-rays from an x-ray source, and the interface (40) also permits a greater number of beamlines to be coupled to the x-ray source.

X-ray interface and condenser

A method for alignment in photolithographic processes includes providing a target (31) comprising features having a characteristic spatial period (P). An optical image of the target is captured, and components (33) of the image lacking the characteristic spatial period (P) are filtered out. The filtered image is integrated in the direction of the characteristic period (P) thereby creating an alignment signal (40). The alignment signal (40) is a symmetric signal which correlates to the symmetric target (31). A linear centroid (41) of the alignment signal is located, and corresponds to the precise linear center of the target (31). Consequently, the linear location of an object (10) upon which the target (31) is printed, can be accurately located. The process is performed in two perpendicular dimensions (x,y) so that the object (10) can be precisely located and positioned in two dimensions (x,y).

Method for alignment in photolithographic processes

An X-ray lithography beamline imaging system has a single condenser mirror with an aspherical reflecting surface, with symmetry only about a plane, without axial symmetry. For an X-ray beam emitted along a y axis and diverging along x and z axes, the reflecting surface is asymmetrical about the y axis and has different focusing power in directions along the x and z axes in an imaging plane orthogonal to the y axis and spaced from the mirror along the y axis such that the mirror reflects and focuses the X-ray beam to a point along the y axis in the imaging plane and to a line along the x axis in the imaging plane.

X-ray lithography beamline imaging system

A laser using a distributed phase shift structure is disclosed. The active medium is formed in the shape of a stripe having first and second surfaces and two ends. The stripe includes a large central portion and two end portions with the central portion being of different widths than the two end portions. A laser device which utilizes the active medium of the present invention further includes at least one P-guide layer and at least one N-guide layer, both having a higher bandgap energy than the active medium. The P-guide layer and the N-guide layer are located on opposing surfaces of the active medium. A current which is injected through the N-guide layer, the P-guide layer and the active medium induces single mode, narrow linewidth coherent light to issue from the active medium.

Distributed phase shift semiconductor laser

A beamline for X-ray lithography receives a fan of synchrotron radiation with a first mirror which has a concave/concave (toroidal) shape. This mirror collects the fan of X-rays and partially collimates the beam horizontally. The beam is then intercepted by a second refocusing mirror which has a saddle toroidal shape with a major concave radius of curvature and a minor convex radius of curvature. The refocusing mirror acts to collimate the X-rays horizontally and to focus the X-rays vertically. A third flat mirror may be interposed in the beam reflected from the second mirror and can pivot to change the angle of incidence to cause the beam to scan across the image plane. The two toroidal mirrors preferably have approximately a 2 degree grazing angle of incidence of the beam. The two toroidal mirrors act together to provide a very uniform image with a uniform power distribution in the beam. The beamline provides X-rays that are well matched to the mask and photo-resist requirements of X-ray lithography, in that X-rays above and below the desired process window of X-ray energies are substantially attenuated.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

Franco Cerrina