Intel Corporation

Henry K Yun

Kishore K Chakravorty

David Mushell

Archita Sengupta

Mahmood Toofan

Frank E Abboud

Arianne L Baker

A pellicle is attached to a reticle by a soft adhesive. The distortion of the reticle is less than if a hard adhesive were used.

Use of soft adhesive to attach pellicle to reticle

Low stress reticle pellicle assemblies. In accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention, a pellicle frame of reduced stiffness is employed to reduce the stress a pellicle frame induces in a reticle plate. In other embodiments, a pellicle frame of reduced adhesive surface is employed to reduce the stress a pellicle frame induces in a reticle plate. In accordance with still other embodiments, a stress compensating frame is employed to reduce the cumulative stresses in an assembly comprising the reticle plate, pellicle and stress compensating frame.

Low stress pellicle frames and reticle pellicle assemblies

Techniques associated with surface treatments for photomasks, semiconductor wafers, and/or optics are generally described. In one example, a method includes preparing a surface of a photomask or semiconductor wafer for cleaning, and removing ionic contamination from a surface of a photomask or semiconductor wafer using radical or atomic hydrogen, or suitable combinations thereof, to reduce the ionic contamination, wherein removing ionic contamination reduces the number of defects and increases semiconductor product yields accordingly.

Removal of ionic residues or oxides and prevention of photo-induced defects, ionic crystal or oxide growth on photolithographic surfaces

Thermal optical switch apparatus with enhanced thermal isolation includes a cladding region with first and second spaced apart waveguide cores buried therein to form first and second waveguides. A thermal insulation barrier filled with insulating material is formed in the cladding between the first and second waveguides to thermally isolate the waveguides. In one embodiment, the insulating material is an aerogel. Methods of operation are also described.

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Campbell, CA, United States of America

Henry K Yun