Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd.

Other

Zenith Electronics Corporation

Hsing-Yao Chen

Chun-Hsien Yeh

Richard M Gorski

Sen-Su Tsai

Hsiang-Lin Chang

Boris Rozansky

Eugene A Babicz

Shunlu Xiao

Yu-Kun Ma

Yu Kun Ma

A maskless, direct write electron lithography apparatus for accurately and simultaneously writing plural sub-micron patterns on a silicon substrate employs plural parallel electron beams with precise X-Y mechanical translation of the substrate to provide low cost, high throughput integrated circuit (IC) fabrication. Plural compact micro electron gun assemblies arranged in an I&#xd7;J rectangular grid each simultaneously expose one IC pattern on the substrate, with each electron gun assembly including a K&#xd7;L array of individually controlled electron guns emitting K&#xd7;L electron beams. The regular, small spacing between electron beams in each array, i.e., approximately 1 mm or less, requires a correspondingly small X-Y translation of the substrate to write the entire wafer. Each electron gun array includes plural AC blanked cathodes and DC biased plates having plural aligned beam passing apertures. A computer controlled pattern generator synchronized with wafer X-Y translation controls the duration and timing of the cathode blanking signals.

Parallel multi-electron beam lithography for IC fabrication with precise X-Y translation

An electron gun includes plural aligned charged grids each having an aperture (in a monochrome CRT) or plural apertures (in a color CRT) through which an electron beam (or beams) is directed. The beams emitted by a cathode sequentially transit a beam forming region (BFR), a dynamic focus lens and a main focus lens prior to being incident on the CRT's display screen. The electron beam tends to expand in diameter in the direction of the CRT's display screen. This results in an increase in the focusing effect on the electron beam of the electron gun's grids in proceeding from the BFR toward the display screen where the beam passing apertures in the various grids are of the same size. To increase electron beam focusing sensitivity while reducing the beam's dynamic focus voltage, the beam passing apertures in the gun's dynamic focus lens are provided with progressively reduced size in proceeding toward the electron gun's cathode.

Color CRT electron gun with progressively reduced electron beam passing aperture size

An electron beam device includes an electron beam source, plural spaced plates having aligned apertures through which an electron beam is directed, an electrostatic focusing arrangement, and plural electrostatically charged deflection plates for deflecting the beam and displacing it over a target surface. The apertures in the spaced plates are of deceasing size in the direction of travel of the electron beam for intercepting the outer periphery of the beam and providing a beam of reduced cross section. The electron beam is simultaneously deflected by the deflection plates and focused by the electrostatic focusing arrangement. The electrostatic focusing arrangement includes first and second focusing elements through which the beam is directed which are disposed along the beamline and adjacent the upper and lower end portions, respectively, of the beam deflection plates. The electron beam device is of small size, permitting plural devices to be arranged in two- and three-dimensional compact matrix arrays for dense electron beam lithography arrangements such as for use in the simultaneous manufacture of large numbers of semiconductor devices to boost the throughput in integrated circuit manufacture inexpensively.

Deflection lens device for electron beam lithography

An inline electron gun for use in a multi-beam electron gun as in a color cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a main focus lens for focusing the electron beams on the CRT's display screen for providing a video image. The main focus lens includes plural charged grids aligned in a spaced manner along the electron gun's longitudinal axis through which plural (typically three) electron beams are directed. One or more of these charged grids includes at least two aligned common apertures for passing the three electron beams. The layered common aperture arrangement allows for increasing the length of the electron gun as well as the effective diameter of the electron gun's main focus lens for improved video image resolution without introducing electron beam astigmatism.

Multi-layer common lens arrangement for main focus lens of multi-beam electron gun

For use in the fabrication of semiconductor devices by electron beam lithography, a transport system provides relative displacement between an array of plural vacuum stations and a first ultra clean room for sequentially transporting each vacuum station through the first clean room. The first ultra clean room and vacuum stations are disposed in a second clean room having an atmosphere not as contaminant-free as the first ultra clean room. Each vacuum station includes an evacuated housing within which is disposed a combination of a semiconductor substrate, or wafer, and plural electron beam sources for forming integrated circuits on the substrate as the vacuum station is transported through the second clean room. The first ultra clean room is displaced along an aligned array of vacuum stations or the aligned array of vacuum stations are displaced through a stationary first ultra clean room to permit the electron beam formed integrated circuits to be removed from a vacuum station and be replaced by a new set of substrates.

Clean room arrangement for electron beam lithography

An electron gun for use in a cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a source of energetic electrons, i.e., a cathode, a beam forming region for forming the energetic electrons into a narrow beam, an arrangement for deflecting the beam over a display screen, and a focus arrangement for focusing the beam on the display screen in the form of a small spot in forming a video image. The beam forming region includes a G control grid, a G screen grid and a portion of a G grid in facing relation to the G grid, where each grid includes a respective aperture through which the electron beam is directed, with the apertures aligned along a common axis. The size of the aperture on the side of the G grid in facing relation to the G grid forms a first focusing lens and is smaller than the size of the aperture on the opposed side of the G grid in facing relation to the G grid which forms a second focusing lens. The larger size of the G aperture in facing relation to the G grid reduces electron beam convergence and spherical aberration of a video image formed by the beam on the display screen. The aperture of the G grid may increase in diameter in proceeding from the low side, i.e., the G control grid facing side, to the high side, i.e., the G grid facing side, in a step-wise manner or in the general shape of a cone. The invention is adapted for use in a single beam projection CRT as well as in a multi-beam color CRT.

Beam forming region for electron gun

A multi-beam color index cathode ray tube (CRT) includes vertically spaced, horizontal phosphor stripes on the inner surface of its display screen. The parallel phosphor bands are arranged in groups of three, with each phosphor stripe in a group providing a respective one of the three primary colors of red, green and blue. An electron gun directs three electron beams onto the display screen, with the three electron beams deflected over the display screen in unison in a raster pattern. The three electron beams are focused in the form of three spots on the display screen, with each spot coincident with a respective horizontal phosphor stripe of a given color. The intensity of each electron beam is independently modulated as it sweeps across the width of the display screen by a respective color video signal in accordance with the displayed image. The three electron beams are each provided with a horizontally elongated cross section, with convergence of the beams provided by a plurality of multi-pole adjustable magnets. By horizontally elongating and vertically offsetting the beams, the vertical spacing between the electron beams as well as between the horizontal phosphor stripes may be reduced for improved video image resolution. The closely spaced electron beams may be focused with a conventional main focusing lens employing a common beam-passing aperture, with electron beam alignment with the horizontal phosphor stripes provided via a beam responsive UV emitter/sensor combination and feedback control arrangement.

Multi-beam index CRT with horizontal phosphor lines

For use in a beam index color cathode ray tube (CRT), a multi-beam group electron gun directs first and second groups of vertically aligned electron beams on respective parallel, horizontally aligned color phosphor stripes on the CRT's display screen. Each group of electron beams includes three beams, one for each of the three primary colors of red, green and blue. The first and second electron beam groups are horizontally offset from one another, with the upper, intermediate and lower electron beams in each group tracing the same horizontal phosphor stripe as the beams scan the display screen and with a time delay provided to synchronize the video information of both electron beam groups. A color video signal is provided either to a respective cathode or to a respective segmented conductive portion containing a beam passing aperture in the electron gun's G control grid for individually modulating each beam with color video image information.

Multi-beam group electron gun for beam index CRT

An internal resistor within a color cathode ray tube (CRT) is connected to a voltage source and is coupled across a G4 grid and a G6 grid of the CRT's multi-grid quadrupole (QPF) electron gun. De-coupling the G4 grid from the G2 grid in the electron gun's prefocus lens and operating the G4 grid at a higher voltage as used in the gun's high voltage main focus lens moves the equivalent lens of the prefocus and main focus lenses toward the CRT's display screen and reduces electron beam magnification and spot size for improved video image definition and focusing.

QPF electron gun with high G4 voltage using internal resistor

In a multi-stage, multi-beam electron gun of the common lens type for use in a color cathode ray tube (CRT), a charged grid in the prefocus lens of the electron gun is provided with three inline asymmetric beam passing apertures. The three asymmetric apertures may be either in the G4 grid, in the upper side of the G3 grid, or on the lower side of the G5 grid, i.e., in facing relation to the G4 grid, or may be incorporated in both the G3 and G5 grids. The small G3-G4 and G4-G5 spacing gives rise to isolation of the electron optic lenses of the two outer electron beams from that of the center electron beam allowing the asymmetric auxiliary apertures to asymmetrically and independently correct for electron beam astigmatism, i.e., the difference between the beam's horizontal and vertical focus voltage, and differences in the focus voltages of the two outer electron beams relative to the center electron beam. Each of the three inline apertures includes a circular center portion with an overlapping (or superimposed) elliptically shaped aperture. The elliptical aperture may be aligned generally vertically or generally horizontally, and the two outer electron beam passing apertures may be larger or smaller in diameter than the center aperture. In the two outer electron beam passing apertures, the superimposed elliptically shaped aperture may be horizontally offset (either outwardly or inwardly relative to the circular center portion) for controlling static convergence of the three electron beams.

Color CRT electron gun with asymmetric auxiliary beam passing aperture

A color cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a multi-beam electron gun capable of operating in two or more modes for use as either a television receiver display or as a high resolution video monitor. The electron gun directs a plurality of electron beams onto the CRT's display screen, with the electron beams arranged in two or more groups. In one group of electron beams, the beam forming portion of the electron gun provides small diameter electron beams having reduced spot size on the CRT's display screen for high video image resolution when used as a monitor for graphics and/or character display. In another group of electron beams, the beam forming portion of the electron gun provides electron beams having a larger diameter and current for increased video image brightness when used as a television receiver. Each group of electron beams includes a plurality of horizontally aligned electron beams, with each beam providing one of the primary colors of red, green, or blue. The G2 control grid is divided into an upper G2 control grid for use in the television receiver mode of operation and a separate lower G2 control grid for use in the high resolution mode of operation, which grids may be independently positioned relative to the G1 screen grid and provided with selected, independent voltage values. By independently establishing the G1-G2 grid spacing and beam cutoff voltages for the two modes of operation, flexibility in electron gun performance and design is afforded.

Multi-mode, hybrid-type CRT and electron gun therefor with selectable

An electron gun for use in a cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a cathode, a low voltage beam forming region (BFR), and a high voltage deflection focus lens disposed in the beam deflection region of the CRT's magnetic deflection yoke for simultaneous and coincident focusing and deflection of the electron beam on the CRT's display screen. The deflection lens includes a plurality of first focus grids disposed in the CRT's neck portion including a spaced first pair of grids (G42, G44) having respective beam passing apertures disposed horizontally off-center in opposed directions relative to the electron beam axis, and a second pair of grids (G46, G48) having respective beam passing apertures disposed vertically off-center in opposed directions relative to the axis. Other grids disposed on opposed sides of each of the first and second pair of grids have respective beam passing apertures centered with respect to the electron beam axis and are maintained at a fixed focus voltage. A first dynamic focus correction voltage source (275) and a second dynamic focus correction voltage source (277) which vary with the electron beam deflection are respectively applied to each of the first and second pair of grids for compensating for asymmetric off-axis electron beam defocusing at all points on the CRT's faceplate. This dynamic off-axis defocusing correction is equally applicable in a single beam, monochromatic deflection lens CRT, as well as in a multi-beam, color deflection lens CRT.

Dynamic off-axis defocusing correction for deflection lens CRT

A video display system includes a passive display panel such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel including a first plurality of horizontally aligned transparent conductive scanning electrodes and a second plurality of vertically aligned transparent conductive signal electrodes disposed on opposed surfaces of the panel. Light directed onto the aft surface of the display panel is transmitted through the panel as each horizontal linear array of first scanning electrodes is turned 'ON' with the horizontal linear arrays sequentially turned on for vertically scanning the display panel in a step wise manner. Time varying video image information is provided to the vertically aligned electrodes. Liquid crystal display backlighting is provided in the form of a thin, elongated light beam of uniform intensity directed onto the display panel's aft surface. The backlighting beam is vertically displaced, such as from top to bottom, in a stepwise manner over the display panel synchronously with the turning 'ON' of the horizontal scanning electrodes such that the beam illuminates only the horizontal linear array of the scanning electrodes which is turned 'ON' i.e., only that portion of the display panel containing visible video information, for improved video image contrast and more efficient backlighting of the display panel. The scanning back light beam is provided by a partitioned or sectioned light panel, such as a plasma discharge panel (PDP), where the partitions are each aligned with a respective horizontal array of scanning electrodes and sequentially turned 'ON' synchronously with actuation of the scanning electrode arrays.

Backlighting arrangement for LCD display panel

A multi-beam electron gun for a color cathode ray tube (CRT) includes a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontal inline beams, where each inline array of beams provides the three primary colors of red, green and blue and adjacent inline beam arrays simultaneously trace adjacent horizontal scan lines on the color CRT's display screen. The beams in each horizontal inline array of beams are focused on a common spot on the display screen, with the three beams deflected across the screen in unison. Each inline array of beams is modulated in accordance with that portion of the video image which they form allowing adjacent, vertically spaced inline arrays to write different video image information on the screen in simultaneously forming adjacent portions of the color video image. In the beam-forming region of the electron gun, a charged grid includes an array of apertures including at least upper and lower horizontally aligned apertures for passing inline arrays of beams. Vertical spacing between each of the upper and lower apertures is given by S.sub.V and horizontal spacing between vertically aligned groups of apertures is given by S.sub.H, where:

Growing community of inventors

Barrington, IL, United States of America

Hsing-Yao Chen