Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Rambod Nader

Douglas Johnson Werner

Michael Andrew Parker

Mary Kathryn Gutberlet

A photolithographic mask set for creating a plurality of characters on a device includes a plurality of photolithographic masks, wherein each mask includes at least one mask character area and at least one mask character field area that surrounds said mask character area; wherein each said mask character field area has a radiation energy density transmission factor Tthat is greater than zero, and wherein each mask character area has a radiation energy density transmission factor Tthat is greater than zero, such that each mask character field area and each mask character area of each mask is not opaque.

Photolithographic method and mask devices utilized for multiple exposures in the field of a feature

A photolithographic method for forming a plurality of characters on a device utilizes a mask set that includes a plurality of photolithographic masks, wherein each mask includes at least one non-opaque mask character field area that surrounds a non-opaque mask character area. Photoresist is exposed to radiation energy density through the set of masks using the masks sequentially to create at least one character field area of the photoresist, and a character area of the photoresist. Ultimately, because the character areas of the photoresist are exposed to some light energy density from the non-opaque mask character field areas during each mask exposure step, the total photoresist exposure time to create the series of characters is less than that of the prior art.

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Campbell, CA, United States of America

Rambod Nader