Kionix, Inc.

Other

Eastman-kodak Company

Sharlene A Wilson

Timothy J Davis

Gregory J Galvin

Kevin A Shaw

James E Moon

Paul C Waldrop

David L Losee

Luther C Roberts

Jeffrey I Hirsh

Eric T Prince

Michael John Hanrahan

Elaine R Lewis

Three fundamental and three derived aspects of the present invention are disclosed. The three fundamental aspects each disclose a process sequence that may be integrated in a full process. The first aspect, designated as 'latent masking', defines a mask in a persistent material like silicon oxide that is held abeyant after definition while intervening processing operations are performed. The latent oxide pattern is then used to mask an etch. The second aspect, designated as 'simultaneous multi-level etching (SMILE)', provides a process sequence wherein a first pattern may be given an advanced start relative to a second pattern in etching into an underlying material, such that the first pattern may be etched deeper, shallower, or to the same depth as the second pattern. The third aspect, designated as &#x201c;delayed LOCOS&#x201d;, provides a means of defining a contact hole pattern at one stage of a process, then using the defined pattern at a later stage to open the contact holes. The fourth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates all three fundamental aspects to fabricate an integrated liquid chromatography (LC)/electrrospray ionization (ESI) device. The fifth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates two of the fundamental aspects to fabricate an ESI device. The sixth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates two of the fundamental aspects to fabricate an LC device. The process improvements described provide increased manufacturing yield and design latitude in comparison to previously disclosed methods of fabrication.

Method for fabricating ESI device using smile and delayed LOCOS techniques

Three fundamental and three derived aspects of the present invention are disclosed. The three fundamental aspects each disclose a process sequence that may be integrated in a full process. The first aspect, designated as 'latent masking', defines a mask in a persistent material like silicon oxide that is held abeyant after definition while intervening processing operations are performed. The latent oxide pattern is then used to mask an etch. The second aspect, designated as 'imultaneousulti-eveltching (SMILE)', provides a process sequence wherein a first pattern may be given an advanced start relative to a second pattern in etching into an underlying material, such that the first pattern may be etched deeper, shallower, or to the same depth as the second pattern. The third aspect, designated as &#x201c;delayed LOCOS&#x201d;, provides a means of defining a contact hole pattern at one stage of a process, then using the defined pattern at a later stage to open the contact holes. The fourth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates all three fundamental aspects to fabricate an integrated liquid chromatography (LC)/electrospray ionization (ESI) device. The fifth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates two of the fundamental aspects to fabricate an ESI device. The sixth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates two of the fundamental aspects to fabricate an LC device. The process improvements described provide increased manufacturing yield and design latitude in comparison to previously disclosed methods of fabrication.

Method for fabricating integrated LC/ESI device using SMILE, latent masking, and delayed LOCOS techniques

Three fundamental and three derived aspects of the present invention are disclosed. The three fundamental aspects each disclose a process sequence that may be integrated in a full process. The first aspect, designated as &ldquo;latent masking&rdquo;, defines a mask in a persistent material like silicon oxide that is held abeyant after definition while intervening processing operations are performed. The latent oxide pattern is then used to mask an etch. The second aspect, designated as &ldquo;simultaneous multi-level etching (SMILE)&rdquo;, provides a process sequence wherein a first pattern may be given an advanced start relative to a second pattern in etching into an underlying material, such that the first pattern may be etched deeper, shallower, or to the same depth as the second pattern. The third aspect, designated as &ldquo;delayed LOCOS&rdquo;, provides a means of defining a contact hole pattern at one stage of a process, then using the defined pattern at a later stage to open the contact holes. The fourth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates all three fundamental aspects to fabricate an integrated liquid chromatography (LC)/electrospray ionization (ESI) device. The fifth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates two of the fundamental aspects to fabricate an ESI device. The sixth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates two of the fundamental aspects to fabricate an LC device. The process improvements described provide increased manufacturing yield and design latitude in comparison to previously disclosed methods of fabrication.

Method for fabricating mems and microfluidic devices using smile, latent masking, and delayed locos techniques

Methods of fabricating MEMS and microfluidic devices using latent masking technique

Method for fabricating LC device using latent masking and delayed LOCOS techniques

Three fundamental and three derived aspects of the present invention are disclosed. The three fundamental aspects each disclose a process sequence that may be integrated in a full process. The first aspect, designated as &ldquo;latent masking&rdquo;, defines a mask in a persistent material like silicon oxide that is held abeyant after definition while intervening processing operations are performed. The latent oxide pattern is then used to mask an etch. The second aspect, designated as &ldquo; imultaneous ult - evel tching (SMILE)&rdquo;, provides a process sequence wherein a first pattern may be given an advanced start relative to a second pattern in etching into an underlying material, such that the first pattern may be etched deeper, shallower, or to the same depth as the second pattern. The third aspect, designated as &ldquo;delayed LOCOS&rdquo;, provides a means of defining a contact hole pattern at one stage of a process, then using the defined pattern at a later stage to open the contact holes. The fourth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates all three fundamental aspects to fabricate an integrated liquid chromatography (LC)/electrospray ionization (ESI) device. The fifth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates two of the fundamental aspects to fabricate an ESI device. The sixth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates two of the fundamental aspects to fabricate an LC device. The process improvements described provide increased manufacturing yield and design latitude in comparison to previously disclosed methods of fabrication.

Method of fabricating integrated LC/ESI device using smile, latent masking, and delayed locos techniques.

Methods of fabricating microelectromechanical and microfluidic devices

Three fundamental and three derived aspects of the present invention are disclosed. The three fundamental aspects each disclose a process sequence that may be integrated in a full process. The first aspect, designated as &ldquo;latent masking&rdquo;, defines a mask in a persistent material like silicon oxide that is held abeyant after definition while intervening processing operations are performed. The latent oxide pattern is then used to mask an etch. The second aspect, designated as &ldquo; imultaneous ulti- vel etching (SMILE)&rdquo;, provides a process sequence wherein a first pattern may be given an advanced start relative to a second pattern in etching into an underlying material, such that the first pattern may be etched deeper, shallower, or to the same depth as the second pattern. The third aspect, designated as &ldquo;delayed LOCOS&rdquo;, provides a means of defining a contact hole pattern at one stage of a process, then using the defined pattern at a later stage to open the contact holes. The fourth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates all three fundamental aspects to fabricate an integrated liquid chromatography (LC)/electrospray ionization (ESI) device. The fifth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates two of the fundamental aspects to fabricate an ESI device. The sixth aspect provides a process sequence that incorporates two of the fundamental aspects to fabricate an LC device. The process improvements described provide increased manufacturing yield and design latitude in comparison to previously disclosed methods of fabrication.

Method of fabricating microelectromechanical and microfluidic devices

A method of making a color filter array of uniformly thick organic pigments on a first substrate includes coating an adhesion promoting layer over the first substrate; coating the adhesion promoting layer with an intermediate layer; coating the intermediate layer with a photoresist layer; and exposing and developing the photoresist layer to form an-array of first openings. The substrate further includes etching the intermediate layer, using the photoresist layer as a mask, to form an array of second openings in the intermediate layer which are wider than the corresponding first openings in the photoresist layer; depositing an organic pigment layer on the photoresist layer; lifting off the photoresist layer and overlying organic pigment layer; and removing the intermediate layer, leaving the organic pigment layer in the position of the second openings.

Forming pigment color filter arrays

A method of forming a wavelength-selective optical low-pass antiliasing filter for use with an optical imaging system of a solid-state color imager or the like is disclosed. The method includes coating a transparent glass wafer with a layer of transparent photopatternable organic polymer material having a thickness that is equal to the thickness of randomly placed transparent low-pass antiliasing filter spots, exposing the transparent photopatternable layer in areas to form a pattern of randomly placed spots in unexposed areas that correspond to the optical low-pass antiliasing filter, and developing the exposed transparent photopatternable layer to remove the exposed regions corresponding to pattern of randomly placed transparent low-pass antiliasing filter spots.

Method for making wavelength-selective phase-type optical low-pass

A method of patterning a multilayer, dielectric color filter is described. The method includes depositing a multilayer, dielectric color filter on a substrate having top, bottom and multiple intermediate layers; and applying a patternable mask onto the top layer to provide selected openings through the mask. The method further includes removing the top layer through the selected openings in the patterned mask using a first dry etch, the patterned mask and the multiple intermediate layers of the filter being resistant to this first dry etch, to provide openings to the multiple intermediate layers of the filter. It is a feature of the invention to remove the patterned mask using a second dry etch, the top layer and multiple intermediate layers of the filter being resistant to this second dry etch; and to remove through the openings in the top layer the multiple intermediate layers of the filter, down to the bottom layer, using a third dry etch, the top layer and bottom layer being resistant to this third dry etch.

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Seneca Falls, NY, United States of America

Sharlene A Wilson