The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 02, 1994
Filed:
Feb. 25, 1993
John E Cronin, Milton, VT (US);
Paul A Farrar, Sr, So. Burlington, VT (US);
Carter W Kaanta, Colchester, VT (US);
James G Ryan, Essex Junction, VT (US);
Andrew J Watts, Milton, VT (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A gray level mask suitable for photolithography is constructed of a transparent glass substrate which supports plural levels of materials having different optical transmissivities. In the case of a mask employing only two of these levels, one level may be constructed of a glass made partially transmissive by substitution of silver ions in place of metal ions of alkali metal silicates employed in the construction of the glass. The second layer may be made opaque by construction of the layer of a metal such as chromium. The mask is fabricated with the aid of a photoresist structure which is etched in specific regions by photolithographic masking to enable selective etching of exposed regions of the level of materials of differing optical transmissivities. Various etches are employed for selective etching of the photoresist, the metal of one of the layers, and the glass of the other of the layers. The etches include plasma etch with chloride ions to attack the chromium of the opaque layer, compounds of fluorine to attack the glass layer, and reactive ion etching with oxygen to attack the photoresist structure. Also, developer is employed for etching on hardened regions of resist in the photoresist structure.