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:
May. 20, 1997
Filed:
May. 24, 1995
Stuart Stanton, Bridgewater, NJ (US);
Gregg Gallatin, Newtown, CT (US);
Mark Oskotsky, Marmaroneck, NY (US);
Frits Zernike, Norwalk, CT (US);
SVG Lithography Systems, Inc., Wilton, CT (US);
Abstract
An illumination system for use in photolithography having an array optical element near the formation of a desired illumination field. Light or electromagnetic radiation from an illumination source is expanded and received by a multi-image optical element forming a plurality of secondary illumination sources in a plane. A condenser receives the light from the plurality of illumination sources. A array or diffractive optical element is placed on or near the focal point of the condenser. The illumination plane formed at the focal point of the condenser is within the near field diffraction pattern of the array or diffractive optical element. There is no condenser following the array or diffractive optical element. The use of the array or diffractive optical element permits the use of a condenser between the multi-image optical element and the array or diffractive optical element having a smaller numerical aperture than the emergent numerical aperture of the diffractive optical element, and generates a desired angular distribution with little dependance on the illumination source profile.