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:
Sep. 01, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 18, 1997
James Watterston, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
AIWA Research and Development, Inc., Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
A method is disclosed for fabricating a substantially planar photoimageable layer atop a first thin film member situated on a substrate. The substrate and first thin film member are covered with a first photoresist layer in one embodiment of the method. An asperity is formed in the first photoresist layer above the first thin film member. The remainder of the first photoresist layer outside of the asperity includes photoresist fields which are in the same plane as the first thin film member when viewed in cross section. The asperity is removed by photoimaging including masking, exposing and developing while the photoresist fields remain. A second photoresist layer is then applied to the resultant structure after the asperity is removed. The portions of the second photoresist layer atop the photoresist fields and the photoresist fields themselves are removed by photoimaging. A second thin film member is thus formed in which the remaining portion of the upper photoresist layer is desirably substantially planar with respect to the thin film member below.