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. 18, 1999
Filed:
Aug. 01, 1997
Chih-Ming Ho, Palos Verdes, CA (US);
Wen J Li, Torrance, CA (US);
The Regents of the University of California, Oakland, CA (US);
Abstract
An integrated circuit, or microelectromechanical structure is defined onto a contour surface by utilizing a flexible mask upon which photolithographic patterns are first defined using conventional planar photolithographic techniques. The contour surface is provided with a thin film uniformly distributed on the surface and then the flexible mask is aligned with the contour substrate. Alignments are made through multiple stages of yaw alignment, translation alignment and rotational alignment. Once the mask is aligned with contour substrate it is then subjected while rotating to developing field, such as uniform illumination of ultraviolet light shining on the side of the contour substrate as it is rotated in the illumination field. The developed photoresist layer disposed on the surface of the contour substrate is thus developed and the underlying film etched according to the patterned mask in a manner similar to a conventional planar photolithography. Multiple layers are thus disposed masked and etched to result in complex multilayered integrated circuit and/or microelectromechanical devices disposed on the contour surface of a macromechanical component or structure.