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:
Jul. 17, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 04, 1999
Merrilou George, Jericho, VT (US);
Timothy E. Neary, Essex Junction, VT (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for repairing transparent defects in a transfer layer circuit pattern in the process of fabricating an attenuated mask is provided comprising forming a sacrificial removable layer on the transfer layer including the part of the transfer layer having a transparent defect and then forming a patch to cover the transparent defect. After applying the sacrificial removable layer and patch, the sacrificial removable layer and unwanted exposed attenuated mask material is removed leaving the patch having an undercoating of sacrificial removable layer in the transparent defect region. The undercoat sacrificial removable layer is then at least partially etched and the patch and sacrificial layer removed by a lift off procedure. The transfer layer is then removed leaving the attenuated mask having the desired circuit pattern on the surface of the transparent mask substrate. Attenuated masks made using the method and apparatus of the invention are also provided.