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:
Oct. 16, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 07, 1999
Hideo Mizutani, Yokohama, JP;
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a technology for detecting at higher accuracy the position of a photosensitive substrate coated with photoresist with the use of a simpler arrangement. According to the present invention, the photoresist coating on the surface of the photosensitive substrate on which alignment marks are applied is a specific photoresist which is transparent to exposure light so that the alignment marks on the photosensitive substrate can be read with detection light which has a wavelength equal or approximate to the wavelength of the exposure light and may be lower in the intensity than a desired level of the exposure light required for exposure action. Accordingly, the present invention eliminates a conventional process for preparing legibility of the alignment marks on a photosensitive substrate such as exposing coating of the photoresist on the substrate to light for giving transparency to the detection light or removing a portion of the photoresist which covers the alignment marks.