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. 02, 2003
Filed:
Sep. 16, 1999
David R. Brown, Huntsville, AL (US);
Barry S. McCoy, Huntsville, AL (US);
Gerald Tuck, Huntsville, AL (US);
Miles Scott, Huntsville, AL (US);
Bruce Peters, Huntsville, AL (US);
MEMS Optical LLC, Huntsville, AL (US);
Abstract
A photolithographic process includes providing a layer of photoresistive material on a target substrate. Radiation is transmitted to the photoresistive material through a layer of absorbing material that absorbs the radiation with a transmittance proportional to the thickness of the absorbing material. A surface relief structure is formed in the absorbing material, so that the photoresistive material is only partially exposed in a pattern corresponding to the surface relief structure. Thus, when the photoresistive material is developed, it has a surface relief structure corresponding to the surface relief structure in the absorbing material. Etching the developed photoresistive material and target substrate then forms a surface relief structure in the target substrate that corresponds to the surface relief structure in the developed photoresistive material.