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. 27, 2009
Filed:
Jul. 28, 2005
Georg Aigeldinger, Livermore, CA (US);
Dawn M. Skala, Fremont, CA (US);
Stewart K. Griffiths, Livermore, CA (US);
Albert Alec Talin, Livermore, CA (US);
Matthew W. Losey, Livermore, CA (US);
Chu-yeu Peter Yang, Dublin, CA (US);
Georg Aigeldinger, Livermore, CA (US);
Dawn M. Skala, Fremont, CA (US);
Stewart K. Griffiths, Livermore, CA (US);
Albert Alec Talin, Livermore, CA (US);
Matthew W. Losey, Livermore, CA (US);
Chu-Yeu Peter Yang, Dublin, CA (US);
Sandia Corporation, Livermore, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention is directed to the use of vitreous carbon as a substrate material for providing masks for X-ray lithography. The new substrate also enables a small thickness of the mask absorber used to pattern the resist, and this enables improved mask accuracy. An alternative embodiment comprised the use of vitreous carbon as a LIGA substrate wherein the VC wafer blank is etched in a reactive ion plasma after which an X-ray resist is bonded. This surface treatment provides a surface enabling good adhesion of the X-ray photoresist and subsequent nucleation and adhesion of the electrodeposited metal for LIGA mold-making while the VC substrate practically eliminates secondary radiation effects that lead to delamination of the X-ray resist form the substrate, the loss of isolated resist features, and the formation of a resist layer adjacent to the substrate that is insoluble in the developer.