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:
Nov. 03, 2009
Filed:
Oct. 20, 2006
Wei Wu, Mountain View, CA (US);
Warren Robinett, Pittsboro, NC (US);
Shih-yuan Wang, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Jun Gao, Saratoga, CA (US);
Zhaoning Yu, Mountain View, CA (US);
Wei Wu, Mountain View, CA (US);
Warren Robinett, Pittsboro, NC (US);
Shih-Yuan Wang, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Jun Gao, Saratoga, CA (US);
Zhaoning Yu, Mountain View, CA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
Lithography tools and substrates are aligned by generating geometric interference patterns using optical gratings associated with the lithography tools and substrates. In some embodiments, the relative position between a substrate and lithography tool is adjusted to cause at least one geometric shape to have a predetermined size or shape representing acceptable alignment. In additional embodiments, Moiré patterns that exhibit varying sensitivity are used to align substrates and lithography tools. Furthermore, lithography tools and substrates are aligned by causing radiation to interact with optical gratings positioned between the lithography tools and substrates. Lithography tools include an optical grating configured to generate a portion of an interference pattern that exhibits a sensitivity that increases as the relative position between the tools and a substrate moves towards a predetermined alignment position.