Graphics engine for high precision lithography
View Patent ↗The present invention includes a method to use a phase modulating micromirror array to create an intensity image that has high image fidelity, good stability through focus and good x-y symmetry. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.
1. A method of defining an edge of a polygon within an area having sides, the area being subdivided into sub-pixels, including:
providing a plurality of pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps corresponding to potential intercepts and orientations of the polygon edge with the sides of the area;
wherein the potential intercepts are limited to discrete positions along edges of the area;
wherein the potential orientations are limited to orientations that connect the discrete positions;
determining two intercepts of the polygon edge with the edges of the area;
determining an orientation of the polygon edge; and
applying one of the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps corresponding to at least one of the two intercepts and the orientation.
2. The method of claim 1 , further including super-sampling one or more sets of sub-pixels to which one or more of the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps have been applied.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first area is subdivided by no more than 256 sub-pixels and the discrete positions are limited to no more than 65 positions per sub-pixel.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the area is subdivided by no more than 64 sub-pixels and the discrete positions are limited to no more than 33 positions per sub-pixel.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the area is subdivided into no more than 32 by 16 sub-pixels and there are 17 discrete positions along an edge of the sub-pixel.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the area is subdivided into no more than 16 by 8 sub-pixels and there are 9 discrete positions along an edge of the sub-pixel.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps are limited to a set of the potential orientations forming a range of approximately 45 degrees and the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps are transformed to cover a range of approximately 180 degrees.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps include a combination of the potential orientations forming a range of approximately 45 degrees from one of the potential intercepts across a range of the discrete positions along an edge of one pixel.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps are limited to a set of the potential orientations forming a range of approximately 45 degrees from one of the potential intercepts across a range of the discrete positions along an edge of one pixel.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps are transformed to cover a range of the potential orientations of approximately 180 degrees.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sides are opposing.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sides are adjacent.
13. A method of defining an edge of a polygon within an area having sides, the area being subdivided into sub-pixels, including:
providing a plurality of pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps corresponding to potential intercepts and orientations of the polygon edge with the area;
wherein the potential intercepts are limited to discrete positions along the sides of the area;
wherein the potential orientations are limited to orientations that connect the discrete positions;
determining two intercepts of the polygon edge and an extension of the polygon edge with the edges of the rectangular area;
determining an orientation of the polygon edge; and
applying one of the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps corresponding to at least one of the two intercepts and the orientation.
14. A method of defining an edge of a polygon within a rectangular area, the rectangular area being subdivided into sub-pixels, including:
providing a plurality pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps corresponding to potential intercepts of the polygon edge with the rectangular area;
wherein the potential intercepts are limited to discrete positions along edges of the rectangular area;
determining two intercepts of the polygon edge with the edges of the rectangular area; and
applying one of pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps based on the two intercepts.
15. A method of defining an edge of a polygon within a rectangular area, the rectangular area being subdivided into sub-pixels, including:
providing a plurality of pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps corresponding to potential intercepts of the polygon edge with the rectangular area;
wherein the potential intercepts are limited to discrete positions along edges of the rectangular area;
determining two intercepts of the polygon edge and an extension of the polygon edge with the edges of the rectangular area; and
applying one of the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps corresponding to the two intercepts.
16. The method of claim 15 , further including super-sampling one or more sets of sub-pixels to which one or more of the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps have been applied.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein two opposing edges of the rectangular area are subdivided by no more than 64 sub-pixels and the discrete positions are limited to no more than 33 positions per sub-pixel.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the rectangular area is subdivided into 32 by 16 sub-pixels and there are 17 discrete positions from along one edge of the sub-pixel.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the rectangular area is subdivided into 16 by 8 sub-pixels and there are 9 discrete positions from along one edge of the sub-pixel.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps are limited to a set of potential orientations between the discrete positions forming a range of approximately 45 degrees and the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps are translated to cover a range of approximately 180 degrees.
21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps include a combination of potential orientations between the discrete positions forming a range of approximately 45 degrees with one of the potential intercepts across a range of the discrete positions along one edge of one sub-pixel.
22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps are limited to a combination of potential orientations between the discrete positions forming a range of approximately 45 degrees with one of the potential intercepts across a range of the discrete positions along one edge of one sub-pixel.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the pre-calculated sub-pixel area maps are translated to cover a range of the potential orientations of approximately 180 degrees.