Method and apparatus for the manufacturing of reticles
A method and apparatus for manufacturing patterns on a reticle blank comprising a substrate made from material transparent to UV irradiation and having a first surface and a second opposite surface, the first surface coated with a chrome layer. The method comprises providing ultra-short pulsed laser beams, focusing means, relative displacement facilitator for facilitating relative displacement of the reticle blank relative to said at least one of a plurality of target locations, and a controller for controlling the synchronization and operation of the laser beam source, the focusing means and the relative displacement facilitator. Ultra-short pulsed laser beam is irradiated in a predetermined pattern directed at the second surface and passing through the substrate, focused on the chrome layer or on its proximity.
1. A method for manufacturing patterns on a reticle blank comprising a substrate made from material transparent to UV irradiation and having a first surface and a second opposite surface, the first surface coated with a coating layer, the method comprising:
providing at least one of a plurality of ultra-short pulsed laser beams;
providing focusing means for focusing said at least one of a plurality of ultra-short pulsed laser beams at at least one of a plurality of target locations;
providing controlling means for controlling the synchronization and operation of the laser beam source and the focusing means; and
irradiating the ultra-short pulsed laser beam in a predetermined pattern directed at the second surface and passing through the substrate, wherein said at least one of a plurality of target locations is focused within a subsurface region of the substrate in front of the coating layer,
thereby producing the predetermined pattern in the coating layer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one of the plurality of target locations is focused in a zone within the substrate extending up to 50 microns from the coating layer.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultra-short pulsed laser beams' wavelength is in the range of from 350 to 1500 nanometer.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultra-short pulsed laser beams are pulsed in the range of from 10 to 500 femtoseconds.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer of the substrate is coated with anti-reflective layer.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ultra-short pulsed laser beams is obtained by splitting a primary ultra-short pulsed laser beam using beam splitter.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ultra-short pulsed laser beams is passed through a light modulator array, comprising an array of individually controllable elements that are each adapted to be set to either allow each beam of the plurality of ultra-short pulsed laser beams to traverse through, or effectively block it, thus achieving control over each beam separately.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the focusing means comprises a microlens array, consisting of an array of microlens elements foci of predetermined lengths, said microlens array elements corresponding to the elements of the light modulator array so that a beam passing through an element of the light modulator array is focused by a corresponding element of the microlens array onto a target location.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein displacing means for facilitating relative displacement of the reticle blank relative to said at least one of a plurality of target locations are provided.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the displacing means comprises a motor-driven XYZ moving stage.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said motor-driven moving stage is computer-controlled.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the displacing means comprises a laser beam angle scanner.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the displacement means comprises a motor driven XYZ stage and a laser beam angle scanner.
14. A method for enhancing patterns on a reticle, the reticle comprising a transparent substrate and having a first surface and a second opposite surface, the first surface being covered with a coating layer with grooves in a predetermined pattern provided on it, or to be provided on it, the method comprising:
providing at least one of a plurality of ultra-short pulsed laser beams;
providing focusing means for focusing said at least one of a plurality of ultra-short pulsed laser beams at at least one of a plurality of target locations;
providing controlling means for controlling the synchronization and operation of the laser beam source and the focusing means; and
irradiating the ultra-short pulsed laser beam in a predetermined pattern directed at the second surface and passing through the substrate, wherein least one of a plurality of target locations is focused within a subsurface region of the substrate in front of the coating layer and proximal to edges of the predetermined pattern, and creating phase-shifting formation based upon a refraction index change.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the phase shifting formation is distanced from the coating layer by up to 10 microns.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the phase shifting formation has a thickness that is λ/2(n-n′), where λ is the wavelength of an anticipated lithography process light source beam, n′ is the index of refraction for the transparent material of the phase shifting layer of the substrate and n is the index of refraction of the substrate outside the phase shifting formation.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thickness of the phase shifting formation is in the range of from from 0.12 to 3.0 microns.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the phase shifting formation is distanced from the coating layer by up to 50 microns.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the ultra-short pulsed laser beams' wavelength is in the range of from 350 to 1500 nanometer.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the ultra-short pulsed laser beams are pulsed in the range of from 10 to 500 femtoseconds.
21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the coating layer of the substrate is coated with an anti-reflective layer.
22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of ultra-short pulsed laser beams is obtained by splitting a primary ultra-short pulsed laser beam using a beam splitter.
23. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of ultra-short pulsed laser beams is passed through a light modulator array, comprising an array of individually controllable elements that are each adapted to be set to either allow each beam of the plurality of ultra-short pulsed laser beams to traverse through, or effectively block it, thus achieving control over each beam separately.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the focusing means comprises a microlens array, consisting of an array of microlens elements foci of predetermined lengths, said microlens array elements corresponding to the elements of the light modulator array so that a beam passing through an element of the light modulator array is focused by a corresponding element of the microlens array onto a target location.
25. The method of claim 14 , wherein displacing means for facilitating relative displacement of the reticle blank relative to said at least one of a plurality of target locations are provided.
26. The method of claim 14 , wherein the displacing means comprises a motor-driven XYZ moving stage.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein said motor-driven moving stage is computer-controlled.
28. The method of claim 14 , wherein the displacing means comprises a laser beam angle scanner.
29. The method of claim 14 , wherein the displacement means comprises a motor driven XYZ stage and a laser beam angle scanner.