Title: Method and apparatus for micromachining using hard X-rays

Abstract

An X-ray source such as a synchrotron which provides a significant spectral content of hard X-rays is used to expose relatively thick photoresist such that the portions of the photoresist at an exit surface receive at least a threshold dose sufficient to render the photoresist susceptible to a developer, while the entrance surface of the photoresist receives an exposure which does not exceed a power limit at which destructive disruption of the photoresist would occur. The X-ray beam is spectrally shaped to substantially eliminate lower energy photons while allowing a substantial flux of higher energy photons to pass through to the photoresist target. Filters and the substrate of the X-ray mask may be used to spectrally shape the X-ray beam. Machining of photoresists such as polymethylmethacrylate to micron tolerances may be obtained to depths of several centimeters, and multiple targets may be exposed simultaneously. The photoresist target may be rotated and/or translated in the beam to form solids of rotation and other complex three-dimensional structures.

Inventors:

Siddons, David Peter ^[1]; Johnson, Erik D ^[2]; Guckel, Henry ^[3]; Klein, Jonathan L ^[3]

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+ Show Inventor Affiliations

1. Shoreham, NY
2. Ridge, NY
3. Madison, WI

Issue Date:

Tue Oct 21 00:00:00 EDT 1997

Research Org.:

Associated Universities, Inc., Upton, NY (United States)

OSTI Identifier:

871193

Patent Number(s):

5679502

Application Number:

08/405,662

Assignee:

Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (Madison, WI)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

G - PHYSICS G03 - PHOTOGRAPHY G03F - PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21K - TECHNIQUES FOR HANDLING PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

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G - PHYSICS G03 - PHOTOGRAPHY G03F - PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

G03F7/2039 - {X-ray radiation}
G03F7/70008 - {Production of exposure light, i.e. light sources}
G03F7/70358 - {Scanning exposure, i.e. relative movement of patterned beam and workpiece during imaging}

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21K - TECHNIQUES FOR HANDLING PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

G21K1/06 - using diffraction, refraction or reflection, e.g. monochromators

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

Y10S430/167 - X-ray
Y10S430/168 - X-ray exposure process

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DOE Contract Number:  

AC02-76CH00016

Resource Type:

Patent

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

method; apparatus; micromachining; hard; x-rays; x-ray; source; synchrotron; provides; significant; spectral; content; expose; relatively; thick; photoresist; portions; exit; surface; receive; threshold; dose; sufficient; render; susceptible; developer; entrance; receives; exposure; exceed; power; limit; destructive; disruption; occur; beam; spectrally; shaped; substantially; eliminate; energy; photons; allowing; substantial; flux; pass; target; filters; substrate; mask; shape; machining; photoresists; polymethylmethacrylate; micron; tolerances; obtained; depths; centimeters; multiple; targets; exposed; simultaneously; rotated; translated; form; solids; rotation; complex; three-dimensional; structures; relatively thick; x-ray source; x-ray beam; spectral content; multiple target; multiple targets; substantially eliminate; form solid; energy photon; energy photons; dimensional structure; hard x-rays; surface receive; /430/205/378/