Mechanical alignment of substrates to a mask

Title: Mechanical alignment of substrates to a mask

A plurality of masks is attached to the underside of a mask frame. This attachment is made such that each mask can independently move relative to the mask frame in three directions. This relative movement allows each mask to adjust its position to align with respective alignment pins disposed on a working surface. In one embodiment, each mask is attached to the mask frame using fasteners, where the fasteners have a shaft with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the mounting hole disposed on the mask. A bias element may be used to allow relative movement between the mask and the mask frame in the vertical direction. Each mask may also have kinematic features to mate with the respective alignment pins on the working surface.

Inventors:: Webb, Aaron P.; Carlson, Charles T.; Honan, Michael; Amato, Luigi G.; Grant, Christopher Neil; Strassner, James D.

Issue Date:: 2016-11-08

OSTI Identifier:: 1331180

Assignee:: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. (Gloucester, MA) DOEEE

Patent Number(s):: 9,490,153

Application Number:: 14/323,088

Contract Number:: EE0004737

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 2014 Jul 03

Research Org:: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. Gloucester, MA (United States)

Sponsoring Org:: USDOE

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 42 ENGINEERING

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Other works cited in this record:

Means for supporting a mask
patent, December 1999

Kawahashi, Takashi; Kai, Hiromi
US Patent Document 6,003,828
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN/6003828

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