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Title: Vitreous carbon mask substrate for X-ray lithography

Abstract

The present invention is directed to the use of vitreous carbon as a substrate material for providing masks for X-ray lithography. The new substrate also enables a small thickness of the mask absorber used to pattern the resist, and this enables improved mask accuracy. An alternative embodiment comprised the use of vitreous carbon as a LIGA substrate wherein the VC wafer blank is etched in a reactive ion plasma after which an X-ray resist is bonded. This surface treatment provides a surface enabling good adhesion of the X-ray photoresist and subsequent nucleation and adhesion of the electrodeposited metal for LIGA mold-making while the VC substrate practically eliminates secondary radiation effects that lead to delamination of the X-ray resist form the substrate, the loss of isolated resist features, and the formation of a resist layer adjacent to the substrate that is insoluble in the developer.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [3]
  1. Livermore, CA
  2. Fremont, CA
  3. Dublin, CA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
971535
Patent Number(s):
7608367
Application Number:
11/192,797
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Livermore, CA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G03 - PHOTOGRAPHY G03F - PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Aigeldinger, Georg, Skala, Dawn M, Griffiths, Stewart K, Talin, Albert Alec, Losey, Matthew W, and Yang, Chu-Yeu Peter. Vitreous carbon mask substrate for X-ray lithography. United States: N. p., 2009. Web.
Aigeldinger, Georg, Skala, Dawn M, Griffiths, Stewart K, Talin, Albert Alec, Losey, Matthew W, & Yang, Chu-Yeu Peter. Vitreous carbon mask substrate for X-ray lithography. United States.
Aigeldinger, Georg, Skala, Dawn M, Griffiths, Stewart K, Talin, Albert Alec, Losey, Matthew W, and Yang, Chu-Yeu Peter. Tue . "Vitreous carbon mask substrate for X-ray lithography". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/971535.
@article{osti_971535,
title = {Vitreous carbon mask substrate for X-ray lithography},
author = {Aigeldinger, Georg and Skala, Dawn M and Griffiths, Stewart K and Talin, Albert Alec and Losey, Matthew W and Yang, Chu-Yeu Peter},
abstractNote = {The present invention is directed to the use of vitreous carbon as a substrate material for providing masks for X-ray lithography. The new substrate also enables a small thickness of the mask absorber used to pattern the resist, and this enables improved mask accuracy. An alternative embodiment comprised the use of vitreous carbon as a LIGA substrate wherein the VC wafer blank is etched in a reactive ion plasma after which an X-ray resist is bonded. This surface treatment provides a surface enabling good adhesion of the X-ray photoresist and subsequent nucleation and adhesion of the electrodeposited metal for LIGA mold-making while the VC substrate practically eliminates secondary radiation effects that lead to delamination of the X-ray resist form the substrate, the loss of isolated resist features, and the formation of a resist layer adjacent to the substrate that is insoluble in the developer.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2009},
month = {Tue Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2009}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Adhesion of Ni-structures on Al 2 O 3 ceramic substrates used for the sacrificial layer technique
journal, April 2000


Adhesion promotion of Cu on C by Cr intermediate layers investigated by the SIMS method
journal, October 2002


Fabrication of HARM structures by deep-X-ray lithography using graphite mask technology
journal, February 2000


Investigation of the adhesive strength of PMMA structures on substrates obtained by deep X-ray lithography
journal, January 1996


Characterisation of defects in very high deep-etch X-ray lithography microstructures
journal, February 1998


Transfer mask for high-aspect-ratio microlithography
conference, May 1995


Ti- and Be-X-ray masks with alignment windows for the LIGA process
journal, March 1991


Microstructuring of glassy carbon: comparison of laser machining and reactive ion etching
journal, April 2004


Alternative resist adhesion and electroplating layers for LIGA process
journal, August 2000


Cost-effective masks for deep x-ray lithography
conference, April 2003


Fabrication of graphite masks for deep and ultradeep x-ray lithography
conference, August 2000


Microfabrication of freestanding metal structures using graphite substrate
journal, January 2003


Adhesion problems in deep-etch x-ray lithography caused by fluorescence radiation from the plating base
journal, January 1994