Boundary smoothing for digital lithography exposure units

Abstract

A digital lithography system includes a scan area including a first scan area and a second scan area adjacent to the first scan area. The digital lithography system further includes an exposure unit positioned above the scan area, a memory, and at least one processing device operably coupled to the memory. The exposure unit includes a first exposure unit associated with the first scan area and a second exposure unit associated with the second scan area. The processing device is to perform operations including initiating a digital lithography process to pattern a substrate disposed on a platform according to an instruction, and performing exposure unit boundary smoothing with respect to the first exposure unit and the second exposure unit during the digital lithography process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This manual is generally about the manufacture of electronic devices. More specifically, this manual is about digital lithography. Background Technology

[0002] Photolithography is used to manufacture semiconductor devices and display devices, such as flat panel displays. Examples of flat panel displays include thin-film displays, such as, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. Large-area substrates can be used to manufacture flat panel displays for use with computers, touch panel devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, television monitors, and the like.

[0003] In digital lithography, multiple exposure units are used to increase throughput, with each unit responsible for printing a portion of the area. However, the characteristics of different exposure units often vary slightly. This can result in visible boundaries between areas printed by different exposure units. For display devices, visible boundaries are defects that can render the manufactured display unusable. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following is a brief overview of this disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of this disclosure. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of this disclosure. It is not intended to identify any essential or key elements of this disclosure, nor is it intended to depict any scope of any particular embodiment of this disclosure or any scope of the claims. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of this disclosure in a concise form as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows.

[0005] According to one embodiment, a digital lithography system is provided. The digital lithography system includes a scanning region comprising a first scanning region and a second scanning region adjacent to the first scanning region. The digital lithography system further includes an exposure unit positioned above the scanning region, a memory, and at least one processing device operatively coupled to the memory. The exposure unit includes a first exposure unit associated with the first scanning region and a second exposure unit associated with the second scanning region. The processing device is configured to perform operations including initiating a digital lithography process to pattern a substrate disposed on a platform according to instructions, and performing exposure unit boundary smoothing with respect to the first and second exposure units during the digital lithography process.

[0006] According to another embodiment, a system is provided. The system includes a memory and at least one processing device operatively coupled to the memory to perform operations including: initiating a digital lithography process to pattern a substrate according to instructions, and performing exposure unit boundary smoothing with respect to a first exposure unit and a second exposure unit of a plurality of exposure units during the digital lithography process. The first exposure unit corresponds to a first scan region and the second exposure unit corresponds to a second scan region adjacent to the first scan region.

[0007] According to another embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes initiating a digital lithography process using a processing device to pattern a substrate according to instructions, and performing exposure unit boundary smoothing with respect to a first exposure unit and a second exposure unit of a plurality of exposure units during the digital lithography process using the processing device. The first exposure unit corresponds to a first scan region and the second exposure unit corresponds to a second scan region adjacent to the first scan region. Attached Figure Description

[0008] The aspects and embodiments of this disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings given below, which are intended to illustrate the aspects and embodiments by way of example and without limitation.

[0009] Figure 1 This is a top-down view of a digital lithography system according to some embodiments.

[0010] Figures 2A to 2D This is a top-down view of the scan path of a substrate through a single digital lithography exposure unit of a digital lithography system, according to some embodiments.

[0011] Figures 3A to 3C This is an illustration of an example of smoothing the boundaries of digital lithography exposure units according to some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a diagram of an example scanning configuration of a digital lithography exposure unit in a single-bridge implementation according to some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a diagram of an example scanning configuration of a digital lithography exposure unit in a dual-bridge implementation according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of dose distribution in a digital lithography exposure unit in a single-bridge implementation according to some embodiments;

[0015] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating an example of dose distribution in a digital lithography exposure unit in a dual-bridge implementation, according to some embodiments;

[0016] Figures 8A to 8CThis is a diagram illustrating an example of dose distribution for digital lithography exposure units according to some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a method for implementing digital lithography exposure unit boundary smoothing according to some embodiments.

[0018] Figure 10 This is a block diagram of a digital lithography system according to some embodiments.

[0019] Figure 11 This is a block diagram illustrating a computer system according to certain embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Digital lithography can be used to generate patterns (e.g., etched masks for digital alignment) onto a substrate surface without using photomasks (e.g., via maskless lithography). Digital lithography technologies (e.g., such as Texas Instruments') Programmable light steering technology enables high-speed, high-resolution maskless lithography solutions for printed circuit board (PCB) patterning, soldering masks, flat panel displays, laser marking, and other digital exposure systems that benefit from high speed and precision. Digital lithography exposes patterns directly onto a photoresist film without the use of contact masks (e.g., photomasks). This reduces material costs, improves production rates, and allows for rapid pattern changes. Direct exposure increases productivity compared to narrow laser beams or mask systems. A key advantage of digital lithography is the ability to change the lithographic pattern from one run to the next without incurring the cost of creating a new photomask. Digital lithography can be illustratively used for performing large-area patterning during electronic device manufacturing.

[0021] In digital lithography, multiple digital lithography exposure units (“exposure units”) can be used to improve the throughput of digital lithography tools. A typical exposure unit can print or expose rectangular non-overlapping areas or clipped layers. Clipped layers can act as filters to instruct layout processing software to maintain the pattern to be printed on the clipped layer associated with a particular exposure unit. Each of the multiple exposure units can be responsible for a portion of the printing area and for a different clipped layer. Different exposure units may have unique characteristics that are not precisely matched. This mismatch can lead to inhomogeneities (e.g., non-uniformity, inconsistency, irregularity) at the boundaries of the exposure units. This inhomogeneity can reduce yield and thus decrease the value.

[0022] The aspects and embodiments of this disclosure address these and other drawbacks of the prior art by performing exposure cell boundary smoothing with respect to at least one pair of digital lithography exposure cells (“exposure cells”). Exposure cell boundary smoothing can mix the exposure cell boundaries to reduce non-uniformity and eliminate linear boundaries between clipping layers of adjacent exposure cells. Mixing can result in a gradual transition between the pair of exposure cells. According to the embodiments described herein, various methods can be used to perform exposure cell boundary smoothing. Exposure cell boundary smoothing can be performed for single-bridge cases (e.g., for smoothing boundaries between adjacent scan regions corresponding to exposure cells attached to the same bridge), dual-bridge cases (e.g., for smoothing boundaries between adjacent scan regions corresponding to exposure cells attached to different bridges), and so on.

[0023] In some embodiments, performing exposure cell boundary smoothing includes performing exposure cell boundary shifting. More specifically, during exposure cell boundary shifting, the exposure cell boundary can be shifted per round. For multi-round printing, shifting the exposure cell boundary per round works particularly well.

[0024] In some embodiments, performing exposure unit boundary smoothing includes performing dose mixing. For example, dose mixing may include performing step mixing. As another example, dose mixing may include gradual mixing, which can provide an improved trade-off between mixing and the Takt time (i.e., the amount of time between the start of generating the first unit and the start of generating the second unit).

[0025] The aspects and embodiments of this disclosure result in technical advantages over other approaches. For example, as mentioned above, non-uniformity at the boundary of a pair of adjacent exposure cells and / or at the boundary of a pair of scans associated with a given exposure cell can be reduced. This enables improved photolithography for patterned substrates.

[0026] Figure 1This is a top-down view of a digital lithography system (“System”) 100 according to some embodiments. As shown, the apparatus 100 includes a platform assembly 110, which includes a substrate (e.g., a granite substrate), a platform, and a substrate disposed on the platform. The substrate may be a glass plate, a wafer, a PCB, or other type of substrate. The substrate may correspond to or be positioned within a digital lithography printing or scanning area having a plurality of scanning regions, including scanning regions 112-1 to 112-4. The left side portion of the platform assembly 110 corresponds to a first bridge 114-1 above the platform assembly 110, and the right side portion of the platform assembly 110 corresponds to a second bridge 114-2 above the platform assembly 110. As will be described in further detail below, exposure units are attached to bridges 114-1 and 114-2. In some embodiments, the length of each bridge 114-1 and 114-2 may vary between about 500 mm and about 1000 mm. For example, the length of each bridge 114-1 and 114-2 can be approximately 750 mm.

[0027] The substrate may include a photoresist material disposed on the material to be etched. The photoresist material may be a positive photoresist material (i.e., a portion of the photoresist material exposed to light becomes soluble in the photoresist developer) or a negative photoresist material (i.e., a portion of the photoresist material exposed to light becomes insoluble in the photoresist developer). Therefore, a photoresist pattern can be formed by removing designated portions of the photoresist material. In some embodiments, the material to be etched is a conductive material (e.g., a metal). For example, the conductive material may be molybdenum. After removing the designated areas of the photoresist material, the now-exposed material can be etched according to the photoresist pattern. For example, wiring can be formed during the etching process. Alternatively, the patterned material may be photosensitive itself, thereby eliminating the need to add a photoresist layer and performing the subsequent etching process.

[0028] To perform photoresist patterning, the apparatus 100 further includes a first column of digital lithography exposure units (“exposure units”) suspended from a first bridge 114-1, and a second column of exposure units suspended from a second bridge 114-2. For example, the first column of exposure units includes exposure units 1 to 11, and the second column includes exposure units 12 to 22. Therefore, in this illustrative example, a total of 22 exposure units are illustrated. However, Figure 1 The number of exposure units shown should not be considered limiting, and system 100 may include any suitable number of exposure units according to the embodiments described herein.

[0029] Each exposure unit may include a lens assembly that projects an image onto a photoresist material on a substrate. Each lens assembly is illustrated by the lower right corner of the associated scan area adjacent to each lens assembly. For example, lens assembly 120 of exposure unit 1 is associated with scan area 112-1. In some embodiments, each lens assembly is approximately 4 mm high and approximately 3 mm wide. However, according to the embodiments described herein, each lens assembly may have any suitable size.

[0030] During digital lithography, each exposure unit moves relative to the substrate to expose a region of the substrate (e.g., a rectangular region) to electromagnetic radiation, such as light (e.g., ultraviolet, near-ultraviolet, etc.). During scanning, the exposure unit exposes the corresponding scan area according to a programmed scan path. The platform assembly 110 does not move the exposure units above it, but rather moves them in the XY direction below them according to the programmed scan path. Because the field of view of the lens assembly (e.g., lens assembly 120) can be smaller than the scan area associated with the lens assembly (e.g., scan area 112-1), the platform assembly 110 may have to repeatedly move back and forth until the entire scan area (e.g., scan area 112-1) is printed. The projection lens assembly 120 scans scan area 112-1, except for the first and last scans, where adjustments may occur based on the sharpness of scan area 112-1. The larger the number of exposure units, the fewer scans can be performed, which can correspond to a higher throughput.

[0031] Each exposure unit can be responsible for a different scanning area, which may or may not overlap with adjacent scanning areas of other exposure units. To avoid a sudden transition from a first scanning area to a second scanning area adjacent to the first scanning area (attached to the same bridge or a different bridge), the exposure unit corresponding to the first scanning area can encroach on the second scanning area. Similarly, the exposure unit corresponding to the second scanning area can encroach on the first scanning area. For example, exposure unit 1 can encroach on scanning areas 112-2 and / or 112-3, and exposure unit 2 can encroach on scanning areas 112-1 and / or 112-4. Thus, shared exposure can be observed at the boundaries or "stitching lines" between adjacent exposure units on the same bridge and / or exposure units on different bridges.

[0032] The splicing line can be defined by a trimming layer, which can be a software-defined layer that sets the scan path boundary for each exposure unit during the movement of the platform assembly 110. Due to imperfect printing conditions, the splicing line may be visible on the substrate after printing. For example, if the actual position of the exposure unit shifts by about 1 micrometer, a 1-micrometer-wide gap or double exposure band may exist near the splicing line. Although the splicing line is depicted as a straight line in this illustrative example (making the scan area rectangular), the splicing line can be curved (e.g., wavy).

[0033] For example, path 130 of exposure unit 120-1 is illustrated. Path 130 proceeds in a serpentine manner. More specifically, during scanning, platform assembly 110 moves across scan area 120-1 in the X direction (i.e., from right to left), during which time exposure unit 120-1 patterns lines across scan area 120-1. After reaching the left edge of scan area 112-1, platform assembly 110 moves in the Y direction (i.e., upwards) and then in the X direction (i.e., from left to right) to pattern another line across scan area 120-1. Path 130 proceeds in this serpentine manner until reaching the opposite end of scan area 120-1, where the entire image has been patterned on the substrate. The image can then be developed for substrate etching. According to the embodiments described herein, the distance "Y1" that the platform travels in the Y direction during scanning can be any suitable distance. In some embodiments, Y1 can vary between about 150 mm and about 180 mm. For example, Y1 can be about 164 mm. In the embodiments, the scanning distance of each exposure unit in the X direction corresponds to the length of bridges 114-1 and 114-2. According to the embodiments described herein, the total width "Y2" of the scanning area can be any suitable width. In some embodiments, "Y2" can vary between approximately 1600 mm and approximately 2000 mm. For example, Y2 can be approximately 1800 mm. Due to differences in substrate size, the travel distance (e.g., in the X direction) for each scan can be different. For example, in some embodiments, the substrate comprises an 8-inch circular wafer. As another example, in some embodiments, the substrate comprises a 12-inch circular wafer.

[0034] In an embodiment, Figure 1 The scanning process illustrated can be used to produce a display (e.g., a flat panel display). In some embodiments, the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD). Reference will now be made to this document. Figures 2A to 2D Further details are provided regarding the exposure unit 120-1 of scan path 130.

[0035] Figures 2A to 2DThese are top-down views 200A-200B of a scan path through a single digital lithography exposure unit (“exposure unit”) 210 of a digital lithography system, according to some embodiments. The exposure unit 210 may be, for example, as referenced above. Figure 1 The digital lithography system 100 described includes an exposure unit 120-1. A substrate 220 is disposed on a platform (not shown).

[0036] Figure 2A The diagram illustrates the exposure unit 210 and the scanning area 220 of the substrate before the first scan is performed using the exposure unit 210. Before performing the first scan, the edge 222 of the scanning area 220 can be aligned with the edge 212 of the exposure unit 210. The platform moves the substrate in the XY direction according to the digital lithography scanning program, thereby performing multiple scans across the scanning area 220.

[0037] Figure 2B The diagram illustrates the formation of the scanned area 230-1 within the scanned area 220 after the first scan is performed using the exposure unit 210. More specifically, the platform moves the substrate in the positive X direction below the exposure unit 210 to form the scanned area 230-1.

[0038] Figure 2C The diagram illustrates the formation of the scanned area 230-2 after a second scan is performed using the exposure unit 210. More specifically, after the first scan is performed using the exposure unit 210, the platform moves the substrate in the positive Y direction to align the exposure unit 210 with the next designated area, and then the platform moves the substrate in the negative X direction below the exposure unit 210 to form the scanned area 230-2.

[0039] Figure 2D The diagram illustrates the formation of the scanned area 230-2 after a second scan is performed using exposure unit 210. More specifically, after the second scan is performed using exposure unit 210, the platform moves the substrate in the positive Y direction to align exposure unit 210 with the next designated area, and then the platform moves substrate 220 below exposure unit 210 in the positive X direction to form the scanned area 230-3. Additional scans can be performed to complete the scan.

[0040] During the scanning process described above, one or more "mura" issues may be observed. Mura is a Japanese term that generally refers to any visible changes that occur across the display due to the scanning process.

[0041] One example of a mura is a "scan mura" that occurs after each scan. For instance, one type of scan mura is illumination inhomogeneity, where the exposure field of the exposure unit is inconsistent (e.g., the top edge of the exposure field has a different illumination field than the bottom edge). More specifically, each time a scan is performed to scan lines or "draw stripes," the top edge of the scan will be brighter or darker than the bottom edge. This can adversely affect the patterning dimensions. Another example of a mura is a "vibration mura," where vibrations caused by operating the digital lithography system can cause the exposure unit to vibrate, resulting in scan oscillations. Since the exposure unit vibrations may not be spatially synchronized, this can lead to visible variations across the display.

[0042] Another example of a mura is a “boundary mura,” where a sudden change in appearance can be observed at the boundary or edge of an area scanned by one exposure unit and an adjacent area scanned by another exposure unit. For example, a boundary mura can occur at the boundary between areas scanned by a pair of adjacent exposure units across a given bridge (e.g., in…). Figure 1 The boundary mura appears at the boundary between scanned regions 112-2 and 112-4. As another example, the boundary mura can occur at the boundary between regions scanned by a pair of adjacent exposure units corresponding to different bridges (e.g., in...). Figure 1 It appears at the boundary between the scanned areas 112-1 and 112-2.

[0043] Various microscopic and / or macroscopic causes can exist for boundary mura. For example, if an exposure cell is emitting more light during scanning compared to its neighboring cells, a sudden change in the linewidth of the printed line can be observed across the boundary between exposure cells. As another example, if an exposure cell is out of focus compared to other exposure cells, the photoresist sidewall profile corresponding to each exposure cell can be different. For instance, an exposure cell with better focus may have more vertical sidewalls compared to the more sloping sidewalls of an exposure cell with poor focus. Thus, problems can exist at the boundary of adjacent scan areas.

[0044] As will be described in further detail herein, mura (e.g., boundary mura) can be addressed by performing exposure cell boundary smoothing to smooth the boundaries (e.g., splicing lines) between scanned regions scanned by adjacent exposure cells. Exposure cell boundaries may correspond to the edges of regions scanned by exposure cells. For example, exposure cell boundary smoothing can be performed to create a gradual transition (e.g., mixing boundaries) between regions scanned by different exposure cells.

[0045] In some embodiments, performing exposure cell boundary smoothing includes performing exposure cell boundary shifting. Exposure cell boundary shifting can be performed by shifting the exposure cell boundary for each exposure cell round. A round refers to a single iteration of the scan path to pattern or print lines on the substrate (conceptually similar to applying a single layer of paint). By performing multiple (i.e., two or more) rounds to pattern lines on the substrate and shifting the exposure cell boundary after each round, the lines can be smoothed or thinned (conceptually similar to applying multiple layers of paint to smooth a paint stroke). Thus, in embodiments, the digital lithography process can be a multi-round digital lithography process. For a multi-round digital lithography process, multiple rounds can be performed over the same area to increase the exposure of that area.

[0046] In some embodiments, performing exposure unit boundary smoothing includes performing dose mixing, where dose refers to the amount of radiation or light exposed to the region. In effect, dose mixing attempts to “mimic” the result of exposure unit boundary shifting without necessarily performing multiple rounds of lithography. For dose mixing, the intensity of the light source can be adjusted during scanning one or more portions of the region associated with the exposure unit. Alternatively or additionally, the number of rounds applied to different portions of the region associated with the exposure unit can be varied to provide different levels of exposure through the exposure unit. For example, a first exposure unit may apply 100% of the target light intensity (or two rounds) to achieve the full dose for the majority of the region covered by the first exposure unit. However, for a portion of the region covered by the first exposure unit, the first exposure unit may apply 50% of the target light intensity (or a single round at full intensity) to provide half the dose. A second exposure unit may extend into the region covered by the first exposure unit and may apply 50% of the target light intensity (or a single round at full intensity) to a portion of the region receiving 50% of the dose through the first exposure unit. Thus, the dose or exposure of the two exposure units is effectively “mixed” for that portion of the region, such that portion of the region receives a portion of the dose from one exposure unit and a portion of the dose from the other exposure unit. As will be described in further detail herein, dose mixing can be achieved by performing “local multi-rounds” at the boundaries of the corresponding scan regions. More specifically, multi-round scans that achieve the dose mixing effect can be performed around the boundaries. Compared to exposure unit boundary shifting, dose mixing can provide a trade-off between mixing and Takt time. In some embodiments, a combination of exposure unit boundary shifting and dose mixing is performed.

[0047] Exposure cell boundary shifting and / or dose mixing can be performed to smooth the boundary between adjacent scan areas for exposure cells attached to the same bridge (“single-bridge example”), or to smooth the boundary between adjacent scan areas for exposure cells attached to different bridges (“dual-bridge example”). See Figures 3 to 4 below. Figure 7 Further details regarding exposure unit boundary shifting and dose mixing are described.

[0048] Figures 3A to 3C Figures 300A-300C illustrate examples of smoothing the boundaries of digital lithography exposure units (“exposure units”) according to some embodiments. Exposure unit boundary smoothing can be achieved by performing exposure unit boundary shifting and / or dose mixing. For example, Figures 300A-300C may each correspond to a clipping layer that defines the boundaries of the exposure unit.

[0049] exist Figure 3A Figure 300A illustrates a first scan region 310-A ​​corresponding to a first exposure unit and a second scan region 320-A corresponding to a second exposure unit, separated by boundary 315. The first exposure unit and the second exposure unit can be adjacent exposure units attached to the same bridge. For example, the first exposure unit can correspond to... Figure 1 Exposure unit 1, and the second exposure unit can correspond to Figure 1 Exposure unit 2. Alternatively, the first exposure unit and the second exposure unit can be adjacent exposure units attached to different bridges. For example, the first exposure unit can correspond to Figure 1 Exposure unit 1, and the second exposure unit can correspond to Figure 1 Exposure unit 12.

[0050] In this example, there is no exposure unit boundary smoothing between the first scan region 310-A ​​and the second scan region 320-A. More specifically, the first exposure unit is 100% responsible for scanning in the first scan region 310-A ​​up to boundary 315, and subsequently, the second exposure unit is 100% responsible for scanning in the second scan region 320-A up to boundary 315. In other words, the first scan region 310-A ​​receives 100% of the dose from the first exposure unit, and the second scan region 320-A receives 100% of the dose from the second exposure unit.

[0051] exist Figure 3B Figure 300B illustrates a first scan region 310-B corresponding to a first exposure unit and a second scan region 320-B corresponding to a second exposure unit. Here, the smoothing of the exposure unit boundary between the first scan region 310-B and the second scan region 320-B has resulted in jagged edges. More specifically, the first exposure unit is programmed to extend into the original scan region corresponding to the second exposure unit (e.g., Figure 3A The second exposure unit is programmed to extend into the original scan area corresponding to the first exposure unit (e.g., within the scan area 310-B) and the second exposure unit is programmed to extend into the original scan area corresponding to the first exposure unit (e.g., Figure 3A In the scanned area 310-A). Figure 3BThe serrated blending is shown through vertical boundaries 330-1 to 330-4 and horizontal boundaries 335-1 to 335-3. Boundaries 330-1 to 330-4 and 335-1 to 335-1 may not be visible and are provided for illustration. Figure 3B The exposure unit boundaries shown are smooth. The mixed dose region is defined between vertical boundaries 330-1 and 330-4. Regarding the region defined by horizontal boundary 335-1, the first exposure unit provides 75% of the dose and the second exposure unit provides 25% of the dose. Regarding the region defined by horizontal boundary 335-2, both the first and second exposure units provide 50% of the dose. Regarding the region defined by horizontal boundary 335-3, the first exposure unit provides 25% of the dose and the second exposure unit provides 75% of the dose.

[0052] This can be achieved by performing exposure cell boundary shifting and / or dose mixing. Figure 3B The boundary shown is smooth. Regarding the boundary shifting of the exposure units, multiple rounds can be performed to achieve jagged blending. In this illustrative example, four rounds can be performed, with the exposure unit boundary shifted after each round (i.e., four rounds of boundary shifting). For example, in the single-bridge case, the exposure unit boundary can be shifted vertically (e.g., by vertically shifting the trimmed layer), and in the dual-bridge case, the exposure unit boundary can be shifted horizontally (e.g., by horizontally shifting the trimmed layer). Regarding dose blending, when performing a single round, “local multi-rounds” can be performed around the original boundary 315 to provide a specified dose to each of the exposure units. In this illustrative example, the first and second exposure units can each provide four dose amounts (100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%) to achieve this. Figure 3B The boundaries of the exposure units shown are smooth.

[0053] exist Figure 3C In Figure 300C, a first exposure unit region 310-C and a second exposure unit region 320-C with progressively mixed doses corresponding to a diagonal boundary 340 are illustrated. Progressive mixing to achieve the diagonal boundary 340 is theoretically ideal for boundary smoothing because progressive mixing can be obtained after a suitable number (e.g., an infinite number) of rounds during exposure unit boundary shifting and / or after a suitable fine mixing (e.g., infinitely fine) of the dose for each exposure unit around the boundary during dose mixing.

[0054] Figure 4FIG400 illustrates an example scan configuration (“configuration”) of a digital lithography exposure unit (“exposure unit”) in a single-bridge implementation according to some embodiments. FIG400 illustrates a first configuration 410 without exposure unit boundary smoothing or mixing. More specifically, the first configuration 410 includes a first scan region 412 corresponding to 100% dose of the first exposure unit and a second scan region 414 corresponding to 100% dose of the second exposure unit. For example, scan regions 412 and 414 can be defined using a clipping layer.

[0055] Figure 400 further illustrates a second configuration 420, which illustrates an example of smoothed or mixed exposure unit boundaries. More specifically, the second configuration 420 includes a first unmixed scan region 421 corresponding to 100% dose of the first exposure unit and a second unmixed scan region 422 corresponding to 100% dose of the second exposure unit. Furthermore, the second configuration 420 includes a plurality of mixed scan regions 423-425. Mixed scan region 423 may illustratively correspond to approximately 75% dose of the first exposure unit and approximately 25% dose of the second exposure unit. Mixed scan region 424 may correspond to approximately 50% dose of the first exposure unit region and approximately 50% dose of the second exposure unit region. Mixed scan region 425 may correspond to approximately 25% dose of the first exposure unit and approximately 75% dose of the second exposure unit.

[0056] In some embodiments, a multi-round exposure process can be performed to achieve scan areas 421 to 425. More specifically, exposure unit boundary shifting can be performed by vertically shifting the exposure unit boundary after each round (e.g., the clipping layer is vertically shifted after each round). In this illustrative example, four rounds can be performed. For example, the four-round first exposure unit can be (1) scan area 421; (2) scan area 421 + scan area 423; (3) scan area 421 + scan area 423 + scan area 424; and (4) scan area 421 + scan area 423 + scan area 424 + scan area 425.

[0057] In the second configuration 420, the boundary between scan areas 421 and 425 is depicted as straight. However, other variations are anticipated, where the boundary between scan areas 421 and 425 is not straight. For example, the boundary between scan areas 421 and 425 could be wavy. Since the human eye is more sensitive to straight edges, non-straight boundaries may appear less noticeable regarding the degree of mismatch between the first and second exposure units.

[0058] Figure 5Figure 500 illustrates an example scanning configuration (“configuration”) of a digital lithography exposure unit (“exposure unit”) in a dual-bridge implementation according to some embodiments. Figure 500 illustrates multiple configurations 510-1 to 510-4, corresponding to the respective first, second, third, and fourth rounds performed by exposure units A to D during a four-round exposure process. In this example, exposure units A to D are positioned in adjacent scanning regions, wherein exposure units A and B are attached to the first bridge, and exposure units C and D are attached to the second bridge. For example, refer to... Figure 1 Exposure unit A can correspond to exposure unit 2, exposure unit B can correspond to exposure unit 1, exposure unit C can correspond to exposure unit 13, and exposure unit D can correspond to exposure unit 12.

[0059] Each of configurations 510-1 to 510-4 is organized as a 5x5 grid comprising a region 520, where the letters “A” through “D” are written for each region to indicate which exposure unit is responsible for performing a scan in that region during the corresponding round. For example, exposure unit A is responsible for performing a scan in region 520 for each of the four rounds. For illustrative purposes, configurations 510-1 to 510-4 are illustrated as either completely separated or non-intersecting. It will be understood that during each round, the boxes at corresponding positions in the grid of each configuration 510-1 to 510-4 substantially overlap. For example, region 520 in each of configurations 510-1 to 510-4 is in a substantially consistent position.

[0060] The rounds illustrated in configurations 510-1 through 510-4 are designed to collectively satisfy predefined blending specifications. For example, blending specifications can be provided in a data structure (e.g., a table). The blending specifications satisfied by configurations 510-1 through 510-4 are shown in the following table:

[0061] Table 1

[0062] 4A 3A+C 2A+2C A+3C 4C 3A+B 2A+B+C 2A+2C A+2C+D 3C+D 2A+2B 2A+2B A+B+C+D 2C+2D 2C+2D A+3B A+2B+D 2B+2D B+C+2D C+3D 4B 3B+D 2B+2D B+3D 4D

[0063] Table 1 is organized as a 5x5 table, where each box defines the total number of scans to be performed in the corresponding area by one or more exposure units A-D at the end of the four-round process. For example, the entry "4A" in Table 1 indicates that exposure unit A performs a total of four scans in area 520 (i.e., for each round, exposure unit A is 100% responsible for area 520). This is why area 520 in each of configurations 510-1 to 510-4 has the letter "A" written therein. As another example, the entry "3A+C" in Table 1 indicates that in the area adjacent to the right edge of area 520, exposure unit A performs a total of three scans and exposure unit C performs one scan. In this illustrative example, as illustrated in configurations 510-1 to 510-4, exposure unit A performs scans in this area during the first, third, and fourth rounds, and exposure unit C performs scans in this area during the second round. That is, exposure unit A contributes 75% of the scans in this area, and exposure unit C contributes 25% of the scans in this area. However, this scan order is not restrictive. For example, exposure unit C may perform a scan in this area during the first round (opposite to exposure unit A shown in configuration 510-1), while exposure unit A may perform scans in this area during the second, third, and fourth rounds (opposite to exposure unit C shown in configuration 510-2). As yet another example, the entry “A+B+C+D” in Table 1 indicates that each of exposure units A through D performs one scan in the central area of ​​configurations 510-1 through 510-4. In this illustrative example, exposure unit A performs a scan in the central area during the first round, exposure unit C performs a scan in the central area during the second round, exposure unit B performs a scan in the central area during the third round, and exposure unit D performs a scan in the central area during the fourth round. However, similar to the above, this scan order is not restrictive (provided that each of exposure units A through D performs a single scan during the corresponding round of the multi-round process).

[0064] Figure 6 Figure 600 illustrates another example of dose distribution in a digital lithography exposure unit in a single-bridge implementation, according to some embodiments. Figure 600 includes dose distribution 610-1 corresponding to a first exposure unit and dose distribution 610-2 corresponding to a second exposure unit. For illustrative purposes, dose distribution 610-1 and dose distribution 610-2 are illustrated as separate or non-intersecting. However, in reality, dose distribution 610-1 and dose distribution 610-2 correspond to vertically aligned regions.

[0065] For example, dose allocation 610-1 includes dose value 612-1 of the first exposure unit in the first region, dose value 614-1 of the first exposure unit in the second region, dose value 616-1 of the first exposure unit in the third region, and dose value 618-1 of the first exposure unit in the fourth region. Dose allocation 610-2 includes dose value 612-2 of the second exposure unit in the fifth region, dose value 614-2 of the second exposure unit in the second region, dose value 616-2 of the second exposure unit in the third region, and dose value 618-2 of the second exposure unit in the fourth region. In other words, the second region includes a mixture of dose values ​​614-1 and 614-2, the third region includes a mixture of dose values ​​616-1 and 616-2, and the fourth region includes a mixture of dose values ​​618-1 and 618-2.

[0066] The sum of the mixed dose values ​​should total 100% of the total dose for the corresponding region. For example, dose values ​​612-1 and 612-2 can each be 100%, such that each exposure unit independently contributes 100% of the dose for the first and fifth regions, respectively. Dose value 614-1 can be illustratively 75% and dose value 614-2 can be illustratively 25%, and the contribution of each exposure unit totals 100% of the total dose for the second region. Dose values ​​616-1 and 616-2 can be illustratively 50%, and the contribution of each exposure unit totals 100% of the total dose for the third region. Dose value 618-1 can be illustratively 25% and dose value 618-2 can be illustratively 75%, and the contribution of each exposure unit totals 100% of the total dose for the fourth region. However, these dose value examples are merely exemplary, and any suitable number of dose value mixtures N can be implemented according to the embodiments described herein. The clipping layers corresponding to the first and second exposure units should be aligned to provide the overlap required to achieve dose value mixing.

[0067] Figure 7 Figure 700 illustrates an example dose allocation for a digital lithography exposure unit in a dual-bridge implementation, according to some embodiments. Figure 700 includes a dose allocation 710-A corresponding to exposure unit A, a dose allocation 710-B corresponding to exposure unit B, a dose allocation 710-C corresponding to exposure unit C, and a dose allocation 710-D corresponding to exposure unit D. In this example, exposure units A to D are positioned in adjacent scan regions, wherein exposure units A and B are attached to a first bridge, and exposure units C and D are attached to a second bridge. For example, refer to... Figure 1Exposure unit A can correspond to exposure unit 2, exposure unit B can correspond to exposure unit 1, exposure unit C can correspond to exposure unit 13, and exposure unit D can correspond to exposure unit 12.

[0068] The number in each box of dose allocation 710-A to dose allocation 710-D represents the relative dose of the corresponding exposure unit in each region, where the actual dose is divided by 16. For example, if the number in the box illustrated in dose allocation 710-A is "8", then the actual dose contribution of exposure unit A in the corresponding region is 8 / 16 = 0.5 or 50%.

[0069] For illustrative purposes, dose allocations 710-A to 710-D are illustrated separately. However, in practice, dose allocations 710-A to 710-D overlap with respect to 3x3 box regions 720-A to 720-D to form a mixing region, such that the total dose from each of the exposure units AD totals 100% (i.e., the relative dose totals 16). For example, the total dose corresponding to the bold and underlined values ​​in each of the exposure unit dose allocations 710-A to 710-D can be represented as 3 / 16A+9 / 16B+1 / 16C+3 / 16D. In this illustrative example, nine dose values ​​are obtained for each exposure unit A to exposure unit D (corresponding to relative doses 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, and 16). However, these dose value examples are purely exemplary, and any suitable number of dose value mixtures N can be implemented according to the embodiments described herein.

[0070] Figures 8A to 8C This is a diagram illustrating an example of dose distribution for digital lithography exposure units according to some embodiments. Figure 8A Figure 800A depicts an exposure unit without boundary smoothing or mixing. For example, Figure 800A illustrates a first scan region 810-A corresponding to a first exposure unit, a second scan region 820-A corresponding to a second exposure unit, and a third scan region 830-A corresponding to a third exposure unit. Each scan region 810-A to scan region 830-A is associated with multiple scans, each having a scan width. In this illustrative embodiment, six scans (1-6) are performed for each exposure unit within each scan region. However, the number of scans should not be considered limiting. The distance “X” is indicated to specify the scan distance of the exposure unit. Since there is no dose mixing, each exposure unit is responsible for 100% of the scan within its corresponding region. Here, and as will be referred to below. Figure 8B and Figure 8CThe scan performed by the first exposure unit is indicated by a no-fill indicator, the scan performed by the second exposure unit is indicated by a stripe indicator, and the scan performed by the third exposure unit is indicated by a dot indicator.

[0071] Scans 2-5 generally correspond to scans performed between scan areas 810-A and 830-A, while scans 1 and 6 generally correspond to scans performed towards the edges or boundaries of scan areas 810-A to 830-A. Scans 2-5 generally have the same or similar scan widths. However, for scans 1 and 6, it can be observed that the scan width may be smaller than that of scans 2-5. This can be due to the way the digital lithography system is assembled and calibrated. For example, each exposure unit can be mounted with a tolerance of approximately + / - 1 mm. Subsequently, the system can be calibrated to determine the position of each exposure unit. Considering how each exposure is set up within the digital lithography system, calibration can identify the scan width for each scan.

[0072] Figure 8B Figure 800B depicts a first embodiment with smoothed exposure unit boundaries. For example, Figure 800B illustrates scan areas 810-B to 850-B. Each scan area 810-B to 850-B is associated with multiple scans, each having a respective scan width. However, the number of scans and / or scan width should not be considered limiting.

[0073] As shown in the figure, the first exposure unit performs scans 1-4A in the scanning area 810-B, where scan 4A corresponds to the first scan 4 performed by the first exposure unit. Here, the first exposure unit performs 100% of the scan within the scanning area 810-B.

[0074] In scan area 820-B, the first exposure unit performs scans 4B-8, where scan 4B corresponds to the second execution of scan 4 by the first exposure unit. Additional scans 7 and 8 are used to extend the operation of the first exposure unit to the original scan area of ​​the second exposure unit (e.g., ...). Figure 8A The second exposure unit performs scans 820-A to 2A, where scan 2A corresponds to the first scan 2 performed by the second exposure unit. Additional scans 1 and 0 are used to extend the second exposure unit into the original scan area of ​​the first exposure unit (e.g., ...). Figure 8A In the scanning area 810-A). Here, approximately 50% of the scanning area 820-B of each of the first and second exposure units is scanned.

[0075] In the scanning area 830-B, the second exposure unit performs scans 2B-4A, where scan 2B corresponds to the second execution of scan 2 by the second exposure unit and scan 4A corresponds to the first execution of scan 4 by the second exposure unit. Here, the second exposure unit scans 100% of the scanning area 830-B.

[0076] In scan area 840-B, the second exposure unit performs scans 4B-8, where scan 4B corresponds to the second execution of scan 4 by the second exposure unit. Similar to the first exposure unit, additional scans 7 and 8 are used to extend the operation of the second exposure unit to the original scan area of ​​the third exposure unit (e.g., ...). Figure 8A The scanning area 830-A is included. Furthermore, the third exposure unit performs scans -1 to 3A, where scan 3A corresponds to the first scan 3 performed by the third exposure unit. Additional scans -1 and 0 are used to extend the third exposure unit into the original scanning area of ​​the second exposure unit (e.g., ...). Figure 8A In the scanning area 820-B. Here, each of the second and third exposure units scans approximately 50% of the scanning area 840-B.

[0077] In scan area 850-B, the second exposure unit performs scans 3B-6, where scan 3B corresponds to the second scan 3 performed by the third exposure unit. Here, the third exposure unit performs 100% of the scan within scan area 850-B. Thus, scan areas 820-B and 840-B correspond to approximately 50% overlap between the scan areas scanned by adjacent pairs of exposure units.

[0078] Scan 4 performed by the first exposure unit, scan 2 and scan 4 performed by the second exposure unit, and scan 3 performed by the third exposure unit correspond to scans that cross the dose mixing boundary between the scan areas. Therefore, according to Figure 8B These scans are doubled or performed twice to perform dose mixing. For example, with respect to the first exposure unit, the platform can remain at the same Y position during the corresponding scan 4 of the first exposure unit. The first exposure unit can be printed with 100% dose in one scan to print 4A, and with 50% dose in another scan to print 4B.

[0079] Figure 8CFigure 800C depicts a second embodiment with smoothed exposure unit boundaries. For example, Figure 800B illustrates scan areas 810-C to 890-C. Each scan area 810-C to 890-C is associated with multiple scans, each having a respective scan width. However, the number of scans and / or scan width should not be considered limiting. The first exposure unit performs 100% scanning within scan area 810-C, the second exposure unit performs 100% scanning within scan area 850-C, and the third exposure unit performs 100% scanning within scan area 890-C.

[0080] As shown in the figure, the first exposure unit performs scans 1-4A in the scanning area 810-C, where scan 4A corresponds to the first portion of scan 4 performed by the first exposure unit. Here, the first exposure unit scans 100% of the scanning area 810-C.

[0081] In scan area 820-C, the first exposure unit performs scan 4B and scan 5A, where scan 4B corresponds to the second portion of scan 4 performed by the first exposure unit and scan 5A corresponds to the first portion of scan 5 performed by the first exposure unit. Furthermore, the second exposure unit performs scan -1 and scan 0A, where scan 0A corresponds to the first portion of scan 0 performed by the second exposure unit. Additional scans -1 and 0 are used to extend the second exposure unit into the original scan area of ​​the first exposure unit (e.g., ...). Figure 8A In the scanning area 810-A, the first exposure unit scans approximately 75% of the scanning area 820-C and the second exposure unit scans approximately 25% of the scanning area 820-C.

[0082] In scanning area 830-C, the first exposure unit performs scans 5B-7A, where scan 6B corresponds to the second portion of scan 6 performed by the first exposure unit and scan 7A corresponds to the first portion of scan 7 performed by the first exposure unit. Furthermore, the second exposure unit performs scans 0B and 1A, where scan 0B corresponds to the second portion of scan 0 performed by the second exposure unit and scan 1A corresponds to the first portion of scan 1 performed by the second exposure unit. Here, each of the first and second exposure units scans approximately 50% of scanning area 830-C.

[0083] In the scanning area 840-C, the first exposure unit performs scans 7B and 8, where scan 7B corresponds to the second portion of scan 7 performed by the first exposure unit. Furthermore, the second exposure unit performs scans 1B and 2A, where scan 1B corresponds to the second portion of scan 1 performed by the second exposure unit, and scan 2A corresponds to the first portion of scan 2 performed by the second exposure unit. Here, the first exposure unit scans approximately 25% of the scanning area 840-C, and the second exposure unit scans approximately 75% of the scanning area 840-C.

[0084] Regarding scan areas 820-C to 840-C, additional scans 7 and 8 are used to extend the first exposure unit into the original scan area of ​​the second exposure unit (e.g., Figure 8A The scan area 820-A). Additionally, extra scan-1 and extra scan-0 are used to extend the second exposure unit into the original scan area of ​​the first exposure unit (e.g., ...). Figure 8A In the scanned area 810-A).

[0085] Within the scanning area 850-C, the second exposure unit performs scans 2B-4A, where scan 2B corresponds to the second portion of scan 2 performed by the second exposure unit, and scan 4A corresponds to the first portion of scan 4 performed by the second exposure unit. Here, the second exposure unit scans 100% of the scanning area 850-C.

[0086] Within scanning area 860-C, the second exposure unit performs scans 4B to 6A, where scan 4B corresponds to the second portion of scan 4 performed by the second exposure unit, and scan 6A corresponds to the first portion of scan 6 performed by the second exposure unit. Furthermore, the third exposure unit performs scan -1 and scan 0A, where scan 0A corresponds to the first portion of scan 0 performed by the third exposure unit. Here, the second exposure unit scans approximately 75% of scanning area 860-C, and the third exposure unit scans approximately 25% of scanning area 860-C.

[0087] In scanning area 870-C, the second exposure unit performs scans 6B and 7A, where scan 6B corresponds to the second portion of scan 6 performed by the second exposure unit and scan 7A corresponds to the first portion of scan 7 performed by the second exposure unit. Furthermore, the third exposure unit performs scans 0B to 2A, where scan 0B corresponds to the second portion of scan 0 performed by the third exposure unit and scan 2A corresponds to the first portion of scan 2 performed by the third exposure unit. Here, each of the second and third exposure units scans approximately 50% of scanning area 870-C.

[0088] Within scanning area 880-C, the second exposure unit performs scans 7B and 8, where scan 7B corresponds to the second portion of scan 7 performed by the second exposure unit. Furthermore, the third exposure unit performs scans 2B to 3A, where scan 2B corresponds to the second portion of scan 2 performed by the third exposure unit, and scan 3A corresponds to the first portion of scan 3 performed by the third exposure unit. Here, the second exposure unit scans approximately 25% of scanning area 880-C, and the third exposure unit scans approximately 75% of scanning area 880-C.

[0089] Regarding scan areas 860-C to 880-C, additional scans 7 and 8 are used to extend the second exposure unit into the original scan area of ​​the third exposure unit (e.g., Figure 8A The scan area is 830-A. Additionally, extra scan-1 and extra scan-0 are used to extend the third exposure unit into the original scan area of ​​the second exposure unit (e.g., ...). Figure 8A In the scanned area 820-A).

[0090] Within scanning area 890-C, the third exposure unit performs scans 3B to 6, where scan 3B corresponds to the second portion of scan 3 performed by the third exposure unit. Here, the third exposure unit performs 100% of the scan within scanning area 890-C.

[0091] Scans 4, 5, and 7 performed by the first exposure unit, scans 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 performed by the second exposure unit, and scans 0, 2, and 3 performed by the third exposure unit correspond to scans of the dose mixing boundary between the invasive scan regions. Therefore, according to Figure 8C These scans are doubled or performed twice around the corresponding dose mixing boundary in order to perform dose mixing.

[0092] Figure 9 A flowchart is depicted for a method 900 for implementing boundary smoothing of a digital lithography exposure unit according to some embodiments. The method can be executed by processing logic, which may include hardware (circuit systems, special-purpose logic, etc.), computer-readable instructions (running on a general-purpose computer system or a special-purpose machine), or a combination of both. In an illustrative example, method 900 can be executed by the processing device of a digital lithography system. It should be noted that... Figure 9 The blocks depicted can be executed simultaneously or in a different order than what is depicted.

[0093] At block 910, the processing logic receives instructions to perform a digital lithography process to pattern the substrate, and at block 920, the processing logic initiates a digital lithography process to pattern the substrate according to the instructions. The substrate can be disposed on a platform, and the platform can move in the XY direction under a digital lithography exposure unit (“exposure unit”) according to instructions. For example, instructions can be executed to perform exposure unit boundary smoothing (e.g., exposure unit boundary shifting and / or dose mixing).

[0094] At block 930, during the digital lithography process, the processing logic performs exposure unit boundary smoothing with respect to the first exposure unit and the second exposure unit. The first exposure unit corresponds to a first scan region, and the second exposure unit corresponds to a second scan region adjacent to the first scan region. Implementing exposure unit boundary smoothing may include extending the first exposure unit into the second scan region and extending the second exposure unit into the first scan region.

[0095] In some embodiments, the digital lithography process includes a multi-round process, comprising multiple rounds, and performing exposure unit boundary smoothing includes performing exposure unit boundary shifting as part of the multi-round process. For example, exposure unit boundary shifting can be implemented in a single-bridge embodiment. Here, the first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the same bridge above the platform of the digital lithography system, and performing exposure unit boundary shifting includes performing a first round of the multi-round process, performing a vertical boundary shift in response to performing the first round, and performing a second round of the multi-round process in response to performing the vertical boundary shift. Further details regarding the single-bridge embodiment of exposure unit boundary shifting are referenced above. Figure 4 describe.

[0096] As another example, exposure unit boundary shifting can be implemented in a dual-bridge implementation. Here, a first exposure unit and a second exposure unit are attached to a first bridge, and the plurality of exposure units further include a third exposure unit associated with a third scan region and a fourth exposure unit associated with a fourth scan region adjacent to the third scan region, such that the third and fourth exposure units are attached to a second bridge adjacent to the first bridge. Performing the exposure unit boundary shifting will subsequently involve performing multiple rounds according to a doping specification indicating the total number of doses to be performed by the first, second, third, and fourth exposure units in the respective regions during the multiple rounds of the process. Further details regarding the dual-bridge implementation of exposure unit boundary shifting are referenced above. Figure 5 describe.

[0097] In some embodiments, implementing exposure unit boundary smoothing includes performing dose mixing around the boundary between the first scan region and the second scan region. For example, dose mixing can be implemented in a single-bridge implementation. Here, the first and second exposure units are attached to the same bridge above the platform of the digital lithography system, and performing dose mixing includes causing the first exposure unit to contribute a first percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, and the second exposure unit to contribute a second percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, such that the sum of the first and second percentages equals 100%. Further details regarding the single-bridge implementation of exposure unit boundary shifting are referenced above. Figure 6 describe.

[0098] As another example, dose mixing can be implemented in a dual-bridge implementation. Here, a first exposure unit and a second exposure unit are attached to a first bridge, and the plurality of exposure units further include a third exposure unit associated with a third scan region and a fourth exposure unit associated with a fourth scan region adjacent to the third scan region, such that the third and fourth exposure units are attached to a second bridge adjacent to the first bridge. Performing dose mixing will subsequently include having the first exposure unit contribute a first percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, the second exposure unit contribute a second percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, the third exposure unit contribute a third percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, and the fourth exposure unit contribute a fourth percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, such that the sum of the first, second, third, and fourth percentages equals 100%. Further details regarding the dual-bridge implementation of dose mixing are referenced above. Figure 7 describe.

[0099] Further details regarding method 900, including exposure unit boundary shifting and dose mixing, are referenced above. Figure 1 See Figure 8 for description.

[0100] Figure 10 This is a block diagram illustrating a digital lithography system (“System”) 900 according to some embodiments. As shown, System 1000 includes a digital lithography exposure unit (“Exposure Unit”) 1010, a platform 1020, and a processing device 1030. The processing device 1030 includes a processor 1032 operatively coupled to a memory 1034. The memory may hold instructions 1036 for performing digital lithography within System 1000. For example, instructions 1026 may include instructions for controlling movement of the platform 1020 and / or the exposure unit 1010. When executed, the instructions may implement methods for performing exposure unit boundary smoothing as described herein.

[0101] Figure 11This is a block diagram illustrating a computer system 1100 according to certain embodiments. In some embodiments, the computer system 1100 is connected (e.g., via a network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), intranet network, extranet network, or the Internet) to other computer systems. In some embodiments, the computer system 1100 may operate in a client-server environment within the capacity of a server or client computer, or as a peer computer in a peer-to-peer or distributed network environment. In some embodiments, the computer system 1100 is executed via a personal computer (PC), tablet PC, set-top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular phone, network device, server, network router, switch or bridge, or any device capable of executing a set of instructions (continuously or otherwise) that specifies the actions to be taken by that device. Additionally, the term "computer" should include any collection of computers that independently or jointly execute a set of instructions (or multiple sets of instructions) to perform any one or more methods described herein.

[0102] In another aspect, the computer system 1100 includes a processing device 1102 that communicates with each other via a bus 1108, volatile memory 1104 (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile memory 1106 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM) or electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM)), and data storage device 1118.

[0103] In some embodiments, the processing device 1102 may be provided by one or more processors, such as general-purpose processors (e.g., complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessors, reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessors, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessors, microprocessors implementing other types of instruction sets, or microprocessors implementing combinations of various types of instruction sets) or special-purpose processors (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or network processors).

[0104] In some embodiments, the computer system 1100 further includes a network interface device 1122 (e.g., coupled to a network 1174). In some embodiments, the computer system 1100 also includes a video display unit 1110 (e.g., an LCD), an alphanumeric input device 1112 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 1114 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generating device 1120.

[0105] In some embodiments, the data storage device 1118 includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 1124, on which are stored instructions 1126 encoding any one or more of the methods or functions described herein. For example, instructions 1126 may include instructions for controlling the movement of a platform and / or a digital lithography exposure unit (“exposure unit”) of a digital lithography system, which, when executed, may implement the method for performing exposure unit boundary smoothing as described herein.

[0106] In some embodiments, the instructions 1126 are also wholly or partially residing in the volatile memory 1104 and / or the processing device 1102 during the execution of the instructions 1126 by the computer system 1100. Therefore, in some embodiments, the volatile memory 1104 and the processing device 1102 may also constitute a machine-readable storage medium.

[0107] Although computer-readable storage media 1124 is illustrated as a single medium in the illustrative example, the term "computer-readable storage media" should include single or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of executable instructions. The term "computer-readable storage media" should also include any tangible medium capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for execution by a computer, which causes the computer to perform any one or more of the methods described herein. The term "computer-readable storage media" should include, but is not limited to, solid-state memory, optical media, and magnetic media.

[0108] In some embodiments, the methods, components, and features described herein may be implemented through discrete hardware components or integrated into the functionality of other hardware components, such as ASICs, FPGAs, DSPs, or similar devices. In some embodiments, the methods, components, and features may be implemented through firmware modules or functional circuitry within hardware devices. In some embodiments, the methods, components, and features may be implemented as any combination of hardware devices and computer program components, or as a computer program.

[0109] Unless otherwise specifically stated, terms such as “training,” “identifying,” “further training,” “retraining,” “causing,” “receiving,” “providing,” “obtaining,” “optimizing,” “determining,” “updating,” “initializing,” “generating,” “adding,” or similar refer to actions and processes performed or implemented by a computer system that manipulate and transform data representing physical (electronic) quantities in the registers and memories of a computer system into other data representing physical quantities similarly represented in the memory or registers of a computer system or other such information storage, transmission, or display devices. In some embodiments, as used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc., mean markers distinguishing different elements and do not have ordinal meaning based on the numerical naming of the elements.

[0110] The examples described herein also relate to an apparatus for performing the methods described herein. In some embodiments, this apparatus is specifically configured to perform the methods described herein, or includes a general-purpose computer system selectively programmed by a computer program stored in a computer system. Such a computer program is stored in a computer-readable tangible storage medium.

[0111] The methods and illustrative examples described herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other device. In some embodiments, various general-purpose systems are used in accordance with the teachings described herein. In some embodiments, more specialized devices are configured to perform each of the methods described herein and / or their individual functions, routines, subroutines, or operations. Examples of structures for various such systems are set forth in the foregoing description.

[0112] The foregoing description sets forth several specific details, such as examples of specific systems, components, methods, etc., to provide a good understanding of several embodiments of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least some embodiments of the invention can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known components or methods are not described in detail and are provided in a simple block diagram format to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Therefore, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. Specific implementations may be modified from these exemplary details and still contemplated within the scope of the invention.

[0113] Throughout this specification, references to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, the phrase "in an embodiment" appearing in various places throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusionary "or". When the terms "about" or "approximately" are used herein, it is intended to mean that the provided nominal values ​​are accurate within ±10%.

[0114] Although the operations of the methods described herein are illustrated and described in a specific order, the order of operations for each method may be changed, such that some operations may be performed in reverse order, or that some operations may be performed at least partially concurrently with other operations. In another embodiment, instructions or sub-operations of different operations may be performed intermittently and / or alternately.

[0115] It will be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Many other implementation examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. Although specific examples have been described in this disclosure, it will be appreciated that the systems and methods of this disclosure are not limited to the examples described herein, but may be practiced with modifications within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. Consequently, the scope of this disclosure should be determined by referring to the appended claims together with the full scope of their equivalents.

Claims

1. A digital lithography system, comprising: Multiple scanning areas, including a first scanning area and a second scanning area adjacent to the first scanning area; Multiple exposure units are positioned above the multiple scanning areas, the multiple exposure units including a first exposure unit associated with the first scanning area and a second exposure unit associated with the second scanning area; Memory; and At least one processing device is operatively coupled to the memory to perform operations including: The initial digital lithography process is used to pattern a substrate placed on a platform according to instructions, wherein the digital lithography process is a multi-round process comprising multiple rounds; and During the digital lithography process, as part of the multi-round process, exposure unit boundary shifting is performed to shift the exposure unit boundary for each round of exposure unit shifting, while exposure unit boundary smoothing is performed at least with respect to the first exposure unit and the second exposure unit.

2. The digital lithography system of claim 1, wherein the first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the same bridge, and wherein performing the exposure unit boundary shift comprises: The first round of the multi-round process is executed; In response to the execution of the first round, a vertical boundary shift is performed; and In response to performing the vertical boundary shift, the second round of the multi-round process is executed.

3. The digital lithography system as described in claim 1, wherein: The first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the first bridge; The plurality of scanning regions further includes a third scanning region and a fourth scanning region adjacent to the third scanning region; The plurality of exposure units further include a third exposure unit associated with the third scanning region and a fourth exposure unit associated with the fourth scanning region, the third exposure unit and the fourth exposure unit being attached to a second bridge adjacent to the first bridge; as well as Performing the exposure unit boundary shift includes performing the multiple rounds according to a blending specification indicating the total number of doses to be performed during the multiple rounds of the process through the first exposure unit, the second exposure unit, the third exposure unit, and the fourth exposure unit in the corresponding regions.

4. The digital lithography system of claim 1, wherein performing the exposure unit boundary smoothing includes performing dose mixing around the boundary between the first scan region and the second scan region.

5. The digital lithography system of claim 4, wherein the first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the same bridge, and wherein performing the dose mixing includes causing the first exposure unit to contribute a first percentage of the total dose to the mixing region and the second exposure unit to contribute a second percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, such that the sum of the first percentage and the second percentage equals 100%.

6. The digital lithography system as described in claim 4, wherein: The first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the first bridge; The plurality of scanning regions further includes a third scanning region and a fourth scanning region adjacent to the third scanning region; The plurality of exposure units further include a third exposure unit associated with the third scanning region and a fourth exposure unit associated with the fourth scanning region, the third exposure unit and the fourth exposure unit being attached to a second bridge adjacent to the first bridge; as well as Performing the dose mixing includes having the first exposure unit contribute a first percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, the second exposure unit contribute a second percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, the third exposure unit contribute a third percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, and the fourth exposure unit contribute a fourth percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, such that the sum of the first percentage, the second percentage, the third percentage, and the fourth percentage equals 100%.

7. A system for performing a digital lithography process, comprising: Memory; and At least one processing device is operatively coupled to the memory to perform operations including: The digital lithography process is initiated to pattern a substrate according to instructions, wherein the digital lithography process is a multi-round process comprising multiple rounds; and During the digital lithography process, as part of the multi-round process, exposure unit boundary shifting is performed to shift the exposure unit boundary for each round of exposure unit, while exposure unit boundary smoothing is performed at least with respect to the first exposure unit of the plurality of exposure units and the second exposure unit of the plurality of exposure units, wherein the first exposure unit corresponds to a first scan region of the plurality of scan regions and the second exposure unit corresponds to a second scan region of the plurality of scan regions adjacent to the first scan region.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the same bridge, and wherein performing the exposure unit boundary shift comprises: The first round of the multi-round process is executed; In response to the execution of the first round, a vertical boundary shift is performed; and In response to performing the vertical boundary shift, the second round of the multi-round process is executed.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein: The first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the first bridge; The plurality of exposure units further include a third exposure unit associated with a third scanning region and a fourth exposure unit associated with a fourth scanning region adjacent to the third scanning region, the third exposure unit and the fourth exposure unit being attached to a second bridge adjacent to the first bridge; as well as Performing the exposure unit boundary shift includes performing the multiple rounds according to a blending specification indicating the total number of doses to be performed during the multiple rounds of the process through the first exposure unit, the second exposure unit, the third exposure unit, and the fourth exposure unit in the corresponding regions.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein: Implementing the exposure unit boundary smoothing includes performing dose mixing around the boundary between the first scan region and the second scan region; The first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the same bridge; as well as Performing the dose mixing involves causing the first exposure unit to contribute a first percentage of the total dose to the mixing region and the second exposure unit to contribute a second percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, such that the sum of the first percentage and the second percentage equals 100%.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein: Implementing the exposure unit boundary smoothing includes performing dose mixing around the boundary between the first scan region and the second scan region; The first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the first bridge; The plurality of scanning regions further includes a third scanning region and a fourth scanning region adjacent to the third scanning region; The plurality of exposure units further include a third exposure unit associated with the third scanning region and a fourth exposure unit associated with the fourth scanning region, the third exposure unit and the fourth exposure unit being attached to a second bridge adjacent to the first bridge; as well as Performing the dose mixing includes having the first exposure unit contribute a first percentage of the total dose to a mixing region, the second exposure unit contribute a second percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, the third exposure unit contribute a third percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, and the fourth exposure unit contribute a fourth percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, such that the sum of the first percentage, the second percentage, the third percentage, and the fourth percentage equals 100%.

12. A digital lithography method, comprising: A digital lithography process is initiated using a processing device to pattern a substrate according to instructions, wherein the digital lithography process is a multi-round process comprising multiple rounds; and As part of the multi-round process, the processing device performs exposure unit boundary shifting during the digital lithography process to shift the exposure unit boundary for each round of the exposure unit, while performing exposure unit boundary smoothing at least with respect to the first exposure unit of the plurality of exposure units and the second exposure unit of the plurality of exposure units, wherein the first exposure unit corresponds to a first scan region of the plurality of scan regions and the second exposure unit corresponds to a second scan region of the plurality of scan regions adjacent to the first scan region.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the same bridge, and wherein performing the exposure unit boundary shift comprises: The first round of the multi-round process is executed; In response to the execution of the first round, a vertical boundary shift is performed; and In response to performing the vertical boundary shift, the second round of the multi-round process is executed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein implementing the exposure unit boundary smoothing comprises: performing dose mixing around the boundary between the first scan region and the second scan region.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the same bridge, and wherein performing the dose mixing comprises: causing the first exposure unit to contribute a first percentage of the total dose to the mixing region and the second exposure unit to contribute a second percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, such that the sum of the first percentage and the second percentage equals 100%.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein: The first exposure unit and the second exposure unit are attached to the first bridge; The plurality of scanning regions further includes a third scanning region and a fourth scanning region adjacent to the third scanning region; The plurality of exposure units further include a third exposure unit associated with the third scanning region and a fourth exposure unit associated with the fourth scanning region, the third exposure unit and the fourth exposure unit being attached to a second bridge adjacent to the first bridge; as well as Performing the dose mixing includes: having the first exposure unit contribute a first percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, the second exposure unit contribute a second percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, the third exposure unit contribute a third percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, and the fourth exposure unit contribute a fourth percentage of the total dose to the mixing region, such that the sum of the first percentage, the second percentage, the third percentage, and the fourth percentage equals 100%.

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