High-resolution photolithography

Abstract

A device, system, and method for high-resolution photolithography may include a mounting stage for receiving a substrate in a fixed position to receive light projected for photolithography, a photoprocessing system for projecting light onto the mounting stage for photolithography on the substrate, and a positioning system for adjusting the relative positioning between the photoprocessing system and the mounting stage. A control system for performing the high-resolution photolithography operation is configured to determine the relative positioning between the photoprocessing system and the mounting stage and to manage the operation of the positioning system for adjusting the relative positioning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-reference This patent application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 471,336, filed on June 6, 2023, under the name "HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY", the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for photolithography. More specifically, this disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for high-resolution photolithography.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a high-resolution photolithography system may include a mounting stage for receiving a substrate in a fixed position for receiving the projected light for photolithography, an optical processing system for projecting light onto the mounting stage for photolithography on the substrate, a positioning system for adjusting the relative positioning between the optical processing system and the mounting stage, and a control system for performing the operation of high-resolution photolithography. The control system may be configured to determine the relative positioning between the optical processing system and the mounting stage and to manage the operation of the positioning system for adjusting the relative positioning.

[0004] In some embodiments, the photoprocessing system may include at least one digital light projector (DLP) which includes a digital micromirror device (DMD) chipset containing a plurality of micromirrors. The control system may be configured to calibrate the DLP with respect to illuminance by defining a correction profile corresponding to the duty cycle of each of the plurality of micromirrors. The control system may be configured to define the correction profile by setting the duty cycle to 100% for one of the micromirrors having the lowest intrinsic intensity as a reference micromirror. The control system may be configured to determine the duty cycle for the other micromirrors by comparison with the reference micromirror.

[0005] In some embodiments, the control system may be configured to support illumination uniformity within approximately ±5% of the average illumination over at least 95% of the DLP's illumination area. The control system may encode the determined duty cycle for each micromirror directly onto the DMD chipset. The control system may be configured to define multiple grayscale images from the original image. The control system may be configured to manage the projection of consecutive grayscale images from the photoprocessing system onto the mounting stage to construct image-by-image prints of the original image onto the substrate.

[0006] In some embodiments, the control system may be configured to perform autofocus by managing the projection of a predetermined pattern from the optical processing system onto a mounting stage for projection onto a substrate, capturing an image of the pattern on the substrate with the projection on it, and decomposing the captured image of the pattern into spatial frequency amplitudes. The control system may be configured to manage the adjustment of the focal plane of the DLP based on the spatial frequency amplitudes of the captured image. The configuration for managing the adjustment of the focal plane may include a configuration for managing at least one of the following: adjusting the z position of the optical projection system relative to the mounting stage, adjusting the camera exposure of the substrate by the time of light propagation, and maximizing the contrast at the edges of the predetermined pattern.

[0007] In some embodiments, the control system may be configured to perform tip-tilt adjustment, which includes managing a positioning system for a photoprocessing system relative to a mounting stage, so as to focus on at least two different portions of the substrate and to adjust the z-position of the photoprojection system relative to the mounting stage with respect to each of the at least two different portions of the substrate for autofocus. The at least two different portions may include at least two different peripheral portions of the substrate. Performing tip-tilt adjustment may include managing the positioning system for tip-tilt, which includes rotation of the mounting stage about at least one of the X, Y, and Z axes.

[0008] In some embodiments, the high-resolution photolithography system may further include a sample environment control feedback system for precisely controlling the temperature and humidity of the environment for patterning on a substrate. In some embodiments, the system may further include a sample environment control system for introducing one or more fluids for patterning on a substrate. The sample environment control system may include a sealed chamber received by a mounting stage for receiving a substrate, and a fluid engineering system for selectively introducing one or more fluids into the sealed chamber for patterning on the substrate.

[0009] In some embodiments, the fluid engineering system may include several fluid reservoirs and a fluid flow control system for controlling the injection of one or more fluids into a sealed chamber. The fluid control system may include one or more fluid chip modules for processing the fluids before injection into the sealed chamber. The control system may be configured to manage the operation of one or more fluid chip modules for multi-stage printing. At least one of the one or more fluid chip modules may be a microfluidic chip module. In some embodiments, the fluid engineering system may include a mixing chamber for mixing two or more fluids under the control of the control system.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a high-resolution photolithography method may include defining one or more images for printing on at least one sample substrate by a photoprocessing system; aligning the photoprocessing system with at least one sample substrate received on a mounting stage, wherein a control system determines the relative positioning between the photoprocessing system and the mounting stage and manages the operation of a positioning system to adjust the relative positioning; and printing one or more images by projecting light from the photoprocessing system onto the substrate.

[0011] In some embodiments, the alignment step may include autofocusing. Autofocusing may involve projecting a predetermined pattern from the photoprocessing system onto a mounting stage, capturing an image of the pattern onto a substrate having the projection on it, decomposing the captured image of the pattern into spatial frequency amplitudes, and adjusting the focal plane of the DLP of the photoprocessing system by a control system based on the spatial frequency amplitudes of the captured image.

[0012] In some embodiments, the alignment step may include tip-tilt adjustment. Tip-tilt adjustment may include focusing on at least two different portions of the sample substrate and adjusting the Z position of the light projection system relative to the mounting stage with respect to each of the at least two different portions of the substrate for autofocus. The at least two different portions include at least two different peripheral portions of the substrate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the printing step may include injecting one or more fluids into a sealed chamber of the mounting stage by a fluid engineering system. The printing step may also include, in conjunction with DLP projection, printing a high-resolution, wide-area, high-fidelity DNA microarray onto a glass substrate of arbitrary dimensions by injecting the fluids into the sealed fluid chamber. The printing step may be performed after tip-tilt adjustment and autofocus.

[0014] In some embodiments, the printing step may include microfabrication of microfluidic devices, other fluidic devices, sensors, wearable electronic devices, microelectronics, microlenses, metamaterials, microrobots, and microarray fabrication by photopatterning and / or in-situ photosynthesis and / or tissue engineering. In some embodiments, the compatible material includes, but is not limited to, commercially available photoresists, hydrogels, biomolecules, polymers, and / or any other suitable photoresponsive material. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] (Schematic Figure 1) Perspective view of a high-resolution photolithography system. [Figure 2] (Schematic Figure 2) This figure shows the luminosity profiles of the high-resolution photolithography system in Figure 1, with the uncorrected profile (left) and the corrected profile (right). [Figure 3] (Schematic Figure 3) This is a flowchart illustrating the fluid dynamics of the high-resolution photolithography system shown in Figures 1 and 2. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is an elevation view of a fluid engineering system for achieving precise control of the fluid introduced into the sample / substrate of interest, which is addressed by a high-resolution photolithography system. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a close perspective view of the mounting stage for the high-resolution photolithography system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] In this disclosure, devices, systems, and methods for high-resolution photolithography systems are described. For example, maskless photolithography tools can enable patterning of photoresponsive materials over a wide range of surfaces and at high resolution. Referring to Figure 1, a high-resolution photolithography system 12 includes a digital photoprocessing system 14, which is exemplary embodied as a digital photoprocessing unit (DLP) (forming a UV projector) mounted on a Z-axis motor-driven stage 16 for focusing. A mounting stage 18, which exemplary defines a sample holder, is exemplary oriented below the DLP (which may include either a substrate chuck (e.g., a vacuum chuck) or a custom fluid exchange cell) mounted on a positioning system 20 which exemplary includes a high-resolution XY platform (stage) 22 (which may include either a substrate chuck (e.g., a vacuum chuck) or a custom fluid exchange cell) to deal with the sample area and the Z-axis motor stage 16. The system exemplary includes a tip / tilt stage incorporated into the sample area assembly to allow adjustment of the sample for parallelism with the projected light. The system exemplifies a rotating stage that allows for adjustment of the sample for orthogonality with light projection and / or for in-registry printing. The system includes a control system 24 configured for overall operation by processor instructions, which may be embodied as an integrated or external computer processor and auxiliary devices.

[0017] In embodiments, the system includes a digital light processing unit (DLP) capable of achieving high illumination uniformity. For example, high illumination uniformity may include output within more than 95% of the illuminated area, standardized to be within approximately ±5% of the average. The system exemplary includes a selectable objective lens for specific applications and multi-source (e.g., LED, laser, fiber optic, etc.) illumination. In embodiments, the multi-source is a dual LED source, but in some embodiments, it may include any suitable number and / or method of power sources. DLP typically includes a DMD chipset (e.g., 0.95”, 1920×1080 pixels, or another equivalent). The DMD chipset typically includes a custom projection lens assembly capable of achieving high contrast and / or highly uniform image quality across the entire projection area. High-resolution photolithography systems also utilize custom optics, such as light uniformizing rods to enhance brightness and / or projection uniformity, RTIR prisms, and / or TIR or RTIR prisms used to illuminate the DMD and transmit the image into the projection optics.

[0018] DLPs are calibrated with a correction profile to ensure the best possible illumination uniformity for each DLP. Calibration with a correction profile is typically performed, for example, by capturing the intrinsic intensity profile from the DMD at the DLP focus using a beam profiler. The delivered output may be determined at the focus of each individual DMD mirror. The captured intrinsic intensity profile can be programmatically standardized by adjusting the duty cycle of each individual mirror. For example, each DMD mirror can be directed to send light downwards towards the sample during a certain percentage of its "ON" state, while its "OFF" state prevents the light from propagating downwards towards the sample.

[0019] By setting the DMD mirror (pixel) with the lowest intrinsic intensity (PX1) to a 100% duty cycle (i.e., this pixel is set to be in its "ON" state for 100% of the time), all other pixels can be "changed" to produce the same intensity as PX1 by reducing their duty cycle in proportion to their intrinsic output, as shown in Figure 2. 10.00 μm, 5.00 mm, 1.25 mm, or any other suitable size can be achieved by selecting objective lenses of various magnifications. The DLP is configured to provide multi-wavelength illumination achieved by a dual LED illumination design (e.g., 365 nm, 385 nm, 405 nm, 460 nm, 532 nm). In some embodiments, visual monitoring can be achieved by, for example, a CCD camera or CMOS camera to enable in-registry alignment to existing structures for real-time imaging of the sample and / or for various patterning applications.

[0020] In some embodiments, grayscale patterning can be applied to enable the precise printing of any image profile containing the shapes and / or sizes of various features across the surface of the substrate. A similar principle used to induce intensity calibration of each DLP can be applied in combination with image superposition to print fine features at high resolution. Such features may be unattainable otherwise by combining square pixels. Grayscale patterning includes the ability to adjust the duty cycle of each individual pixel of the DMD chipset. Such adjustments can be performed simultaneously by uploading a grayscale image.

[0021] For example, a grayscale image can encode the duty cycle of each DMD pixel that directly defines an image for the DMD (anywhere from 0% to 100%). First, an image of the desired printed feature can be received; for example, uploaded. A single grayscale image c an bed ecomposed into a plurality of grayscale images (e.g., multiple bit planes as 1-bit images), calibrated, and a final printed result can be achieved. Decomposing an image into a series of grayscale images (bit planes) allows for fine-tuning of the exposure dose at the substrate surface for each pixel and can allow for fine-tuning of feature growth when each bit plane is projected continuously onto the substrate surface. Finally, the bit planes are projected continuously onto the substrate to build per-image printing and achieve the final desired print.

[0022] In an embodiment, a high-resolution XYZ translation stage can adjust the DLP position relative to the sample to align the focus of the projection onto the sample and / or to quickly pattern multiple projection patterns by combining multiple sub-cm 2 projection regions. In an embodiment, relative XY movement occurs by movement of the sample stage, while Z movement occurs by movement of the DLP itself, although in some embodiments, movement in any of the X, Y, or Z dimensions can occur by either or both of the sample stage or the DLP. Customizable calibration can enable fully arbitrary movement of OEM components and enable surface patterning that occurs on various sample types, such as standard microscope slides, 4" silicon wafers, 6" silicon wafers, and / or custom sizes of larger or smaller sizes limited only by the maximum travel distance of the configured translation stage. Additionally, an integrated autofocus technique can be applied to OEM hardware for a seamless "stitching" of multiple high-precision projections, enabling repeatable high-precision photolithography.

[0023] In the embodiment, autofocus may include uploading a periodic square pattern to the DMD (e.g., 48 squares × 27 squares, where each square is 20 pixels × 20 pixels spaced 20 pixels apart in a 1920 × 1080 DMD), and projecting this pattern onto the center of the sample, approximately in focus, so that the camera can capture an image on the surface. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is performed on the image to decompose the periodic square pattern in spatial coordinates into elements of spatial frequency. The FFT thus transforms the image from plane "x and y" coordinates to "1 / x and 1 / y" frequency amplitudes. If the square pattern is in the desired / high focus, the FFT image data is divided into periods between each square (e.g., 1 / 40 pixels) so that the pattern shows its best contrast. -1 This describes high-amplitude signals at spatial frequencies defined by ). Outside the desired / high-focus area, the FFT image data describes the reduced amplitude and / or transition to lower spatial frequencies.

[0024] FFT image data can be combined with a Z-axis motor-driven stage in feedback. The focal plane of the DLP can be adjusted to a high focus on the sample surface. In some embodiments, autofocus includes optimizing the Z-axis position of the DLP relative to the maximum intensity of a square pattern, coordinating the LED exposure of the sample with the camera (i.e., calculating the distance of the sample from the focus by measuring the time it takes for light to propagate from the sample to the camera), and / or maximizing the contrast at the edges of the projected square. In some embodiments, autofocus can be achieved by applying a laser to accurately determine the time it takes for light to reflect from the sample to the camera, through-lens secondary image registration (TTL SIR) where two images of the DMD image overlap on the camera and optimal focus is achieved when both images are perfectly overlapped, and applying an infrared (IR) light source to triangulate the position of the substrate surface with the camera. Such techniques can be incorporated to further enhance high-precision autofocus, and should meet experimental and / or practical needs. An accurate motor-driven rotary stage (<0.001° resolution) can enable the ability to align sample features to the translation axes of the system. The stage can be adjusted manually for rough alignment followed by accurate adjustment by user input and / or an automatic alignment program.

[0025] The tip-tilt stage enables parallel alignment of the XY plane of the sample with respect to the XY plane of the DLP and can maintain focus throughout the patterning area. Alignment of the tip-tilt stage can combine real-time feedback from the camera / autofocus detailed in the previous section with an accurately motor-driven (<0.001° resolution) tip-tilt stage.

[0026] In the embodiment, tip-tilt alignment can perform autofocus at the center of the sample plane to resolve the Z-axis position of the DLP for optimal focus, and the Z-axis position can be recorded. The sample stage can be moved relative to the DLP toward the outer edge of the sample in the XY plane, and autofocus can be repeated so that the new Z-axis position of the DLP is recorded when optimal focus is achieved toward the outer edge. This process can be repeated multiple times along the edge of the sample. For example, a total of five data points can be produced: one data point at the center of the sample and four data points orthogonal along the outer edge of the sample.

[0027] Five data points can be programmatically evaluated to determine the relative orientation of the sample surface to the DLP focal plane. A motor-driven tip-tilt stage can be used to adjust the sample surface to better match the DLP focal plane. This process can be repeated until the autofocus protocol produces five equal Z-axis data points, thereby ensuring that both surfaces match across the entire sample surface. Approximate adjustments to the substrate surface can be applied during the initial steps, and five adjustments may be performed until a suitable orientation is achieved. The tip-tilt stage, in conjunction with the rotation and XYZ stages, can achieve 6-axis alignment of the sample relative to the projected image, enabling in-registry printing where the user or an automated program can perfectly align the sample features to the projected image.

[0028] In another example, tip-tilt alignment can resolve the Z-axis position of the DLP for optimal focus, enabling autofocus on the periphery of the sample surface, and the Z-axis position can be recorded. The sample stage can be moved relative to the DLP in the XY plane around the periphery of the sample so that a new Z-axis position of the DLP is recorded when optimal focus is achieved with respect to the periphery, and autofocus can be repeated. This process can be repeated multiple times along the edge of the sample. For example, the sum of three data points can be generated along the periphery of the sample defining a rectangle on the sample surface.

[0029] Three data points are evaluated by the program to accurately determine the relative orientation of the sample surface with respect to the DLP focal plane. The evaluation generates two new XYZ positions, XYZ1 and XYZ2, on the substrate, which can be reached by the XYZ translation stage. The motor-driven tip-tilt stage and the XYZ translation stage work together using XYZ1 and XYZ2 to adjust the sample surface to better match the DLP focal plane. The motor-driven tip-tilt stage finely adjusts the sample so that it is in plane with the DLP, first at XYZ1 and second at XYZ2. This can produce three equal Z-axis data points, thereby confirming that both sides match across the entire sample surface. The tip-tilt stage, working in conjunction with the rotation stage and the XYZ stage, can achieve 6-axis alignment of the sample with respect to the projected image, enabling in-registry printing where the user or an automated program can perfectly align the sample features with the projected image.

[0030] In the embodiments, the sample holder is configured to utilize a vacuum chuck for selectively direct mounting of samples, or a sealed sample chamber that allows control of a fluid environment (liquid and / or gaseous) for in-situ photochemical patterning. The vacuum chuck component is configured to hold various sample types, such as 4 / 5-inch silicon wafers, microscope slides, and / or custom sample sizes. The sealed sample chamber is configured as a custom component designed for in-situ synthesis (i.e., synthesis of oligonucleotide sequences, peptide sequences, etc.) and / or multiplexed surface patterning (i.e., patterning multiple different materials adjacent to each other and / or simultaneously).

[0031] Furthermore, temperature control of the substrate can be achieved by using a thermoelectric heating element positioned directly beneath the selected sample holder or substrate chuck. The thermoelectric heating element can operate within a feedback loop using a controller (e.g., PID), enabling precise temperature control across the substrate surface.

[0032] Within this disclosure, the system exemplifies a realignment capability for in-registry printing, where the sample can be realigned to the system within tolerances indicated by hardware precision (e.g., 0.100 μm) after misalignment, such as being removed from the system and returned to its original position for in-registry printing. In this embodiment, in-plane alignment (tip-tilt and Z-axis) can be achieved using the aforementioned FFT autofocus and / or parallel alignment techniques. The system can record the absolute position of a reference mark or feature on the sample that defines the origin of a user-accessible coordinate system. In some embodiments, the position of this reference mark or feature can be specified manually, and the user can access the camera feed and input X, Y, and / or rotation adjustments to the system until the overlay on top of the camera feed (e.g., alignment grid) is aligned with the image of the sample feature. In some embodiments, this mark alignment may also be performed partially or entirely algorithmically, with the algorithm processing the camera output, defining the position, and / or automatically determining the rotation offset of the feature.

[0033] A sample environment control system may enable the introduction of multiple different fluids (e.g., one or more: e.g., 1, 2, 10, 100, or any other suitable number of fluids) into a sample. Each fluid may be used for single-step patterning or multi-step printing (i.e., multilayer printing, where each subsequent layer may be identical or patterned with different materials at once). Furthermore, the system may include fluid engineering functions, including microfluidics, which can enable mixing of multiple (e.g., 10 or more) different fluids in customizable combinations (e.g., fluids 1, 2, and 3; fluids 1, 2, and 4; or any other suitable combination).

[0034] The sample environment control system may enable the introduction of one or more different fluids into a sealed chamber, for example, in precise microliter volumes. The one or more fluids may be photopatterned using a DLP system (e.g., ultraviolet irradiation) in single-step or multi-step printing (i.e., multilayer printing, where each subsequent layer may be identical or patterned with different materials at once). The system may enable mixing of one or more different fluids in any combination (e.g., fluids 1 and 2, fluids 1, 2 and 3, or any other possible combination) and in any proportion (e.g., fluids 1 and 2 mixed in a 1:3 ratio, or fluids 1, 2 and 3 mixed in a 1:2:3 ratio, or any other possible combination). This mixing may be achieved using a computer-controlled manifold that works in conjunction with a fluid feedback controller and / or sensors, enabling any fluid control as disclosed previously.

[0035] The sample environment control system can enable pattern formation on substrates of any size used within a sealed fluid chamber. Standard microscope glass slides, 1"×1" glass slides, 2"×2" glass slides, etc., can be fitted into the sealed fluid chamber for printing while exposed to microliters or milliliters of a single fluid or a mixture of fluids. In addition, substrates of any composition other than glass (e.g., silicon) can be used for fluid photolithography.

[0036] The manifold may consist of a syringe pump driven by a pressure pump, a peristaltic pump, and / or a fluid reservoir, a fluid sensor / controller, and / or a switching valve. The control operation may provide adjustment for selecting the fluid to be injected. The system may include one or more fluid tip modules that process the fluid (e.g., micromixers that process the fluid modularly before injection into a sample chamber (e.g., mixing, reaction, etc.)). This fluid engineering system may be configured to circulate reagents or access products created in a previous patterning step. Fluid circulation may be arranged so that unreacted fluid from the sample chamber can be directed to another fluid chamber and / or to another system for use. This redirection may effectively allow multiple fluid chambers or systems to be "daisy-chained" together, reducing wastewater and / or increasing printing efficiency and / or printing processing capacity. The system may include a gas control manifold in which a gas pressurization setting or pump setting is selected and / or controlled by a computer-operated flow regulator and / or valve to satisfy a specific pressure and / or flow rate determined by the user and measured by a system inline component. The control operation may allow the gas to be introduced and mixed by the computer-operated flow regulator and / or valve, as disclosed previously.

[0037] For example, a high-resolution photolithography system may include, exemplary, a fluid engineering system that includes a computer-controlled air pump, peristaltic pump, and / or syringe pump-driven manifold, working in conjunction with a fluid feedback controller and / or sensor capable of achieving precise control of fluid delivery. The manifold may, exemplary, consist of a pressure pump, peristaltic pump, and / or syringe pump-driven reservoir, a fluid sensor / controller, and / or a switching valve for selecting the fluid to be injected. The fluid engineering system may exemplary include a microfluidic chip module that modularly processes the fluid before injection into the sample chamber (e.g., mixing, reaction, etc.). The fluid engineering system may be configured to circulate reagents or access products created in a previous patterning step. The fluid engineering system can be made more chemically compatible by applying only highly chemically resistant materials (e.g., PEEK, Teflon®, glass, etc.), and the dead volume of the entire system can be reduced by incorporating small (<1 mm) ID tubes and / or low dead volume components. These features can introduce high cycle performance, reliability, versatility, and / or ease of use. The fluid engineering system can incorporate a gas control manifold in which a gas pressurization setting or pump setting is selected and controlled by computer-operated flow regulators and / or valves to meet a specific pressure and / or flow rate determined by the user and measured by system inline components.

[0038] Within this disclosure, control operations may be included to enable the integrated operation of modules that manage, where applicable, the stage, DLP, and fluids, enabling fully automated, all or partly user-controlled alignment, pattern design and / or upload, patterning sequence determination, and / or pattern completion. The user interface is exemplary, consisting of a sequence of pages corresponding to the stages involved in preparing and executing print. For example, the sequence may generally follow three main pages (i.e., define, align, print), but additional functions may be present.

[0039] On the definition page, users can upload a file containing a single image or a series of images in a standard grayscale format that define the layers of a print. These layers can be previewed sequentially to provide a clear image of the image composition. Users can programmatically specify print parameters by creating and / or naming layer definitions (which are then assigned to the desired print layers by the user). These layer definitions may include parameters for each layer, such as gas or fluid selection, flow rate, LED wavelength, LED exposure, intensity, and / or additional post-processing parameters (e.g., fluid washing step, culture, etc.). The layer definition or entire print composition can be exported in a standard file format and re-uploaded for use in any subsequent print. The user interface can incorporate custom scripts that can determine the print order at the time of upload. Users can download the order determined by the GUI in script format, save it for future use, modify it, and / or re-upload it. Visual representations of the steps and / or associated parameters that determine the print order may be presented for user confirmation.

[0040] On the alignment page, users can manually align samples with full control over the DLP and all motor-driven stages in the system, using the DLP's integrated live camera feed as feedback for relative and / or absolute positioning. Users can also utilize automated autofocus functions for in-plane alignment and / or registry alignment, where the system's coordinate system may be redefined relative to it. The interface integrates with custom user-defined scripts to provide access to commands that facilitate automated alignment for raw camera output and / or associated system evaluation criteria, as well as positioning evaluation criteria and / or specific use cases (e.g., sample scanning, sample inspection, alignment to user-defined reference marks, etc.). System procedures such as autofocus processing, in-plane alignment processing, and / or registry alignment processing can be invoked and executed as subroutines.

[0041] On the print page, the user can perform printing. The user may be presented with a visual representation of the relevant parameters included in the steps and / or print sequence. During printing, a preview of the parameters included in the print sequence and / or the current image may be patterned, and any live evaluation criteria such as flow rate may be displayed. The user can pause printing, in which case the entire process remains idle until the user resumes printing. The user can stop printing, and in some embodiments, this may return the stage to its initial position, remove any fluid or pressurized gas in the sample chamber, and / or return the system to its initial state.

[0042] The application space includes, but is not limited to, microfluidic devices, other fluid engineering devices, sensors, and / or wearable electronic devices, microelectronics, microlenses, metamaterials, microrobot microfabrication, and microarray fabrication (e.g., DNA, peptides, carbohydrates) by photopatterning and / or in-situ photosynthesis, and / or tissue engineering. Compatible materials include, but are not limited to, commercial photoresists, hydrogels, biomolecules, polymers, and / or any other suitable photoresponsive materials.

[0043] Referring to Figure 4, the fluid engineering system exemplary includes capacity for up to 10 fluid reservoirs 28 (some reservoir openings are available exemplary with associated tubing). Each reservoir 28 can be maintained at a desired pressure by a pressure regulator 30, exemplary from the same 2-bar priming pressure from the same pressure source. A waste reservoir 32 may be available for waste material / fluid. Exemplarily, three fluid valves 34 may supply the flow of up to three fluids. A pressure manifold 36 may enable pressurization of each reservoir 28, independent of the pressure source. A mixer 38 can receive two or more fluids from the valves 34 and mix the fluids upstream of delivery to the sealed sample chamber 38 of the mounting stage.

[0044] Referring to Figure 5, a high-resolution photolithography system is shown with integrated fluid engineering, including an objective lens for a digital light projection (DLP) system 14 that focuses a DMD projection onto the substrate, a mounting stage 18 for the substrate, a fluid engineering environment sample holder 38 (with fluid inlet and outlet lines shown) embodied herein, a positioning system 20 (X and Y axes) exemplifyingly supporting the mounting stage 18 for moving the DLP projection across the printed surface of the substrate, and a tip / tilt system 21 of the positioning system 20 for adjusting the angular offset between the DLP and the mounting stage 18 (and thus the printed surface of the substrate).

[0045] Devices, systems, and / or methods within this disclosure may implement control systems for their disclosed operations. Such control systems may include, for example, one or more processors embodied as a microprocessor, a memory for storing instructions for execution by the processors, and a communication circuit for performing various operations according to the processors. Suitable processor examples may include, in particular, one or more microprocessors, integrated circuits, and system-on-a-chip (SoCs). Suitable memory examples may include, in particular, one or more primary and / or non-primary storage devices (e.g., secondary, tertiary, etc.), persistent storage devices, semi-persistent storage devices, and / or temporary storage devices, as well as / or memory storage devices including, but not limited to, hard drives (e.g., magnetic, solid-state), arbitrary disks (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD-ROM), RAM (e.g., DRAM, SRAM, DRDRAM), ROM (e.g., PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash EEPROM), volatile memory, and / or non-volatile memory. The communication circuit may include components to facilitate processor operation, for example, suitable components may include transmitters, receivers, modulators, demodulators, filters, modems, analog-to-digital (AD or DA) converters, diodes, switches, operational amplifiers, and / or integrated circuits. An AI and / or machine learning implementation may include instructions stored in memory for execution by the processor for the disclosed operation. An AI and / or machine learning implementation may be embodied as one or more of the following suitable methods: a model (such as any suitable method, e.g., unrestricted, managed learning model, semi-managed learning model, and / or an unmanaged learning model (such as linear regression, logistic regression, decision tree, SVM, Naive Bayes, kNN, k-means algorithm, dimensionality reduction algorithm, gradient boosting algorithm (e.g., GBM, LightGBM, CatBoost) type model, GAN, and transformer model), neural networks, decision tree learning, regression analysis, Gaussian processes, Bayesian optimization, and their associated acquisition functions.

[0046] Accordingly, the various embodiments of the present invention, as disclosed above, are illustrative and not limiting. Various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As a result, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments described are merely examples and that various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 12 High-resolution photolithography systems 14. Digital optical processing systems, digital optical projection (DLP) systems 16 Z-axis motor-driven stage 18 Mounting Stage 20 Positioning System 21 Tip / Tilt System 22 High-resolution XY platform (stage) 24 Control Systems 28 Fluid reservoir 30 Pressure Regulator 32 Waste Reservoir 34 Fluid valves 36 Pressure Manifold 38 Mixer, sealed sample chamber, fluid engineering environment sample holder

Claims

1. A mounting stage for receiving a substrate in a fixed position to receive light projected for photolithography, A light processing system for projecting light onto the mounting stage for photolithography on the substrate, A positioning system for adjusting the relative positioning between the light processing system and the mounting stage, A control system for performing high-resolution photolithography, wherein the control system is configured to determine the relative positioning between the photoprocessing system and the mounting stage, and to manage the operation of the positioning system for adjusting the relative positioning; A high-resolution photolithography system, including [specific feature / feature].

2. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 1, wherein the photoprocessing system includes at least one digital optical projector (DLP) which includes a digital micromirror device (DMD) chipset including a plurality of micromirrors.

3. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 2, wherein the control system is configured to calibrate the DLP with respect to illuminance by defining a correction profile corresponding to the duty cycle for each of the plurality of micromirrors.

4. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 3, wherein the control system is configured to determine the correction profile by setting the duty cycle to 100% with respect to one of the micromirrors having the lowest intrinsic intensity as a reference micromirror, and by determining the duty cycle for the other micromirrors by comparison with the reference micromirror.

5. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 4, wherein the control system is configured to support illumination uniformity within approximately ±5% of the average illuminance over at least 95% of the illumination area of ​​the DLP.

6. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 4, wherein the control system encodes the determined duty cycle for each of the micromirrors directly onto the DMD chipset.

7. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 4, wherein the control system is configured to define a plurality of grayscale images from the original image, and manages the projection of the grayscale images from the light processing system onto the mounting stage to construct image-by-image printing of the original image on the substrate.

8. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 2, wherein the control system is configured to perform autofocus by managing the projection of a predetermined pattern from the light processing system onto the mounting stage for projection onto the substrate, by capturing an image of the pattern on the substrate having the projection on it, and by decomposing the captured image of the pattern into spatial frequency amplitudes.

9. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 8, wherein the control system is configured to manage the adjustment of the focal plane of the DLP based on the spatial frequency amplitude of the captured image.

10. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 9, wherein the configuration for managing the adjustment of the focal plane includes a configuration for managing at least one of the following: adjusting the Z position of the light projection system with respect to the mounting stage; adjusting the camera exposure of the substrate by the time of light propagation; and maximizing the contrast at the edge of the predetermined pattern.

11. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 2, wherein the control system is configured to perform tip-tilt adjustment, including managing the positioning system for the photoprocessing system relative to the mounting stage to focus on at least two different portions of the substrate and to adjust the Z position of the light projection system relative to the mounting stage with respect to each of the at least two different portions of the substrate for autofocus.

12. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 11, wherein the at least two different portions include at least two different peripheral portions of the substrate.

13. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 11, wherein performing tip-tilt adjustment includes managing the positioning system for tip-tilt, which includes rotation of the mounting stage about at least one of the X, Y, and Z axes.

14. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 1, further comprising a sample environment control feedback system for precisely adjusting the temperature and humidity of the environment for pattern formation on the substrate.

15. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 1, further comprising a sample environment control system for introducing one or more fluids for pattern formation on the substrate.

16. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 15, wherein the sample environment control system comprises a sealed chamber received by the mounting stage for receiving the substrate, and a fluid engineering system for selective introduction of the one or more fluids into the sealed chamber for patterning the substrate.

17. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 16, wherein the fluid engineering system comprises several fluid reservoirs and a fluid flow control system for controlling the injection of the one or more fluids into the sealed chamber, the fluid flow control system comprising one or more fluid chip modules for processing the fluids before injection into the sealed chamber.

18. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the one or more fluid chip modules is a microfluidic chip module.

19. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 17, wherein the control system is configured to manage the operation of one or more fluid chip modules for multi-stage printing.

20. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the one or more fluid chip modules is a microfluidic chip module.

21. The high-resolution photolithography system according to claim 17, wherein the fluid engineering system includes a mixing chamber for mixing two or more fluids, controlled by the control system.

22. A method of high-resolution photolithography, The process involves defining one or more images for printing onto at least one sample substrate using a photoprocessing system, A step of aligning the photoprocessing system with the at least one sample substrate received on a mounting stage, the step of a control system determining the relative positioning between the photoprocessing system and the mounting stage, and managing the operation of the positioning system for adjusting the relative positioning, The steps include: printing one or more images by projecting light from the photoprocessing system onto the sample substrate; A method of high-resolution photolithography, including [specific details omitted].

23. The method of high-resolution photolithography according to claim 22, wherein the alignment step includes autofocusing by projecting a predetermined pattern from the photoprocessing system onto the mounting stage for projection onto the sample substrate, capturing an image of the pattern on the sample substrate having the projection on it, decomposing the captured image of the pattern into spatial frequency amplitudes, and adjusting the focal plane of the DLP of the photoprocessing system by the control system based on the spatial frequency amplitudes of the captured image.

24. A method of high-resolution photolithography according to claim 23, wherein the alignment step includes tip-tilt adjustment, which includes focusing on at least two different portions of the sample substrate and adjusting the Z position of the light projection system relative to the mounting stage with respect to each of the at least two different portions of the sample substrate for autofocus.

25. The high-resolution photolithography method according to claim 24, wherein the at least two different portions include at least two different outer peripheral portions of the sample substrate.

26. The method of high-resolution photolithography according to claim 22, wherein the printing step includes injecting one or more fluids into a sealed chamber of the mounting stage by a fluid engineering system.

27. The high-resolution photolithography method according to claim 22, wherein the printing step includes printing a high-resolution, wide-area hi-fi DNA microarray on a glass substrate of arbitrary dimensions by injecting a fluid into the sealed fluid chamber in conjunction with DLP projection.

28. The method of high-resolution photolithography according to claim 27, wherein the printing step is performed after tip-tilt adjustment and autofocus.

29. The method of high-resolution photolithography according to claim 22, wherein the printing step includes microfabrication of microfluidic devices, other fluidic devices, sensors, wearable electronic devices, microelectronics, microlenses, metamaterials, microrobots, and microarray fabrication by photopatterning and / or in-situ photosynthesis and / or tissue engineering.

30. The method for high-resolution photolithography according to claim 29, wherein the compatible material includes, but is not limited to, commercially available photoresists, hydrogels, biomolecules, polymers, and / or any other suitable photoresponsive material.

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