Digital Exposure Device Thermal Expansion Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
As substrates become larger and pattern dimensions miniaturize, digital exposure devices face challenges in forming patterns with sufficient resolution, often resulting in stains or stitches due to thermal expansion, which existing methods fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A digital exposure device generates modified data through linear or nonlinear interpolation of design data to account for substrate expansion, using a data modification unit to create intermedial data that adjusts unit data shifts in specific directions, reducing the occurrence of stains or stitches during pattern formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If digital exposure device uses conventional design data without interpolation, then manufacturing process is simple, but stains or stitches occur due to thermal expansion of substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing interpolation processing on design data before exposure to account for substrate thermal expansion. The data modification unit pre-calculates and generates modified exposure data that compensates for expected expansion, eliminating stains and stitches without requiring complex real-time adjustments during the exposure process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the exposure data parameters through interpolation to match the expanded substrate dimensions. The system changes the data representation from original design coordinates to expanded coordinates, allowing accurate pattern formation on thermally expanded substrates while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If digital exposure device directs light beam to substrate without data modification, then device operation is simple, but pattern accuracy deteriorates due to substrate expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary data modification unit that translates between original design data and expanded substrate coordinates. This intermediary processing layer automatically performs interpolation calculations, maintaining pattern accuracy on expanded substrates while keeping the exposure operation itself simple and unchanged.
3Reliability
If no intermedial data is generated for thermal expansion compensation, then processing time is short, but stains or stitches appear in formed patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the interpolation and intermedial data generation as a preliminary step before exposure, allowing the actual exposure process to proceed efficiently without repeated adjustments. This pre-processing approach ensures pattern quality through accurate expansion compensation while minimizing time loss by completing all calculations beforehand.
Data Source
AI summary
A digital exposure device includes: a stage having a substrate seated thereon where a pattern is to be formed and moving in a scan direction; a data modification unit receiving design data and generating modified data by extending the design data; and a digital exposure unit receiving the design data and projecting a light controlled according to the design data on the substrate, wherein the modified data includes intermedial data corresponding to the size difference between an image of the design data and an image of the modified data and some of unit data forming the intermedial data are data obtained when unit data of the design data are shifted in any expansion direction.