Flexible Substrate Distortion Measurement via Frequency Domain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible substrates used in lithography, such as those made of plastic, are prone to distortion, which complicates the measurement and representation of distortion data, often resulting in a large volume of data that is cumbersome to handle and process.
Innovation Solution
A distortion measurement apparatus and method that includes a detector to measure substrate distortion and a processor to transform the distortion data into a frequency domain representation, orthogonal polynomial representation, or orthonormal polynomial representation, facilitating more compact and manageable data for alignment and pattern correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If distortion data is measured on flexible substrates, then measurement precision is improved, but data volume increases making handling cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential distortion characteristics from the full distortion dataset by transforming into frequency domain or orthogonal polynomial representations. This extraction process isolates the most significant distortion modes while discarding redundant information, thereby reducing data volume while preserving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the representation parameters of distortion data from spatial coordinates to frequency domain coefficients or orthogonal polynomial coefficients. This parameter transformation fundamentally alters how distortion information is stored and processed, enabling compact representation with significantly reduced data volume while maintaining full measurement capability.
2Manufacturing precision
If full distortion data is processed, then manufacturing precision is improved, but processing time increases reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the critical distortion components needed for pattern alignment correction. By transforming distortion data into frequency domain or orthogonal polynomial representations, the system identifies and processes only the most significant distortion modes, eliminating unnecessary computational overhead while maintaining alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms distortion data parameters from detailed spatial measurements to compact frequency or polynomial coefficients. This parameter change enables much faster mathematical operations during pattern correction, significantly improving processing throughput while preserving the ability to achieve precise alignment.
3Ease of operation
If distortion data is transformed into frequency domain or orthogonal polynomial representation, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces frequency domain transformation or orthogonal polynomial expansion as an intermediary step between distortion measurement and pattern correction. This intermediary representation serves as a bridge that simplifies subsequent data handling and alignment operations, making the overall system easier to operate despite the added transformation step.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mathematical parameters used to represent distortion data, transforming from simple spatial coordinates to frequency or polynomial coefficients. While this requires more sophisticated processing capabilities, it dramatically simplifies the operations needed for distortion compensation and pattern alignment, improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A distortion measurement apparatus comprising a detector arranged to measure distortion of a substrate, and a processor arranged to receive distortion data indicating the measured distortion of the substrate and to transform the distortion data into a frequency domain representation. The distortion data may alternatively be transformed into an orthogonal polynomial or an orthonormal polynomial representation.