Roll to roll mask-less lithography with active alignment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016238951-A1
Application number	US-201415026763-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 24, 2014
Priority date	Oct 22, 2013
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relates to apparatus and methods for a maskless lithography on a flexible substrate with active alignment. In one embodiment, a lithography apparatus includes a cylindrical roller rotatable about a central axis and configured to transfer a flexible substrate on a cylindrical substrate supporting surface. A plurality of printing units, each includes an image sensing device and an imaging printing device, may be positioned facing the substrate supporting surface. The plurality of printing units may capture images of pre-existing patterns and/or markers on the flexible substrate as the flexible substrate is being tramsferred continiously and exposure patterns for each printing unit may be adjusted “on-the-fly” according to the captured image, thus achieving active alignment.

First claim

1 . A lithography apparatus, comprising:
a substrate transfer assembly comprising a cylindrical roller rotatable about a central axis and configured to transfer a flexible substrate on a cylindrical substrate supporting surface; and an image printing assembly comprising a plurality of printing units, wherein each of the plurality of printing units is positioned facing the substrate supporting surface, and the plurality of printing units form an arc concentric to the substrate supporting surface.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of printing units form one or more rows substantially parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical roller.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of printing units form a plurality of rows substantially parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical roller, each row comprises multiple printing units, and the printing units in the plurality of rows are arranged in staggered manner.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the imaging printing assembly further comprises:
a frame; and a plurality of guide bars mounted on the frame and substantially parellel to the central axis of the cylindrical roller, wherein each guide bar supports a row of printing units.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the multiple printing units in each row are positioned at equal spacing.

6 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the imaging printing assembly further comprises:
a frame; and one or more guide bars mounted on the frame and substantially parellel to the central axis of the cylindrical roller, wherein the plurality of printing units are movably coupled to the one or more guide bars.

7 . An apparatus for lithographic patterning, comprising:
a substrate transfer assembly for moving a flexible substrate continuously on a substrate supporting surface; an image printing assembly comprising a plurality of printing units disposed over the printing region, wherein each of the plurality of image units comprises:
an image sensing device; and
an image printing device; and
a controller connected with the image printing assembly, wherein the controller is configured to perform, for each of the plurality of printing units:
receiving and analyzing an image of an upcoming printing area captured by the image sensing device;
determining one or more characteristics of the upcoming printing region;
generating an exposure pattern from a target pattern and the one or more characteristics of the upcoming printing region; and
sending the exposure pattern to the image printing device of the printing unit.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the substrate transfer assembly comprises a cylindrical roller rotatable about a central axis and configured to transfer a flexible substrate on a cylindrical substrate supporting surface, and the plurality of printing units form an arc radially outward of the substrate supporting surface.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of printing units are arranged so that printing areas of the plurality of printing units cover an entire width of the flexible substrate.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of printing units are arranged in a plurality of rows parallel to the central axis and each row comprises multiple printing units.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the multiple printing units in each row are arranged at equal spacing, and the printing units are staggeredly arranged from row to row.

12 . A method for performing maskless lithography, comprising:
moving a flexible substrate continuously on a cylindrical substrate supporting surface relative to a plurality of printing units disposed over the cylindrical substrate supporting surface; capturing an image of an upcoming printing region on the flexible substrate for each of the plurality of printing units; determining one or more characteristics of the upcoming printing area from the captured image; generating an exposure pattern from a target pattern and the one or more characteristics of the upcoming printing area; and printing the exposure pattern on the upcoming printing region using the corresponding printing unit.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein determining one or more characteristics comprises indentifying a location of the upcoming printing region on the flexible substrate with respect to the target pattern.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein identifying the location comprising determining the location according to a pre-existing pattern shown in the captured image or according to markers shown in the captured image.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
reversing the flexible substrate backwards after a band of the flexible substrate passes the plurality of printing units; adjusting locations of the plurality of printing units along the direction of the central axis to align the plurality of printing units with not printed regions in the band; and repeating the moving, capturing, determining, generating and printing.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• White John M

Classifications

• H10P74/23

  characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes · CPC title

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• G03F9/7088 Primary

  Alignment mark detection, e.g. TTR, TTL, off-axis detection, array detector, video detection · CPC title

• G03F9/7038

  Alignment for proximity or contact printer (proximity or contact printers per se G03F7/7035) · CPC title

• G03F7/24

  Curved surfaces {(G03F7/70 takes precedence)} · CPC title