Abstract: An apparatus and a method for printing a desired pattern into a photosensitive layer. A mask bears a pattern of linear mask features parallel to a first direction. The layer is arranged parallel to and separated from the mask. Substantially monochromatic light is generated and the mask pattern is illuminated with the light over a range of angles of incidence in a plane parallel to the first direction, at substantially a single angle in an orthogonal plane of incidence and so that the light of each angle of incidence transmitted by the mask forms a light-field component at the layer. The integration of the components prints the desired pattern. The range of angles is selected so that the integration of the components is substantially equivalent to an average of the range of transversal intensity distributions formed between Talbot image planes by light at one of the angles of incidence.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for printing a desired pattern into a photosensitive layer. A mask bears a pattern of linear mask features parallel to a first direction. The layer is arranged parallel to and separated from the mask. Substantially monochromatic light is generated and the mask pattern is illuminated with the light over a range of angles of incidence in a plane parallel to the first direction, at substantially a single angle in an orthogonal plane of incidence and so that the light of each angle of incidence transmitted by the mask forms a light-field component at the layer. The integration of the components prints the desired pattern. The range of angles is selected so that the integration of the components is substantially equivalent to an average of the range of transversal intensity distributions formed between Talbot image planes by light at one of the angles of incidence.

Abstract: A method for printing a desired pattern into a photosensitive layer that includes providing a mask bearing a pattern of linear features that are parallel to a first direction, arranging the layer parallel to and separated from said mask, generating substantially monochromatic light, and illuminating the mask pattern with said light over a range of angles of incidence in a plane parallel to said first direction, at substantially a single angle in an orthogonal plane of incidence and so that the light of each angle of incidence transmitted by the mask forms a light-field component at the layer whereby the integration of said components prints the desired pattern, wherein the range of angles is selected so that the integration of said components is substantially equivalent to an average of the range of transversal intensity distributions formed between Talbot image planes by light at one of the angles of incidence.

Abstract: A method for printing a pattern of features including the steps of providing a substrate having a recording layer disposed thereon, providing a mask bearing a periodic pattern of features, arranging the substrate parallel to the mask and with a separation having an initial value, providing an illumination system for illuminating the mask with an intensity of monochromatic light to generate a transmitted light-field for exposing the recording layer, and illuminating the mask for an exposure time while changing the separation by a distance having a desired value and with a rate of change of separation, wherein at least one of the rate of change of separation and the intensity of light are varied during the change of separation, whereby the mask is illuminated by an energy density per incremental change of separation that varies over said distance.

Abstract: A method for printing a pattern of features including the steps of providing a substrate having a recording layer disposed thereon, providing a mask bearing a periodic pattern of features, arranging the substrate parallel to the mask and with a separation having an initial value, providing an illumination system for illuminating the mask with an intensity of monochromatic light to generate a transmitted light-field for exposing the recording layer, and illuminating the mask for an exposure time whilst changing the separation by a range having a predetermined value and varying at least one of the rate of change of separation and the intensity of illumination so that the mask is illuminated by an energy density per incremental change of separation that varies over said range, whereby the printed pattern has low sensitivity to a deviation of the range from said predetermined value or to the initial value of the separation.

Abstract: A method for printing a pattern of features including the steps of providing a substrate having a recording layer disposed thereon, providing a mask bearing a periodic pattern of features, arranging the substrate parallel to the mask and with a separation having an initial value, providing an illumination system for illuminating the mask with an intensity of monochromatic light to generate a transmitted light-field for exposing the recording layer, and illuminating the mask for an exposure time whilst changing the separation by a distance having a desired value and with a rate of change of separation, wherein at least one of the rate of change of separation and the intensity of light are varied during the change of separation, whereby the mask is illuminated by an energy density per incremental change of separation that varies over said distance.

Abstract: A method for printing a desired pattern into a photosensitive layer that includes providing a mask bearing a pattern of linear features that are parallel to a first direction, arranging the layer parallel to and separated from said mask, generating substantially monochromatic light, and illuminating the mask pattern with said light over a range of angles of incidence in a plane parallel to said first direction, at substantially a single angle in an orthogonal plane of incidence and so that the light of each angle of incidence transmitted by the mask forms a light-field component at the layer whereby the integration of said components prints the desired pattern, wherein the range of angles is selected so that the integration of said components is substantially equivalent to an average of the range of transversal intensity distributions formed between Talbot image planes by light at one of the angles of incidence.

Abstract: In the manufacture of an array total internal reflection hologram for printing a pattern of high-quality microfeatures over a large area, a mask defining just a part of the pattern is used to record an array of sub-holograms, the holographic recording medium or the mask being moved with respect to each other subsequent to the recordal of each sub-hologram, thereby building up a hologram of the complete pattern to be printed.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of TIR holograms includes the division of an input laser beam into an object beam and a reference beam, the direction of the beams to a holographic recording layer so that the object beam is incident on a surface of the holographic recording layer following transmission through an object mask, so that the reference beam is incident on the other surface of the holographic recording layer at an angle such that following passage through the holographic recording layer it is totally internally reflected back into the holographic recording layer and so that the two beams are superposed at the holographic recording layer, and the displacement of the input laser beam causing the object and reference beams to traverse together the holographic recording layer. The method is especially useful for obtaining a high uniformity of exposure of the holographic recording layer.

Abstract: Apparatus for transverse position measurement in a proximity lithographic system including a prism (10) having a glass plate (14) index matched beneath the prism on which a T.I.R. hologram (13) is pre-recorded. A laser source (12) provides a replay beam. A silicon wafer (16) is situated below the hologram and parallel therewith. A second laser source (17) produces through optics (18) a beam with gaussian intensity profile to generate a collimated strip of light (19) at the hologram plane. Elemental grating structures (20) are provided at different locations over the surface of the wafer. Detectors (22,24) collect parts of the lightfield resulting from the interaction of the laser beam with the grating structures. A piezo device (26) operated from a micro-processor (28) moves the silicon wafer in small increments in a direction substantially parallel to the hologram following measurements made by the two detectors which are processed by the micro-processor to produce an alignment signal for the piezo device.