Patents by Inventor H. Christopher Hamaker

H. Christopher Hamaker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Critical dimension edge placement and slope enhancement with central pixel dose addition and modulated inner pixels
    Patent number: 6998217
    Abstract: Systems and methods for gray scale lithography for defining edges such as on microelectronic device patterns during integrated circuit fabrication are disclosed. Methods for critical dimension edge placement and slope enhancement utilize central pixel dose addition or modulated inner pixels. A method for gray scale lithography for defining edges of features generally comprises identifying a center pixel of a feature, exposing the general width of the feature including the identified center pixel with full doses, and enhancing the identified center pixel by exposing the identified center pixel with additional dose to accurately place the edge of the feature, whereby the edge of the feature is defined and moved by exposing the center pixel with the additional dose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry Martyniuk, H. Christopher Hamaker, Matthew J. Jolley, Peter Pirogovsky, Asher Klatchko, Richard E. Crandall
  • Enhanced edge resolution and critical dimension linearity in lithography
    Patent number: 6819450
    Abstract: A semiconductor fabrication gray level photolithography strategy, in which the energy beam intensities corresponding to each gray level are selected from a set of non-linear, non-monotonic intensities. Rasterized geometric shape edges are defined by associating one or more intermediate gray levels with pixels in at least one row of pixels. The geometric shape is printed or imaged on an energy sensitive layer by modulating an energy beam to the intensity corresponding to the associated gray level, and directing the modulated beam to the pixel location on the layer. The intensities corresponding to the gray levels are selected so as to optimize critical dimension (CD) characteristics and other printing features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Jolley, Jerry Martyniuk, H. Christopher Hamaker
  • Critical dimension edge placement and slope enhancement with central pixel dose addition and modulated inner pixels
    Publication number: 20040131977
    Abstract: Systems and methods for gray scale lithography for defining edges such as on microelectronic device patterns during integrated circuit fabrication are disclosed. Methods for critical dimension edge placement and slope enhancement utilize central pixel dose addition or modulated inner pixels. A method for gray scale lithography for defining edges of features generally comprises identifying a center pixel of a feature, exposing the general width of the feature including the identified center pixel with full doses, and enhancing the identified center pixel by exposing the identified center pixel with additional dose to accurately place the edge of the feature, whereby the edge of the feature is defined and moved by exposing the center pixel with the additional dose.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry Martyniuk, H. Christopher Hamaker, Matthew J. Jolley, Peter Pirogovsky, Asher Klatchko, Richard E. Crandall