Patents by Inventor William T. Rericha
William T. Rericha 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).
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Patent number: 7629693Abstract: Different sized features in the array and in the periphery of an integrated circuit are patterned on a substrate in a single step. In particular, a mixed pattern, combining two separately formed patterns, is formed on a single mask layer and then transferred to the underlying substrate. The first of the separately formed patterns is formed by pitch multiplication and the second of the separately formed patterns is formed by conventional photolithography. The first of the separately formed patterns includes lines that are below the resolution of the photolithographic process used to form the second of the separately formed patterns. These lines are made by forming a pattern on photoresist and then etching that pattern into an amorphous carbon layer. Sidewall pacers having widths less than the widths of the un-etched parts of the amorphous carbon are formed on the sidewalls of the amorphous carbon. The amorphous carbon is then removed, leaving behind the sidewall spacers as a mask pattern.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2006Date of Patent: December 8, 2009Assignee: Micron Technology, IncInventors: Mirzafer K. Abatchev, Gurtej Sandhu, Luan Tran, William T. Rericha, D. Mark Durcan
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Patent number: 7547640Abstract: Different sized features in the array and in the periphery of an integrated circuit are patterned on a substrate in a single step. In particular, a mixed pattern, combining two separately formed patterns, is formed on a single mask layer and then transferred to the underlying substrate. The first of the separately formed patterns is formed by pitch multiplication and the second of the separately formed patterns is formed by conventional photolithography. The first of the separately formed patterns includes lines that are below the resolution of the photolithographic process used to form the second of the separately formed patterns. These lines are made by forming a pattern on photoresist and then etching that pattern into an amorphous carbon layer. Sidewall pacers having widths less than the widths of the un-etched parts of the amorphous carbon are formed on the sidewalls of the amorphous carbon. The amorphous carbon is then removed, leaving behind the sidewall spacers as a mask pattern.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2006Date of Patent: June 16, 2009Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Mirzafer K. Abatchev, Gurtej Sandhu, Luan Tran, William T. Rericha, D. Mark Durcan
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Patent number: 7455956Abstract: Alignment tolerances between narrow mask lines, for forming interconnects in the array region of an integrated circuit, and wider mask lines, for forming interconnects in the periphery of the integrated circuit, are increased. The narrow mask lines are formed by pitch multiplication and the wider mask lines are formed by photolithography. The wider mask lines and are aligned so that one side of those lines is flush with or inset from a corresponding side of the narrow lines. Being wider, the opposite sides of the wider mask lines protrude beyond the corresponding opposite sides of the narrow mask lines. The wider mask lines are formed in negative photoresist having a height less than the height of the narrow mask lines. Advantageously, the narrow mask lines can prevent expansion of the mask lines in one direction, thus increasing alignment tolerances in that direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2007Date of Patent: November 25, 2008Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Gurtej S Sandhu, Randal W Chance, William T Rericha
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Patent number: 7435536Abstract: Alignment tolerances between narrow mask lines, for forming interconnects in the array region of an integrated circuit, and wider mask lines, for forming interconnects in the periphery of the integrated circuit, are increased. The narrow mask lines are formed by pitch multiplication and the wider mask lines are formed by photolithography. The wider mask lines and are aligned so that one side of those lines is flush with or inset from a corresponding side of the narrow lines. Being wider, the opposite sides of the wider mask lines protrude beyond the corresponding opposite sides of the narrow mask lines. The wider mask lines are formed in negative photoresist having a height less than the height of the narrow mask lines. Advantageously, the narrow mask lines can prevent expansion of the mask lines in one direction, thus increasing alignment tolerances in that direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2006Date of Patent: October 14, 2008Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Gurtej S. Sandhu, Randal W. Chance, William T. Rericha
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Patent number: 7298453Abstract: A method and apparatus for exposing a radiation-sensitive material of a microlithographic substrate to a selected radiation. The method can include directing the radiation along a radiation path in a first direction toward a reticle, passing the radiation from the reticle and to the microlithographic substrate along the radiation path in a second direction, and moving the reticle relative to the radiation path along a reticle path generally normal to the first direction. The microlithographic substrate can move relative to the radiation path along a substrate path having a first component generally parallel to the second direction, and a second component generally perpendicular to the second direction. The microlithographic substrate can move generally parallel to and generally perpendicular to the second direction in a periodic manner while the reticle moves along the reticle path to change a relative position of a focal plane of the radiation.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2006Date of Patent: November 20, 2007Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Ulrich C. Boettiger, Scott L. Light, William T. Rericha, Craig A. Hickman
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Patent number: 7253118Abstract: Differently-sized features of an integrated circuit are formed by etching a substrate using a mask which is formed by combining two separately formed patterns. Pitch multiplication is used to form the relatively small features of the first pattern and conventional photolithography used to form the relatively large features of the second pattern. Pitch multiplication is accomplished by patterning a photoresist and then etching that pattern into an amorphous carbon layer. Sidewall spacers are then formed on the sidewalls of the amorphous carbon. The amorphous carbon is removed, leaving behind the sidewall spacers, which define the first mask pattern. A bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) is then deposited around the spacers to form a planar surface and a photoresist layer is formed over the BARC. The photoresist is next patterned by conventional photolithography to form the second pattern, which is then is transferred to the BARC.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2005Date of Patent: August 7, 2007Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Luan Tran, William T. Rericha, John Lee, Raman Alapati, Sheron Honarkhah, Shuang Meng, Puneet Sharma, Jingyi (Jenny) Bai, Zhiping Yin, Paul Morgan, Mirzafer K. Abatchev, Gurtej S. Sandhu, D. Mark Durcan
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Patent number: 7115525Abstract: Different sized features in the array and in the periphery of an integrated circuit are patterned on a substrate in a single step. In particular, a mixed pattern, combining two separately formed patterns, is formed on a single mask layer and then transferred to the underlying substrate. The first of the separately formed patterns is formed by pitch multiplication and the second of the separately formed patterns is formed by conventional photolithography. The first of the separately formed patterns includes lines that are below the resolution of the photolithographic process used to form the second of the separately formed patterns. These lines are made by forming a pattern on photoresist and then etching that pattern into an amorphous carbon layer. Sidewall pacers having widths less than the widths of the un-etched parts of the amorphous carbon are formed on the sidewalls of the amorphous carbon. The amorphous carbon is then removed, leaving behind the sidewall spacers as a mask pattern.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2004Date of Patent: October 3, 2006Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Mirzafer K. Abatchev, Gurtej Sandhu, Luan Tran, William T. Rericha, D. Mark Durcan
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Patent number: 7038762Abstract: A method and apparatus for exposing a radiation-sensitive material of a microlithographic substrate to a selected radiation. The method can include directing the radiation along a radiation path in a first direction toward a reticle, passing the radiation from the reticle and to the microlithographic substrate along the radiation path in a second direction, and moving the reticle relative to the radiation path along a reticle path generally normal to the first direction. The microlithographic substrate can move relative to the radiation path along a substrate path having a first component generally parallel to the second direction, and a second component generally perpendicular to the second direction. The microlithographic substrate can move generally parallel to and generally perpendicular to the second direction in a periodic manner while the reticle moves along the reticle path to change a relative position of a focal plane of the radiation.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2004Date of Patent: May 2, 2006Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Ulrich C. Boettiger, Scott L. Light, William T. Rericha, Craig A. Hickman
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Patent number: 6784975Abstract: A method and apparatus for exposing a radiation-sensitive material of a microlithographic substrate to a selected radiation. The method can include directing the radiation along a radiation path in a first direction toward a reticle, passing the radiation from the reticle and to the microlithographic substrate along the radiation path in a second direction, and moving the reticle relative to the radiation path along a reticle path generally normal to the first direction. The microlithographic substrate can move relative to the radiation path along a substrate path having a first component generally parallel to the second direction, and a second component generally perpendicular to the second direction. The microlithographic substrate can move generally parallel to and generally perpendicular to the second direction in a periodic manner while the reticle moves along the reticle path to change a relative position of a focal plane of the radiation.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2001Date of Patent: August 31, 2004Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Ulrich C. Boettiger, Scott L. Light, William T. Rericha, Craig A. Hickman
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Publication number: 20030044693Abstract: A method and apparatus for exposing a radiation-sensitive material of a microlithographic substrate to a selected radiation. The method can include directing the radiation along a radiation path in a first direction toward a reticle, passing the radiation from the reticle and to the microlithographic substrate along the radiation path in a second direction, and moving the reticle relative to the radiation path along a reticle path generally normal to the first direction. The microlithographic substrate can move relative to the radiation path along a substrate path having a first component generally parallel to the second direction, and a second component generally perpendicular to the second direction. The microlithographic substrate can move generally parallel to and generally perpendicular to the second direction in a periodic manner while the reticle moves along the reticle path to change a relative position of a focal plane of the radiation.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2001Publication date: March 6, 2003Inventors: Ulrich C. Boettiger, Scott L. Light, William T. Rericha, Craig A. Hickman
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Patent number: 5925410Abstract: A method for forming a layer of material, particularly a dielectric material, on a substrate includes the steps of dispensing the material onto the substrate, spinning the substrate to produce a layer of the dispensed material, and vibrating the substrate to eliminate voids and/or gaps in the dispensed material. The dispensed material is hardened and if not sufficiently planar, may be subjected to a planarization step.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 1997Date of Patent: July 20, 1999Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Salman Akram, Paul D. Shirley, William T. Rericha