Patents Assigned to Ultratech, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8988674
    Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring an intensity characteristic of a light beam are disclosed. The methods include directing the light beam into a prism assembly that includes a thin prism sandwiched by two transparent plates, and reflecting a portion of the light beam by total-internal-reflection surface to an integrating sphere while transmitting the remaining portion of the light beam through the two transparent plates to a beam dump. The method also includes detecting light captured by the integrating sphere and determining the intensity characteristic from the detected light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Serguei Anikitchev, David Gaines
  • Patent number: 8986562
    Abstract: Methods of laser processing photoresist in a gaseous environment to improve at least one of etch resistance and line-edge roughness are disclosed. The methods include sequentially introducing first and second molecular gases to the photoresist surface and performing respective first and second laser scanning of the surface for each molecular gas. The first molecular gas can be trimethyl aluminum, titanium tetrachloride or diethyl zinc, and the second molecular gas comprises water vapor. Short dwell times prevent the photoresist from flowing while serving to speed up the photoresist enhancement process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur W. Zafiropoulo, Andrew M. Hawryluk
  • Publication number: 20150055228
    Abstract: A 1× Wynne-Dyson optical system for microlithography having a variable magnification is disclosed. The 1× Wynne-Dyson optical system has first and second prisms, and a positive lens group that includes a split lens having first and second split lens elements that reside adjacent the first and second prisms, respectively. The first and second split lens elements are axially movable to change the magnification by up to about 500 parts per million. An adjustable positive lens group for a 1× Wynne-Dyson optical system is also disclosed, wherein the positive lens group allows for small changes in the optical system magnification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventor: David G. Stites
  • Publication number: 20150041431
    Abstract: Methods of laser processing photoresist in a gaseous environment to improve at least one of etch resistance and line-edge roughness are disclosed. The methods include sequentially introducing first and second molecular gases to the photoresist surface and performing respective first and second laser scanning of the surface for each molecular gas. The first molecular gas can be trimethyl aluminum, titanium tetrachloride or diethyl zinc, and the second molecular gas comprises water vapor. Short dwell times prevent the photoresist from flowing while serving to speed up the photoresist enhancement process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur W. Zafiropoulo, Andrew M. Hawryluk
  • Publication number: 20150029497
    Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring an intensity characteristic of a light beam are disclosed. The methods include directing the light beam into a prism assembly that includes a thin prism sandwiched by two transparent plates, and reflecting a portion of the light beam by total-internal-reflection surface to an integrating sphere while transmitting the remaining portion of the light beam through the two transparent plates to a beam dump. The method also includes detecting light captured by the integrating sphere and determining the intensity characteristic from the detected light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Sergeui Anikitchev, David Gaines
  • Patent number: 8906742
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for performing laser annealing in a manner that reduces or minimizes wafer surface temperature variations during the laser annealing process. The systems and methods include annealing the wafer surface with first and second laser beams that represent preheat and anneal laser beams having respective first and second intensities. The preheat laser beam brings the wafer surface temperate close to the annealing temperature and the anneal laser beam brings the wafer surface temperature up to the annealing temperature. The anneal laser beam can have a different wavelength, or the same wavelength but different orientation relative to the wafer surface. Reflectivity maps of the wafer surface at the preheat and anneal wavelengths are measured and used to select the first and second intensities that ensure good anneal temperature uniformity as a function of wafer position. The first and second intensities can also be selected to minimize edge damage or slip generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaohua Shen, Yun Wang, Xiaoru Wang
  • Patent number: 8872408
    Abstract: A betavoltaic power source for mobile devices and mobile applications includes a stacked configuration of isotope layers and energy conversion layers. The isotope layers have a half-life of between about 0.5 years and about 5 years and generate radiation with energy in the range from about 15 keV to about 200 keV. The betavoltaic power source is configured to provide sufficient power to operate the mobile device over its useful lifetime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur W. Zafiropoulo, Andrew M. Hawryluk
  • Patent number: 8865603
    Abstract: Laser annealing systems and methods for annealing a semiconductor wafer with ultra-short dwell times are disclosed. The laser annealing systems can include one or two laser beams that at least partially overlap. One of the laser beams is a pre-heat laser beam and the other laser beam is the annealing laser beam. The annealing laser beam scans sufficiently fast so that the dwell time is in the range from about 1 ?s to about 100 ?s. These ultra-short dwell times are useful for annealing product wafers formed from thin device wafers because they prevent the device side of the device wafer from being damaged by heating during the annealing process. Embodiments of single-laser-beam annealing systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew M. Hawryluk, Serguei Anikitchev
  • Patent number: 8845163
    Abstract: An LED-based photolithographic illuminator with high collection efficiency is disclosed. The illuminator utilizes an array of LEDs, wherein each LED has an LED die and a heat sink. The LED dies are imaged onto the input end of a homogenizer rod to substantially cover the input end without inclusion of the non-light-emitting heat sink sections of the LED. A microlens array is used to image the LED dies. The collection efficiency of the illuminator is better than 50% and the illumination uniformity at the output end of the light homogenizer is within +/?2%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: David G. Stites, Andrew M. Hawryluk
  • Patent number: 8830590
    Abstract: A unit magnification Wynn-Dyson lens for microlithography has an image field sized to accommodate between four and six die of dimensions 26 mm×36 mm. The lens has a positive lens group that consists of either three or four refractive lens elements, with one of the lens elements being most mirror-wise and having a prism-wise concave aspheric surface. Protective windows respectively reside between object and image planes and the corresponding prism faces. The lens is corrected for at least the i-line LED wavelength spectrum or similar LED-generated wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventor: David G. Stites
  • Patent number: 8822353
    Abstract: Systems and methods for forming a time-averaged line image having a relatively high amount of intensity uniformity along its length is disclosed. The method includes forming at an image plane a line image having a first amount of intensity non-uniformity in a long-axis direction and forming a secondary image that at least partially overlaps the primary image. The method also includes scanning the secondary image over at least a portion of the primary image and in the long-axis direction according to a scan profile to form a time-average modified line image having a second amount of intensity non-uniformity in the long-axis direction that is less than the first amount. For laser annealing a semiconductor wafer, the amount of line-image overlap for adjacent scans of a wafer scan path is substantially reduced, thereby increasing wafer throughput.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Serguei Anikitchev, James T. McWhirter, Joseph E. Gortych
  • Patent number: 8823921
    Abstract: A programmable illuminator for a photolithography system includes a light source, a first optical system having a light uniformizing element, a programmable micro-mirror device, and a second optical system that forms an illumination field that illuminates a reticle. The programmable micro-mirror device can be configured to perform shutter and edge-exposure-blocking functions that have previously required relatively large mechanical devices. Methods of improving illumination field uniformity using the programmable illuminator are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Borislav Zlatanov, Andrew M. Hawryluk
  • Publication number: 20140238958
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing a material layer supported by a substrate using a light-source assembly that includes LED light sources each formed from an array of LEDs. The material layer is capable of undergoing a photo-process having a temperature-dependent reaction rate. Some of the LEDs emit light of a first wavelength that initiate the photo-process while some of the LEDs emit light of a second wavelength that heats the substrate. The heat from the substrate then heats the material layer, which increases the temperature-dependent reaction rate of the photo-process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur W. Zafiropoulo, Andrew M. Hawryluk
  • Publication number: 20140227890
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for improving the intensity profile of a beam image used to process a semiconductor substrate. At least one photonic beam may be generated and manipulated to form an image having an intensity profile with an extended uniform region useful for thermally processing the surface of the substrate. The image may be scanned across the surface to heat at least a portion of the substrate surface to achieve a desired temperature within a predetermined dwell time. Such processing may achieve a high efficiency due to the large proportion of energy contained in the uniform portion of the beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: ULTRATECH, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew M. Hawryluk, Boris Grek, David A. Markle
  • Patent number: 8796151
    Abstract: Systems for and methods of laser-enhanced plasma processing of semiconductor materials are disclosed. The method includes supporting a semiconductor material in a processing chamber interior and subjecting the semiconductor material to a plasma process. The method also includes simultaneously heating the wafer surface with a laser beam through a window in the processing chamber to increase the reaction rate of the plasma process. Other methods include performing laser heating of the semiconductor material before or after the plasma process but while the semiconductor material resides in the same chamber interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew M. Hawryluk, Arthur W. Zafiropoulo
  • Patent number: 8796053
    Abstract: Photolithographic methods of forming a roughened surface for an LED to improve LED light emission efficiency are disclosed. The methods include photolithographically imaging a phase-shift mask pattern onto a photoresist layer of a substrate to form therein a periodic array of photoresist features. The roughened substrate surface is created by processing the exposed photoresist layer to form a periodic array of substrate posts in the substrate surface. A p-n junction multilayer structure is then formed atop the roughened substrate surface to form the LED. The periodic array of substrate posts serve as scatter sites that improve the LED light emission efficiency as compared to the LED having no roughened substrate surface. The use of the phase-shift mask enables the use of affordable photolithographic imaging at a depth of focus suitable for non-flat LED substrates while also providing the needed resolution to form the substrate posts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew M. Hawryluk, Robert L. Hsieh, Warren W. Flack
  • Patent number: 8781213
    Abstract: An alignment system for aligning a wafer when lithographically fabricating LEDs having an LED wavelength ?LED is disclosed. The system includes the wafer. The wafer has a roughened alignment mark with a root-mean-square (RMS) surface roughness ?S. The system has a lens configured to superimpose an image of the reticle alignment mark with an image of the roughened alignment mark. The roughened alignment marked image is formed with alignment light having a wavelength ?A that is in the range from about 2?S to about 8?S. An image sensor detects the superimposed image. An image processing unit processes the detected superimposed image to measure an alignment offset between the wafer and the reticle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Hsieh, Khiem Nguyen, Warren W. Flack, Andrew M. Hawryluk
  • Patent number: 8765493
    Abstract: Methods of characterizing semiconductor light-emitting devices (LEDs) based on product wafer characteristics are disclosed. The methods include measuring at least one product wafer characteristic, such curvature or device layer stress. The method also includes establishing a relationship between the at least one characteristic and the emission wavelengths of the LED dies formed from the product wafer. The relationship allows for predicting the emission wavelength of LED structures formed in the device layer of similarly formed product wafers. This in turn can be used to characterize the product wafers and in particular the LED structures formed thereon, and to perform process control in high-volume LED manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew M. Hawryluk, David Owen
  • Publication number: 20140176923
    Abstract: A Wynn-Dyson imaging system with reduced thermal distortion is disclosed, wherein the reticle and wafer prisms are made of glass material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of no greater than about 100 ppb/° C. The system also includes a first IR-blocking window disposed between the reticle and the reticle prism, and a second matching window disposed between the wafer and the wafer prism to maintain imaging symmetry. The IR-blocking window substantially blocks convective and radiative heat from reaching the reticle prism, thereby reducing the amount of thermally induced image distortion in the reticle image formed on the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew M. Hawryluk
  • Publication number: 20140166632
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing semiconductor laser annealing using dual loop control are disclosed. The first control loop operates at a first frequency and controls the output of the laser and controls the 1/f laser noise. The second control loop also controls the amount of output power in the laser and operates at second frequency lower than the first frequency. The second control loop measures the thermal emission of the wafer over an area the size of one or more die so that within-die emissivity variations are average out when determining the measured annealing temperature. The measured annealing temperature and an annealing temperature set point are used to generate the control signal for the second control loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: ULTRATECH, INC.
    Inventors: JAMES T. MCWHIRTER, DAVID GAINES, JOSEPH LEE, PAULO ZAMBON