Blade for Substrate Edge Protection During Photolithography

摘要

An apparatus protects a portion of a peripheral region (310) of a photoresist-coated surface of a substrate (308) from light exposure. The apparatus includes a blade (502, 512, 522, 532) that can move, or that can move and rotate, and a drive assembly (504, 514, 524, 534) operably coupled to the blade. In response to at least one first drive force generated by the drive assembly, the blade translates, rotates, or translates and rotates, such that the blade is disposed above a portion of the peripheral region. In response to at least one second drive force generated by the drive assembly, the blade translates, rotates, or rotates and translates, such that the blade is not disposed above a portion of the peripheral region. In a step-and-repeat lithographic system, the blade covers a portion of the peripheral region, and the adjacent portion of the substrate is exposed to light.

主权项

1. An apparatus for protecting a portion of a peripheral region of a photoresist-coated surface of a substrate from light exposure, the apparatus comprising:
a movable blade; and a drive assembly operably coupled to the movable blade; wherein:
in response to at least one first drive force generated by the drive assembly, the movable blade translates such that the movable blade is disposed above the portion of the peripheral region; andin response to at least one second drive force generated by the drive assembly, the movable blade translates such that the movable blade is not disposed above the portion of the peripheral region.