Patent ID: 8003283
Filing Date: 2011-08-23
Classification: G01Q,G03F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for repairing an area of a photomask using a nanomachining tip of an atomic force microscope, comprising: (a) positioning the nanomachining tip over a beginning of a first cut proximate to a first boundary of the repair area; (b) removing material from the surface of the photomask in a first cut direction until an end of the first cut is reached; (c) lifting the nanomachining tip from the cut; (d) positioning the nanomachining tip over a beginning of a subsequent cut adjacent to the end of the previous cut; (e) removing material from the surface of the photomask in a direction that is parallel and opposite to the previous cut direction until an end of the subsequent cut is reached; (f) repeating steps (c), (d) and (e) until a second boundary of the repair area is reached; (g) positioning the nanomachining tip over a beginning of a first orthogonal cut adjacent to the first boundary of the repair area; (h) removing material from the surface of the photomask in a first orthogonal cut direction until an end of the first orthogonal cut is reached; (i) lifting the nanomachining tip from the orthogonal cut; (j) positioning the nanomachining tip over a beginning of a subsequent orthogonal cut adjacent to the end of the previous orthogonal cut; (k) removing material from the surface of the photomask in a direction that is parallel and opposite to the previous orthogonal cut direction until an end of the subsequent orthogonal cut is reached; (l) repeating steps (i), (j) and (k) until the second boundary of the repair area is reached.