Patent ID: 7718326
Filing Date: 2010-05-18
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
1. A method for stitch alignment, tiling and printing of patterns on a substrate, the method comprising: (a) providing a substrate wherein the substrate has a photosensitive surface capable of exhibiting a photo bleaching effect; (b) positioning the substrate such that an original position of the substrate is established; (c) creating a first pattern at a first region of the substrate by image exposure by radiation onto the photosensitive surface of a selected region of the substrate surface wherein the first pattern creates a post-exposure impression of the first pattern in the form of bleaching and thereby creating a reflection or transmission mask in the photosensitive surface; (d) positioning the substrate such that a second position of the substrate is established for forming a second pattern at a second region of the substrate substantially adjacent to the first pattern wherein the second pattern creates a pre-exposure pattern of the second pattern on the photosensitive surface forming a partially overlapping region between the post-exposure impression of the first pattern and the pre-exposure pattern of the second pattern; (e) measuring reflected or transmitted radiation of the post-exposure impression of the first pattern and the pre-exposure pattern of the second pattern within one or more overlapping regions, wherein the radiation reflection or transmission is measured by one or more photo-detectors; (f) determining the degree of stitch alignment between the post-exposure impression of the first pattern and the pre-exposure pattern of the second pattern within one or more overlapping regions; (g) adjusting the alignment based on the measured intensity of the reflected radiation, transmitted radiation or both until new images of the first and second regions are aligned using the post-exposure impression as a relative position reference;