Patent Number: 055725627
Section: claims

1. A semiconductor lithography apparatus comprising: a) an X-ray source emitting X-ray radiation in a direction downstream along a path;  b) a semiconductor wafer disposed downstream of said X-ray source across said path; and  c) an image mask assembly comprising:  whereby said image mask assembly, comprising a beryllium carrier, beryllium mask substrate, and masking material having a thermal coefficient of expansion substantially equal to said beryllium carrier and mask substrate, will not be subject to thermal distortion due to the use of materials having matched thermal coefficients of expansion.  a) an X-ray source emitting X-ray radiation in a direction downstream along a path;  b) a semiconductor wafer disposed downstream of said X-ray source across said path; and  c) an image mask assembly comprising:  whereby said image mask assembly, comprising a beryllium carrier, beryllium mask substrate, and masking material having a thermal coefficient of expansion substantially equal to said beryllium carrier and mask substrate, will not be subject to thermal distortion due to the use of materials having matched thermal coefficients of expansion.  a) providing an X-ray source emitting X-ray radiation in a direction downstream along a path;  b) disposing a semiconductor wafer downstream of said X-ray source across said path; and  c) providing an image mask assembly by:  whereby said image mask assembly, comprising a beryllium carrier, beryllium mask substrate, and masking material having a thermal coefficient of expansion substantially equal to said beryllium carrier and mask substrate, will not be subject to thermal distortion due to the use of materials having matched thermal coefficients of expansion.  a) providing an X-ray source emitting X-ray radiation in a direction downstream along a path;  b) disposing a semiconductor wafer downstream of said X-ray source across said path; and  c) providing an image mask assembly comprising:  whereby said image mask assembly, comprising a beryllium carrier, beryllium mask substrate, and masking material having a thermal coefficient of expansion substantially equal to said beryllium carrier and mask substrate, will not be subject to thermal distortion due to the use of materials having matched thermal coefficients of expansion. 2. The image mask assembly of claim 1 wherein said patterned metal masking material is selected from the group consisting of gold, tungsten, platinum, barium, lead, iridium, and rhodium. 3. The image mask assembly of claim 1 wherein said image mask assembly is spaced closely from said wafer, so that said radiation from said X-ray radiation source shadows an image of said patterned metal masking material onto said wafer. 4. A semiconductor lithography apparatus comprising: 5. The semiconductor lithography apparatus as in claim 4, wherein: said means for supporting said image mask orients said mask so that said masking material is downstream relative to said substrate. 6. A method of semiconductor lithography comprising the steps of: 7. The method of semiconductor lithography of claim 6 wherein said step of disposing, on said planar surface of said beryllium substrate, a patterned metal masking material, further comprises selecting said patterned metal masking material from the group consisting of gold, tungsten, platinum, barium, lead, iridium, and rhodium. 8. The method of semiconductor lithography of claim 6 wherein said step of providing a peripheral beryllium carrier disposed along said path between said X-ray source and said wafer further comprises spacing said carrier closely from said wafer, so that said radiation from said X-ray radiation source shadows an image of said patterned metal masking material onto said wafer. 9. A method of semiconductor lithography comprising the steps of: 10. The method of semiconductor lithography as in claim 9, wherein: said step of supporting said image mask orients said mask so that said masking material is downstream relative to said substrate.