Patent ID: 7605906

Claim:
A system for patterning an integrated circuit device using patterning radiation, the system comprising: a chuck configured to receive an integrated circuit substrate having a photosensitive layer thereon; a photomask including a transparent substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, a pattern of radiation blocking regions on at least one of the first and/or second surfaces of the transparent substrate the pattern of radiation blocking regions defining a pattern to be transferred to the integrated circuit substrate, and an array of shadowing elements within the transparent substrate between the first and second opposing surfaces wherein a shadowing element of the array has a light transmittance characteristic different than that of an adjacent portion of the transparent substrate and wherein a transmittance of the patterning radiation through a portion of the transparent substrate including the array of shadowing elements is greater than approximately 20%; and a radiation source configured to project radiation through the photomask to the photoresist layer on the integrated circuit substrate.