DE3428717A1 - X-RAY COLLIMATOR AND X-RAY RADIATION EXPOSURE DEVICE WITH X-RAY RAY COLLIMATOR - Google Patents

Description

X-ray diffuser and X-ray exposure device with X-ray diffuser

The invention relates to a collimator for collimating X-rays, in particular soft X-rays, and to an X-ray exposure device provided with such a collimator.

X-ray imators are common in the field the X-ray analyzers; For some time they have also been used for X-ray exposure devices in which X-rays are used to transfer an integrated circuit pattern formed on a stencil or grid plate to a radiation-sensitive layer on a substrate. In the case of the X-ray exposure device, the template or grid plate (hereinafter simply called "template") with the structure formed on it.

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door with diverging soft X-rays like this

irradiated that the image transfer to the sensitive layer on the substrate tends to be influenced by the angles of incidence of the X-rays. Therefore, an X-ray collimator is used to collimate the soft X-rays irradiating the stencil and thus improve the accuracy of the transfer of the circuit diagram from the stencil to the sensitive layer.
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Figure 1 shows an example of the basic structure of an X-ray collimator. The collimator has two blocks, both of which are provided with a multiplicity of thin split jaws 1 made of metal, which are connected to one another via spacers 2 arranged between them. The split jaws 1 and spacers 2 are attached to a support frame (not shown) and thus form the respective block. As can be seen from the drawing, one of the blocks thus formed rests on the other in such a way that the longitudinal direction of the gap of one block is perpendicular to that of the other block. Of the diverging x-rays 3 emerging from a source (not shown), only the partial rays that are approximately orthogonal to the co-imation device are recorded, as a result of which an almost parallel x-ray beam L-flow 6 can be obtained. For the sake of description, in the illustrated arrangement, the width d and length l of each gap in one block are the same as the others in the other block. Therefore the divergence angle is 2tan (d / l) degrees and the X-ray transmission coefficient is limited to 1 / (1 + t / d), where t is the thickness of the split jaw. The X-ray intensity decreases in inverse proportion to the square of the distance to the X-ray Ique I Ie. From the above mathematical conditions it follows that, in order to achieve good parallelism (an equal angle of divergence),

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a high transmission coefficient and a large one X-ray strength to ensure the width of the Gap and the thickness t of the gap jaw preferably reduced to avoid increasing the length l of the gap. To facilitate industrial production, In addition, the structure should be simple and the increase in cost should be avoided.

Normally, however, the thickness t of the split jaw can be do not lie below a range of 0.03 mm, even if the split jaw is made of a metal Great rigidity is made. If a smaller thickness is desired, it is necessary to add additional elements to remove the deflection of the split jaws, which disadvantageously leads to a complicated structure and an increase in the manufacturing cost of the device leads.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an x-ray collimator which is an improved one

Parallelism and an increased transmission coefficient of the X-ray current ensured. This improved X-ray radiation imager should be placed in an X-ray beam Ibe-Ii device to be installed. 25th

Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a case

game for the basic structure of an X-ray col I imators;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective illustration of an exemplary embodiment of an X-ray crystal limator according to the invention;
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Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the essential part of the X-ray collimator shown in Figure 2;
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4A, 4B, 4C each other exemplary embodiments of an inventive X-ray collimators;

Figure 5 is a schematic representation of an inventive X-ray exposure device.

Figure 2 gives an overview of an embodiment a collimator for soft X-rays according to the invention, while Figure 3 shows the important portion of the structure shown in Figure 2 enlarged. The collimator has a collimating section made of glass 7 for soft X-rays. As best seen in Figure 3, the collimation section 7 provided with a large number of uniform, small through bores or through holes 9,9 ', the all have an inside diameter d in the range of 10 microns and a length I in the millimeter range. The collimation section 7 is stored in a holding frame 8 made of glass or other suitable material.

With this arrangement, diverging soft X-rays 3 emitted from an X-ray generator 22 are collimated by the collimation section 7, so that an almost parallel X-ray beam I stream 6 'is obtained. More precisely, through the provision of the through-holes 9, 9 ¹ , each provided with an inner diameter d and a length I, only the soft X-ray radiation

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Len recorded with divergence angles smaller than 2tan (d / l). When looking at the collimation in one of the small through holes 9,9 'you can see that part of the diverging entering the small through hole soft X-rays hit the glass wall of the through hole, thereby retaining this part,

while the remainder is the small through hole crossed without hitting the glass wall. The latter, the exiting X-ray beam I stream, has one Divergence angle of 2tan (d / l) as described above.

For example, if a divergence angle of one degree is to be achieved and the inner diameter d of the through hole is 30 microns, the length I results of the through hole to about 3.44 mm.

The small through holes can be produced in a known manner, for example by oversight a pane of glass with small openings for the production of a micro-hole pane (as published in "Optical Fiber", pages 191 to 193, edited by Kyoritsu Shuppan Kabushiki Kaisha). This technique is very common; the disc with the small perforations can be used as the equivalent of the small perforated disc considered prior to the formation of electrodes or the like will. Accordingly, the small through holes of the invention can be easily made.

Modified exemplary embodiments are shown on the basis of FIGS. 4A to 4C of the collimator according to the invention described. The collimator shown in Figure 4A has a glass frame 10 and a plurality of small tubular elements 11 stored within the frame 10. Since the diameter of each tubular element is so small that handling of the element is not easy, the tubular elements are initially arranged in rows Way arranged and then exposed in a furnace of high temperature and pressure so that they are welded together.

Alternatively, the tubular element 11 can be replaced by optical fibers, all of which have a fusible core to have. In this case, the core is replaced by a suitable

Acid treatment removed after welding.

The welded plate thus formed is then cut, so as to produce collimators of the desired thickness. In the collimator shown in FIG. 4 A, the Wall thickness of each tubular member is in the range of 2.5 microns while the inner diameter is in the range of 25 microns. Figures 4 B and 4 C show more modified exemplary embodiments, each in FIG 4B illustrated small through hole rectangular cross-section while each small through hole shown in Figure 4C has a hexagonal cross-section. The working examples with circular and hexagonal cross-section are particularly advantageous because the small through holes these exemplary embodiments are easy to produce and also the cross section consumed by the dividing walls sf area is small, reducing the X-ray transmission coefficient can be further improved.

The collimator according to the invention can be used in all areas be used in which collimated soft X-rays should be used, for example, in typical Röntgenana lysatoren and Röntgenstrah Ibe I ichtungvorrichtungen.

FIG. 5 shows an X-ray exposure apparatus according to the invention described. The X-ray exposure device includes a vacuum chamber 12, electron guns 13, an impact surface 14 for generating soft X-rays and a window 15 for passage of the soft X-rays generated by the impact surface 14. The electron guns 13 are perpendicular to the Drawing sheet lined up and the Auftrefff lache 14 extends perpendicular to the drawing sheet, so that a linear soft X-ray stream is produced.

The X-ray exposure apparatus further includes an X-ray cooler with a co 11 imation section 7 and a holding frame 8 for the coordination section. The KoLM-mator shown in this drawing has approximately the same structure as the one shown in FIG Collimator on. The 'device includes further a photo stencil carrier 17 for holding a Photo template 16 with an integrated thereon Circuit diagram and a substrate carrier 19 zur'Halterung a substrate 18 having a sensitive layer formed on the substrate 18. The photo stencil carrier 17 and the substrate carrier 19 are arranged in such a way that they are driven by a drive mechanism, not shown as a unit with constant speed are moved along a guide element 20 while holding the photographic stencil 16 and the substrate 18 in constant Keep a distance relationship.

With this arrangement, the irradiate from the electron emitters 13 emitted electron beams hit the surface 14 so that soft X-rays generated will. The soft X-rays thus generated traverse diverging the window and meet the KoIIi mationsabschnitt 7 on. Through this co 11imation section 7 are the non-parallel radiation components held back while the parallel radiation components the KoLLimationsabschnitt 7 traverse to linear the photo stencil 16 to apply. As the photo template 16 and the substrate 18 are moved as a unit as described above for scanning, the entire surface of both the photo stencil 16 and the substrate 18 uniformly exposed to the soft X-rays.

It is known that the soft X-rays compared with the hard x-rays used in the medical Area in which the air is severely attenuated. While the KolLimator shown in Figure 1

a minimum distance of 12 cm between the point of generation of the X-rays and the surface of the sensitive ones Layer on the substrate 16 needs to achieve sufficient parallelism, the e r according to the invention is reduced Collimator the necessary distance between the point of generation of the X-rays and the surface of the sensitive layer effective into the area of a few millimeters. As a result, the exposure time is advantageously up to a range from 1/10 to 'to decreased by 1/20 or less compared to that collimator shown in Figure 1.

In addition, the X-ray beam according to the invention has I ko 11 imator itself has a simple structure and can be manufactured at a reduced cost. Furthermore is the width of the collimator sufficiently small that the Attenuation of the X-rays is minimized so .a higher X-ray transmission coefficient guarantee.

As described above, the X-ray collimator according to the invention, and the X-ray exposure apparatus of the present invention exhibits various advantageous effects.

Although the invention is illustrated with reference to drawings using a few preferred exemplary embodiments and illustrated, it should be understood that it is not intended to be limited thereby. There are numerous to those skilled in the art Modifications, omissions and changes in the form and details of the described embodiments possible without departing from the scope of the invention. The scope of protection should therefore not be limited by a the possibly accidental details of the described Embodiments or the drawings may be limited.

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An x-ray collimator minimizes the attenuation an X-ray to improve an X-ray transmission coefficient and an X-ray exposure device with the X-ray co11imator. The X-ray collimator has an X-ray transmission portion with a plurality of through holes and a holding element for supporting the X-ray transmission section, whereby the attenuation of the X-ray radiation is weakened and the X-ray transmission coefficient is improved. The X-ray imaging device uses the X-ray scanner so that the exposure time is reduced.

Claims (4)

Claims nj. X-ray limiter, characterized by an X-ray transmission section (7) with a plurality of through holes (9.9 ·) and a holding element (8) for mounting the X-ray transmission section (7). 2. RöntgenstrahIkolIimator according to claim 1, characterized in that each through hole (9,9 ') is circular Has cross-section. 3. RöntgenstrahIkolIimator according to claim 1, characterized in that each through hole (9,9 ') is polygonal Has cross-section. 4. X-ray exposure device for exposing a arranged on a substrate by the use of X-rays with a sensitive layer on a stencil formed circuit diagram, characterized by an element (13) for generating X-ray radiation, an element (17) for holding the template (16), an element (19) for holding the substrate (18) and a RöntgenstrahIkolIimationselement (7), which between the holding element (17) for the template (16) and the element (13) for Generation of the X-ray G / 28 -2- treatment is arranged to collimate the X-ray radiation, wherein the X-ray coordination element (7) an X-ray transmission section (7) having a Large number of through holes (9.9 ') and a holding element (8) for supporting the X-ray transmission section (7), so that the lgenerungsabschnitt by the Röntgenstrah generated X-rays are collimated, to irradiate the template (16).