Making Tiny Chip Patterns Using Gas and Light
This patent describes an advanced machine that uses a special gas and patterned light, like a tiny stencil, to draw incredibly small features directly onto a silicon wafer for making computer chips.
Original patent title: “Lithography patterning with a gas phase resist”
This patent describes an advanced machine that uses a special gas and patterned light, like a tiny stencil, to draw incredibly small features directly onto a silicon wafer for making computer chips. Granted to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC in 2019 with 23 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2038.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes an apparatus for creating patterns on semiconductor wafers using a gas-phase resist. Instead of coating a liquid resist, the machine flows an organic gas near the wafer's surface (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). A radiation source, often extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light (Claim 11), shines a patterned beam onto a special 'deposition enhancement layer' (DEL) on the wafer (Claim 1). Where the light hits, elements of the organic gas polymerize, meaning they stick together and form a solid resist pattern (Claim 1). The apparatus precisely controls the gas flow, turning it on while the light scans and shutting it off before the light reaches the edge of the wafer (Claim 1). For example, to create a circuit line, the EUV light would draw the line, and the organic gas would solidify only where the light hits, forming the resist pattern.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover traditional lithography methods that use liquid photoresists applied by spinning the wafer.
- Does not cover patterning techniques that do not involve the polymerization of an organic gas by patterned radiation.
- Does not cover systems where the organic gas flow is not precisely controlled to shut off before the radiation reaches the wafer's edge (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover apparatuses that do not include a deposition enhancement layer (DEL) on the substrate (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover patterning methods that do not use a radiation source to directly polymerize gas elements into a resist pattern.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The clever part is forming the resist pattern directly from a gas in a highly controlled manner, rather than applying a liquid. This allows for much finer patterns and avoids issues like resist collapse or defects that can occur with liquid resists, especially when using extreme ultraviolet light.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Advanced semiconductor manufacturing facilities (fabs)
EUV lithography machines for 3nm and 2nm process nodes
Next-generation memory chip production
High-performance processor manufacturing
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology is crucial for manufacturing the smallest, most advanced computer chips. As chips get smaller, traditional liquid resists struggle to create the necessary fine patterns. Gas-phase resists, especially with EUV light, offer a way to overcome these limitations, enabling the production of faster, more powerful processors and memory for all our electronic devices.
Filed
July 9, 2018
Granted
December 24, 2019
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more → of this patent and a global leader in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, particularly in EUV lithography. Other major chip manufacturers like Samsung and Intel, along with lithography equipment suppliers such as ASML, are actively developing and implementing similar or related technologies to push the boundaries of chip fabrication.
Market impact
This patent's technology contributes to the ongoing shift towards advanced lithography techniques like EUV, which are essential for producing the next generation of microchips. It helps overcome physical limitations of older methods, enabling smaller, more powerful, and energy-efficient processors. This directly impacts the entire electronics industry by making possible the high-performance devices that drive modern computing, AI, and mobile technology.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes an apparatus for creating patterns on semiconductor wafers using a gas-phase resist. Instead of coating a liquid resist, the machine flows an organic gas near the wafer's surface (Claim 1). A radiation source, often extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light (Claim 11), shines a patterned beam onto a special 'deposition enhancement layer' (DEL) on the wafer (Claim 1). Where the light hits, elements of the organic gas polymerize, meaning they stick together and form a solid resist pattern (Claim 1). The apparatus precisely controls the gas flow, turning it on while the light scans and shutting it off before the light reaches the edge of the wafer (Claim 1). For example, to create a circuit line, the EUV light would draw the line, and the organic gas would solidify only where the light hits, forming the resist pattern.
The clever bit
The clever part is forming the resist pattern directly from a gas in a highly controlled manner, rather than applying a liquid. This allows for much finer patterns and avoids issues like resist collapse or defects that can occur with liquid resists, especially when using extreme ultraviolet light.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover traditional lithography methods that use liquid photoresists applied by spinning the wafer.
- Does not cover patterning techniques that do not involve the polymerization of an organic gas by patterned radiation.
- Does not cover systems where the organic gas flow is not precisely controlled to shut off before the radiation reaches the wafer's edge (Claim 1).
- Does not cover apparatuses that do not include a deposition enhancement layer (DEL) on the substrate (Claim 1).
- Does not cover patterning methods that do not use a radiation source to directly polymerize gas elements into a resist pattern.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$37K – $117K
Midpoint $73K · 11.9 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Huang, K., Chen, J., Kau, K., & Chang, S. (2019). Making Tiny Chip Patterns Using Gas and Light (U.S. Patent No. 10,514,610). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10514610/lithography-patterning-with-a-gas-phase-resist
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US10514610"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
Semantically similar
You might also find these interesting
US 12310123 · 2025 · Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd
How TSMC Makes Advanced Silicon-Based Light Sensors
US 12181722 · 2024 · Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC
Stacking Chips with Light-Guiding Plastic Wires
US 9055681 · 2015 · International Business Machines
Attaching Flexible Circuits with Light Sensors to a Chip
US 7824959 · 2010 · Samsung Electronics Co
How to Stack Computer Chips on a Wafer for Smaller Devices
More to explore
More in Semiconductors & Chips
US 5563422 · 1996 · Nichia Chemical Industries Ltd
How Nichia Created the First Practical Blue LED Electrodes
US 10373050 · 2019 · Qualcomm Inc
How to Make AI Run Faster on Smaller Computer Chips
US 2981877 · 1961 · Fairchild Semiconductor Corp
How Robert Noyce Invented the Modern Integrated Circuit
US 2569347 · 1951 · Bell Telephone Laboratories Inc
The Invention of the Junction Transistor
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Making Tiny Chip Patterns Using Gas and Light cover?
This patent describes an advanced machine that uses a special gas and patterned light, like a tiny stencil, to draw incredibly small features directly onto a silicon wafer for making computer chips.
Who owns patent US 10514610?
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC owns this patent, granted in 2019.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on July 9, 2038, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology is crucial for manufacturing the smallest, most advanced computer chips. As chips get smaller, traditional liquid resists struggle to create the necessary fine patterns. Gas-phase resists, especially with EUV light, offer a way to overcome these limitations, enabling the production of faster, more powerful processors and memory for all our electronic devices.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover traditional lithography methods that use liquid photoresists applied by spinning the wafer.
Same assignee
More from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC
Patent monitoring