# 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. - **Patent:** US 10514610 - **Original title:** Lithography patterning with a gas phase resist - **Owner:** Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC - **Granted:** 2019 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 0 - **Field:** semiconductors, consumer_electronics, materials, telecommunications ## What it does 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. ## 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. ## 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. ## Real-world examples 1. Advanced semiconductor manufacturing facilities (fabs) 2. EUV lithography machines for 3nm and 2nm process nodes 3. Next-generation memory chip production 4. High-performance processor manufacturing ## Why it matters 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. ## 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. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10514610/lithography-patterning-with-a-gas-phase-resist **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US10514610 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How TSMC Makes Advanced Silicon-Based Light Sensors](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12310123/raptor-1) — A manufacturing process for high-performance light sensors that use alternating doped regions within a silicon-on-insulator structure to improve detection efficiency. - [Stacking Chips with Light-Guiding Plastic Wires](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12181722/structures-and-process-flow-for-integrated-photonic-electric-ic-package-by-using) — TSMC's patent describes a method for building advanced chip packages that combine electrical and light-based circuits using polymer waveguides and an integrated fan-out redistribution layer for faster communication. - [Attaching Flexible Circuits with Light Sensors to a Chip](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9055681/method-for-attaching-a-flexible-structure-to-a-device-and-a-device-having-a-flex) — This patent describes a method and device for attaching a bendable circuit, which includes light-sensing or light-emitting components, onto a main chip, allowing light to pass through a hole in the chip to reach the flexible part. - [How to Stack Computer Chips on a Wafer for Smaller Devices](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7824959/wafer-level-stack-structure-for-system-in-package-and-method-thereof) — This patent describes a method for stacking two full wafers of computer chips, where the chips on each wafer are roughly the same overall size but have different active areas, to create a compact system-in-package. - [How Chips Get Both Light and Electricity on a Special Glass Base](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12326604/integrated-circuit-packages-having-electrical-and-optical-connectivity-and-metho) — This patent describes a way to build computer chip packages using a special glass base that can carry both electrical signals and light signals, making chips faster and more efficient.