9200 PanelPrinter™

• Active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) with amorphous-silicon transistors
  
• Low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD)
  
• Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) backplane
  
• Field emission display (FED)
  

Stepper (Step-and-Repeat) Operating Principle

Azores steppers use projection optics to expose circuit patterns from a mask or reticle onto a substrate to achieve the optimal image fidelity required for mobile display technologies. These systems employ light from a mercury arc lamp that is projected through a mask, or reticle, containing display and circuit patterns. Substrates are aligned on the system and the mask is imaged through a projection lens to photoresist material coated on the substrate. The substrate is then moved, or stepped, to a second position to expose an adjacent area. Images can be “stitched” together precisely to form larger circuit patterns without any noticeable change in circuit performance. The system repeats the step and exposure process until the entire substrate is patterned.

Once the exposure process has been completed, the substrate is developed with an alkalai solution, such as TMAH or sodium hydroxide (NaOH), to reveal the underlying material. The substrates then continue through the etching, stripping, and deposition processes until multi-layer circuits are completed.

Mobile Display Applications

The Model 9200 addresses the demanding requirements of the mobile display industry. Based on proven Azores stepper technology, the 9200 combines optimized performance capabilities with superior cost-of-ownership in a Gen 4.5 configuration. The system features a resolution of 1.5 µm with a 200 mm lens for a large lens field and a depth of focus of more than 9 µm. When combined with the system’s high-speed frictionless motion, throughput is improved by as much as 80% over competing technologies. The 9200 also features a small footprint and low-cost reticles for an affordable manufacturing process.