Methods and systems to compensate for a stitching disturbance of a printed pattern in a maskless lithography system utilizing overlap of exposure zones with attenuation of the aerial image in the overlap region

Abstract

A method and system are provided for printing a pattern on a photosensitive surface using a spatial light modulator (SLM). An exemplary method includes defining two or more exposure areas on the photosensitive surface, the exposure areas overlapping along respective edge portions of the exposure areas to form an overlap zone therebetween. Two or more exposure areas are exposed to print an image therein, the exposing extending through the overlap zone. The exposing within the overlap zone is then attenuated.

1 . A method to compensate for errors in a pattern to be printed using a spatial light modulator (SLM), comprising: 
 defining exposure areas on a photosensitive surface, the exposure areas overlapping to form an overlap zone therebetween;    determining attenuation of at least one of a predicted aerial image and a corresponding resist image;    exposing the exposure areas to print an image therein, the exposing extending through the overlap zone; and    implementing the determined attenuation during the exposing within the overlap zone.    
   
   
       2 - 10 . (canceled)