The Electromask Pattern Generator & Image Repeater are used for Photomask Fabrication and Production in micro and nano technology. The system is made up of two parts, the pattern generator (PG) and the image repeater (IR). Photomasks used for lithography in the BYU Cleanroom are generated using this machine. By following the design and layout rules below, production time and cost can be minimized.

1. Make sure that retical layout can fit inside a 63.5mm x 63.5mm square (equvalient to 2.5" x 2.5").
   
2. Specify your stepping distance between adjacent centers of die in mils.
3. Be sure you know whether you want to layout a clearfield mask or a darkfield mask. Layout the retical in dark field format and specify the field in the order form. Remember, in a clearfield mask the features are opaque and the field is clear. In a darkfield mask the features are clear and the field is opaque.
4. Make your minimum feature size no samller than 10 um.
5. Layout your rendering in microns. If it is in mils, please specify.
6. Before submitting your design for fabrication, make sure the layout is in the positive quadrant of the field. This means that the bottom left-hand corner of your layout should be at (0,0).
7. Specify the location of critical dimension in mils ((x,y) from (0,0).
8. Finished design must be submitted in either gdsII or autocat .dxf format.
   
   

1. Layout your job to fit on a 5" x 5" photoplate or a 3" x 3" photoplate. Any other size will have to be ordered and will delay mask completion. Remember to make your pattern fit the wafer size.
2. Be sure you know whether you want to layout a clearfield mask or a darkfield mask. Layout the retical in dark field format and specify the field in the order form. Remember, in a clearfield mask the features are opaque and the field is clear. In a darkfield mask the features are clear and the field is opaque.
3. Before submitting your design for fabrication, make sure the layout is in the positive quadrant of the field. This means that the bottom left-hand corner of your layout should be at (0,0).
4. Make your minimum feature size no smaller than 10 um.
5. When specifying the location of your critical dimension, specify it in (x,y) mils from (0,0).
   
6. Layout must be in microns. If otherwise please specify.
7. The finished design must be saved in either gdsII.

1. Use identical designs where possible.
2. Don’t add in unnecessary features.
3. Delete all features that are too small. The machine cannot be stretched past it’s capabilities. If a feature is too small, it is automatically increased to the minimum size and hence ruined. The smallest features the machine can design is 2-3 microns. (Features can be made smaller in certain cases only if they are retical friendly.)

Electromask PG & IR capabilities: