Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Ching-Juinn Huang

Po-Chung Cheng

Tzung-Chi Fu

Tsung-Yen Lee

Chi Ming Yang

Hao-Yu Lan

Tsung-Hsun Lee

Chun-Kai Chang

Siao-Chian Huang

Yu Sheng Chiang

Yu De Liou

Chia-Yu Lee

Tao-Hsin Chen

Jian-Yuan Su

Li-Jui Chen

Chia-Hao Hsu

Chih-Chun Hsu

Kai-Chieh Chang

Chuan-Fang Su

Hsing-Wang Chen

Rung-Shiang Chen

A particle removal apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a reticle holder configured to hold a reticle, a robotic arm, and a particle removal device disposed on the robotic arm. The particle removal device includes a solution spraying module, a sucking module, and a baffle. The robotic arm and the particle removal device are configured to align with a particle on the backside of the reticle. The solution spraying module is configured to spray a solution onto the particle to remove the particle. The baffle is configured to be disposed over the backside of the reticle to define enclosed area that encompasses the particle to be removed. The sucking module is configured to suck the solution on the reticle with the particles being removed.

Particle removal apparatus

In a method of pattern formation information including a pattern size on a reticle is received. A width of an EUV radiation beam is adjusted in accordance with the information. The EUV radiation beam is scanned on the reticle. A photo resist layer is exposed with a reflected EUV radiation beam from the reticle. An increase of intensity per unit area of the EUV radiation beam on the reticle after the adjusting the width is greater when the width before adjustment is W1 compared to an increase of intensity per unit area of the EUV radiation beam on the reticle after the adjusting the width when the width before adjustment is W2 when W1>W2.

Width adjustment of EUV radiation beam

A system is provided. The system includes an exposing device configured to generate a real-time image, including multiple first align marks, of a mask and an adjusting device configured to adjust an off-set of the mask from a pre-determined position to be smaller than a minimum aligning distance according to the first align marks and multiple align marks on a substrate, and further to move the mask closer to the pre-determined position to have a displacement, less than a minimum mapping distance, from the pre-determined position according to the real-time image and a reference image of the mask.

Lithography system and method

A control system includes a plurality of pressure sensors, each to detect a pressure in a respective dynamic gas lock (DGL) nozzle control region of a plurality of DGL nozzle control regions. Each DGL nozzle control region includes one or more DGL nozzles. The control system includes a plurality of mass flow controllers (MFCs). Each MFC of the plurality of MFCs is to control a flow velocity in a respective DGL nozzle control region of the plurality of DGL nozzle control regions. The control system includes a controller to selectively cause one or more MFCs of the plurality of MFCs to adjust flow velocities in one or more DGL nozzle control regions of the plurality of DGL nozzle control regions based on pressures detected by the plurality of pressure sensors in DGL nozzle control regions of the plurality of DGL nozzle control regions.

Control of dynamic gas lock flow inlets of an intermediate focus cap

A particle removal method for removing particles on the backside of a reticle is provided. The method includes disposing the reticle on a reticle holder. In addition, the method includes moving a baffle defining an enclosed area that encompasses a particle to be removed on a backside of the reticle. The method further includes spraying, by a solution spraying module of a particle removal device, a solution onto the particle. The method further includes sucking, by a sucking module of the particle removal device, the solution on the reticle with the particle. The method further includes emitting, by the particle removal device, a gas onto the backside of the reticle for drying the backside.

Particle removal method

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source includes a module vessel and a scrubber system. The scrubber system may include a plurality of gutters in the module vessel. The plurality of gutters may include a first gutter and a second gutter. The second gutter may be lower than the first gutter in the module vessel. A unit volume of the second gutter is larger than a unit volume of the first gutter.

Module vessel with scrubber gutters sized to prevent overflow

In a method of pattern formation information including a pattern size on a reticle is received. A width of an EUV radiation beam is adjusted in accordance with the information. The EUV radiation beam is scanned on the reticle. A photo resist layer is exposed with a reflected EUV radiation beam from the reticle. An increase of intensity per unit area of the EUV radiation beam on the reticle after the adjusting the width is greater when the width before adjustment is Wcompared to an increase of intensity per unit area of the EUV radiation beam on the reticle after the adjusting the width when the width before adjustment is Wwhen W&#x3e;W

A system is disclosed. The system includes a cleaning device and a scanner device. The cleaning device is configured to clean a mask. The scanner device is coupled to the cleaning device and is configured to receive the mask, a reference image and a real-time image that is captured at the mask. The reference image includes at least one first mark image having a plurality of mapping marks on the mask. The real-time image includes at least one second mark image having the plurality of mapping marks on the mask. The scanner device is configured to map the at least one second mark image in the real-time image with the at least one first image in the reference image, when a lithography exposing process is performed. A method is also disclosed herein.

In some embodiments, a reticle structure is provided. The reticle structure includes a reticle stage and a reticle mounted on the reticle stage. The reticle stage includes plural first burls and plural second burls, in which the second burls are disposed on a center of the reticle stage and the first burls disposed on an edge of the reticle stage such that the first burls surround the second burls. The reticle includes a base material and a pattern layer overlying the base material. The base material is secured on the first and second burls of the reticle stage. The pattern layer includes plural first gratings, and each of the first burls is vertically aligned with one of the first gratings.

Reticle and method of detecting intactness of reticle stage using the same

A particle removal apparatus is provided. The particle removal apparatus includes a reticle holder configured to hold a reticle. The particle removal apparatus further includes a robotic arm. The particle removal apparatus also includes a particle removal device disposed on the robotic arm, and the particle removal device includes a solution spraying module. In addition, the robotic arm and the particle removal device are configured to align with a particle on a backside of the reticle, and the solution spraying module is configured to spray a solution onto the particle to remove the particle.

Particle removal apparatus, particle removal system and particle removal method

A method includes the following operations. A reference image of a mask having a plurality of mapping marks is acquired. A lithography exposing process is performed by a scanner with the mask to a photoresist layer which is formed on a substrate. Performing the lithography exposing process includes mapping a real-time image of the mask with the reference image of the mask.

Lithography method

A lithography system is provided and includes a light source device configured to emit a processing light beam onto the semiconductor wafer, to generate a penetrating light beam and a reflected light beam. The lithography system further includes a detecting module having a first detector and a second detector. The first detector is configured to receive the penetrating light beam to generate first power data, and the second detector is configured to receive the reflected light beam to generate second power data. The lithography system also includes a monitoring device configured to calculate absorbed power data of the semiconductor wafer according to the first power data, the second power data and reference power data of a reference light beam and configured to compensate for a pattern formed on the semiconductor wafer resulting from the processing light beam according to the absorbed power data and reference information.

Lithography system and lithography method

A reticle stage is provided, including an electrostatic chuck and an acoustic wave transducer. The electrostatic chuck includes multiple chucking electrodes embedded in a dielectric body and configured to secure a reticle to a chuck surface of the dielectric body by electrostatic attraction. The acoustic wave transducer is disposed on the chuck surface and configured to impart a surface acoustic wave to the chuck surface to vibrate the chuck surface, thereby removing the reticle from the reticle stage.

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Changhua, Taiwan

Ching-Juinn Huang