Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Fei-Gwo Tsai

Jui-Ping Chuang

Chi-Hung Liao

Li-Kong Turn

Hsueh-Yi Chung

Kuei-Shun Chen

Shih-Chi Fu

Tzong-Sheng Chang

Meng-Wei Chen

Chung-Hao Chang

Wei-Ti Hsu

Ming-Shane Lu

Che-Rong Liang

Yi-Rem Chen

Yung-Cheng Chen

Heng-Hsin Liu

Chun-Lang Chen

Chwen Yu

Wei-Zen Chou

Feng-Lung Lin

Kuan-Liang Wu

Kuan Liang Wu

Feng Lung Lin

Shy-Jay Lin

Chih-Chiang Tu

Bo-Tsun Liu

Yung-Yao Lee

Jong-I Mou

Kai-Wen Cheng

Chien-Chao Huang

Chun-Hsien Lin

Tsiao-Chen Wu

Tran-Hui Shen

Yao-Hwan Kao

Chun-Hao Chang

Yueh Lin Yang

Ching-Hai Yang

Kuo-Hung Chao

Shang-Yun Huang

Sophia Wang

Yung-cheng Chen

Liu Bo-Tsun

Chieh-Huan Ku

Chin-Ti Ko

Wu Cheng-Hung

Peng Jui-Chun

Li-Kong Tum

Steven Liu

Zong-Xian Tsai

Yeou-Hsin Hsieh

Yu-Chin King

A substrate support apparatus includes a housing and a plurality of spherical supports. The housing has a top surface, the top surface including a plurality of openings. The housing is configured to position the plurality of spherical supports within the plurality of openings so that topmost surfaces of the plurality of spherical supports are arranged in a plane above the top surface. A spherical support of the plurality of spherical supports is rotatable within the housing.

Substrate support apparatus and method

A method includes receiving a device design layout and a scribe line design layout surrounding the device design layout. The device design layout and the scribe line design layout are rotated in different directions. An optical proximity correction (OPC) process is performed on the rotated device design layout and the rotated scribe line design layout. A reticle includes the device design layout and the scribe line design layout is formed after performing the OPC process.

Method of fabricating reticle

A developing method is provided. The developing method includes rotating a wafer. The developing method also includes dispensing, through a first nozzle, a developer solution onto the rotated wafer through a first nozzle at a first rotating speed. The developing method further includes dispensing, through a second nozzle, a rinse solution onto the rotated wafer through a second nozzle at a second rotating speed. The second rotating speed is less than the first rotating speed. In addition, the developing method includes simultaneously moving the first nozzle and the second nozzle during either the dispensing of the developer solution or the dispensing of the rinse solution.

Developing method

A method for exposing a wafer substrate includes forming a reticle having a device pattern. A relative orientation between the device pattern and a mask field of an exposure tool is determined based on mask field utilization. The reticle is loaded on the exposure tool. The wafer substrate is rotated based on an orientation of the device pattern. Radiation is projected through the reticle onto the rotated wafer substrate by the exposure tool, thereby imaging the device pattern onto the rotated wafer substrate.

A developing method comprises steps as follows. A wafer is rotated. A developer solution is dispensed onto the rotated wafer through a first nozzle. The first nozzle is moved back and forth between a first position and a second position, in which moving the first nozzle back and forth is performed such that the first nozzle moving forward to the second position is reversed at the second position and that the first nozzle moving forward to the first position is reversed at the first position, and the first position and the second position are directly over the wafer, and the developer solution is dispensed through the first nozzle when moving the first nozzle back and forth between the first position and the second position.

A developing method includes rotating a wafer. A developer solution is dispensed onto the rotated wafer through a first nozzle. The first nozzle is moved from a first position to a second position. The first position and the second position are over the wafer and within a perimeter of the wafer when viewed from a top of the wafer. The developer solution is dispensed through the first nozzle when moving the first nozzle from the first position to the second position. The first nozzle is moved back from the second position to the first position immediately after the first nozzle is moved from the first position to the second position. The developer solution is dispensed through the first nozzle when moving the first nozzle from the second position to the first position.

Exposure method of wafer substrate, manufacturing method of semiconductor device, and exposure tool

Systems and methods are provided for edge bead removal. A laser beam of approximately a wavelength is received. The laser beam is delivered along a predetermined beam path. The laser beam is projected on an edge portion of a wafer for edge bead removal.

Systems and methods for edge bead removal

A tool and a method of developing are provided. In various embodiments, the method of developing includes rotating a wafer at a first rotating speed. The method further includes dispensing a developer solution onto the wafer at the first rotating speed by a first nozzle above the wafer, wherein the first nozzle moves back and forth along a path during dispensing the developer solution. The method further includes rotating the wafer at a second rotating speed to spread the developer solution onto the wafer uniformly. The method further includes dispensing a rinse solution onto the wafer at the second rotating speed by a second nozzle above the wafer.

Tool and method of developing

The present disclosure provides a method that includes capturing a first image of a mask in a first exposure apparatus using a first exposure source and a first imaging sensor; capturing a second image of the mask in a second exposure apparatus using a second exposure source and a second imaging sensor; comparing the first image of the mask and the second image of the mask for a difference therebetween; and determining an action according to the difference.

Lithography system and method for mask inspection

Among other things, systems and techniques are provided for detecting defects on a wafer based upon non-correctable error data yielded from a scan of the wafer to determine a topology of the wafer. The non-correctable error data is reconstructed to generate a non-correctable error image map, which is transformed to generate a projection. In some embodiments, the non-correctable error image map is transformed via a feature extraction transform such as a Hough transform or a Radon transform. In some embodiments, the projection is compared to a set of rules to identify a signature in the non-correctable error image map indicative of a defect.

Detection of defects on wafer during semiconductor fabrication

A method of determining overlay error. The method includes transferring a pattern from a reticle to a wafer and selecting a first set of data points to measure the positional difference between features on the reticle and features on the wafer. The method also includes determining a second set of data points characteristic of the first set of data points but containing fewer data points. A control system for using the second set of data points to dynamically adjust the position of the reticle.

Method of determining overlay error and control system for dynamic control of reticle position

A lithography cluster includes at least two lithography cells having a first lithography cell and a second lithography cell, an interface unit configured to integrate with the first lithography cell and the second lithography cell. The first lithography cell includes a first track and a first exposing tool and a second lithography cell includes a second track and a second exposing tool. The interface station includes a first interface buffer configured to couple the first track, a second interface buffer configured to couple the second track, a conveyor configured to couple the first interface buffer and the second interface buffer, and a robot configure to move along the conveyor, where in the robot transfers a substrate between functions of multiple functions within the first lithography cell, the second lithography cell, or between the first lithography cell and the second lithography cell.

Method of optimizing lithography tools utilization

Methods for patterning material layers, which may be implemented in forming integrated circuit device features, are disclosed. In an example, a method includes forming a first resist layer over a material layer; forming a second resist layer over the first resist layer; forming an opening that extends through the second resist layer and the first resist layer to expose the material layer, wherein the opening has a substantially constant width in the second resist layer and a tapered width in the first resist layer; and performing a tilt-angle deposition process to form a feature over the exposed material layer.

Double patterning method using tilt-angle deposition

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Tainan, Taiwan

Fei-Gwo Tsai