Mapper Lithography IP B.v.

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Hendrik Jan De Jong

Guido De Boer

Vincent Sylvester Kuiper

Erwin Slot

Marco Jan-Jaco Wieland

Marcel Nicolaas Jacobus Van Kervinck

Alexander Hendrik Vincent Van Veen

Sander Baltussen

The invention relates to a substrate handling and exposure arrangement comprising a plurality of lithography apparatus, a clamp preparation unit for clamping a wafer on a wafer support structure, a wafer track, wherein the clamp preparation unit is configured for accepting a wafer from the wafer track, and an additional wafer track for transferring the clamp towards the plurality of lithography apparatus.

Method and arrangement for handling and processing substrates

An apparatus for transferring a target, such as a substrate or a substrate support structure onto which a substrate has been clamped, from a substrate transfer system to a vacuum chamber of a lithography system. The apparatus comprises a load lock chamber for transferring the target into and out of the vacuum chamber. The load lock chamber comprises a first wall with a first passage providing access between a robot space and the interior of the load lock chamber, a second wall with a second passage providing access between the interior of the load lock chamber and the vacuum chamber, and plurality of handling robots for transferring the targets comprising: a first handling robot movable within the robot space to access the substrate transfer system and the first passage; and a second handling robot movable within the load lock chamber to access the first passage and the second passage.

Apparatus for transferring a substrate in a lithography system

The invention relates to a drying apparatus for use in a lithography system for drying at least part of a surface on a first side of a planar target, such as a wafer. The apparatus has a drying device for eliminating liquid or droplets thereof from the first side of the planar target. The drying device has a first slit and a second slit arranged in close proximity of the target. A gap is present between the target and the drying device. Pressurized gas may be supplied via the first slit into the gap. The liquid may be discharged from the target by means of the pressurized gas through the second slit. The first and the second slit are configured to enable the pressurized gas to flow along the first side of the planar target substantially parallel to the planar target.

Drying apparatus for use in a lithography system

The invention relates to a method of clamping a substrate on a surface of a substrate support structure. First, a liquid is applied on a surface of the substrate support structure. The surface is provided with a plurality of contact elements. The liquid is applied such that the contact elements are fully covered by a liquid layer. Then the substrate is provided and placed onto the liquid layer. Finally, liquid underneath the substrate is removed such that the substrate rests on the plurality of contact elements and is clamped by means of a capillary clamping force exerted by a capillary layer of the liquid between the substrate and the surface of the substrate support structure.

Method of clamping a substrate and clamp preparation unit using capillary clamping force

An apparatus for transferring substrates within a lithography system, the lithography system comprising a substrate preparation unit for clamping a substrate onto a substrate support structure to form a clamped substrate, and an interface with a substrate supply system for receiving unclamped substrates. The apparatus comprises a body provided with a first set of fingers for carrying an unclamped substrate and a second set of fingers for carrying a substrate support structure, and the first set of fingers is located below the second set of fingers, and fingers of the first set of fingers have a different shape than the fingers of the second set of fingers.

Method of handling a substrate support structure for clamping a substrate on a surface thereof in a lithography system. First, a substrate support structure adapted to absorb energy from a substrate clamped thereon and a substrate are provided. The substrate is clamped on a surface of the substrate support structure. The substrate support structure with the substrate clamped thereon is transferred to a lithography apparatus, in which a lithographic process is performed on the substrate clamped onto the substrate support structure. The substrate support structure with the substrate clamped thereon is then removed from the lithography system. The substrate is removed from the substrate support structure, and the substrate support structure is conditioned by removing energy stored in the substrate support structure before providing a new substrate onto the substrate support structure.

Method of handling a substrate support structure in a lithography system

A substrate support structure for clamping a substrate by means of a capillary force created by a liquid clamping layer having a lower pressure than its surroundings. The substrate support structure comprises a surface provided with a plurality of substrate supporting elements for holding the substrate, and the surface further comprises portions with different capillary potential for inducing, during clamping, a predetermined capillary flow within the liquid clamping layer.

Substrate support structure, clamp preparation unit, and lithography system

A method of processing substrates in a lithography system unit, the lithography system unit comprising at least two substrate preparation units, a load lock unit comprising at least first and second substrate positions, and a substrate handling robot for transferring substrates between the substrate preparation units and the load lock unit. The method comprises providing a sequence of substrates to be exposed to the robot, including an Nth substrate, an N&#x2212;1th substrate, and an N+1th substrate; transferring the Nth substrate to a first one of the substrate preparation units; clamping the Nth substrate on a first substrate support structure in the first substrate preparation unit to form a clamped Nth substrate; transferring the clamped Nth substrate from the first substrate preparation unit to an unoccupied one of the first and second positions in the load lock unit; and exposing the clamped Nth substrate in the lithography system unit.

Method of processing a substrate in a lithography system

The invention relates to a lithography system comprising a plurality of lithography system units. Each lithography system unit comprises a lithography apparatus arranged in a vacuum chamber for patterning a substrate; a load lock system for transferring substrates into and out of the vacuum chamber; and a door for enabling entry into the vacuum chamber for servicing purposes. The load lock system and the door of each lithography system unit are provided at the same side and face a free area at a side of the lithography system, in particular the service area.

Lithography system and method of processing substrates in such a lithography system

A charged particle lithography system for pattern transfer onto a target surface, comprising a beam generator for generating a plurality of beamlets, and a plurality of aperture array elements comprising a first aperture array, a blanker array, a beam stop array, and a projection lens array. Each aperture array element comprises a plurality of apertures arranged in a plurality of groups, wherein the aperture groups of each aperture array element form beam areas distinct and separate from non-beam areas formed between the beam areas and containing no apertures for beamlet passage. The beam areas are aligned to form beam shafts, each comprising a plurality of beamlets, and the non-beam areas are aligned to form non-beam shafts not having beamlets present therein. The first aperture array element is provided with cooling channels in the non-beam areas for transmission of a cooling medium for cooling the array element.

Charged particle lithography system with aperture array cooling

A substrate support structure for clamping a substrate on a surface by means of a capillary layer of a liquid. The surface has an outer edge and includes one or more substrate supporting elements for receiving the substrate to be clamped, wherein the one or more substrate supporting elements are arranged to provide support for the substrate at a plurality of support locations. The substrate support structure further includes a sealing structure circumscribing the surface and having a top surface or edge forming a sealing rim. A distance between the outer edge of the surface and an outermost of the support locations is greater than a distance between the outer edge and the sealing rim.

A charged particle lithography system comprising a preparation unit. The preparation unit comprises a housing having a first load port for loading and/or unloading a substrate into or out of the housing, a substrate transfer unit for locating the substrate onto a substrate support structure within the housing, and a second load port for loading and/or unloading the substrate support structure supporting the substrate.

Growing community of inventors

The Hague, Netherlands

Hendrik Jan De Jong