Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Hung-Ming Kuo

Jui-Chun Peng

Heng-Hsin Liu

Yung-Yao Lee

Kuo-Hung Chao

Jian-Yuan Su

In a method executed in an exposure apparatus, a focus control effective region and a focus control exclusion region are set based on an exposure map and a chip area layout within an exposure area. Focus-leveling data are measured over a wafer. A photo resist layer on the wafer is exposed with an exposure light. When a chip area of a plurality of chip areas of the exposure area is located within an effective region of a wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control effective region, and when a part of or all of a chip area of the plurality of chip areas is located on or outside a periphery of the effective region of the wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control exclusion region In the exposing, a focus-leveling is controlled by using the focus-leveling data measured at the focus control effective region.

Exposure method and exposure apparatus

The present disclosure relates to an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source having a collector mirror oriented to reduce contamination of fuel droplet debris. In some embodiments, the EUV radiation source has a fuel droplet generator that provides a plurality of fuel droplets to an EUV source vessel. A primary laser is configured to generate a primary laser beam directed towards the plurality of fuel droplets. The primary laser beam has a sufficient energy to ignite a plasma from the plurality of fuel droplets, which emits extreme ultraviolet radiation. A collector mirror, configured to focus the extreme ultraviolet radiation to an exit aperture of the EUV source vessel, which is oriented so that a normal vector extending outward from a vertex of the collector mirror intersects a direction of a gravitation force by an angle that is less than 90&#xb0;.

EUV collector with orientation to avoid contamination

The present disclosure provides a focus metrology method and photolithography method and system. The focus metrology method includes recognizing at least one relevant region and at least one irrelevant region on a workpiece surface, measuring a height of the relevant region and determining a focal length for an exposure process based on the measured height of the relevant region.

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Hsinchu County, Taiwan

Hung-Ming Kuo