Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Tsinghua University

Shao-Hua Wang

Li-Jui Chen

Heng-Hsin Liu

Han-Lung Chang

Chueh-Chi Kuo

Ming-Hsun Tsai

Yen-Hsun Chen

Po-Chung Cheng

Zong-You Yang

Ming-Te Chen

Shih-Yu Tu

Sheng-Wei Lee

Chia-Chen Chen

Hsin-Feng Chen

Wei-Shin Cheng

Cheng-Hao Lai

Cheng-Chieh Chen

Yen-Hao Liu

Kuei-Lin Ho

Cheng-Wei Sun

Wei-Yuan Chen

Yi-Fam Shiu

Chih-Chun Chiang

Cheng Wei Sun

Kueilin Ho

Chrong-Jung Lin

Chun-Lin Louis Chang

Ya-Chin King

Burn-Jeng Lin

Hsiao-Lun Chang

Yu-Kuang Sun

Chien-Ping Wang

A lithography system includes a table body, a wafer stage, a first sliding member, a second sliding member, a first cable, a first bracket, a rail guide, and a first protective film. The first sliding member is coupled to the wafer stage. The second sliding member is coupled to an edge of the table body, in which the first sliding member is coupled to a track of the second sliding member. The first bracket fixes the first cable, the first bracket being coupled to a roller structure, in which the roller structure includes a body and a wheel coupled to the body. The rail guide confines a movement of the wheel of the roller structure. The first protective film is adhered to a surface of the rail guide, in which the roller structure is moveable along the first protective film on the surface of the rail guide.

Lithography system and method thereof

In a method of cleaning a lithography system, during idle mode, a stream of air is directed, through a first opening, into a chamber of a wafer table of an EUV lithography system. One or more particles is extracted by the directed stream of air from surfaces of one or more wafer chucks in the chamber of the wafer table. The stream of air and the extracted one or more particle are drawn, through a second opening, out of the chamber of the wafer table.

Method of cleaning wafer table of photolithography system and method of manufacturing integrated circuit

Some implementations described herein include operating components in a lithography system at variable speeds to reduce, minimize, and/or prevent particle generation due to rubbing of or collision between contact parts of the components. In some implementations, a component in a path of transfer of a semiconductor substrate in the lithography system is operated at a relatively high movement speed through a first portion of an actuation operation, and is operated at a reduced movement speed (e.g., a movement speed that is less than the high movement speed) through a second portion of the actuation operation in which contact parts of the component are to interact. The reduced movement speed reduces the likelihood of particle generation and/or release from the contact parts when the contact parts interact, while the high movement speed provides a high semiconductor substrate throughput in the lithography system.

Semiconductor processing tool and methods of operation

A method includes applying a first voltage to a source of a first transistor of a detector unit of a semiconductor detector in a test wafer and applying a second voltage to a gate of the first transistor and a drain of a second transistor of the detector unit. The first transistor is coupled to the second transistor in series, and the first voltage is higher than the second voltage. A pre-exposure reading operation is performed to the detector unit. Light of an exposure apparatus is illuminated to a gate of the second transistor after applying the first and second voltages. A post-exposure reading operation is performed to the detector unit. Data of the pre-exposure reading operation is compared with the post-exposure reading operation. An intensity of the light is adjusted based on the compared data of the pre-exposure reading operation and the post-exposure reading operation.

Detection using semiconductor detector

Highly efficient automatic particle cleaner method for EUV systems

An extreme ultraviolet radiation source apparatus includes a chamber including at least a droplet generator, a nozzle of the droplet generator, and a dry ice blasting assembly. The droplet generator includes a reservoir for a molten metal, and the nozzle has a first end connected to the reservoir and a second opposing end where molten metal droplets emerge from the nozzle. The dry ice blasting assembly includes a blasting nozzle, a blasting air inlet and a blaster carbon dioxide (CO) inlet. The blasting nozzle is disposed inside the chamber. The blasting nozzle is arranged to direct a pressurized air stream and dry ice particles at the nozzle of the droplet generator.

Droplet generator and method of servicing extreme ultraviolet radiation source apparatus

A method includes transferring a wafer over a wafer stage on a wafer table. The wafer table includes a table body, a wafer stage, a first sliding member, a second sliding member, a first cable, a first bracket and a second bracket, and a stopper. The second sliding member is movable along a first direction, in which the first sliding member is coupled to a track of the second sliding member, the first sliding member being movable along a second direction vertical to the first direction. The first bracket and the second bracket are connected by a leaf spring. The method includes moving the wafer stage toward the edge of the table body, such that the wafer stage pushes the first cable outwardly, such that the leaf spring is moved toward a first protective film on a surface of the stopper facing the leaf spring.

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography method includes causing a first metallic droplet to move along a shroud and through an aperture of the shroud at a first velocity, and adjusting an open area of the aperture of the shroud. After adjusting the open area of the aperture of the shroud, a second metallic droplet is caused to move along the shroud and through the aperture of the shroud at a second velocity, in which the second velocity is different from the first velocity.

Extreme ultraviolet photolithography method

A droplet generator assembly includes a storage tank, a refill system, a droplet generator, and a temperature control system. The storage tank is configured to store a target material. The refill system is connected to the storage tank. The droplet generator includes a reservoir and a nozzle connected to the reservoir, in which the droplet generator is connected to the refill system, and the refill system is configured to deliver the target material to the reservoir. The temperature control system is adjacent to the refill system or the reservoir.

Droplet generator assembly and method for using the same and radiation source apparatus

A method includes providing a plurality of fuel droplets into an EUV source vessel by a fuel droplet generator, in which the fuel droplet generator has a first portion inside the EUV source vessel and a second portion outside the EUV source vessel; generating a plurality of output signals respectively from a plurality of oscillation sensors on the fuel droplet generator; determining whether the output signals are acceptable; and determining whether an unwanted oscillation originates from the first portion of the fuel droplet generator or the second portion of the fuel droplet generator when the output signals is determined as unacceptable.

A method of operating an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system includes directing a metallic droplet along a shroud, wherein the shroud has a first opening adjacent a droplet generator and a second opening adjacent an excitation region; partially shielding the second opening of the shroud; and emitting a laser beam encountering the metallic droplet to generate an EUV light.

Extreme ultraviolet photolithography system and method

Growing community of inventors

Taoyuan, Taiwan

Shao-Hua Wang