Applied Materials, Inc.

Stephane Dana

Joseph Bach

A photolithographic track system and method for semiconductor wafer manufacture having a plurality of stations for receiving a wafer for sequential processing, including a first group of stations for performing at least a part of a photolithography process. A metrology station is provided in a position of the track system after the first group of stations, for determining whether the processed wafer is within tolerance for at least one critical dimension. If not within tolerance, the wafer is moved by the track system to a stripping station for removal of at least one layer and a return to the beginning of the first group of stations for repeating the performance of a photolithography process. Parameters may also be adjusted for purposes of the repeated performance of the process. If within tolerance, the wafer may be moved for further processing, for example, baking or off loading.

Track-based metrology method and apparatus

A photolithographic track system for semiconductor wafer manufacture, that includes an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), having a scanning stylus probe measurement device coupled to the AFM head, for measuring overlay between masks and layers in an inspected wafer, so as to generate overlay data. The AFM is situated in-track.

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Tel Aviv, Israel

Stephane Dana