Suss Microtec Lithography Gmbh

Sven Hansen

Georg Fink

Henrik Petry

Matthias Conradi

Katrin Schindler

Lennert Schwart

Yasuaki Amano

Thomas Huelsmann

The invention relates to a positioning device for positioning a substrate, in particular a wafer, comprising: a process chamber; a base body; a carrier element which comprises a support for supporting the substrate, the carrier element being arranged above the base body and formed movable in terms of distance from the base body; and a holder for an additional substrate, in particular an additional wafer or a mask, the holder being arranged opposite the carrier element; wherein there is, between the base body and the carrier element, a sealed-off cavity to which a pressure, in particular a negative pressure, can be applied so as to prevent undesired movement of the carrier element as a result of the action of an external force.

Positioning device

A wafer support system has a wafer support device and a dicing frame, wherein the wafer support device has a bottom plate and a top plate. The top plate has a support surface for supporting the wafer, and the bottom plate has a maximum diameter being larger than the maximum diameter of the top plate so that the bottom plate forms a repository for the dicing frame. The dicing frame has a plate-like shape defining a center hole, wherein the minimum diameter of the center hole is larger than the maximum diameter of the top plate so that the dicing frame sinks below the upper surface of the wafer and/or the support surface. Further, a wafer support device, a wafer support system and a mask aligner are provided.

Wafer support system, wafer support device, system comprising a wafer and a wafer support device as well as mask aligner

A device for treating a disc-shaped substrate is disclosed, comprising a support which has a support face for the disc-shaped substrate and a support adapter which can be coupled to the support and can support a mask used for treating the disc-shaped substrate, wherein an interface is provided which detects the coupling of the support adapter to the support and wherein a control system is provided which cooperates with the interface and detects whether the support adapter is coupled to the support, in particular whether the interface is occupied. A support adapter for use in a device of this type is further disclosed.

Device for treating a disc-shaped substrate and support adapter

A chuck for aligning a first planar substrate in parallel to a second planar substrate includes a top plate having a top surface for arrangement of the first planar substrate. A bottom plate is at least one distance measuring sensor configured to measure a distance between the top surface of the top plate and a surface of the second planar substrate, and at least three linear actuators in contact with the top plate and the bottom plate. The method for setting a gap between the first and second planar substrate includes measuring the thickness of the first planar substrate and measuring between a surface of the second planar substrate and the top surface of the top plate. The tilt adjusts between a top surface of the first planar substrate or the chuck and the surface of the second planar substrate by using at least three linear actuators of the chuck.

Chuck, in particular for use in a mask aligner

The invention relates to a method and device for expanding the travel or control displacement of linear actuators that is available during an imprinting or embossing stroke. The wedge error compensating head () comprises a movable part (), a stationary part () and at least three linear actuators (). Each linear actuator () is connected to one of the parts () at one end and to the other of the two parts () by wedges () at the other end. By means of the wedges (), it is possible to coarsely or roughly compensate for wedge errors and possible tolerances of individual subcomponents of the system. The linear actuators () are only used for fine or precision compensation for the wedge error. In this way, sufficient control displacement is available for the imprinting stroke with the linear actuators.

Method and device for active wedge error compensation between two objects that can be positioned substantially to parallel to each other

The invention provides a method for determining the center of a rotationally symmetrical alignment mark thereby using an image recognition software. The alignment mark is recognized by the image recognition software in different orientations by rotating the alignment mark around a symmetry angle with respect to which the alignment mark is rotationally symmetrical, and respective reference points are determined. The center of rotation of the determined reference points corresponds to the center of the alignment mark. Moreover, the invention provides a method for aligning two flat substrates each having a rotationally symmetrical alignment mark and being arranged substantially parallel with respect to each other. To this end, the centers of the alignment marks of the two substrates are determined by means of the method for determining the centers according to the present invention, and the two substrates are aligned by moving at least one of the two substrates in parallel so that the positions of the centers of the alignment marks coincide.

Center determination of rotationally symmetrical alignment marks

The present invention provides for a method for adjusting an alignment microscope. In the method of the present invention an alignment mask is used in which the one side comprises at least one alignment mark and the other side is reflective. For the adjustment, the microscope is first focused to the alignment mark and then refocused to the mirror image of the alignment mark generated by the reflective side. The microscope is then adjusted by comparing the positions of the alignment mark and the generated mirror image of the alignment mark until the alignment mark overlaps its mirror image. Moreover, a device for adjusting an alignment microscope in accordance with the method of the present invention.

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Garching, Germany

Sven Hansen