Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Tzung-Chi Fu

Li-Jui Chen

Po-Chung Cheng

Bo-Tsun Liu

Shang-Chieh Chien

Chun-Lin Louis Chang

Chieh Hsieh

Tsung-Yen Lee

Han-Lung Chang

Chi Ming Yang

Chia-Chen Chen

Ssu-Yu Chen

Jen-Hao Yeh

Ching-Juinn Huang

Chun-Chia Hsu

Che-Chang Hsu

Chueh-Chi Kuo

Shang-Ying Wu

Fu-Jye Liang

Jen-Yang Chung

Hsiao-Lun Chang

Hao-Yu Lan

Li-Kai Cheng

Anthony Yen

Heng-Hsin Liu

Tsai-Sheng Gau

Chun-Kuang Chen

Chih-Ming Ke

Yen-Hsun Chen

Jhan-Hong Yeh

Alan Tu

Yi-Zhen Chen

Siao-Chian Huang

Chang-Tsun Hsieh

Chin-Hsiang Lin

Shy-Jay Lin

Chun-Hung Lin

Huai-Tei Yang

Chia-Hao Hsu

Yu Chao Lin

Hsin Chang

Jui-Chung Peng

Chien-Hsun Lin

Ming-Fa Wu

Yao-Wen Guo

Tzu-Wei Kao

Chia-Hsin Chou

Cheng-Han Yeh

Yen-Hui Li

Henry Tong Yee Shian

Ching-Yu Chang

Ru-Gun Liu

Yung-Sung Yen

Chi-Cheng Hung

Wei-Liang Lin

Kuei-Shun Chen

Chun Che Lin

Chun-Che Lin

Meng-Wei Chen

Wei-Chih Lai

Shao-Wei Luo

Lin-Hung Shiu

Shih-Hung Lu

Wei-Ting Yi

Shun-Jung Chen

Ming-Sen Tung

Li-Jiu Chen

Henry Tong Yee-Shian

Albert An-Ho Yin

Jen-Sen Huang

Yiau-Yi Chu

Yen-An Chen

A particle removal apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a reticle holder configured to hold a reticle, a robotic arm, and a particle removal device disposed on the robotic arm. The particle removal device includes a solution spraying module, a sucking module, and a baffle. The robotic arm and the particle removal device are configured to align with a particle on the backside of the reticle. The solution spraying module is configured to spray a solution onto the particle to remove the particle. The baffle is configured to be disposed over the backside of the reticle to define enclosed area that encompasses the particle to be removed. The sucking module is configured to suck the solution on the reticle with the particles being removed.

Particle removal apparatus

The present disclosure provides a method for aligning a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) system. The method includes ramping up a pumping power input into a laser amplifier chain of the MOPA system until the pumping power input reaches an operational pumping power input level; adjusting a seed laser power output of a seed laser of the MOPA system until the seed laser power output is at a first level below an operational seed laser power output level; and performing a first optical alignment process to the MOPA system while the pumping power input is at the operational pumping power input level, the seed laser power output is at the first level, and the MOPA system reaches a steady operational thermal state.

Methods and systems for aligning master oscillator power amplifier systems

A method for performing a lithography process is provided. The method includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate, providing a plurality of target droplets to a source vessel, and providing a plurality of first laser pulses according to a control signal provided by a controller to irradiate the target droplets in the source vessel to generate plasma as an EUV radiation. The plasma is generated when the control signal indicates a temperature of the source vessel is within a temperature threshold value. The method further includes directing the EUV radiation from the source vessel to the photoresist layer to form a patterned photoresist layer and developing and etching the patterned photoresist layer to form a circuit layout.

Method for performing lithography process, light source, and EUV lithography system

A reticle carrier described herein is configured to quickly discharge the residual charge on a reticle so as to reduce, minimize, and/or prevent particles in the reticle carrier from being attracted to and/or transferred to the reticle. In particular, the reticle carrier may be configured to provide reduced capacitance between an inner baseplate of the reticle carrier and the reticle. The reduction in capacitance may reduce the resistance-capacitance (RC) time constant for discharging the residual charge on the reticle, which may increase the discharge speed for discharging the residual charge through support pins of the reticle carrier. The increase in discharge speed may reduce the likelihood that an electrostatic force in the reticle carrier may attract particles in the reticle carrier to the reticle. This may reduce pattern defects transferred to substrates that are patterned using the reticle, may increase semiconductor device manufacturing quality and yield, and may reduce scrap and rework of semiconductor devices and/or wafers.

Reticle carrier and associated methods

An extreme ultra violet (EUV) radiation source apparatus includes a collector, a target droplet generator for generating a tin (Sn) droplet, a rotatable debris collection device and a chamber enclosing at least the collector and the rotatable debris collection device. The rotatable debris collection device includes a first end support, a second end support and a plurality of vanes, ends of which are supported by the first end support and the second end support, respectively. A surface of at least one of the plurality of vanes is coated by a catalytic layer, which reduces a SnHto Sn.

EUV light source and apparatus for lithography

A system is provided. The system includes an exposing device configured to generate a real-time image, including multiple first align marks, of a mask and an adjusting device configured to adjust an off-set of the mask from a pre-determined position to be smaller than a minimum aligning distance according to the first align marks and multiple align marks on a substrate, and further to move the mask closer to the pre-determined position to have a displacement, less than a minimum mapping distance, from the pre-determined position according to the real-time image and a reference image of the mask.

Lithography system and method

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photolithography system cleans debris from an EUV reticle. The system includes a cleaning electrode configured to be positioned adjacent the EUV reticle. The system includes a voltage source that helps draw debris from the EUV reticle toward the cleaning electrode by applying a voltage of alternating polarity to the cleaning electrode.

System and method for cleaning an EUV mask

A method of lithography process is provided. The method includes forming a conductive layer over a reticle. The method includes applying ionized particles to the reticle by a discharging device. The method includes forming a photoresist layer over a semiconductor substrate. The method includes securing the semiconductor substrate by a wafer electrostatic-clamp. The method also includes patterning the photoresist layer by emitting radiation from a radiation source via the reticle.

Method of lithography process and transferring a reticle

A particle removal method for removing particles on the backside of a reticle is provided. The method includes disposing the reticle on a reticle holder. In addition, the method includes moving a baffle defining an enclosed area that encompasses a particle to be removed on a backside of the reticle. The method further includes spraying, by a solution spraying module of a particle removal device, a solution onto the particle. The method further includes sucking, by a sucking module of the particle removal device, the solution on the reticle with the particle. The method further includes emitting, by the particle removal device, a gas onto the backside of the reticle for drying the backside.

Particle removal method

A system includes a laser source operable to provide a laser beam, a laser amplifier having a gain medium operable to provide energy to the laser beam when the laser beam passes through the laser amplifier, and a residual gain monitor operable to provide a probe beam and operable to derive a residual gain of the laser amplifier from the probe beam when the probe beam passes through the laser amplifier while being offset from the laser beam in time or in path.

Residual gain monitoring and reduction for EUV drive laser

A method for generating EUV light includes providing a laser beam having a Gaussian distribution. This laser beam can be then modified from a Gaussian distribution to a ring-like distribution. The modified laser beam is provided through an aperture in a collector and interfaces with a moving droplet target, which generates an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength light. The generated EUV wavelength light is provided to the collector away from the aperture. In some embodiments, a mask element may also be used to modify the laser beam to a shape.

EUV radiation generation methods and systems

A light source for EUV radiation is provided. The light source includes a target droplet generator, a laser generator, and a controller. The target droplet generator is configured to provide target droplets to a source vessel. The laser generator is configured to provide a plurality of first laser pulses according to a control signal to irradiate the target droplets in the source vessel to generate plasma as the EUV radiation. The controller is configured to provide the control signal according to the temperature of the source vessel and droplet positions of the target droplets. When the temperature of the source vessel exceeds a temperature threshold value and a standard deviation of the droplet positions of the target droplets exceeds a first standard deviation threshold value, the controller is configured to provide the control signal to the laser generator, so as to stop providing the first laser pulses.

Light source, EUV lithography system, and method for performing circuit layout patterning process

A reticle, a reticle container and a method of lithography process are provided. The reticle container includes: a cover configured to protect a reticle, a baseplate, and a discharging device on the baseplate. The baseplate has: a top surface configured to engage to the cover and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface. The discharging device is configured to neutralize static charges accumulated on the reticle.

Method of lithography process using reticle container with discharging device

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Miaoli, Taiwan

Tzung-Chi Fu