Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Yu-Piao Fang

Yu-Ching Lee

Te-Chih Huang

Yu-Wei Liao

A method includes forming a first material layer on a semiconductor wafer, the first material layer comprising a first periodic structure within an overlay mark region of the semiconductor wafer and forming a second material layer on the semiconductor wafer, the second material layer comprising a second periodic structure in the overlay mark region. The method further includes with an acoustic transmitter device disposed within the overlay mark region, transmitting an acoustic wave across both the first periodic structure and the second periodic structure. The method further includes, with an acoustic wave receiver device, detecting the acoustic wave and determining an overlay error between the first material layer and the second material layer based on the acoustic wave as detected by the acoustic wave receiver device.

Method and structures for acoustic wave overlay error determination

An overlay mark includes a first, a second, a third, and a fourth component. The first component is located in a first region of the first overlay mark and includes a plurality of gratings that extend in a first direction. The second component is located in a second region of the first overlay mark and includes a plurality of gratings that extend in the first direction. The third component is located in a third region of the first overlay mark and includes a plurality of gratings that extend in a second direction different from the first direction. The fourth component is located in a fourth region of the first overlay mark and includes a plurality of gratings that extend in the second direction. The first region is aligned with the second region. The third region is aligned with the fourth region.

Multi-function overlay marks for reducing noise and extracting focus and critical dimension information

A transportation container is provided with a container body constructed of a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall, and two sidewalls forming a front opening for loading or unloading a reticle pod into or out of the container body; a lid for opening and closing the front opening; and a lift plate above the container body configured to connect to a carrier of an overhead hoist transfer (OHT) system.

Reticle transportation container

Methods for manufacturing a semiconductor structure are provided. A substrate is provided. A metrology target is formed in a layer over the substrate according to a first layer mask and a second layer mask. The metrology target includes a first pattern formed by a plurality of first photonic crystals corresponding to the first layer mask and a second pattern formed by a plurality of second photonic crystals corresponding to the second layer mask. First light is provided to illuminate the metrology target. Second light is received from the metrology target in response to the first light. The second light is analyzed to detect overlay-shift between the first pattern and the second pattern. The first pattern and the second pattern are arranged to cross in one direction in the metrology target.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor structure

Overlay-shift measurement systems are provided. An overlay-shift measurement system includes an optical device, a first light detection device and a processor. The optical device is configured to provide an input light to a metrology target of a semiconductor structure. The first light detection device is configured to receive a transmitted light from the metrology target when the input light penetrates the metrology target. The processor is configured to determine whether overlay-shift between a plurality of first photonic crystals and a plurality of second photonic crystals in the metrology target is present according to characteristics of the transmitted light.

Overlay-shift measurement system

Methods for manufacturing a semiconductor structure are provided. A substrate is provided. A first lithography is performed according to a first layer mask, to form a plurality of first photonic crystals with a first pitch on a first area of a layer above the substrate. A second lithography is performed according to a second layer mask, to form a plurality of second photonic crystals with a second pitch on a second area of the layer. A light is provided to illuminate the first and second photonic crystals. Light reflected by the first and second photonic crystals or transmitted through the first and second photonic crystals is received. The received light is analyzed to detect overlay-shift between the first photonic crystals corresponding to the first layer mask and the second photonic crystals corresponding to the second layer mask.

Overlay-shift measurement system and method for manufacturing semiconductor structure and measuring alignment mark of semiconductor structure

An apparatus configured to load or unload a mask pod includes a first load port supporter and a second load port supporter spaced apart from the first load port supporter. Each of the first load port supporter and the second load port supporter includes at least portions of an L-shaped rectangular prism. The first load port supporter and the second load port supporter are disposed diagonally around a rectangular area, where first inner sidewalls of the first load port supporter and second inner sidewalls of the second load port supporter delimit boundaries of the rectangular area, and where a first width of the rectangular area is equal to a second width of the mask pod, and a first length of the rectangular area is equal to a second length of the mask pod.

Optical reticle load port

A structure includes a first periodic structure positioned on a chip, the first periodic structure comprising a material of a first layer disposed on the chip. The structure further includes a second periodic structure positioned within the region of the chip adjacent the first periodic structure, the second periodic structure comprising a second material of a second layer disposed on the chip. The structure further includes an acoustic wave transmitter device disposed on the chip and an acoustic wave receiver device disposed on the chip.

Structures for acoustic wave overlay error determination using periodic structures

A transportation stage for transporting a photomask is provided. The transportation stage includes a vacuum source and a supporting plate. The supporting plate has a number of passages connected to the vacuum source. The transportation stage further includes a membrane positioned on the supporting plate. A number of through holes are formed on a middle region of the membrane and communicating with the passages. The transportation stage also includes an acoustic wave transducer positioned on the membrane and is configured generate an acoustic wave along the membrane.

Growing community of inventors

Tainan, Taiwan

Yu-Piao Fang