SUPPORT AND POSITIONING STRUCTURE, SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITIONING

• US 20110147612A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: Mapper Lithography IP B.V (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Mehendale, Aditya, Peijster, Jerry, Hilderink, Andre Johannes Maria
• Granted Patent: US 8,952,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/453.11
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/0264 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/202 Movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/09 Diaphragms; Shields associated with electron or ion-optical arrangements; Compensation of disturbing fields
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/20 Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3177 Multi-beam, e.g. fly's eye, comb probe

Abstract

The invention relates to a charged particle system provided with a support and positioning structure for supporting and positioning a target on a table, the support and positioning structure comprising a first member and a second member and at least one motor so as to move the first member relative to the second member, wherein a shield is present to shield at least one charged particle beam from electromagnetic fields generated by said at least one motor, the support and positioning structure further comprising a spring mechanically coupling the first member and the second member for at least partially bearing the weight of the first member, table and target.

Claims

1. A charged particle system provided with a support and positioning structure for supporting and positioning a target on a table, the support and positioning structure comprising a first member and a second member and at least one motor so as to move the first member relative to the second member, wherein a shield is present to shield at least one charged particle beam from electromagnetic fields generated by said at least one motor, the support and positioning structure further comprising a spring mechanically coupling the first member and the second member for at least partially bearing the weight of the first member, table and target.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the shield comprises a first shield part and a second shield part, said first member and said second member being at least partially shielded by said first shield part and said second shield part in conjunction, the first and second shield part being movable towards each other.

3. System according to claim 2, wherein the first and second shield part each comprise a planar portion extending substantially parallel to a main surface of said first member and a side portion with an orientation different from said planar portion, said side portions overlap.

4. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the shield parts comprises a first and a second plate extending in parallel, such that said side portion of the other shield part extends in between of the first and the second plate.

5. System as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one of the shield parts includes a plurality of plates so as to constitute, in a cross-sectional view, a comb structure.

6. System as claimed in claim 5, wherein both of the shield parts include a plurality of plates that are arranged so as to constitute an interdigitated structure.

7. System as claimed in claim 6, wherein the interdigitated structure is included to allow rotations and translations between said first and second shield parts.

8. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein said positioning and support structure is provided with a first and an adjacent second side face, which mutually include an angle between 90 and 180 degrees.

9. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shield is of a circular shape.

10. System according to claim 1, wherein motors are included for providing 6 degrees of freedom.

11. System according to claim 1, wherein the at least one motor is a lorentz motor.

12. System according to claim 1, wherein said system is operated under controlled atmosphere.

13. System as claimed in claim 12, wherein said controlled atmosphere comprises a vacuum environment.

14. System according to claim 1, wherein the system is a system chosen from the group of measurement systems and lithography systems.

15. System according to claim 1, wherein the system includes a column for the projection of at least one charged particle beam on a target surface.

16. System according to claim 1, wherein the structure provided with an operative state in which said motors are switched towards a relative high-power mode and the target is actively positioned and a non-operative state in which the at least one motor is in a low power mode or turned off.

17. System as claimed in claim 16, wherein in said non-operative state the first member is urged against a stop by said spring.

18. System as claimed in claim 16, wherein the spring has an effective length that is larger in the non-operative state than in the operative state.

19. System as claimed in claim 16, further comprising at least one sensor for sensing a removal of an element from said first member, said at least sensor being coupled to a control unit that controls a transition between the operative and the non-operative state, said control unit switching off said motors.

20. System as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a spring holder defining a maximum length of the spring.

21. System as claimed in claim 16, further providing lock structures for locking a position of said first member in the non-operative state.

22. System as claimed in claim 16, wherein said first member has a tare weight, said spring bearing the tare weight of the first member, while said motors specify a position of the first member relative to the second member

23. System as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a shield with a first shield part in the first member and a second shield part in the second member, each of said shield parts being provided with a comb structure of plates at a periphery of said member, said plates of said first and said second shield part being mutually interdigitated, wherein the shield is designed to continue shielding in the non-operative state.

24. System as claimed in claim 23, wherein the plates of the first and second shield part have a mutual overlap length in a direction parallel to an extension of said spring, said mutual overlap length being larger than a length increase of the spring under transition from the operative state to the non-operative state.

25. System as claimed in claim 16, wherein said spring comprises a hollow spring, freely movably included in the positioning and support structure to allow movement perpendicular to the central axis of the spring.

26. A support and positioning structure for use in a charged particle system comprising a first member and a second member, further comprising a spring mechanically coupling the first member and the second member and a plurality of electromagnetic motors so as to move the first member relative to the second member, wherein the structure is provided with an operative state in which said motors are switched towards a relative high-power mode and the target is actively positioned and a non-operative state in which the at least one motor is in a low power mode or turned off.

27. A charged particle system for use in a semiconductor equipment system comprising a positioning and support structure, said positioning and support structure comprising a first member and a second member and at least one motor so as to move the first member relative to the second member, wherein a shield is present so as to shield a column above said first member from electromagnetic fields generated by said at least one motor, which shield comprises a first shield part and a second shield part, which first member comprises said first shield part and which second member comprises said second shield part, the first and second shield part being movable towards each other, the support structure further comprising a spring mechanically coupling the first member and the second member for at least partially bearing the weight of the first member, chuck, table and target.

28. A method of positioning an element in the semiconductor equipment system, comprising the steps of:

mechanically coupling said element to a first member of a support and positioning structure that further comprises a second member and at least one motor;

operating the at least one motor for positioning the first member relative to the second member in an operative state, and

bringing said support and positioning structure to a non-operative state.

29. A method of positioning an element in the charged particle system, comprising the steps of:

mechanically coupling said element to a first member of a support and positioning structure that further comprises a second member and at least one motor;

operating the at least one motor for positioning the first member relative to the second member, and

shielding at least one charged particle beam above said first member from electromagnetic fields generated by said at least one motor using a distributed shield comprising a first and a second shield part for enabling movement of the first member relative to the second member resulting from said motor operation.