Lithography System with an Embedded Cleaning Module

• US 20140268074A1
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Jeng-Horng, Wu, Jui-Ching, Chen, Chia-Chen, Hsieh, Hung-Chang, Lu, Chi-Lun, Yu, Chia-Hao, Chien, Shang-Chieh, Chang, Shih-Ming, Yen, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 10,459,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70741 Handling masks outside exposure position, e.g. reticle libraries
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70925 Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a lithography system. The lithography system includes an exposing module configured to perform a lithography exposing process using a mask secured on a mask stage; and a cleaning module integrated in the exposing module and designed to clean at least one of the mask and the mask stage using an attraction mechanism.

Claims

1. A lithography system, comprising:

an exposing module configured to perform a lithography exposing process using a mask secured on a mask stage; and

a cleaning module integrated in the exposing module and designed to clean at least one of the mask and the mask stage using an attraction mechanism.

2. The lithography system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning module includes a cleaning structure with the attraction mechanism and a handling mechanism that is designed to secure and manipulate the cleaning structure.

3. The lithography system of claim 2, wherein the cleaning structure includes a carrier substrate and an attracting object attached to the carrier substrate.

4. The lithography system of claim 3, wherein the carrier substrate is a mask substrate having a shape and dimensions of the mask.

5. The lithography system of claim 3, wherein the attracting object includes a material with non-polar chains and polar compound.

6. The lithography system of claim 3, wherein the attracting object includes a sticking material selected from the group consisting of adhesive tape, polysaccharide, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with —

OH bond and high chemical polarity, and natural latex with surfactant.

7. The lithography system of claim 2, wherein the cleaning structure includes a current driven electrostatic mechanism to generate electrostatic force for attracting particles.

8. The lithography system of claim 2, wherein the cleaning structure includes a roller with a sticking surface and designed to roll on a surface to be cleaned.

9. The lithography system of claim 1, wherein the cleaning module includes

an attracting object designed to clean the mask;

and

a mask handling component designed to move the attracting object to the mask and being operable to apply a pressure to the attracting object.

10. The lithography system of claim 1, further comprising a chamber that includes

a mask library designed to hold a plurality of masks;

a mask handler designed to secure and transfer one of the plurality of masks; and

the cleaning module configured in the chamber.

11. The lithography system of claim 1, wherein

the exposing module includes an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source to generate EUV light for exposing a semiconductor wafer during the lithography exposing process;

the mask stage is an electrostatic chuck to secure the mask by electrostatic force; and

the mask is a reflective mask.

12. The lithography system of claim 11, wherein

the mask library is accessible to hold the cleaning structure designed to clean the mask stage;

the cleaning structure having a shape and dimensions of the mask; and

the mask stage is able to secure the cleaning structure for cleaning the mask stage.

13. A lithography system, comprising:

an exposing module designed to perform a lithography exposing process and configured in an enclosed chamber maintained in a vacuum environment; and

a cleaning module integrated with the exposing module, wherein the cleaning module includes a cleaning structure with an attraction mechanism to remove particles and a handling mechanism that is designed to secure and transfer the cleaning structure.

14. The lithography system of claim 13, wherein

the cleaning structure includes a carrier substrate and an attracting material layer attached to the carrier substrate;

and

the carrier substrate has a shape and dimensions of the mask.

15. The lithography system of claim 13, wherein the cleaning structure includes a sticking material selected from the group consisting of an adhesive tape, polysaccharides, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with —

OH bond and high chemical polarity, and natural latex with surfactant.

16. The lithography system of claim 13, wherein

the exposing module includes an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source to generate EUV light;

the mask stage is an electrostatic chuck to secure the mask by electrostatic force; and

the mask is a reflective mask.

17. The lithography system of claim 13, further comprising a chamber with the cleaning module embedded therein, wherein the chamber further includes

a mask library designed to hold a plurality of masks;

and

a mask handler designed for mask transferring.

18. A method, comprising:

loading a mask into a lithography system designed to perform a lithography exposing process, the lithography system being embedded with a cleaning module having an attraction mechanism;

securing the mask to a mask stage;

performing a lithography exposing process by the lithography system to a semiconductor wafer using the mask; and

cleaning the mask by the cleaning module.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transferring the mask to the mask library after the cleaning of the mask.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising cleaning the mask stage using a cleaning structure of the cleaning module, wherein

the cleaning structure includes a carrier substrate and an attracting material layer attached to the carrier substrate;

and

the carrier substrate has a shape and dimensions of the mask.