Technique for characterizing the performance of an object positioning apparatus

• US 6,753,944 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Dajnowicz, Jonathan F.
• Primary Examiner(s): MATHEWS, ALAN A
• Application Number:
  US10/231,551
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 355/52, 355/53, 355/55, 355/77, 356/399, 356/400, 356/401
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/32 Projection printing apparatus, e.g. enlarger, copying camera

Abstract

In one embodiment, an object positioning apparatus is characterized by receiving sensor data from a sensor, processing the sensor data to compensate for sensor drift, and analyzing the resulting processed sensor data to determine a characteristic of the apparatus. Compensating for sensor drift cleans up the sensor data so that they may be properly analyzed and compared against known good sensor data, for example.

Claims

1. A method of characterizing an object positioning apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data;

processing the sensor data to compensate for sensor drift and generate processed sensor data; and

analyzing the processed sensor data to identify a failing component of the object positioning apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the sensor data comprises:

removing a slope of the sensor data to generate slope-removed data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the sensor data comprises:

obtaining a slope of the sensor data;

obtaining an intercept of the sensor data; and

removing the slope and the intercept from the sensor data to generate slope-removed data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the sensor data comprises:

receiving a data file containing the sensor data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristic is related to vibration on the object positioning apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the object positioning apparatus is part of a system for manufacturing an integrated circuit.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the object positioning apparatus positions a semiconductor wafer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the object positioning apparatus positions a mask.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor data are from a position sensor of the object positioning apparatus.

10. A system for characterizing an object positioning apparatus, the system comprising:

a data module containing sensor data from a sensor;

a processing module configured to process the sensor data to compensate for sensor drift and generate processed sensor data; and

an analysis module configured to allow for identification of a failing component of the object positioning apparatus based on the processed sensor data.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the sensor data comprise position data of the object positioning apparatus.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the processing module is in a system for manufacturing an integrated circuit.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the object positioning apparatus positions a wafer.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the object positioning apparatus positions a mask.

15. A system comprising:

means for receiving information from a sensor;

means for processing the information to compensate for sensor drift; and

means for analyzing the processed information to determine a failing component of an object positioning apparatus.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the object positioning apparatus is part of a system for manufacturing an integrated circuit.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the object positioning apparatus comprises a wafer stage in a photolithography tool.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the object positioning apparatus comprises a mask stage in a photolithography tool.

19. A method of characterizing an object positioning apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data;

removing a slope of the sensor data to compensate for sensor drift and to generate slope-removed data;

transforming the slope-removed data from time domain to frequency domain to generate frequency domain data; and

integrating the frequency domain data over a range of frequencies to determine a characteristic of the object positioning apparatus.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein transforming the slope-removed data to frequency domain comprises taking a Fourier Transform of the slope-removed data.