Position sensitive substrate device

• US 9,620,400 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
• Original Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
• Inventors: Jensen, Earl, O'Brien, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Punnoose, Roy M
• Application Number:
  US14/536,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20150176980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 356614
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68 for positioning, orientation or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/681 using optical controlling means

Abstract

Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a system having a substrate device, a substrate support surface, and a substrate handler that positions the substrate device on the substrate support surface. The substrate device and the substrate support surface may have counterpart coarse position units and fine position units. The system may measure coarse positional offsets between the first and second coarse position units, re-position the substrate device on the substrate support surface based on the coarse positional offsets, and subsequently measure fine positional offsets between the first and second fine position units. In some implementations, the substrate device is integrally coupled to the substrate handler via a wireless communication link in order to communicate position information as feedback for further placement.

Claims

1. A substrate device, comprising:

a first coarse position unit that is a counterpart to a second coarse position unit of a substrate support surface, and

a first fine position unit that is a counterpart to a second fine position unit of the substrate support surface,

wherein the substrate device is configured to measure coarse positional offsets between the first and second coarse position units, and

wherein the substrate device is configured to measure fine positional offsets between the first and second fine position units.

2. The substrate device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication link, wherein the substrate device is configured to convey position information regarding the coarse positional offsets and the fine positional offsets via the wireless communication link in real-time.

3. The substrate device of claim 1,

wherein the first coarse position unit comprises at least one optical detector,

wherein the second coarse position unit of the substrate support surface comprises at least one coarse target,

wherein the substrate device is configured to measure the coarse positional offsets by measuring a relative position of the at least one coarse target via the at least one optical detector.

4. The substrate device of claim 3,

wherein the at least one coarse target is at least two spaced apart crosshair targets.

5. The substrate device of claim 4,

wherein the at least one optical detector is at least two spaced apart sets of position sensitive detectors in which each set of the at least two sets comprises one or more optical detectors.

6. The substrate device of claim 4,

wherein each crosshair target of the at least two crosshair targets comprises an outwardly extending portion that increases in width as it extends away from a center of the crosshair target.

7. The substrate device of claim 3, wherein the at least one optical detector is a two-dimensional (2D) position sensitive detector configured to detector illumination from the at least one coarse target.

8. The substrate device of claim 1,

wherein the first fine position unit of the substrate device comprises at least one first Vernier pattern that is complementary to at least one second Vernier pattern in the second fine position unit of the substrate support surface, wherein the first fine position unit further comprises a set of photodetectors, and

wherein the substrate device is configured to measure the fine offsets by measuring offsets between the complementary first and second Vernier patterns via the set of photodetectors.

9. The substrate device of claim 8,

wherein the at least one first Vernier pattern is at least two spaced apart first Vernier patterns, and

wherein the at least one second Vernier pattern in the second fine position unit of the substrate support surface is at least two spaced apart second Vernier patterns complementary to the at least two spaced apart first Vernier patterns.

10. The substrate device of claim 1, further comprising at least one illuminator configured to illuminate a passive back illumination unit on a backside of the second coarse position unit and the second fine position unit.

11. The substrate device of claim 10,

wherein the passive back illumination unit of the substrate support surface is a phosphor and the at least one illuminator is at least one light source configured to provide illumination to the phosphor.

12. The substrate device of claim 11, wherein the passive back illumination unit includes an optical element configured to guide light from the light source to the phosphor.

13. The substrate device of claim 11, wherein the passive back illumination unit includes an optical element disposed between the light source and the phosphor, wherein the optical element is configured to make uniform illumination provided by the phosphor to a coarse target.

14. The substrate device of claim 10 wherein the passive back illumination unit of the substrate support surface is a non-phosphor illumination unit.

15. The substrate device of claim 1, further comprising at least one motion, orientation, or acceleration sensor configured to measure one or more of motion, orientation, or acceleration of the substrate device in three complementary axes.

16. The substrate device of claim 1, further comprising a particulate detector configured to measure particulate matter in surrounding air.

17. The substrate device of claim 1,

wherein the substrate device comprises a wafer substrate and electronics disposed on the wafer substrate,

wherein the first coarse position unit and the first fine position unit are disposed on the wafer substrate.

18. The substrate device of claim 17,

wherein the wafer substrate is a silicon wafer having a diameter of 100 to 450 millimeters.

19. The substrate device of claim 1,

wherein the coarse position offsets include X-direction coarse offsets, Y-direction coarse offsets, and rotational coarse offsets, and

wherein the fine position offsets include X-direction fine offsets, Y-direction fine offsets, and rotational fine offsets.

20. The substrate device of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless communication link,

wherein the substrate device is configured to convey position information regarding the coarse positional offsets and the fine positional offsets via the wireless communication link in real-time,

wherein the second coarse position unit of the substrate support surface comprises at least at least two spaced apart crosshair targets,

wherein the first coarse position unit comprises at least two spaced apart sets of position sensitive detectors in which each set of the at least two sets comprises a pair of substantially perpendicular position sensitive detectors,

wherein the substrate device is configured to measure the coarse positional offsets by measuring a relative position of each of the at least two spaced apart crosshair targets via each of the at least two spaced apart sets of position sensitive detectors,

wherein the first fine position unit comprises a set of photodiodes and at least two spaced apart first Vernier patterns in which each of the first Vernier patterns are complementary to at least two spaced apart second Vernier patterns in the second fine position unit of the substrate support surface,

wherein the substrate device is configured to measure the fine offsets by measuring offsets between the complementary first and second Vernier patterns via the set of photodiodes.

21. The substrate device of claim 20, further comprising:

at least one motion, orientation, or acceleration sensor configured to measure at least one of motion, orientation, or acceleration of the substrate device in three complementary axes;

at least one particulate detector configured to measure particulate matter in surrounding air; and

at least one illuminator configured to illuminate a passive back illumination unit on a backside of the second coarse position unit and the second fine position unit of the substrate support surface,

wherein the substrate device comprises a wafer substrate and electronics disposed on the wafer substrate,

wherein the first coarse position unit, the first fine position unit, the at least one motion, orientation, or acceleration sensor, the at least one particulate detector, and the illuminator are disposed on the wafer substrate.

22. A method of using the substrate device of claim 1, the method comprising:

initially positioning the substrate device on the substrate support surface with a substrate handler;

measuring coarse positional offsets between the first and second coarse position units with the substrate device;

transmitting coarse position information regarding the coarse positional offsets from the substrate device to the substrate handler;

re-positioning the substrate device on the substrate support surface with the substrate handler based on the coarse position information;

after the re-positioning, measuring fine positional offsets between the first and second fine position units; and

transmitting fine position information regarding the fine positional offsets from the substrate device to the substrate handler.

23. A mask for a substrate support surface that receives a substrate device, the mask comprising:

a second coarse position unit that is a counterpart to a first coarse position unit of the substrate device; and

a second fine position unit that is a counterpart to a first fine position unit of the substrate device,

wherein the second coarse position unit comprises at least one coarse target,

wherein the second fine position unit comprises at least one fine target, and wherein the second coarse position unit and the second fine position unit are configured to gather information regarding a relative position between the substrate device and the substrate support surface.

24. The mask of claim 23,

wherein the at least one coarse target is at least one crosshair target, and

wherein the at least one fine target is at least one second Vernier pattern that is complementary to at least one first Vernier pattern of the first fine position unit of the substrate device.

25. The mask of claim 24,

wherein the at least one crosshair target is at least two spaced apart crosshair targets,

wherein the at least one second Vernier pattern is at least two spaced apart second Vernier patterns, and

wherein the at least one first Vernier pattern in the first fine position unit of the substrate device is at least two spaced apart first Vernier patterns complementary to the at least two spaced apart second Vernier patterns.

26. The mask of claim 25,

wherein each crosshair target of the at least two crosshair targets comprises an outwardly extending portion that increases in width as it extends away from a center of the crosshair target.

27. The mask of claim 23,

wherein the support surface is a wafer stage and the mask is a stage mask for the wafer stage.

28. The mask of claim 23, further comprising:

a passive back illumination unit on the backside of the mask.

29. The mask of claim 28,

wherein passive back illumination unit is a phosphor or a microstructured surface.

30. The mask of claim 28, wherein the passive back illumination unit of the substrate support surface is a non-phosphor illumination unit.

31. A system comprising:

a) a substrate device;

b) a substrate support surface; and

c) a substrate handler configured to position the substrate device on the substrate support surface,

wherein the substrate device comprises;

i) a first coarse position unit, and

ii) a first fine position unit,

wherein the substrate support surface comprises;

i) a second coarse position unit that is a counterpart to the first coarse position unit, and

ii) a second fine position unit that is a counterpart to the first fine position unit,

wherein the system is configured to measure coarse positional offsets between the first and second coarse position units, re-position the substrate device on the substrate support surface based on the coarse positional offsets, and subsequently measure fine positional offsets between the first and second fine position units.

32. The system of claim 31,

wherein the substrate device comprises a wireless communication link,

wherein the substrate device is configured to measure the coarse positional offsets and the fine positional offsets,

wherein the substrate device is configured to convey the coarse positional offsets and the fine positional offsets to the substrate handler via the wireless communication link in real-time during positioning of the substrate device on the substrate support surface by the substrate handler.

33. The system of claim 31,

wherein the first coarse position unit of the substrate device comprises at least one optical detector,

wherein the second coarse position unit of the substrate support surface comprises at least one coarse target.

34. The system of claim 33,

wherein the at least one coarse target is at least two spaced apart crosshair targets,

wherein the at least one optical detector is at least two spaced apart sets of position sensitive detectors in which each set of the at least two sets comprises one or more optical detectors.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one coarse target is a spot of illumination and wherein the at least one optical detector is a two-dimensional (2D) position sensitive detector configured to detector illumination from the spot of illumination.

36. The system of claim 31,

wherein the first fine position unit comprises at least one first Vernier pattern and the second fine position unit comprises at least one second Vernier pattern complementary to the first Vernier pattern.

37. The system of claim 34,

wherein at least one first Vernier pattern is at least two spaced apart first Vernier patterns, and

wherein the at least one second Vernier pattern is at least two spaced apart second Vernier patterns complementary to the at least two spaced apart first Vernier patterns.

38. The system of claim 37,

wherein the first fine position unit comprises a set of photodiodes, and

wherein the substrate device is configured to measure the fine offsets by measuring offsets between the complementary first and second Vernier patterns via the set of photodiodes,

wherein the first fine position unit further comprises a set of photodetectors, and

wherein the substrate device is configured to measure the fine offsets by measuring offsets between the complementary first and second Vernier patterns via the set of photodetectors.

39. The system of claim 31,

wherein the substrate support surface comprises a mask having the second coarse position unit and the second fine position unit, and

wherein the substrate support surface comprises a passive back illumination unit on a backside of the mask.

40. The system of claim 39,

wherein the substrate device comprises at least one illuminator configured to illuminate the passive back illumination unit of the substrate support surface.

41. The system of claim 31,

wherein the substrate device further comprises one or more motion, orientation, or acceleration sensors configured to measure one or more of motion, orientation, or acceleration of the substrate device in three complementary axes.

42. The system of claim 31,

wherein substrate device further comprises a particulate detector configured to measure particulate matter in surrounding air.

43. The system of claim 31,

wherein the substrate device comprises a wafer substrate and electronics disposed on the wafer substrate,

wherein the first coarse position unit and the first fine position unit are disposed on the wafer substrate.