# US 10,310,390 B2 · Wafer table chuck having a particle recess > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,310,390 B2 - Document ID: US10310390B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/687,908 - Filed: 2017-08-28 - Published: 2019-02-14 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-10 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yung-Hsiang Chen; Chung-Yi Ho; David Zhou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310390B2 ## CPC - G03F 7/707: {Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details} - G03F 1/42: Alignment or registration features, e.g. alignment marks on the mask substrates - G03F 7/16: Coating processes; Apparatus therefor (applying coatings to base materials in general B05; applying photosensitive compositions to base for photographic purposes G03C1/74) - G03F 7/2002: {with visible light or UV light, through an original having an opaque pattern on a transparent support, e.g. film printing, projection printing; by reflection of visible or UV light from an original such as a printed image} - G03F 7/26: Processing photosensitive materials; Apparatus therefor (G03F7/12 - G03F7/24 take precedence) - G03F 9/7073: {Alignment marks and their environment (marks specific to masks G03F1/42; marks specific to molds or stamps G03F7/0002; overlay marks G03F7/70633; marks applied to semiconductor devices H10W46/00)} - G03F 7/168: {Finishing the coated layer, e.g. drying, baking, soaking} - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) ## Abstract An apparatus for a chuck having particle recesses is provided. In some embodiments, the chuck includes a plurality of impressions and a particle recess. The impressions of the plurality of impressions are laterally spaced and extend into the chuck from a top surface of the chuck to a base surface of the chuck. The base surface of the chuck defines bottom surfaces respectively of the impressions and is spaced between the top surface of the chuck and a bottom surface of the chuck. The particle recess extends in to the chuck from the top surface of the chuck to a location spaced between the base surface of the chuck and the bottom surface of the chuck. In particular, the particle recess is configured to underlie a workpiece alignment mark of a workpiece. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wafer table comprising: a chuck having a plurality of impressions and a pair of particle recesses, wherein the impressions are laterally spaced and extend in to the chuck from a top surface of the chuck to a base surface of the chuck, wherein the base surface of the chuck defines bottom surfaces respectively of the impressions, and is spaced between the top surface of the chuck and a bottom surface of the chuck, wherein the particle recesses are localized respectively to opposite sides of the chuck and are cuboid or cylinder shaped, wherein the particle recesses extend in to the chuck from the top surface of the chuck to individual particle-recess surfaces of the chuck that are spaced between the base surface of the chuck and the bottom surface of the chuck, and wherein the particle recesses are configured to underlie individual workpiece alignment marks of a workpiece. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wafer table of claim 1, wherein the impressions are circular. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wafer table of claim 1, wherein the impressions are concentric, ring-shaped trenches positioned about a center point on the chuck. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wafer table of claim 1, wherein the particle recesses are open at only the top surface of the chuck. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wafer table of claim 1, wherein the chuck comprises a plurality of die regions in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, wherein the die regions each comprise a plurality of particle recesses in a pattern, and wherein the pattern is the same for all of the die regions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wafer table of claim 1, wherein the pair of particle recesses comprise a first particle recess, wherein the first particle recess is between and open to two impressions of the plurality of impressions, such that the first particle recess and the two impressions collectively define an opening with a stepped profile. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wafer table of claim 1, wherein the pair of particle recesses comprise a first particle recess, wherein the first particle recess is symmetric about a centerline and is between two impressions of the plurality of impressions, wherein the first particle recess has recess sidewalls and the two impressions have impression sidewalls, and wherein the recess sidewalls are positioned more closely to the centerline than the impression sidewalls. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wafer table of claim 1, further comprising the workpiece on the chuck, wherein the workpiece alignment marks respectively and directly overlap with the particle recesses. ### Claim 9 A process tool comprising: a chuck having a plurality of first protrusions, a plurality of second protrusions, a third protrusion, and a plurality of particle recesses, wherein the first, second, and third protrusions are laterally spaced from and independent of each other, wherein the first, second, and third protrusions define a top surface of the chuck and protrude from a base surface of the chuck to the top surface of the chuck, wherein the base surface of the chuck is between the top surface of the chuck and a bottom surface of the chuck, wherein the particle recesses extend in to the chuck from the top surface of the chuck to a location between the bottom surface of the chuck and the base surface of the chuck, wherein the first protrusions each extend continuously in a first closed path around a center of the chuck, wherein the second protrusions each extend continuously in a second closed path around the plurality of first protrusions except at the particle recesses, and wherein the third protrusion extends continuously in a third closed path around the plurality of second protrusions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The process tool of claim 9, wherein the first, second, and third protrusions are ring-shaped and concentrically aligned about the center of the chuck. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The process tool of claim 9, further comprising: a reticle overlapping the chuck and having a plurality of reticle alignment marks, wherein the reticle alignment marks respectively and directly overlie the particle recesses; and an exposure unit configured to emit radiation towards the chuck, through the reticle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process tool of claim 11, further comprising: a workpiece on the chuck; and a plurality of wafer alignment marks in the workpiece, wherein the wafer alignment marks respectively and directly overlie the particle recesses. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The process tool of claim 9, wherein the particle recesses are cuboid shaped or cylinder shaped, wherein the particle recesses have individual topmost boundaries at the top surface of the chuck, and further have individual bottommost boundaries at the location, and wherein the particle recesses are open at only the top surface of the chuck. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The process tool according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of particle recesses consists of two particle recesses, and wherein the two particle recesses are on opposite sides of the chuck. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The process tool of claim 9, wherein the plurality of particle recesses comprises a first particle recess, wherein the plurality of second protrusions comprises a second protrusion, wherein the second protrusion has a first end and a second end, wherein the first and second ends are on opposite sides of the first particle recess, and wherein a sidewall of the chuck is in the first particle recess and arcs continuously from the first end to the second end. ### Claim 16 A method, comprising: providing a chuck having a plurality of impressions and a particle recess, wherein the impressions are laterally spaced and extend into the chuck from a top surface of the chuck to a base surface of the chuck, wherein the base surface of the chuck defines bottom surfaces respectively of the impressions, and is spaced between the top surface of the chuck and a bottom surface of the chuck, and wherein the particle recess extends in to the chuck from the top surface of the chuck to a location spaced between the base surface of the chuck and the bottom surface of the chuck; and positioning a workpiece on the chuck, wherein the workpiece has a workpiece alignment mark within the workpiece, and wherein the workpiece is positioned so the workpiece alignment mark directly overlaps with the particle recess. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: forming a photosensitive layer on the workpiece, wherein a particle of the photosensitive layer becomes trapped in the particle recess; selectively exposing the photosensitive layer to electromagnetic radiation using a reticle; and developing the photosensitive layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: positioning the reticle on the chuck, wherein the reticle has a reticle alignment mark within the reticle, and wherein the reticle is positioned so the reticle alignment mark directly overlaps with the particle recess. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the reticle is positioned so the reticle alignment mark directly overlies the workpiece alignment mark. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the chuck has a second particle recess on an opposite side of the chuck as the particle recess, wherein the second particle recess extends in to the chuck from the top surface of the chuck to a second location spaced between the base surface of the chuck and the bottom surface of the chuck, wherein the workpiece has a second workpiece alignment mark within the workpiece, and wherein the workpiece is positioned so the second workpiece alignment mark directly overlies the second particle recess.