System and method of discharging an EUV mask
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYi-Zhen Chen, Yen-Hsun Chen, Jhan-Hong Yeh, Tzung-Chi Fu, Han-Lung Chang, Li-Jui Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An EUV photolithography system utilizes a baseplate of an EUV pod to unload an EUV reticle from a chuck within an EUV scanner. The baseplate includes a top surface and support pins extending from the top surface. The when the reticle is unloaded onto the baseplate, the support pins hold the reticle at relatively large distance from the top surface of the baseplate. The support pins have a relatively low resistance. The large distance and low resistance help ensure that particles do not travel from the baseplate to the reticle during unloading.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- loading a reticle onto a chuck in an extreme ultraviolet scanner;
- performing an extreme ultraviolet photolithography process with the reticle while the reticle is held by the chuck;
- after the photolithography process, unloading the reticle from the chuck onto a baseplate of a reticle pod;
- supporting the reticle on the baseplate with a plurality of support pins extending from the baseplate and maintaining a distance greater than 1 mm between an exposure surface of the reticle and a top surface of the baseplate;
- discharging an electrostatic charge from the exposure surface via the support pins while the reticle is in the extreme ultraviolet photolithography scanner;
- and
- exposing the reticle to a plasma within the extreme ultraviolet scanner while discharging the electrostatic charge via the support pins.
An extreme ultraviolet pod for holding an extreme ultraviolet reticle, comprising:
- a baseplate including a top surface;
- a plurality of support pins extending vertically from the baseplate and configured to support an exposure surface of an extreme ultraviolet reticle more than 1 mm above the top surface of the baseplate;
- and
- a shell configured to enclose the baseplate and the reticle when the reticle is supported on the baseplate by the support pins, wherein the support pins include carbon nanotubes.
A method, comprising:
- holding a reticle with a chuck in an extreme ultraviolet scanner;
- unloading the reticle from the chuck onto support pins extending more than 1 mm above a top surface of a baseplate;
- discharging an electrostatic charge from an exposure surface of the reticle through the support pins;
- and
- exposing the reticle to a plasma within the extreme ultraviolet scanner while discharging the electrostatic charge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.