# US 12,111,583 B2 · Semiconductor processing tool and methods of operation

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- Number: US 12,111,583 B2
- Document ID: US12111583B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/446,698
- Filed: 2023-08-09
- Published: 2024-01-18
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-05-06
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Kai-Chieh Chang; Kai-Fa Ho; Li-Jui Chen; Heng-Hsin Liu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12111583B2

## CPC

- G03F 7/70741: {Handling masks outside exposure position, e.g. reticle libraries}
- G03F 7/70033: {by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources}
- G03F 7/70633: {Overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the same layer in multiple exposures or stitching}
- G03F 7/70875: {Temperature, e.g. temperature control of masks or workpieces via control of stage temperature}
- G03F 7/70891: {Temperature}
- 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

A reticle is pre-heated prior to an exposure operation of a semiconductor substrate lot to reduce substrate to substrate temperature variations of the reticle in the exposure operation. The reticle may be pre-heated while being stored in a reticle storage slot, while being transferred from the reticle storage slot to a reticle stage of an exposure tool, and/or in another location prior to being secured to the reticle stage for the exposure operation. In this way, the reduction in temperature variation of the reticle in the exposure operation provided by pre-heating the reticle may reduce overlay deltas and misalignment for the semiconductor substrates that are processed in the exposure operation. This increases overlay performance, increases yield of the exposure tool, and increases semiconductor device quality. Moreover, pre-heating the reticle prior to securing the reticle to the reticle stage for the exposure operation reduces and/or minimizes the impact that the pre-heating has on throughput and processing times of the exposure tool.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
determining, by a controller of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) system, a heating parameter for heating a reticle prior to an exposure operation of a substrate lot;
providing, by the controller, a first signal to a reticle storage slot to cause a temperature of the reticle to be heated based on the heating parameter; and
providing, by the controller, a second signal to a reticle transport tool to cause the temperature of the reticle to be maintained during transport of the reticle after the reticle is heated in the reticle storage slot.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving temperature data, associated with the temperature of the reticle, from a thermal camera included in an EUV exposure tool of the EUV system,
wherein the heating parameter is determined based on the temperature data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal causes the reticle to be heated in the reticle storage slot for a particular time duration prior to the reticle being retrieved by the reticle transport tool.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving temperature data associated with the temperature of the reticle during the exposure operation; and
determining an adjusted heating parameter for the reticle based on the temperature data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first signal or the second signal is provided to reduce a lot overlay heating error for the substrate lot.

### Claim 6

A method, comprising:
determining, by a controller of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) system, a heating parameter, for heating a reticle prior to an exposure operation of a substrate lot, based on an estimated saturation temperature for the reticle during the exposure operation; and
providing, by the controller, at least one of:
a first signal to a reticle storage slot to cause a temperature of the reticle to be heated based on the heating parameter, or
a second signal to a reticle transport tool to cause the temperature of the reticle to be maintained during transport of the reticle after the reticle is heated in the reticle storage slot.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the heating parameter is further determined based on temperature data from one or more historical exposure operations associated with the reticle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the estimated saturation temperature includes a measured or estimated temperature of the reticle at which the measured or estimated temperature does not increase further during a heating operation.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising:
determining the estimated saturation temperature based on an average of saturation parameters measured for the exposure operation and one or more historical exposure operations associated with the reticle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the temperature of the reticle is approximately equal to the estimated saturation temperature.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the heating parameter is a temperature parameter that is greater than the estimated saturation temperature.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising:
receiving, based on providing at least one of the first signal or the second signal, temperature data associated with a temperature of the reticle during the exposure operation;
determining an adjusted saturation parameter for the reticle based on the temperature data; and
determining an adjusted heating parameter based on the adjusted saturation parameter.

### Claim 13

A method, comprising:
determining, by a controller of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) system, a heating parameter, for heating a reticle prior to an exposure operation of a substrate lot, based on temperature data from one or more historical exposure operations associated with the reticle; and
providing, by the controller, a signal to one or more components, including one or more reticle heaters, in a reticle transport system of the EUV system to cause the reticle to be heated prior to the exposure operation based on the heating parameter.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the signal causes the one or more reticle heaters to be activated to heat the reticle while the reticle is in a reticle storage slot.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein providing the signal comprises:
automatically providing the signal to the one or more components based on an event associated with the reticle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein providing the signal to the one or more components comprises at least one of:
providing a first signal to a first reticle heater, of the one or more reticle heaters, in a reticle storage slot to cause a temperature of the reticle to be heated based on the heating parameter; or
providing a second signal to a second reticle heater, of the one or more reticle heaters, a reticle transport tool to cause the temperature of the reticle to be maintained during transport of the reticle after the reticle is heated in the reticle storage slot.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
receiving temperature data associated with a temperature of the reticle during the exposure operation; and
determining an adjusted heating parameter for the reticle based on the temperature data.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein providing the signal to the one or more components to cause the reticle to be heated prior to the exposure operation comprises:
providing the signal to the one or more components to cause the reticle to be heated prior to the exposure operation to reduce a lot overlay heating error for the substrate lot.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the heating parameter comprising:
determining, based on temperature data associated with a first exposure operation of the substrate lot, a heating parameter for heating a reticle prior to a second exposure operation of the substrate lot.

### Claim 20 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein determining the heating parameter comprising:
determining, based on temperature data associated with a first exposure operation of the substrate lot, a heating parameter for heating a reticle prior to a second exposure operation of the substrate lot.