Semiconductor lithography system and/or method
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsTsiao-Chen Wu, Chi-Ming Yang, Hsu-Shui Liu
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Abstract
A lithography method to pattern a first semiconductor wafer is disclosed. An optical mask is positioned over the first semiconductor wafer. A first region of the first semiconductor wafer is patterned by directing light from a light source through transparent regions of the optical mask. A second region of the first semiconductor wafer is patterned by directing energy from an energy source to the second region, wherein the patterning of the second region comprises direct-beam writing.
Claims20
A lithography system configured to pattern a first semiconductor wafer, comprising:
- a first lithography station comprising a light source and configured to pattern a first region of the first semiconductor wafer by directing light from the light source at a region of an optical mask positioned over the first semiconductor wafer;
- a second lithography station, different from the first lithography station, comprising an energy source and configured to pattern a second region of the first semiconductor wafer by direct-beam writing, in which the second lithography station directs energy from the energy source to the second region;
- and
- a controller configured to determine a pattern density of the first region, derive write commands based on the pattern density of the first region, and communicate the write commands to the second lithography station.
A lithography system configured to pattern a first semiconductor wafer, comprising:
- a light source configured to direct light from the light source through a region of an optical mask to a first region of the first semiconductor wafer to pattern the first region;
- a controller configured to determine a pattern density of the first region and determine a pattern density for a second region of the first semiconductor wafer based on the pattern density of the first region;
- and
- a first energy source configured to direct energy from the first energy source to the second region to pattern the second region according to the pattern density for the second region determined by the controller.
A lithography system configured to pattern a first semiconductor wafer, comprising:
- a wafer holder configured to store a plurality of semiconductor wafers;
- a first lithography station configured to receive a first semiconductor wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers from the wafer holder and pattern a first region of the first semiconductor wafer according to a first lithography process;
- and
- a second lithography station configured to receive the first semiconductor wafer from the first lithography station after the first lithography process is complete and pattern a second region of the first semiconductor wafer according to a second lithography process different from the first lithography process, wherein:
- the first lithography station is configured to receive a second semiconductor wafer of the plurality of semiconductor wafers from the wafer holder and pattern a first region of the second semiconductor wafer according to the first lithography process concurrently with the second lithography station patterning the second region of the first semiconductor wafer according to the second lithography process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.