Methods of servicing photolithographic apparatus
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYu-Huan Chen, Cheng-Hsuan Wu, Ming-Hsun Tsai, Shang-Chieh Chien, Li-Jui Chen
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Abstract
A photolithographic apparatus includes a droplet generator, a droplet generator maintenance system, and a controller communicating with the droplet generator maintenance system. The droplet generator maintenance system operatively communicates with the droplet generator, a coolant distribution unit, a gas supply unit, and a supporting member. The gas supply unit includes a heat exchange assembly and an air heating assembly. The coolant distribution unit is configured to control the temperature of the droplet generator within the acceptable droplet generator range.
Claims20
A method of servicing a photolithographic apparatus, the method comprising:
- determining whether a level of tin in an interior of a droplet generator of the apparatus is below a threshold level;
- depressurizing the droplet generator upon determining that the level of tin is below the threshold level;
- introducing a gas having a temperature lower than a temperature of the droplet generator into the interior of the droplet generator;
- exhausting the gas from the interior of the droplet generator;
- determining whether a temperature of the droplet generator is within an acceptable temperature range;
- and
- performing maintenance on the droplet generator upon determining that the temperature is within the acceptable temperature range.
A method of servicing a photolithographic apparatus, the method comprising:
- depressurizing a droplet generator of the apparatus;
- conducting the following process until a temperature of the droplet generator is within an acceptable temperature range:
- introducing a gas having a temperature lower than the temperature of the droplet generator into an interior of the droplet generator,
- exhausting the gas from the interior of the droplet generator, and
- upon exhausting the gas, determining whether the temperature of the droplet generator is within the acceptable temperature range;
- and
- performing maintenance on the droplet generator upon determining that the temperature of the droplet generator is within the acceptable temperature range.
A method of servicing a photolithographic apparatus, the apparatus comprising a droplet generator and a heater configured to heat a gas before the gas is fed to an interior of the droplet generator, the method comprising:
- conducting the following process until a temperature of the droplet generator is within an acceptable temperature range:
- feeding the gas from the heater to the interior of the droplet generator, the gas having a temperature sufficient to increase the temperature of the droplet generator,
- exhausting the gas from the interior of the droplet generator, and
- upon exhausting the gas, determining whether the temperature of the droplet generator is within the acceptable temperature range;
- and
- starting operation of the droplet generator when the temperature of the droplet generator is within the acceptable temperature range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.