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US 12,748,353 B2Granted
System and method for monitoring and controlling extreme ultraviolet photolithography processes
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsTai-Yu Chen, Heng-Hsin Liu, Li-Jui Chen, Shang-Chieh Chien
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photolithography system utilizes tin droplets to generate extreme ultraviolet radiation for photolithography. The photolithography system irradiates the droplets with a laser. The droplets become a plasma and emit extreme ultraviolet radiation. An array of sensors sense the extreme ultraviolet radiation and charged particles emitted by the droplets. A control system analyses sensor signals from the sensors and adjusts plasma generation parameters responsive to the sensor signals.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- an EUV generator configured to generate EUV light;
- a scanner configured to receive the EUV light and to perform a photolithography process on a wafer with the EUV light;
- a first magnetic deflector in the scanner;
- a second magnetic deflector in the scanner downstream from the first magnetic deflector;
- a first charged particle capture box in the scanner;
- a first electromagnetic lens in the first charged particle capture box;
- and
- a second charged particle capture box in the scanner.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- passing EUV light from an EUV generator to a scanner;
- performing a photolithography process on a wafer with the EUV light;
- deflecting, with a magnetic deflector in the scanner, charged particles from the EUV generator to an electromagnetic lens in a charged particle capture box in the scanner;
- directing, with the electromagnetic lens, the charged particles onto a charged particle detector in the first charged particle capture box;
- and
- deflecting, into a second charged particle capture box with a second deflector downstream from the first deflector, second charged particles into a second charged particle capture box within the scanner.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- generate EUV light by generating a plasma in an EUV generation chamber;
- generate first sensor signals by sensing side-scatter light from the plasma;
- generate second sensor signals by detecting charged particles from the plasma;
- generate a 3D model of the plasma based on the first sensor signals and the second sensor signals;
- and
- adjust generation of the plasma based on the 3D model.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.