Debris apparatus, system, and method
OwnerFrancis Goodwininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus, system, and method for reducing contamination of semiconductor device wafers in immersion lithography fabrication. A preferred embodiment comprises a support ring to provide structural integrity to the apparatus and a planar ring formed on one side of the support ring. The planar ring has a plurality of openings formed through the planar ring. The apparatus is placed into a trench of a wafer stage and the openings permit excess immersion fluid to pass through, into the trench, where it can be removed. However, the apparatus prevents the excess immersion fluid and contaminants from within the trench from being drawn back onto the wafer stage by the motion of the wafer stage, potentially contaminating a semiconductor wafer.
Claims20
An apparatus for use in a trench system of a wafer stage, the apparatus configured to permit excess fluid used in immersion lithography to pass from an imaging system into the trench system, the apparatus comprising:
- a first ring;
- and
- a second ring formed on one side of the first ring, the second ring having a plurality of openings formed through the second ring, wherein the openings permit the excess fluid to pass through the apparatus.
A method for fabricating a device using immersion lithography, the method comprising:
- positioning a flat disc shaped work piece in a device fabrication system, wherein excess fluid used in immersion lithography can be evacuated from the device fabrication system via a trench system surrounding the flat disc shaped work piece when the trench system is underneath the fluid, the trench system containing a debris ring;
- exposing portions of a first layer on the flat disc shaped work piece;
- removing the flat disc shaped work piece from the device fabrication system;
- and
- forming structures in a surface of the flat disc shaped work piece in alignment with a pattern exposed on the first layer.
A system comprising:
- an imaging system to optically expose a photo-resist layer to a layer pattern, wherein the imaging system uses immersion lithography to expose the photo-resist layer;
- a movable stage arranged under the imaging system, the movable stage configured to hold a semiconductor wafer in place and to move the semiconductor wafer to a desired position to be exposed by the imaging system, the movable stage comprising,
- a chuck to hold the semiconductor wafer;
- a trench formed around the chuck, the trench configured to collect excess immersion fluid used by the imaging system;
- and
- a debris ring placed in between the chuck and the trench, the debris ring to permit the excess immersion fluid to pass through from the imaging system into the trench.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.