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US 2020/0050118 A1Published application
Mask Cleaning
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsShu-Hao Chang, Norman Chen, Jeng-Horng Chen, Kuo-Chang Kau, Ming-Chin Chien, Shang-Chieh Chien, Anthony Yen, Kevin Huang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lithography system includes a load lock chamber comprising an opening configured to receive a mask, an exposure module configured to expose a semiconductor wafer to a light source through use of the mask, and a cleaning module embedded inside the lithography tool, the cleaning module being configured to clean carbon particles from the mask.
Claims20
A lithography system comprising:
- a load lock chamber comprising an opening configured to receive a mask;
- an exposure module configured to expose a semiconductor wafer to a light source through use of the mask;
- and
- a cleaning module embedded inside the lithography tool;
- wherein the cleaning module is integrated into the load lock chamber.
2 more elements
A lithography system comprising:
- an opening;
- an exposure module to expose a wafer to a light source;
- a robotic mechanism to move a mask between the opening and the exposure module;
- a cleaning module;
- and
- a control system comprising a processor and a memory comprising machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor to:
- cause the robotic mechanism to receive the mask through the opening;
- and
- cause the robotic mechanism to place the mask in the cleaning module;
- wherein the cleaning module is integrated into a load lock chamber of the lithography system.
7 more elements
A method comprising:
- loading a mask into a lithography tool;
- while the mask is in the lithography tool, causing the mask to be within a vacuum environment of a cleaning module;
- using a gas to clean a surface of the mask while the mask is in the lithography tool;
- and
- while keeping the mask in a vacuum environment, transferring the mask to an exposure module for implementing a lithography exposure process using the mask;
- wherein the cleaning module is integrated into a load lock chamber of the lithography tool.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.