# US 2026/0076131 A1 · Exposure module with cleaning scrubber

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2026/0076131 A1
- Document ID: US20260076131A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 19/392,261
- Filed: 2025-11-18
- Published: 2026-03-12
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-23
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Pei-Yi SU; Cheng-Chieh CHEN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260076131A1

## CPC

- H10P 72/0412: {using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes}
- B08B 1/10: characterised by the type of cleaning tool
- G03F 7/2004: {characterised by the use of a particular light source, e.g. fluorescent lamps or deep UV light}
- G03F 7/707: {Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details}
- G03F 7/70925: {Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)

## Abstract

A method includes the following steps. A wafer table is cleaned by using a cleaning scrubber. After cleaning the wafer table, a semiconductor wafer is loaded onto the wafer table. After loading the semiconductor wafer onto the wafer table, a photolithography process is performed on the semiconductor wafer. The cleaning scrubber has microstructures protruding from a surface of the cleaning scrubber. The microstructures are spaced apart from each other and have a tapered width. The microstructures are diamond microstructures. The surface of the cleaning scrubber includes an inner annular region and an outer annular region around the inner annular region. first ones of the plurality of microstructures within the outer annular region have a height different from a height of second ones of the plurality of microstructure within the inner annular region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
cleaning a wafer table by using a cleaning scrubber having a plurality of microstructures protruding from a surface of the cleaning scrubber, the plurality of microstructures being spaced apart from each other and having a tapered width, wherein the plurality of microstructures are diamond microstructures, wherein the surface of the cleaning scrubber comprises an inner annular region and an outer annular region around the inner annular region, wherein first ones of the plurality of microstructures within the outer annular region have a height different from a height of second ones of the plurality of microstructure within the inner annular region;
after cleaning the a wafer table, loading a semiconductor wafer onto the wafer table; and
after loading the semiconductor wafer onto the wafer table, performing a photolithography process on the semiconductor wafer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the height of the first ones of the plurality of microstructures within the outer annular region is greater than the height of the second ones of the plurality of microstructure within the inner annular region.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the wafer table comprises a wafer chuck, and a plurality of burls protruding from a top surface of the wafer chuck and separated by first trenches.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein one of the plurality of burls comprises a plurality of crystalline structures protruding from a top surface of said one of the plurality of burls.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of crystalline structures comprise silicon carbide.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of crystalline structures are separated by second trenches, wherein one of the second trenches has a width smaller than one of the first trenches.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein cleaning the wafer table comprises horizontally moving the cleaning scrubber to push contaminant particles from one of the second trenches to one of the first trenches.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the contaminant particles are photoresist residues.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the width of said one of the second trenches is in a range from 5 μm to 10 μm.

### Claim 10

A method comprising:
cleaning a wafer table by using a cleaning scrubber having a plurality of tapered microstructures protruding from a surface of the cleaning scrubber, wherein the surface of the cleaning scrubber comprises an inner annular region and an outer annular region around the inner annular region, wherein first ones of the plurality of tapered microstructures within the outer annular region have a height different from a height of second ones of the plurality of tapered microstructure within the inner annular region, wherein the plurality of tapered microstructures have a Vickers-hardness greater than a Vickers-hardness of titanium nitride (TiN);
after cleaning the wafer table, placing a semiconductor wafer onto the wafer table; and
after placing the semiconductor wafer onto the wafer table, performing a semiconductor manufacturing process on the semiconductor wafer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of tapered microstructures remain protruding from the surface of the cleaning scrubber during cleaning the wafer table.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein cleaning the wafer table comprises moving the cleaning scrubber to push contaminant particles from a first trench on the wafer table to a second trench on the wafer table, wherein the second trench has a depth greater than a depth of the first trench.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein one of the contaminant particles has a largest size greater than the depth of the first trench and less than the depth of the second trench.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the contaminant particles are TiN particles.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of tapered microstructures have flattened top surfaces.

### Claim 16

A method comprising:
performing a photolithography process on a first wafer held on a wafer table;
unloading the first wafer from the wafer table;
after unloading the first wafer, cleaning the wafer table by using a cleaning scrubber, wherein the cleaning scrubber comprises a major surface and a plurality of microstructures extending from the major surface, wherein the major surface of the cleaning scrubber comprises an inner annular region and an outer annular region around the inner annular region, wherein first ones of the plurality of microstructures within the outer annular region have a height different from a height of second ones of the plurality of microstructure within the inner annular region;
after cleaning the wafer table, loading a second wafer onto the wafer table; and
performing another photolithography process on the second wafer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein cleaning the wafer table comprises moving the cleaning scrubber to push contaminant particles from a first trench on the wafer table to a second trench on the wafer table.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the second trench is deeper than the first trench.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the wafer table comprises a wafer chuck, and a plurality of burls protruding from a top surface of the wafer chuck, wherein one of the plurality of burls comprises a plurality of crystalline structures protruding from a top surface of said one of the plurality of burls.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein a protruding height of the plurality of crystalline structures measured from the top surface of said one of burls is less than a protruding height of one of the burls measured from the top surface of the wafer chuck.