Lithography system

Abstract

A lithography system for X-ray or other beam printing on a substrate such as a silicon semiconductor wafer comprises a beam chamber (301), a beam source (302), means (309) for mounting a mask, means (308) for mounting an image sensing means (342) interiorly of the chamber, means (317, 318), for mounting a substrate (307) in multiple including six degrees of freedom and means (308, 292, 320-322) including the image sensing means to align the mask and substrate relative to one another utilizing alignment patterns on the mask and substrate, images of which are brought into registration and sensed by the image sensing means. In a preferred embodiment three sets of target images are provided so as to adjust the substrate and mask relative orientation in six degrees of freedom. The mask seals helium within the chamber. The mask and the substrate are aligned in situ in the same position in which the mask and substrate are to be exposed to the beam. Means (313, 314, 311, 312) are provided for loading masks, calibration assemblies and substrate-holding means. The source-to-substrate distance is adjustable as is the mask-to-substrate gap. To conserve helium volume adjustable optic objectives (342) are provided in the chamber to sense registration of alignment targets on each of the mask and substrate, with essentially the remainder of the optics outside the chamber. Improved compression optics (408) are also provided in the alignment system.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.