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AssigneeNova Measuring Instruments Ltd.
InventorMoshe Finarov
Estimating the term…
An apparatus for processing substrates according to a predetermined photolithography process is presented. The apparatus includes a loading station in which the substrates are loaded, a coating station in which the substrates are coated with a photoresist material, an exposing station in which the photoresist coating is exposed to light through a mask having a predetermined pattern to produce a latent image of the mask on the photoresist coating, a developing station in which the latent image is developed, an unloading station in which the substrates are unloaded and a monitoring station for monitoring the substrates with respect to predetermined parameters of said photolithography process before reaching the unloading station. The monitoring station comprises an optical monitoring system comprising a spectrophotometric channel, and is accommodated in a sealed enclosure, such that incident light passes through the optical system towards the substrate through a transparent window.
An apparatus for processing substrates according to a predetermined photolithography process, comprising:
A monitoring apparatus for optically monitoring articles, comprising:
An apparatus for processing substrates according to a predetermined photolithography process, comprising:
An apparatus for processing substrates according to a predetermined photolithography process, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor: mask illumination systems
Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques: for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures
Systems specially adapted for particular applications: investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
From a wafer supported on a rotating chuck: characterised by means for on-wafer monitoring of the processing
Term ended 13 Apr 2019 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
The present invention relates to a monitoring apparatus and method particularly useful in photolithographically processing of substrates, particularly useful in the manufacture of semiconductor devices,
The principal process of production of semiconductor devices is photolithography, which includes three main serial steps or operations:
(a) coating a semiconductor wafer with photoresist material (PR);
The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is typical apparatus set-up of photocluster tools as presently used in a photolithography process of a semiconductor fabrication plant;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic illustrations of an overlay target;
The invention is especially useful in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, and is therefore described below with respect to this application.
FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an apparatus set-up corresponding to the conventional one illustrated in FIG. 1, but modified to incorporate an integrated lithography monitoring (ILM) system in accordance with the present invention.
Thus, FIG. 6 illustrates an apparatus for processing substrates, in this case wafers W, according to a predetermined photolithography process. This illustrated apparatus comprises: a loading station LS corresponding to the cassette loading station 6a in FIG. 1, in which the cassettes are loaded onto the phototrack 5; a coating station CS, corresponding to coater track 6 in FIG. 1 in which the wafers are coated with a photoresist material; an exposure station ES, occupied by the exposure tool 8 in FIG. 1, in which the photoresist coating is exposed to light through a mask having a predetermined pattern to produce a latent image of the mask on the photoresist coating; a developing station DS, corresponding to developer track 10 in FIG. 1, in which the latent image is developed; and an unloading station US, corresponding to station 10a in FIG. 1, in which the cassettes are unloaded.