Lithographic processing cell, lithographic apparatus, track and device manufacturing method
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsStefan Geerte Kruijswijk, Rard Willem De Leeuw, Paul Frank Luehrmann, Wim Tjibbo Tel, Paul Jacques Van Wijnen, Kars Zeger Troost
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rework station and a metrology device(s) are incorporated into a lithographic processing cell so that a faulty substrate can be reworked directly and reprocessed without, for example, an overhead involved in changing masks, etc.
Claims24
A lithographic processing cell, comprising:
- a lithographic apparatus configured to expose a substrate with a pattern;
- a track comprising one or more processing devices configured to process a substrate according to a recipe;
- a rework station configured to rework a substrate during the exposure, processing, or both, of one or more substrates and not configured to process a substrate according to the recipe;
- and
- a supervisory control system configured to control the lithographic apparatus and the track, the supervisory control system configured to control the rework station to rework a substrate based on an unusual occurrence detected during exposure, processing, or both, of the substrate.
A lithographic apparatus for use with a track, having a track control unit, in a lithographic processing cell, comprising:
- an illuminator configured to condition a beam of radiation;
- a support structure configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to impart the beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section;
- a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;
- and
- a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;
- and
- a lithographic apparatus control system with an interface configured to communicate with the track control unit of the track, the lithographic apparatus control system configured to report an unusual occurrence during exposure of a substrate in the lithographic apparatus to the track control unit via the interface.
A track for use with a lithographic apparatus in a lithographic processing cell, comprising:
- one or more processing devices configured to process one or more substrates according to a recipe;
- a rework station configured to rework a substrate and not configured to process a substrate according to the recipe;
- and
- a track control unit provided with an interface configured to communicate with a lithographic apparatus control system of the lithographic apparatus, the track control unit configured to control the rework station to rework a substrate based on an unusual occurrence detected during the exposure in the lithographic apparatus, during the processing in the track, or both.
A device manufacturing method, comprising:
- exposing a substrate of a lot, the lot comprising a plurality of substrates, to a pattern using a lithographic projection apparatus in a lithographic processing cell, processing the substrate using a track in the lithographic processing cell, or both;
- detecting an unusual occurrence during exposing, processing, or both, of the substrate in the lithographic processing cell;
- stripping resist from the exposed substrate using a rework station in the lithographic processing cell if an unusual occurrence has been detected for the substrate, wherein the rework station is not part of a processing sequence undergone by substrates for which no unusual occurrence is detected;
- re-coating with resist the stripped substrate;
- and
- re-exposing the re-coated substrate using the lithographic apparatus without the re-coated substrate leaving the lithographic processing cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.