Semiconductor processing tool and methods of operation
US11822256B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 27, 2021 |
| Grant date | Nov 21, 2023 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 27, 2041 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/70891
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A reticle is pre-heated prior to an exposure operation of a semiconductor substrate lot to reduce substrate to substrate temperature variations of the reticle in the exposure operation. The reticle may be pre-heated while being stored in a reticle storage slot, while being transferred from the reticle storage slot to a reticle stage of an exposure tool, and/or in another location prior to being secured to the reticle stage for the exposure operation. In this way, the reduction in temperature variation of the reticle in the exposure operation provided by pre-heating the reticle may reduce overlay deltas and misalignment for the semiconductor substrates that are processed in the exposure operation. This increases overlay performance, increases yield of the exposure tool, and increases semiconductor device quality. Moreover, pre-heating the reticle prior to securing the reticle to the reticle stage for the exposure operation reduces and/or minimizes the impact that the pre-heating has on throughput and processing times of the exposure tool.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.