Monitoring apparatus and method particularly useful in photolithographically processing substrates
US6603529B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 14, 2000 |
| Grant date | Aug 5, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 25, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2021/8867
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.