Pre-alignment system of exposure apparatus having wafer cooling means and exposure method using the same
US6613487B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 5, 2000 |
| Grant date | Sep 2, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 9, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/70875
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A wafer exposure apparatus includes a special wafer cooling unit, namely, an air showerhead, for controlling the temperature of a wafer which is to be transferred from a wafer pre-alignment system to a wafer stage of photolithography exposure equipment. The wafer which has been heated in the course of being transferred from a spin coater to the wafer pre-alignment system, and may be further heated by sensors of the wafer pre-alignment system, is cooled to the same temperature as that of a wafer stage. Accordingly, a thermal equilibrium may be rapidly established between the wafer and the wafer stage when the wafer is transferred to the wafer stage. Accordingly, excessive thermal expansion of the wafer caused by a difference in temperature between the wafer and the wafer stage is prevented. Therefore, an excessive error in aligning the wafer with the optics of the photolithography exposure equipment can be prevented.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.