Lithography tool having a vacuum reticle library coupled to a vacuum chamber
US6826451B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 22, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 16, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/70841
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A lithography tool includes an exposure chamber and a reticle handler that exchanges a reticle being exposed as prescribed by the user of the lithography tool. The reticle handler can include a vacuum-compatible robot, a vacuum chamber to house the robot, a load-lock to input reticles and transition them from atmospheric pressure to vacuum, a processing station for processing the reticle, and a reticle library for storing at least one extra reticle so that it is quickly available for exchange during an exposure process. The robot can have a two or more handed gripper to simultaneously hold multiple reticles. This allows a first reticle to be removed from the reticle stage with a first hand and a second reticle to be loaded onto the reticle stage with a second hand, and so on, which minimizes exchange time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.