Lithography machine

Abstract

The embodiment of the application discloses a photolithography machine, which comprises a frame, a carrier, a mask plate and an illumination system. The carrier is horizontally fixed on the frame. The mask plate is movably arranged above the carrier. The illumination system is arranged on the side of the mask plate away from the carrier. The light emitted by the illumination system passes through the mask plate and irradiates the carrier. The photolithography machine further comprises a defect measurement unit. A to-be-detected panel is arranged on the carrier. The to-be-detected panel comprises at least one to-be-detected area. The defect measurement unit is movably arranged in alignment with the to-be-detected area. The defect measurement unit is integrated in the photolithography machine. The substrate is detected in time after the exposure process. The defective substrate is detected. The defective substrate is prevented from entering the next process. The waste of production capacity is reduced. The technical problem that the existing photolithography machine cannot detect the defective substrate is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display panel technology, specifically to a photolithography machine. Background Technology

[0002] For photolithography processes on glass-based integrated circuits, due to the involvement of highly precise nanoscale metal or photoresist lines, compared to conventional micrometer-level photolithography, defects such as incomplete exposure or even exposure failure are likely to occur. Generally, optical inspection such as AOI is performed after the development process. The minimum precision of this optical inspection method is usually above 2µm, which is difficult to detect for nanoscale patterns on glass-based integrated circuits. At the same time, defective substrates may continue to the next process after exposure until optical inspection is performed after the development process is completed. This inability to detect defective substrates early leads to wasted production capacity.

[0003] Therefore, existing lithography machines have a technical problem of not being able to detect defective substrates. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a lithography machine that can alleviate the technical problem that existing lithography machines cannot detect defective substrates.

[0005] This application provides a lithography machine, including:

[0006] frame;

[0007] A platform, which is horizontally fixed to the frame;

[0008] A mask, which is movably disposed above the stage;

[0009] An illumination system is provided on the side of the mask away from the stage, and the light emitted by the illumination system passes through the mask and illuminates the stage;

[0010] The lithography machine also includes a defect measurement unit. A panel to be inspected is provided on the stage. The panel to be inspected includes at least one area to be inspected. The defect measurement unit is movably aligned with the area to be inspected.

[0011] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the area to be detected is a micrometer-level area, the defect measurement unit is an optical measurement module, and the optical measurement module is aligned with the micrometer-level area.

[0012] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the region to be detected is a nanometer-scale region, the defect measurement unit is an electron beam measurement module, and the electron beam measurement module is aligned with the nanometer-scale region.

[0013] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the area to be detected includes a micrometer-level area and a nanometer-level area, and the defect measurement unit includes an optical measurement module and an electron beam measurement module. The optical measurement module is aligned with the micrometer-level area, and the electron beam measurement module is aligned with the nanometer-level area.

[0014] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the minimum precision of the electron beam measurement module is about 2 nanometers, and the minimum precision of the optical measurement module is about 2 micrometers.

[0015] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the lithography machine further includes at least one robotic arm, one end of which is connected to the frame, and the other end of which is connected to the mask or the defect measurement unit. The robotic arm is used to move the mask and / or the defect measurement unit.

[0016] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the mask and the defect measurement unit share a single robotic arm.

[0017] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the lithography machine further includes a storage compartment, from which the robotic arm retrieves the mask or the defect measurement unit for use, and after use, the robotic arm returns the mask or the defect measurement unit to the storage compartment.

[0018] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the robotic arm includes a first robotic arm connected to the mask and a second robotic arm connected to the defect measurement unit.

[0019] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the area to be detected includes a micrometer-level area and a nanometer-level area, the defect measurement unit includes an optical measurement module and an electron beam measurement module, the robotic arm further includes a third robotic arm, the second robotic arm is connected to the optical measurement module, the second robotic arm is used to move the optical measurement module to the micrometer-level area for alignment, and the third robotic arm is connected to the electron beam measurement module for moving the optical measurement module to the nanometer-level area for alignment.

[0020] Beneficial effects: By integrating a defect measurement unit into the lithography machine, the substrate can be inspected in a timely manner after the exposure process, and defective substrates can be detected, thereby preventing defective substrates from entering the next process, reducing the waste of production capacity, and alleviating the technical problem that existing lithography machines cannot detect defective substrates. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the first cross-section of the lithography machine provided in this application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a second cross-sectional schematic diagram of the lithography machine provided in this application.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0025] Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. In addition, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for illustration and explanation of this application and are not intended to limit this application. In this application, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" generally refer to the upper and lower positions of the device in actual use or operation, specifically the drawing directions in the accompanying drawings; while "inner" and "outer" refer to the outline of the device.

[0027] Please see Figure 1 The lithography machine provided in this application includes a frame 10, a stage 20, a mask 30, and an illumination system 40. The stage 20 is horizontally fixed on the frame 10. The mask 30 is movably disposed above the stage 20. The illumination system 40 is disposed on the side of the mask 30 away from the stage 20. The light from the illumination system 40 passes through the mask 30 and illuminates the stage 20. The lithography machine also includes a defect measurement unit 50. A panel 110 to be inspected is disposed on the stage 20. The panel 110 to be inspected includes at least one area to be inspected. The defect measurement unit 50 is movably aligned with the area to be inspected.

[0028] In this embodiment, by integrating a defect measurement unit 50 into the lithography machine, the substrate can be inspected in a timely manner after the exposure process, and defective substrates can be detected, thereby preventing defective substrates from entering the next process, reducing the waste of production capacity, and alleviating the technical problem that existing lithography machines cannot detect defective substrates.

[0029] The technical solution of this application will now be described in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0030] The lithography machine provided in this application can be a lithography machine for glass-based integrated circuits. The following is only an example of a lithography machine for glass-based integrated circuits. The lithography machine disclosed in this application is also applicable to other uses.

[0031] In one embodiment, the area to be detected is a micrometer-level area, and the defect measurement unit 50 is an optical measurement module 90, which is aligned with the micrometer-level area.

[0032] The optical measurement module 90 can be an AOI optical measurement module 90.

[0033] Among them, the minimum precision of the optical measurement module 90 is a few micrometers.

[0034] It is understood that the micron-level region is a predefined region that is prone to micron-level defects. By setting up the optical measurement module 90 and aligning the optical measurement module 90 with the micron-level region, the micron-level region can be detected to determine whether there are defects in the micron-level region.

[0035] In this embodiment, by setting an optical measurement module 90 inside the lithography machine, micron-level defects in the panel 110 to be inspected are measured, thereby enabling the measurement of the panel 110 to be inspected with micron-level defects and preventing the panel 110 to be inspected with micron-level defects from entering the next process, which would result in wasted production capacity.

[0036] In one embodiment, the region to be detected is a nanometer-scale region, and the defect measurement unit 50 is an electron beam measurement module 100, which is aligned with the nanometer-scale region.

[0037] The minimum precision of the electron beam measurement module 100 is a few nanometers.

[0038] It is understood that the nanoscale region is a predefined region that is prone to nanoscale defects. By setting up the electron beam measurement module 100 and aligning the electron beam measurement module 100 with the nanoscale region, the nanoscale region can be detected to determine whether there are defects in the nanoscale region.

[0039] It should be noted that for micron-level regions, the electron beam measurement module 100 can also be aligned with the micron-level region to detect the micron-level region and determine whether there are defects in the micron-level region.

[0040] In this embodiment, by setting an electron beam measurement module 100 in the lithography machine, the nanoscale region in the panel to be tested 110 is measured, so as to realize the measurement of the panel to be tested 110 with micron-level defects, and avoid the panel to be tested 110 with micron-level defects from entering the next process, which would lead to a waste of production capacity.

[0041] In one embodiment, the area to be detected includes a micrometer-level area and a nanometer-level area. The defect measurement unit 50 includes an optical measurement module 90 and an electron beam measurement module 100. The optical measurement module 90 is aligned with the micrometer-level area, and the electron beam measurement module 100 is aligned with the nanometer-level area.

[0042] Understandably, compared to an exposure machine that only has an electron beam measurement module 100, measuring micron- and nanon-scale regions using the electron beam measurement module 100 results in a slower overall detection speed. By simultaneously equipping an optical measurement module 90 and an electron beam measurement module 100, the optical measurement module 90 is used to detect micron-scale regions, while the electron beam measurement module 100 is used to measure nanon-scale regions. This effectively alleviates the technical problem of slow detection speed when using only the electron beam measurement module 100.

[0043] In this embodiment, by setting up an optical measurement module 90 and an electron beam measurement module 100 in the lithography machine, the optical measurement module 90 is used to detect the micron-level region, and the electron beam measurement module 100 is used to measure the nano-level region. This not only allows for the detection of both the micron-level and nano-level regions, but also improves the detection rate.

[0044] In one embodiment, the minimum precision of the electron beam measurement module 100 is approximately 2 nanometers, and the minimum precision of the optical measurement module 90 is approximately 2 micrometers.

[0045] In one embodiment, the lithography machine further includes at least one robotic arm, one end of which is connected to the frame 10, and the other end of which is connected to the mask 30 or the defect measurement unit 50. The robotic arm is used to move the mask 30 and / or the defect measurement unit 50.

[0046] The robotic arm is movable relative to the platform 20, and can drive the mask plate 30 or the defect measurement unit 50 to move relative to the platform 20.

[0047] Understandably, during the exposure process, a robotic arm moves the mask 30 above the stage 20, and the mask 30 is used to expose the panel 110 to be inspected on the stage 20. After the exposure process is completed, the robotic arm removes the mask 30 from above the stage 20, and moves the defect measurement unit 50 to the corresponding area above the panel 110 to be inspected. The defect measurement unit 50 then performs defect detection on the micron-level and / or nanometer-level areas of the panel 110 to be inspected, determining whether the panel 110 has defects and whether the defects are within the standard range.

[0048] In this embodiment, the robotic arm can move the mask 30 to complete the exposure process. At the same time, the robotic arm can also move the defect measurement unit 50 to align the defect measurement unit 50 with the micron-level or nano-level area of ​​the panel to be inspected 110, thereby realizing defect detection of the panel to be inspected 110.

[0049] In one embodiment, the mask plate 30 and the defect measurement unit 50 share a single robotic arm.

[0050] Understandably, after the exposure process is completed, the robotic arm removes the mask 30 from above the stage 20 and sets the mask 30 aside for later use. Then, the same robotic arm is used to connect the defect measurement unit 50 and move the defect measurement unit 50 above the area to be inspected to complete the defect detection of the area to be inspected.

[0051] In this embodiment, a single robotic arm is used to move the mask 30 and the defect measurement unit 50, reducing the number of robotic arms and thus lowering the cost of the lithography machine.

[0052] In one embodiment, the lithography machine further includes a storage compartment, from which the robotic arm retrieves the mask 30 or the defect measurement unit 50 for use. After use, the robotic arm returns the mask 30 or the defect measurement unit 50 to the storage compartment.

[0053] The storage compartment may include a first part for placing the mask plate 30 and a second part for placing the defect measurement unit 50.

[0054] It is understood that the storage compartment is used to place the defect measurement unit 50 and the mask 30 that have not been grasped by the robotic arm. After the mask 30 connected to the robotic arm completes the exposure process, the mask 30 is placed in the storage compartment by the robotic arm, and the robotic arm is idle. When performing defect detection on the panel 110 to be inspected, the idle robotic arm is used to grasp the defect measurement unit 50 in the storage compartment and move it above the area to be inspected on the panel 110 to be inspected for alignment, thereby realizing the defect detection of the panel 110 to be inspected.

[0055] In this embodiment, by setting up a storage compartment in the lithography machine, the mask 30 and the defect measurement unit 50 can be stored and grasped, thereby facilitating the use of the same robotic arm to grasp the mask 30 and the defect measurement unit 50 in different processes.

[0056] In one embodiment, the robotic arm includes a first robotic arm 60 connected to the mask plate 30 and a second robotic arm 70 connected to the defect measurement unit 50.

[0057] During the exposure process, the first robotic arm 60 moves the mask 30 above the panel to be inspected 110. After the exposure process is completed, the first robotic arm 60 removes the mask 30 from above the panel to be inspected 110.

[0058] When the mask plate 30 is moved away from the panel to be inspected 110, during the defect inspection process, the defect measurement unit 50 is moved above the area to be inspected by the second robotic arm 70 so that the defect measurement unit 50 is aligned with the area to be inspected.

[0059] Understandably, by setting up multiple robotic arms, each connected to either the defect measurement unit 50 or the mask 30, it is not necessary to use the same robotic arm to pick up and put down the defect measurement unit 50 and the mask 30 separately, which can improve process efficiency.

[0060] In this embodiment, by setting up multiple robotic arms, the robotic arms do not need to perform repetitive grasping operations, thereby improving the efficiency of processes such as exposure and defect detection.

[0061] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 2The area to be detected includes a micrometer-level area and a nanometer-level area. The defect measurement unit 50 includes an optical measurement module 90 and an electron beam measurement module 100. The robotic arm also includes a third robotic arm 80. The second robotic arm 70 is connected to the optical measurement module 90 and is used to move the optical measurement module 90 to the micrometer-level area for alignment. The third robotic arm 80 is connected to the electron beam measurement module 100 and is used to move the optical measurement module 90 to the nanometer-level area for alignment.

[0062] The lithography machine provided in this embodiment includes a frame, a stage, a mask, and an illumination system. The stage is horizontally fixed on the frame, and the mask is movably disposed above the stage. The illumination system is disposed on the side of the mask away from the stage, and the light emitted by the illumination system passes through the mask and illuminates the stage. The lithography machine also includes a defect measurement unit. A panel to be inspected is disposed on the stage, and the panel to be inspected includes at least one area to be inspected. The defect measurement unit is movably aligned with the area to be inspected. By integrating the defect measurement unit into the lithography machine, timely inspection of the substrate is achieved after the exposure process, detecting defective substrates and preventing them from entering the next process, thereby reducing wasted production capacity and alleviating the technical problem of existing lithography machines being unable to detect defective substrates.

[0063] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0064] The lithography machine provided in the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A lithography machine, characterized in that, include: frame; A platform, which is horizontally fixed to the frame; A mask, which is movably disposed above the stage; An illumination system is provided on the side of the mask away from the stage, and the light emitted by the illumination system passes through the mask and illuminates the stage; The lithography machine further includes a defect measurement unit and at least one robotic arm. A panel to be inspected is mounted on the stage, and the panel includes at least one inspection area. The defect measurement unit is movably aligned with the inspection area. One end of the robotic arm is connected to the frame, and the other end is connected to the mask or the defect measurement unit. The robotic arm is used to move the mask and the defect measurement unit. During the exposure process, the robotic arm moves the mask above the stage, and the mask is used to expose the panel to be inspected on the stage. After the exposure process is completed, the robotic arm removes the mask from above the stage, and moves the defect measurement unit to the corresponding area above the panel to be inspected. The defect measurement unit then performs defect detection on the inspection area of ​​the panel to be inspected, determining whether a defect exists and whether the defect is within the standard range.

2. The lithography machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The area to be detected is a micrometer-level area, and the defect measurement unit is an optical measurement module, which is aligned with the micrometer-level area.

3. The lithography machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The area to be detected is a nanometer-scale area, and the defect measurement unit is an electron beam measurement module, which is aligned with the nanometer-scale area.

4. The lithography machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The area to be detected includes a micrometer-level area and a nanometer-level area. The defect measurement unit includes an optical measurement module and an electron beam measurement module. The optical measurement module is aligned with the micrometer-level area, and the electron beam measurement module is aligned with the nanometer-level area.

5. The lithography machine as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The minimum precision of the electron beam measurement module is approximately 2 nanometers, and the minimum precision of the optical measurement module is approximately 2 micrometers.

6. The lithography machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The mask and the defect measurement unit share the same robotic arm.

7. The lithography machine as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The lithography machine also includes a storage compartment. The robotic arm takes out the mask or the defect measurement unit from the storage compartment for use. After use, the robotic arm puts the mask or the defect measurement unit back into the storage compartment.

8. The lithography machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm includes a first robotic arm connected to the mask and a second robotic arm connected to the defect measurement unit.

9. The lithography machine as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The area to be detected includes a micrometer-level area and a nanometer-level area. The defect measurement unit includes an optical measurement module and an electron beam measurement module. The robotic arm also includes a third robotic arm. The second robotic arm is connected to the optical measurement module and is used to move the optical measurement module to the micrometer-level area for alignment. The third robotic arm is connected to the electron beam measurement module and is used to move the optical measurement module to the nanometer-level area for alignment.

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