Limiting structure, pre-alignment module and method for lithography equipment, and lithography equipment

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a limiting structure, a pre-alignment module and method for a lithography device, and a lithography device. The limiting structure according to the present disclosure may include: two parallel guide rails 105; a slider 110 disposed on the two guide rails 105; a motor 115 connected to the slider 110; a light shield 120 mounted on one side of the slider 110; a photoelectric sensor 130 disposed on the outer side of the guide rail on the same side as the light shield 120 in the two guide rails 105; and a controller 135. The light signal emitted by the transmitting part of the photoelectric sensor 130 can be received by the receiving part of the photoelectric sensor 130 through the opening 125 when the slider 110 is at the origin. The opening 125 may be provided in the middle of the light shield 120 and the light shield 120 may be located between the transmitting part and the receiving part. The controller 135 may be connected to the motor 115 and may be configured to control the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to slide along the two guide rails 105. According to the position limiting architecture disclosed in the present invention, only one photoelectric sensor is used in combination with a light shielding sheet with holes to determine whether the slider has reached the origin and the limit point, thereby simplifying the equipment layout.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of lithography, and in particular to a limiting structure, a pre-alignment module and method for lithography equipment, and lithography equipment. Background Art

[0002] Photolithography is a key link in semiconductor manufacturing. With the continuous improvement of the integration of integrated circuits, the requirements for the accuracy and mobile architecture of photolithography equipment are getting higher and higher. The main function of photolithography equipment is to use optical projection technology to project patterns onto photosensitive materials to form tiny patterns or layers. It mainly includes the following steps: mask preparation, silicon wafer coating, alignment exposure and development. The alignment step is an important step before exposure and requires extremely high precision. Once the position of the wafer deviates, the exposure and development of the pattern will deviate, disrupting the photolithography rhythm, resulting in low production efficiency and low yield. In the photolithography process, the mobile architecture of the photolithography machine accurately moves the wafer in the three directions of X, Y, and Z axes as needed for exposure and development. With the development of technology, the precision requirements for the mobile architecture are getting higher and higher. For example, the development of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) technology requires the optical system reflector of the photolithography machine to achieve atomic-level flatness, which puts higher requirements on the stability and accuracy of the mobile architecture. The mobile architecture needs to achieve multi-directional high-precision movement, making the mobile architecture particularly complex.

[0003] Therefore, a mobile architecture with simple structure and high precision for lithography equipment is urgently desired. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to overcome one or more of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present disclosure provides a limit structure, a pre-alignment module and method for a lithography device, and a lithography device. The limit structure for the lithography device according to the present disclosure can use only one photoelectric sensor in combination with a perforated light-blocking sheet structure to determine whether the slider has reached the origin and the limit point, which reduces the number of sensors, reduces production costs, simplifies the equipment layout, improves system stability, and also improves the equipment space utilization. The pre-alignment module for the lithography device according to the present disclosure can move in more than one direction, and uses only one photoelectric sensor in combination with a perforated light-blocking sheet structure in each moving direction to determine whether the slider has slid to the origin and the limit point in that direction, which greatly reduces the number of sensors, reduces production costs, simplifies the equipment layout, improves system stability, and also improves the equipment space utilization.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a position limiting structure for a lithography device. The position limiting structure may include: two parallel guide rails 105; a slider 110 disposed on the two guide rails 105; a motor 115 connected to the slider 110; a light shield 120 mounted on one side of the slider 110; a photoelectric sensor 130 disposed on the outer side of the guide rail on the same side as the light shield 120 in the two guide rails 105; and a controller 135. The light signal emitted by the transmitting part of the photoelectric sensor 130 can be received by the receiving part of the photoelectric sensor 130 through the opening 125 when the slider 110 is at the origin. The opening 125 may be provided in the middle of the light shield 120 and the light shield 120 may be located between the transmitting part and the receiving part. The controller 135 may be connected to the motor 115 and may be configured to control the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to slide along the two guide rails 105.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the limit structure may further include: a limit point A and a limit point B respectively disposed at two ends of at least one guide rail 105 of the two guide rails 105 .

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the limiting structure may further include: a guide rod 140 parallel to the two guide rails 105 and located between the two guide rails 105 , wherein the guide rod 140 passes through the slider 110 .

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the limiting structure may further include: two parallel positioning plates 145 , wherein the two guide rails 105 and the two positioning plates 145 form a rectangular parallelepiped, and wherein the two positioning plates 145 are respectively connected to the guide rods 140 .

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the controller 135 may be further configured to: control the slider 110 to slide back and forth near the origin; start timing in response to receiving a first indication from the receiving part of the photoelectric sensor 130, wherein the first indication may be transmitted to the controller 135 by the receiving part when a light signal is received; stop timing in response to receiving a second indication from the receiving part of the photoelectric sensor 130, wherein the second indication may be transmitted to the controller 135 by the receiving part when no light signal is received; and determine that the slider 110 has reached the vicinity of the origin in response to determining that the timing time is less than a threshold value.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the opening 125 may be a square hole, wherein the threshold value may be a value obtained by dividing the diameter of the square hole by the speed of the slider.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the controller 135 may be further configured to: control the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to move in the reverse direction for half of the timing time so that the slider 110 reaches the origin.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the controller 135 may be further configured to: control the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to slide; respond to receiving a first indication from the receiving part of the photoelectric sensor 130; and determine that the slider 110 reaches a limit point between the limit point A and the limit point B.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the sliding stroke of the slider 110 may be based on the length of the light blocking sheet 120 .

[0014] The position limiting structure according to the present disclosure uses only one photoelectric sensor in combination with a light shielding sheet with holes to determine whether the slider has reached the origin and two limit points, which reduces the number of sensors and simplifies the position limiting structure. The movement stroke of the slider in the position limiting structure according to the present disclosure can be based on the length of the light shielding sheet. For example, the movement stroke of the slider can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the light shielding sheet.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a lithography device comprising the limiting structure as described above.

[0016] The lithography device according to the present disclosure adopts the above-mentioned limit architecture, which uses only one photoelectric sensor combined with a perforated light blocking film structure to determine whether the slider reaches the origin and two limit points, reducing the number of sensors and simplifying the layout of the lithography device.

[0017] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a pre-alignment module for a lithography device. The pre-alignment module may include: a first limiting structure and a second limiting structure. The first limiting structure may be the limiting structure described above. The second limiting structure may be the limiting structure described above. The second limiting structure may be located on a slider in the first limiting structure and move with the slider.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the movement stroke of the second limiting structure may be based on the length of the light blocking sheet 120 of the limiting structure.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the pre-alignment module may further include a third limiting structure. The third limiting structure may be the limiting structure described above. The third limiting structure may be mounted on a slider in the second limiting structure and move with the slider.

[0020] The pre-alignment module according to the present disclosure adopts more than one limit structure as described above, and each limit structure adopts only one photoelectric sensor combined with a light shielding sheet structure with holes to determine whether the slider reaches the origin and two limit points, thereby reducing the number of sensors. The moving stroke of the slider in each limit structure in the pre-alignment module according to the present disclosure can be based on the length of the light shielding sheet carried by the slider. For example, the moving stroke of the slider in each limit structure can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the light shielding sheet carried by the slider.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, a lithography device includes the pre-alignment module as described above.

[0022] The lithography equipment according to the present disclosure greatly reduces the number of sensors, simplifies the layout of the lithography equipment, improves system stability, and also improves equipment space utilization.

[0023] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides a pre-alignment method for a lithography device. The pre-alignment method may include: a controller 135 controls a motor 115 to drive a slider 110 to slide back and forth along two parallel guide rails 105 near an origin, wherein the slider 110 is disposed on the guide rails 105; in response to receiving a first indication from a receiving portion of a photoelectric sensor 130, the controller 135 starts timing, wherein the photoelectric sensor 130 is disposed on the outer side of one of the two guide rails 105 and a light signal emitted by a transmitting portion of the photoelectric sensor 130 passes through an opening 125 disposed in the middle of a light shielding sheet 120 when the slider 110 is at the origin and is received by the photoelectric sensor The receiving part of 130 receives, wherein the light blocking sheet 120 is mounted on the outer side of the slider 110 and the photoelectric sensor 130 on the same side and is located between the transmitting part and the receiving part, and wherein a first indication can be transmitted to the controller 135 by the receiving part when the light signal is received; in response to receiving a second indication from the receiving part of the photoelectric sensor 130, the controller 135 stops timing, wherein the second indication can be transmitted to the controller 135 by the receiving part when no light signal is received; and in response to determining that the timing time is less than a threshold value, it is determined that the slider 110 has reached the vicinity of the origin.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the opening 125 may be a square hole, wherein the threshold value may be a value obtained by dividing the diameter of the square hole by the speed of the slider.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the pre-alignment method may further include: the controller 135 controls the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to move in the reverse direction for half of the timing time so that the slider 110 reaches the origin.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, optionally, the pre-alignment method may further include: controlling the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to slide; responding to receiving a first indication from the receiving part of the photoelectric sensor 130; and determining that the slider reaches a limit point between the limit point A and the limit point B.

[0027] The pre-alignment method disclosed herein uses only one photoelectric sensor in combination with a perforated light blocking sheet structure to determine whether the slider has reached the origin and two limit points, thereby simplifying the layout of the lithography equipment, improving system stability, and also improving equipment space utilization.

[0028] These and other features and advantages will become apparent by reading the following detailed description and by reference to the associated drawings.It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are illustrative only and are not restrictive of the aspects of what is claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to understand in detail the manner in which the above features of the present disclosure are used, the above briefly summarized contents may be described in more detail with reference to various embodiments, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings only show certain typical aspects of the present disclosure and should not be considered to limit its scope, as the description may allow for other equally effective aspects.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a position limiting structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is explained.

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a pre-alignment module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a light shielding sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is explained.

[0033] Figure 4 A flow chart illustrating a pre-alignment method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0034] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a lithography device including a limiting structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0035] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a lithography apparatus including a pre-alignment module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other embodiments, well-known structures or processing steps are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0037] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the term "plurality" means more than two; the term "and / or" is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist, for example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone; the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure; the terms "including" and "having" in the specification and claims of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned figure descriptions and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0039] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0040] As used herein, the terms "docking", "coupling", "connecting" or "connecting" mean connecting directly to or connecting through one or more intervening media or components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood as the specific circumstances. Moreover, in the following description and for the purpose of explanation, specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments can be practiced without these specific details.

[0041] In the field of photolithography, the alignment step is an important step before exposure, and the precision requirement is extremely high. Once the position of the wafer deviates, the exposure and development of the pattern will deviate, disrupting the photolithography rhythm, resulting in low production efficiency and low yield. During the photolithography process, the mobile architecture of the photolithography machine accurately moves the wafer in the three directions of X, Y, and Z axes as needed for exposure and development. With the development of technology, the precision requirements for the mobile architecture are getting higher and higher. For example, the development of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) technology requires the optical system mirror of the photolithography machine to achieve atomic-level flatness, which puts higher requirements on the stability and accuracy of the mobile architecture. The mobile architecture needs to achieve multi-directional high-precision movement, making the mobile architecture particularly complex. Movement in the three directions of X, Y, and Z axes usually relies on multiple photoelectric sensors (for example, slot-type photoelectric sensors) to detect the motion state. These sensors are generally fixed on rails. Setting up multiple sensors takes up more space, increases the difficulty of wiring, and increases the complexity of signal processing, occupies too many system resources, and limits the flexibility of the equipment.

[0042] In order to solve one or more of the above problems, the present disclosure provides a limit structure, a pre-alignment module and a method for a lithography device, and a lithography device. According to the limit structure of the present disclosure, only one photoelectric sensor combined with a perforated light shielding sheet structure can be used to detect whether the slider reaches the origin or several limit points by judging whether the light shielding sheet assembled on the slider arranged on the guide rail blocks the receiving part of the photoelectric sensor from receiving the light signal emitted by the transmitting part of the photoelectric sensor. According to the limit structure of the present disclosure, the number of sensors is reduced, the production cost is reduced, the equipment layout is simplified, the system stability is improved, and the equipment space utilization rate is also improved. According to the pre-alignment module for the lithography device of the present disclosure, it can move in more than one direction, and only one photoelectric sensor combined with a perforated light shielding sheet structure is used in each moving direction to determine whether the slider slides to the origin and the limit point in the direction, which greatly reduces the number of sensors, reduces the production cost, simplifies the equipment layout, improves the system stability, and improves the equipment space utilization rate. The convex self-correction system will be specifically described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and some embodiments will be listed for more specific description.

[0043] Figure 1 The structural diagram of the limiting structure 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is explained. Figure 1 As shown, the limiting structure 100 may include: two parallel guide rails 105; a slider 110 disposed on the two guide rails 105; a motor 115 connected to the slider 110; a light blocking sheet 120 mounted on one side of the slider 110; a photoelectric sensor 130 disposed on the outer side of the guide rails on the same side of the two guide rails 105 as the light blocking sheet 120; and a controller 135.

[0044] In one embodiment, the optical signal emitted by the transmitting portion of the photoelectric sensor 130 can be received by the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130 through the opening 125 when the slider 110 is at the origin. For example, the optical signal of the photoelectric sensor 130 can be converted into an electrical signal. After the optical signal is converted into an electrical signal, it is input into the controller 135 through the I / O pin of the controller 135. The controller 135 can then read the electrical signal, convert the electrical signal into a digital signal, and then determine whether the slider 110 has reached the limit point.

[0045] In one embodiment, the light shielding sheet 120 may be provided with an opening 125 in the middle and the light shielding sheet 120 may be located between the transmitting part and the receiving part. The controller 135 detects whether the slider 110 reaches the origin or several limit points by judging whether the light shielding sheet 120 mounted on the slider 110 disposed on the guide rail 105 blocks the receiving part of the photoelectric sensor 130 from receiving the light signal emitted by the transmitting part of the photoelectric sensor 130. In one embodiment, the limit structure 100 may further include: a limit point A and a limit point B respectively disposed at both ends of at least one of the two guide rails 105. For example, when the slider 110 is outside the left and right sides of the light shielding sheet 120, the receiving part of the photoelectric sensor 130 receives the light signal emitted by the transmitting part of the photoelectric sensor 130, thereby determining that the slider 110 reaches the limit point A or the limit point B. In one example, the slider 110 may be set to slide leftward first or backward first. The controller 135 may determine whether the slider 110 reaches the limit point A or the limit point B by a preset rule. For another example, when the slider 110 is at the midpoint of the light shielding sheet 120, the light signal emitted by the emitting portion of the photoelectric sensor 130 passes through the opening 125 (eg, Figure 3 The signal (as shown) is received by the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130, thereby determining that the slider 110 has reached the midpoint.

[0046] In one embodiment, the controller 135 may be connected to the motor 115 and may be configured to control the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to slide along the two guide rails 105. In some cases, the controller 135 may be integrated on the slider 110. In some optional cases, the controller 135 and the motor 115 may be integrated on the slider 110 together.

[0047] In one embodiment, the position limiting structure 100 may further include: a guide rod 140 parallel to the two guide rails 105 and located between the two guide rails 105 , wherein the guide rod 140 passes through the slider 110 .

[0048] In one embodiment, the limiting structure 100 may further include: two parallel positioning plates 145 , wherein the two guide rails 105 and the two positioning plates 145 form a cuboid, and wherein the two positioning plates 145 are respectively connected to the guide rods 140 .

[0049] In one embodiment, the limiting structure 100 may further include: a bottom plate ( Figure 1 (not shown). In some cases, the motor 115 may be integrated into the slider 110. In some alternative cases, the motor 115 may be located separately on any guide rail 105 or any positioning plate 145. In other alternative cases, the motor 115 may be integrated into the controller 115.

[0050] In one embodiment, the controller 135 may be further configured to: control the slider 110 to slide back and forth near the origin; start timing in response to receiving a first indication from the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130; stop timing in response to receiving a second indication from the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130; and determine that the slider 110 has reached the vicinity of the origin in response to determining that the timing time is less than a threshold. In one example, the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130 may transmit a first indication, i.e., an indication of receiving the light signal, to the controller 135 when receiving the light signal. In one example, the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130 may transmit a second indication, i.e., an indication of not receiving the light signal, to the controller 135 when not receiving the light signal.

[0051] In one embodiment, the opening 125 may be a square hole, wherein the threshold value may be a value obtained by dividing the diameter of the square hole by the speed of the slider. For example, when the diameter of the square hole (e.g., the side length) is 1 cm and the speed of the slider is 100 mm / s, the threshold value may be 0.1. The speed range of the slider may be 80 mm / s to 120 mm / s. In another alternative embodiment, the opening 125 may be a circular hole, wherein the threshold value may be a value obtained by dividing the diameter of the circular hole by the speed of the slider. For example, when the diameter of the circular hole (e.g., the side length) is 1 cm and the speed of the slider is 100 mm / s, the threshold value may be 0.1. In an optional example, the controller 135 may be further configured to: control the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to move in the opposite direction for half of the timing time so that the slider 110 reaches the origin. For example, the controller 135 may be further configured to: control the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to move in the opposite direction for half of the timing time so that the slider 110 reaches the origin. For example, assuming the threshold is 0.1, it means that it takes 0.1 s to move the full aperture distance, so moving in the opposite direction by half the threshold, or 0.05 s, will allow the slider to reach the origin.

[0052] In one embodiment, the controller 135 may be further configured to: control the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to slide; in response to receiving a first indication from the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130; and determine that the slider 110 reaches one of the limit points A and the limit point B. In one example, the slider 110 may be set to slide leftward first or backward first. The controller 135 may determine whether the slider 110 reaches the limit point A or the limit point B by a preset rule. When it is determined that the slider 110 reaches one of the limit points A and the limit point B, the controller 135 controls the motor 115 to stop running.

[0053] In one embodiment, the limit structure 100 may further include: an indicator light. For example, the indicator light flashes twice to indicate that the slider has reached the limit point A, and flashes three times to indicate that the slider has reached the limit point B. Alternatively, the indicator light flashes three times to indicate that the slider has reached the limit point A, and flashes twice to indicate that the slider has reached the limit point B.

[0054] In one embodiment, the sliding stroke of the slider may be based on the length of the light shielding sheet 120. For example, the length of the light shielding sheet 120 may be 5 cm. For example, the length of the light shielding sheet in the X-axis direction may be ±10 mm to ±40 mm, preferably ±27 mm, the length of the light shielding sheet in the Y-axis direction may be ±5 mm to ±30 mm, preferably ±16 mm, and the length of the light shielding sheet in the Z-axis direction may be ±5 mm to ±30 mm, preferably ±16 mm.

[0055] The position limiting structure 100 according to the present disclosure uses only one photoelectric sensor in combination with a light shielding sheet with holes to determine whether the slider has reached the origin and the two limit points, which reduces the number of sensors and simplifies the position limiting structure 100. The movement stroke of the slider in the position limiting structure 100 according to the present disclosure can be based on the length of the light shielding sheet. For example, the movement stroke of the slider can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the light shielding sheet.

[0056] Figure 2 FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of the structure of the pre-alignment module 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, the pre-alignment module 200 may include a first limiting structure 205 and a second limiting structure 210. In some cases, the first limiting structure 205 may be a limiting structure as described above. In some cases, the second limiting structure 210 may be a limiting structure as described above. In one example, the second limiting structure 210 may be located on a slider in the first limiting structure 205 and move with the slider. For example, the moving stroke of the second limiting structure 210 may be based on the length of the light shielding film 120 of the first limiting structure 205. In some cases, a tray 215 for carrying a wafer may be provided above the slider of the second limiting structure 210.

[0057] In an optional embodiment, the pre-alignment module 200 may further include a third limiting structure ( Figure 2 (not shown). The third limiting structure may be the limiting structure described above. In one example, the third limiting structure may be mounted on a slider in the second limiting structure and move with the slider. In some cases, a tray for carrying a wafer may be provided above the slider of the third limiting structure.

[0058] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the light shielding sheet 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the light shielding sheet 120 may include a connecting portion 145 and a light shielding portion 150. For example, the light shielding sheet 120 may be connected to (mounted on) the slider via the connecting portion 145.

[0059] In one example, the center of the light shielding portion 150 may be provided with an opening 125. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although Figure 3 The opening 125 is shown as a square hole, but the opening 125 can be an opening of any other regular shape (eg, a round hole) without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0060] Figure 4 4 is a flow chart illustrating a pre-alignment method 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown, the pre-alignment method 400 may include the following steps.

[0061] In step 405 , the controller 135 may control the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to slide back and forth near the origin along the two parallel guide rails 105 .

[0062] In step 410, the controller 135 starts timing in response to receiving the first indication from the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130. For example, the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130 may transmit the first indication to the controller 135 upon receiving the light signal, and the controller 135 may start timing in response to receiving the first indication from the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130. In some cases, when the slider 110 is at the origin, the light signal emitted by the transmitting portion of the photoelectric sensor 130 passes through the opening 125 provided in the middle of the light shielding sheet 120 and is received by the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130.

[0063] In step 415, the controller 135 stops timing in response to receiving a second indication from the receiving portion of the photosensor 130, wherein the second indication may be transmitted by the receiving portion to the controller 135 when no light signal is received. For example, the receiving portion of the photosensor 130 may transmit the second indication to the controller 135 when no light signal is received, and the controller 135 may stop timing in response to receiving the second indication from the receiving portion of the photosensor 130.

[0064] In step 415 , in response to determining that the timed time is less than the threshold, it is determined that the slider 110 has reached the vicinity of the origin.

[0065] In an optional embodiment, the pre-alignment method may further include: the controller 135 controls the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to move in the reverse direction for half of the timing time so that the slider 110 reaches the origin.

[0066] In an optional embodiment, the pre-alignment method may further include: controlling the motor 115 to drive the slider 110 to slide; responding to receiving a first indication from the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor 130; and determining that the slider reaches a limit point between the limit point A and the limit point B.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that Figure 4 The method 400 is described as an example only, and one or more steps in the method 400 may be omitted or repeated without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0068] The pre-alignment method disclosed herein uses only one photoelectric sensor in combination with a perforated light blocking sheet structure to determine whether the slider has reached the origin and two limit points, thereby simplifying the layout of the lithography equipment, improving system stability, and also improving equipment space utilization.

[0069] Figure 5 A schematic diagram 500 of a lithography apparatus including a limiting structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 5 The lithographic apparatus shown may include Figure 1 The limiting structure 100 is shown.

[0070] Figure 6 A schematic diagram 600 of a lithography apparatus including a pre-alignment module 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 6 The lithographic apparatus shown may include Figure 2 The pre-alignment module 200 is shown.

[0071] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that Figure 5 and 6 This is provided by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0072] The "range" disclosed herein is defined in the form of a lower limit and an upper limit, and a given range is defined by selecting a lower limit and an upper limit, and the selected lower limit and upper limit define the boundaries of the particular range. The range defined in this way can be inclusive or exclusive of the end values, and can be arbitrarily combined, that is, any lower limit can be combined with any upper limit to form a range. In this application, unless otherwise specified, the numerical range "ab" represents an abbreviation of any real number combination between a and b, where a and b are both real numbers.

[0073] In this application, unless otherwise specified, all embodiments and preferred embodiments mentioned herein can be combined with each other to form a new technical solution.

[0074] In the present application, unless otherwise specified, all technical features and preferred features mentioned herein can be combined with each other to form new technical solutions. Although the present application has been described with reference to optional embodiments, various improvements can be made thereto and components thereof can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any manner. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A limiting structure for a lithography device, comprising: Two parallel guide rails (105); A sliding block (110) disposed on the two guide rails (105); A motor (115) connected to the slider (110); a light shielding sheet (120) mounted on one side of the sliding block (110), wherein an opening (125) is provided in the middle of the light shielding sheet (120); a photoelectric sensor (130) disposed on the outer side of one of the two guide rails (105) on the same side as the light shielding sheet (120), wherein a light signal emitted by a transmitting portion of the photoelectric sensor (130) passes through the opening (125) and is received by a receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor (130) when the slider (110) is located at an origin, wherein the light shielding sheet (120) is located between the transmitting portion and the receiving portion; and A controller (135), the controller (135) being connected to the motor (115) and configured to: Controlling the motor (115) to drive the slider (110) to slide along the two guide rails (105); Controlling the motor (115) to drive the slider (110) to slide; In response to receiving a first indication from the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor (130); and It is determined that the slider reaches a limit point between limit point A and limit point B.

2. The position limiting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limit point A and the limit point B are respectively arranged at two ends of at least one guide rail (105) of the two guide rails (105).

3. The position limiting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: Further including: A guide rod (140) is parallel to the two guide rails (105) and located between the two guide rails (105), wherein the guide rod (140) passes through the sliding block (110).

4. The limiting structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: Further including: Two parallel positioning plates (145), wherein the two guide rails (105) and the two positioning plates (145) form a rectangular parallelepiped, and wherein the two positioning plates (145) are respectively connected to the guide rods (140).

5. The position limiting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller (135) is further configured to: Controlling the slider (110) to slide back and forth near the origin; In response to receiving the first indication from the receiving unit of the photoelectric sensor (130), starting timing, wherein the first indication is transmitted to the controller (135) by the receiving unit upon receiving the light signal; In response to receiving a second indication from the receiving unit of the photoelectric sensor (130), stopping the timing, wherein the second indication is transmitted to the controller (135) by the receiving unit when no light signal is received; and In response to determining that the timed time is less than a threshold, it is determined that the slider (110) has reached the vicinity of the origin.

6. The position limiting structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The opening (125) is a square hole, wherein the threshold value is a value obtained by dividing the diameter of the square hole by the speed of the slider.

7. The position limiting structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The controller (135) is further configured to: The motor (115) is controlled to drive the slider (110) to move in the opposite direction for half of the timing time so that the slider (110) reaches the origin.

8. The position limiting structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The sliding stroke of the slider is based on the length of the light blocking sheet (120).

9. A lithography device comprising the limiting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A pre-alignment module for a lithography device, comprising: A first limiting structure (205), wherein the first limiting structure (205) is a limiting structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8; as well as A second limiting structure (210), wherein the second limiting structure (210) is the limiting structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the second limiting structure (210) is located on a slider in the first limiting structure (205) and moves with the slider.

11. The pre-alignment module according to claim 10, characterized in that: The moving stroke of the second limiting structure (210) is based on the length of the light blocking sheet (120) of the first limiting structure (205).

12. The pre-alignment module according to claim 10, characterized in that: Further including: A third limiting structure, wherein the third limiting structure is the limiting structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the third limiting structure is mounted on a slider in the second limiting structure (210) and moves with the slider.

13. A lithographic apparatus comprising the pre-alignment module according to any one of claims 10-12.

14. A pre-alignment method for a lithography device, comprising: The controller (135) controls the motor (115) to drive the slider (110) to slide back and forth near the origin along two parallel guide rails (105), wherein the slider (110) is arranged on the guide rails (105); In response to receiving a first indication from a receiving portion of a photoelectric sensor (130), the controller (135) starts timing, wherein the photoelectric sensor (130) is arranged on the outer side of one of the two guide rails (105) and a light signal emitted by a transmitting portion of the photoelectric sensor (130) passes through an opening (125) arranged in the middle of a light shielding sheet (120) when the slider (110) is located at the origin and is received by the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor (130), wherein the light shielding sheet (120) is mounted on the outer side of the slider (110) on the same side as the photoelectric sensor (130) and is located between the transmitting portion and the receiving portion, and wherein the first indication is transmitted to the controller (135) by the receiving portion when the light signal is received; In response to receiving a second indication from the receiving unit of the photoelectric sensor (130), the controller (135) stops timing, wherein the second indication is transmitted to the controller (135) by the receiving unit when no light signal is received; In response to determining that the timing time is less than a threshold, determining that the slider (110) has reached the vicinity of the origin; Controlling the motor (115) to drive the slider (110) to slide; in response to receiving the first indication from the receiving portion of the photoelectric sensor (130); and It is determined that the slider reaches a limit point between limit point A and limit point B.

15. The pre-alignment method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The opening (125) is a square hole, wherein the threshold value is a value obtained by dividing the diameter of the square hole by the speed of the slider.

16. The pre-alignment method according to claim 14, characterized in that: Further including: The controller (135) controls the motor (115) to drive the slider (110) to move in the reverse direction for half of the timing time so that the slider (110) reaches the origin.

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