A method, device, equipment and medium for controlling alignment of a photolithography machine

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method, device, equipment and medium for controlling alignment of a photolithography machine. The method comprises: initializing tasks on the task lists corresponding to the silicon wafer stage and the mask stage of the photolithography machine respectively, determining a first task list and a second task list; executing the silicon wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list in parallel; determining and executing the mask alignment task based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the photolithography machine tasks and the photolithography machine tasks, the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task and the execution results of the mask loading task; determining and executing the silicon wafer alignment task based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the photolithography machine tasks and the execution results of the mask alignment task. By using the technical solution of the embodiments of the present invention, automatic control of the alignment of the photolithography machine can be achieved, which can reduce labor costs and improve the accuracy and efficiency of the alignment of the photolithography machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a photolithography machine alignment control method, device, equipment and medium. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of semiconductor technology, the requirements for chip manufacturing precision are increasing day by day. Especially in micron or submicron precision manufacturing, the tolerance for alignment error is extremely low. Therefore, the research and application of lithography machine alignment control is particularly important.

[0003] Currently, traditional alignment control methods for photolithography machines often rely on manually adjusting knobs to adjust the horizontal, vertical, and angle axes of the machine, or on motorized axes that are tuned using a charge-coupled device (CCD) to align the pattern on the mask with the pattern on the silicon wafer. However, traditional alignment control methods for photolithography machines have high labor costs, low alignment accuracy due to human error in manual operation, and are time-consuming, resulting in low alignment efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a photolithography machine alignment control method, device, equipment and medium to achieve automatic control of the photolithography machine alignment, which can reduce labor costs and improve the accuracy and efficiency of the photolithography machine alignment.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for controlling alignment of a lithography machine, comprising:

[0006] Initializing tasks for a task list corresponding to a wafer stage of a lithography machine and a task list corresponding to a mask stage of the lithography machine, respectively, to determine a first task list to be executed by the wafer stage and a second task list to be executed by the mask stage;

[0007] Parallel execution of the wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list;

[0008] Determining a mask alignment task in the second task list based on a pre-established association between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task, the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, and the execution result of the mask loading task, and executing the mask alignment task;

[0009] Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks and the execution results of the photomask alignment task, the silicon wafer alignment task in the first task list is determined, and the silicon wafer alignment task is executed to align the pattern on the photomask with the pattern on the silicon wafer.

[0010] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a photolithography machine alignment control device, comprising:

[0011] an initialization module, configured to respectively initialize the task list corresponding to the wafer stage of the lithography machine and the task list corresponding to the mask stage of the lithography machine, and determine a first task list to be executed by the wafer stage and a second task list to be executed by the mask stage;

[0012] A parallel execution module, configured to execute in parallel the wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list;

[0013] A first alignment module is configured to determine, based on a pre-established association between lithography machine task execution results and lithography machine tasks, an execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, and an execution result of the mask loading task, a reticle alignment task in the second task list, and execute the reticle alignment task;

[0014] The second alignment module is used to determine the silicon wafer alignment task in the first task list based on the pre-established association between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks and the execution results of the mask alignment tasks, and execute the silicon wafer alignment tasks to align the pattern on the mask with the pattern on the silicon wafer.

[0015] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an electronic device, characterized in that the electronic device includes: at least one processor; and

[0016] a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein,

[0017] The memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the at least one processor. The computer program is executed by the at least one processor so that the at least one processor can execute the lithography machine alignment control method provided by any embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions are used to enable a processor to execute the lithography machine alignment control method provided by any embodiment of the present invention when executing the computer instructions.

[0019] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention is to initialize the tasks corresponding to the task list of the silicon wafer stage of the lithography machine and the task list corresponding to the mask stage of the lithography machine respectively, and determine the first task list to be executed by the silicon wafer stage and the second task list to be executed by the mask stage, so as to ensure that the silicon wafer stage and the mask stage can accurately and stably complete their tasks during the lithography process. The parallel execution of the silicon wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list can improve resource utilization and significantly shorten the preparation time of the lithography machine. Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks, the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task and the execution results of the mask loading task, the mask alignment task in the second task list is determined and the mask alignment task is executed, thereby flexibly realizing the synchronous control of the coordinated and cooperative tasks based on the execution results and improving the alignment efficiency. Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks and the execution results of the photomask alignment tasks, the silicon wafer alignment tasks in the first task list are determined and executed to align the pattern on the photomask with the pattern on the silicon wafer, thereby achieving the execution of the tasks driven by the execution results without affecting other task processes and improving the alignment efficiency of the lithography machine. By respectively initializing the task pools corresponding to the silicon wafer stage and the photomask stage to obtain the first task list and the second task list, and executing the photomask loading task and the silicon wafer loading task in parallel, the preparation time of the lithography machine can be significantly shortened, thereby improving the alignment efficiency. The execution of subsequent tasks is further driven according to the task execution results, which can ensure that the photomask and silicon wafer can be accurately aligned during the lithography process, improve resource utilization and business scalability, and realize automatic control of the lithography machine alignment, thereby reducing labor costs and improving the accuracy and efficiency of the lithography machine alignment.

[0020] It should be understood that the content described in this section is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Other features of the present invention will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of a photolithography machine alignment control method provided according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of a photolithography machine alignment control method provided according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an alignment control device for a lithography machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of an electronic device for implementing the alignment control method of a lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solutions of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "target", "current", etc. in the description and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the numbers used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0028] Example 1

[0029] Figure 1 The first embodiment of the present invention provides a flow chart of a method for controlling alignment of a lithography machine. This embodiment is applicable to the case of performing alignment control on a lithography machine. Figure 1 As shown, the method can be executed by a photolithography machine alignment control device, which can be implemented in the form of hardware and / or software, and can be configured in an electronic device. Figure 1 As shown, the method specifically includes the following steps:

[0030] S110, respectively initialize the task list corresponding to the wafer stage of the lithography machine and the task list corresponding to the mask stage of the lithography machine, and determine a first task list to be executed by the wafer stage and a second task list to be executed by the mask stage.

[0031] Among them, the photolithography machine may refer to the mother machine for chip manufacturing. The silicon wafer stage may refer to a component device for positioning silicon wafers (or wafers). The photomask stage may refer to a component device for fixing the photomask. The first task list may refer to a list of tasks to be performed by the silicon wafer stage, which includes various tasks that the silicon wafer stage needs to perform during the alignment control of the photolithography machine. The second task list may refer to a list of tasks to be performed by the photomask stage, which includes various tasks that the photomask stage needs to perform during the alignment control of the photolithography machine.

[0032] Specifically, before turning on the lithography machine and starting alignment control, the system will first initialize the task lists corresponding to the silicon wafer stage and the photomask stage. The initialization process can include reading the stored task information, sorting the tasks according to factors such as task priority and execution order, setting all tasks in the task list to the initial state, that is, the state waiting to be executed, and finally determining the first task list to be executed by the silicon wafer stage and the second task list to be executed by the photomask stage, and the two lists are independent of each other. Through task initialization, it can be ensured that the lithography machine can perform tasks in accordance with the predetermined order and priority, thereby improving work efficiency and accuracy, and at the same time helping the lithography machine to quickly locate the tasks that need to be executed during the execution process, reducing waiting time and resource waste.

[0033] S120 , executing the wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list in parallel.

[0034] The wafer loading task refers to the process of placing a silicon wafer (or wafer) onto the wafer stage of a photolithography machine. The mask loading task refers to the process of placing a mask (or reticle) onto the mask stage of a photolithography machine.

[0035] Specifically, after determining the task lists for the wafer stage and reticle stage, the lithography machine executes the wafer loading task on the wafer stage and the reticle loading task on the reticle stage in parallel. These two tasks can proceed simultaneously because they are physically independent and do not interfere with each other. This reduces the overall alignment control time of the lithography machine and improves alignment efficiency. Through parallel processing, the lithography machine can fully utilize its hardware resources, achieving higher workloads and throughput.

[0036] Exemplarily, S120 may include: based on the first task list and the second task list, synchronously controlling the concurrent execution of the mask loading task corresponding to the mask stage and the silicon wafer loading task corresponding to the silicon wafer stage; performing real-time detection on the completion status of the mask loading task and the completion status of the silicon wafer loading task, and generating the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task and the execution results of the mask loading task.

[0037] The execution result may refer to the completion status of the task, for example, the execution result may be a task completion result or a task failure result.

[0038] Specifically, in response to an alignment request from a lithography machine, the first task list and the second task list are analyzed to determine the initial task corresponding to the first task list, namely, the silicon wafer loading task, and the initial task corresponding to the second task list, namely, the photomask loading task. The photomask loading task corresponding to the photomask stage and the silicon wafer loading task corresponding to the silicon wafer stage are controlled to be executed simultaneously, and the completion status of the photomask loading task and the silicon wafer loading task are detected in real time to generate the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task and the execution results of the photomask loading task. By executing the silicon wafer loading task and the photomask loading task in parallel, the alignment efficiency can be significantly improved. Since the two tasks are carried out simultaneously, the waiting time of equipment or personnel can be reduced, and resource utilization can be improved.

[0039] S130. Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks, the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task and the execution results of the mask loading task, determine the mask alignment task in the second task list and execute the mask alignment task.

[0040] The "result of a lithography machine task execution" may refer to the final state or result of the lithography machine after completing a specific task. A lithography machine task may refer to a series of specific operations or steps that the lithography machine needs to perform during alignment control. An "association" may refer to the logical or physical connections between various tasks in the lithography machine's operation. These associations may include the order, dependencies, and synchronization requirements between tasks. A reticle alignment task may refer to the process of aligning a reticle (also known as a mask) with a target area on a silicon wafer.

[0041] Specifically, after the silicon wafer loading task and the mask loading task are completed, the lithography machine will determine the mask alignment task in the second task list based on the pre-established association between the lithography machine task execution results and the lithography machine tasks, as well as the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task and the execution results of the mask loading task. Once the mask alignment task is determined, the lithography machine will immediately execute the task to ensure that the pattern on the mask can be accurately positioned within the working area of ​​the lithography machine. Determining the order of task execution through association can ensure that there will be no task conflicts or omissions during the execution of the lithography machine. The accurate execution of the mask alignment task is the basis for the subsequent silicon wafer alignment task and is also a key step in ensuring the quality of lithography.

[0042] S140. Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks and the execution results of the mask alignment tasks, determine the silicon wafer alignment tasks in the first task list, and execute the silicon wafer alignment tasks to align the pattern on the mask with the pattern on the silicon wafer.

[0043] The silicon wafer alignment task may refer to an operation of aligning a target area on a silicon wafer with a photomask (or mask) on a photolithography machine.

[0044] Specifically, after the reticle alignment task is completed, the lithography machine again determines the wafer alignment task in the first task list based on the pre-established association between the lithography machine task execution results and the execution results of the reticle alignment task. The goal of the wafer alignment task is to ensure that the pattern on the silicon wafer is aligned with the pattern on the reticle, thereby meeting the requirements of the lithography process. The accurate execution of the wafer alignment task is a critical step in the lithography process, directly affecting the accuracy and reliability of the lithography results. By determining the execution order of the wafer alignment tasks through associations, the lithography machine can ensure that the tasks are completed efficiently during execution while reducing errors and waste.

[0045] Exemplarily, S140 may include: based on the pre-established correlation relationship between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task, performing correlation analysis on the execution result of the mask alignment task, and determining the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask alignment task; based on the pre-established correlation relationship between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task, judging whether the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask alignment task is a synchronous task of the mask alignment task; if the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask alignment task is a silicon wafer alignment task, determining the silicon wafer alignment task as a synchronous task of the mask alignment task, and executing the silicon wafer alignment task.

[0046] Associated tasks refer to other tasks that are directly or indirectly related to a specific task (such as reticle alignment) during the execution of a lithography task. Synchronous tasks refer to other tasks that need to be executed simultaneously or closely coordinated with a specific task (such as reticle alignment) during the execution of a lithography task.

[0047] Specifically, based on the pre-established association between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks, an association analysis is performed on the execution results of the reticle alignment task. Through the association analysis, the associated tasks corresponding to the execution results of the reticle alignment task are determined. These associated tasks may be other lithography machine tasks related to the reticle alignment task, including wafer alignment tasks, etc. Based on the pre-established association between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks, it is determined whether the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the reticle alignment task is a wafer alignment task, and whether the wafer alignment task is a synchronous task of the reticle alignment task. This generally involves determining conditions such as the execution order and execution time of the tasks. If the associated task is a wafer alignment task and meets the conditions for a synchronous task (such as adjacent execution order and similar execution time), the wafer alignment task is determined to be a synchronous task of the reticle alignment task, and the wafer alignment task is executed. Through the association analysis, the associated tasks corresponding to the execution results of the reticle alignment task can be accurately determined, avoiding human judgment errors and improving work efficiency.

[0048] It should be noted that before performing wafer alignment, the wafer on the wafer stage can be leveled and focused to improve wafer alignment accuracy. This typically involves adjusting the position and angle of the wafer to ensure its surface remains parallel to the lithography machine's exposure system. After wafer alignment, alignment corrections can be performed between the target area on the wafer stage and the wafer alignment sensor to ensure precise alignment between the wafer and the reticle, minimizing alignment errors.

[0049] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention can ensure that the silicon wafer stage and the mask stage can accurately and stably complete their tasks during the lithography process by respectively initializing the task list corresponding to the silicon wafer stage of the lithography machine and the task list corresponding to the mask stage of the lithography machine, and determining the first task list to be executed by the silicon wafer stage and the second task list to be executed by the mask stage. The parallel execution of the silicon wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list can improve resource utilization and significantly shorten the preparation time of the lithography machine. Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks, the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task and the execution results of the mask loading task, the mask alignment task in the second task list is determined, and the mask alignment task is executed, thereby flexibly realizing the synchronous control of the coordinated and cooperative tasks with the execution results, and improving the alignment efficiency. Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of lithography machine tasks and lithography machine tasks, and the execution results of the mask alignment tasks, the silicon wafer alignment tasks in the first task list are determined and executed to align the pattern on the mask with the pattern on the silicon wafer. This allows the execution results to drive the execution of the tasks without affecting other task processes, thereby improving the efficiency of lithography machine alignment. By initializing the first task list and the second task list corresponding to the task pools of the silicon wafer stage and the mask stage, respectively, and executing the mask loading task and the silicon wafer loading task in parallel, the preparation time of the lithography machine can be significantly shortened, thereby improving alignment efficiency. The execution of subsequent tasks is further driven by the task execution results, ensuring that the mask and silicon wafer can be accurately aligned during the lithography process, improving resource utilization and business scalability, and realizing automatic control of lithography machine alignment, thereby reducing labor costs and improving the accuracy and efficiency of lithography machine alignment.

[0050] Example 2

[0051] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a lithography machine alignment control method provided in Example 2 of the present invention. Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment optimizes the step of "determining the reticle alignment task in the second task list, and executing the reticle alignment task, based on the pre-established association between lithography machine task execution results and lithography machine tasks, the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task, and the execution results of the reticle loading task." Explanations of terms that are identical or corresponding to those in the above embodiments are not repeated here.

[0052] See also Figure 2 Another photolithography machine alignment control method provided in this embodiment specifically includes the following steps:

[0053] S210, respectively initialize the task list corresponding to the wafer stage of the lithography machine and the task list corresponding to the mask stage of the lithography machine, and determine a first task list to be executed by the wafer stage and a second task list to be executed by the mask stage.

[0054] S220 , executing the wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list in parallel.

[0055] S230. Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task and the execution result of the mask printing task, perform correlation analysis on the execution result of the mask printing task to determine the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask printing task.

[0056] Specifically, after the execution of the mask plate loading task is completed, the lithography machine reads the execution result of the task. Then, the lithography machine performs a correlation analysis on the execution result of the mask plate loading task based on the pre-established correlation relationship between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task. The main purpose of the correlation analysis is to determine whether the execution result of the mask plate loading task meets the prerequisites of the subsequent tasks (such as the mask plate alignment task) and to find the subsequent tasks associated with the mask plate loading task. Through the correlation analysis, the lithography machine can ensure that before executing the subsequent tasks, the preceding tasks (such as the mask plate loading task) have been successfully completed and meet the requirements of the subsequent tasks. This helps to avoid conflicts and omissions between tasks and improve the overall work efficiency and accuracy of the lithography machine.

[0057] S240. Based on the pre-established association between the lithography machine task execution result and the lithography machine task, determine whether the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask plate loading task is a synchronous task of the mask plate loading task, and generate a synchronous task judgment result.

[0058] Specifically, after determining the subsequent tasks associated with the mask loading task, the lithography machine will determine whether these associated tasks are synchronous tasks of the mask loading task based on the pre-established association relationship. Synchronous tasks generally refer to tasks that need to be performed in a strict sequence in physical space or logic to ensure the consistency and accuracy of the overall workflow of the lithography machine. If the associated task is a synchronous task, the lithography machine will generate a synchronous task judgment result to guide the execution of subsequent tasks. By determining whether the associated task is a synchronous task, the lithography machine can ensure that all related predecessor tasks have been successfully completed before executing the mask alignment task. This helps maintain the consistency and accuracy of the lithography machine's workflow and avoid time conflicts and logical errors between tasks.

[0059] Exemplarily, S240 may include: based on the pre-established association relationship between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task, if the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask plate loading task is the mask plate alignment task, then determining the mask plate alignment task as a synchronous task of the mask plate loading task.

[0060] Specifically, based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks, the execution results of the mask plate loading task are correlated with other tasks for analysis. This usually involves sorting out and confirming the relationships between tasks, such as the execution order, execution conditions, and data dependencies. On the basis of the correlation analysis, it is determined whether the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask plate loading task is the mask plate alignment task. If it is confirmed that the associated task is the mask plate alignment task, and based on the pre-defined synchronization task conditions (such as adjacent execution order, similar execution time, data dependency, etc.), the mask plate alignment task is determined to be a synchronization task of the mask plate loading task. By accurately judging the synchronization tasks, waiting and conflicts between tasks can be avoided, and the overall production efficiency of the lithography process can be improved.

[0061] For example, after the mask loading task corresponding to the mask stage is completed, a task execution result of "loading completed" will be generated. After the event listener receives this event, it finds the associated task through the pre-established association between the lithography machine task execution result and the lithography machine task, and determines whether the associated task "mask alignment task" is a synchronous task. The mask alignment is coaxial alignment, which is a synchronous task.

[0062] It should be noted that after the silicon wafer loading task corresponding to the silicon wafer stage is completed, a task execution result of "loading completed" will be generated. After the event listener receives this event, it will find the associated task through the pre-established association between the lithography machine task execution result and the lithography machine task, and determine whether the associated task is a synchronous task. If it is asynchronous at this time, the task will be executed asynchronously directly without blocking the thread, thereby improving resource utilization.

[0063] S250 , based on the synchronization task judgment result and the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, determining the mask alignment task in the second task list, and executing the mask alignment task.

[0064] Specifically, after determining whether the associated task is a synchronous task, the lithography machine will combine the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task to finally determine the mask alignment task in the second task list. If the silicon wafer loading task and all related predecessor tasks have been successfully completed, the lithography machine will immediately execute the mask alignment task. The goal of the mask alignment task is to ensure that the pattern on the mask can be accurately positioned within the working area of ​​the lithography machine, preparing for the subsequent silicon wafer alignment task. By combining the judgment results of the synchronous task and the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task to determine the mask alignment task, the lithography machine can ensure that all related predecessor tasks have been successfully completed before executing the alignment task. This helps to improve the alignment accuracy and stability of the lithography machine and ensure the accuracy and reliability of the lithography results. At the same time, this also provides a good foundation and guarantee for the subsequent silicon wafer alignment task.

[0065] Exemplarily, S250 may include: if the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task is the loading completion result and the synchronization task judgment result is that the execution result of the mask loading task corresponds to the associated task which is the synchronization task of the mask loading task, then determine the mask alignment task in the second task list and execute the mask alignment task.

[0066] Specifically, a determination is made as to whether the execution result of the wafer loading task is "wafer loading completed." Simultaneously, a determination is made as to whether the synchronization task judgment result is true, i.e., whether the mask alignment task is a synchronization task of the mask loading task. If the execution result of the wafer loading task is "wafer loading completed" and the synchronization task judgment result is true, the mask alignment task in the second task list is determined. This generally indicates that all preconditions have been met, and the mask alignment task can begin. By ensuring the sequential and coordinated nature of the wafer loading and mask alignment tasks, unnecessary waiting and conflicts can be avoided, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0067] Exemplarily, the photomask alignment task includes: a first photomask alignment task and a second photomask alignment task, wherein the alignment accuracy of the first photomask alignment task is greater than the alignment accuracy of the second photomask alignment task; before executing the first photomask alignment task, it also includes: leveling and focusing the target area on the silicon wafer stage.

[0068] The first reticle alignment task may refer to a fine reticle alignment task, which is the process of further adjusting the positional relationship between the reticle and the silicon wafer using the fine alignment system of the lithography machine based on the coarse alignment. The second reticle alignment task may refer to a coarse reticle alignment task, which is the process of performing preliminary alignment between the reticle and the silicon wafer using the coarse alignment system of the lithography machine during the lithography process. The target area may refer to a specific area on the silicon wafer stage where the lithography operation is to be performed.

[0069] Specifically, before performing the task of fine alignment of the photomask, the target area on the silicon wafer stage needs to be leveled and focused. This usually involves using an optical tool to observe the target area on the silicon wafer stage to ensure that its surface is flat and not tilted. By adjusting the focal length, the optical tool's imaging is clear and accurate, and the details of the target area can be captured, thereby improving the precision of the fine alignment of the photomask. It should be noted that before performing the task of fine alignment of the photomask, the reference unit on the silicon wafer stage needs to be leveled and focused. By leveling and focusing the reference unit, the accuracy of the photomask alignment can be improved.

[0070] S260. Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks and the execution results of the mask alignment tasks, determine the silicon wafer alignment tasks in the first task list, and execute the silicon wafer alignment tasks to align the pattern on the mask with the pattern on the silicon wafer.

[0071] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention is to perform correlation analysis on the execution result of the mask-on-plate task based on the pre-established correlation relationship between the execution result of the lithography task and the lithography task and the execution result of the mask-on-plate task, and determine the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask-on-plate task, which helps to avoid conflicts and omissions between tasks and improve the overall work efficiency and accuracy of the lithography machine alignment. Based on the pre-established correlation relationship between the execution result of the lithography task and the lithography task, it is judged whether the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask-on-plate task is a synchronous task of the mask-on-plate task, and a synchronous task judgment result is generated, which helps to maintain the consistency and accuracy of the lithography machine workflow and avoid time conflicts and logical errors between tasks. Based on the synchronous task judgment result and the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, the mask alignment task in the second task list is determined, and the mask alignment task is executed, which can ensure that before executing the mask alignment task, all related pre-tasks have been successfully completed, thereby improving the alignment accuracy and stability of the lithography machine. Determining and executing the mask alignment task through pre-established associations and task execution results can not only improve the overall work efficiency and accuracy of the lithography machine, but also ensure the consistency and stability of the lithography machine alignment process.

[0072] Example 3

[0073] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a photolithography machine alignment control device provided by the third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the apparatus includes: an initialization module 310 , a parallel execution module 320 , a first alignment module 330 and a second alignment module 340 .

[0074] The initialization module 310 is configured to respectively initialize the task list corresponding to the wafer stage of the lithography machine and the task list corresponding to the mask stage of the lithography machine, and determine a first task list to be executed by the wafer stage and a second task list to be executed by the mask stage;

[0075] A parallel execution module 320 is configured to execute in parallel the wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list;

[0076] A first alignment module 330 is configured to determine a reticle alignment task in the second task list based on a pre-established association between lithography machine task execution results and lithography machine tasks, an execution result of the wafer loading task, and an execution result of the reticle loading task, and execute the reticle alignment task;

[0077] The second alignment module 340 is used to determine the silicon wafer alignment task in the first task list based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks and the execution results of the mask alignment tasks, and execute the silicon wafer alignment tasks to align the pattern on the mask with the pattern on the silicon wafer.

[0078] The technical solution of this embodiment is to initialize the tasks corresponding to the task list of the silicon wafer stage of the lithography machine and the task list corresponding to the mask stage of the lithography machine respectively, determine the first task list to be executed by the silicon wafer stage and the second task list to be executed by the mask stage, so as to ensure that the silicon wafer stage and the mask stage can accurately and stably complete their tasks during the lithography process. The parallel execution of the silicon wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list can improve resource utilization and significantly shorten the preparation time of the lithography machine. Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks, the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task and the execution results of the mask loading task, the mask alignment task in the second task list is determined and the mask alignment task is executed, thereby flexibly realizing the synchronous control of the coordinated and cooperative tasks based on the execution results and improving the alignment efficiency. Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks and the execution results of the photomask alignment tasks, the silicon wafer alignment tasks in the first task list are determined and executed to align the pattern on the photomask with the pattern on the silicon wafer, thereby achieving the execution of the tasks driven by the execution results without affecting other task processes and improving the alignment efficiency of the lithography machine. By respectively initializing the task pools corresponding to the silicon wafer stage and the photomask stage to obtain the first task list and the second task list, and executing the photomask loading task and the silicon wafer loading task in parallel, the preparation time of the lithography machine can be significantly shortened, thereby improving the alignment efficiency. The execution of subsequent tasks is further driven according to the task execution results, which can ensure that the photomask and silicon wafer can be accurately aligned during the lithography process, improve resource utilization and business scalability, and realize automatic control of the lithography machine alignment, thereby reducing labor costs and improving the accuracy and efficiency of the lithography machine alignment.

[0079] Optionally, the parallel execution module 320 is specifically used to: synchronously control the concurrent execution of the mask loading task corresponding to the mask stage and the silicon wafer loading task corresponding to the silicon wafer stage based on the first task list and the second task list; perform real-time detection on the completion status of the mask loading task and the completion status of the silicon wafer loading task, and generate the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task and the execution results of the mask loading task.

[0080] Optionally, the first alignment module 330 includes:

[0081] A correlation analysis unit is used to perform correlation analysis on the execution result of the mask loading task based on the pre-established correlation relationship between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task and the execution result of the mask loading task, and determine the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask loading task;

[0082] a synchronization task judgment unit, configured to judge, based on the pre-established association relationship between the lithography machine task execution result and the lithography machine task, whether the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask plate loading task is a synchronization task of the mask plate loading task, and generate a synchronization task judgment result;

[0083] An alignment execution unit is used to determine the mask alignment task in the second task list based on the synchronization task judgment result and the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, and execute the mask alignment task.

[0084] Optionally, the synchronization task judgment unit is specifically used to: based on the pre-established association relationship between the lithography machine task execution result and the lithography machine task, if the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask plate loading task is the mask plate alignment task, then determine that the mask plate alignment task is a synchronization task of the mask plate loading task.

[0085] Optionally, the alignment execution unit is specifically used to: if the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task is the loading completion result and the synchronization task judgment result is that the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask loading task is the synchronization task of the mask loading task, then determine the mask alignment task in the second task list and execute the mask alignment task.

[0086] Optionally, the second alignment module 340 is specifically used to: perform correlation analysis on the execution result of the mask alignment task based on the pre-established correlation relationship between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task, and determine the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask alignment task; based on the pre-established correlation relationship between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task, determine whether the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask alignment task is a synchronous task of the mask alignment task; if the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask alignment task is a silicon wafer alignment task, determine that the silicon wafer alignment task is a synchronous task of the mask alignment task, and execute the silicon wafer alignment task.

[0087] Optionally, the photomask alignment task includes: a first photomask alignment task and a second photomask alignment task, wherein the alignment accuracy of the first photomask alignment task is greater than the alignment accuracy of the second photomask alignment task; the above-mentioned device also includes: a leveling and focusing module, which is specifically used to: level and focus the target area on the silicon wafer stage before executing the first photomask alignment task.

[0088] The lithography machine alignment control device provided in the embodiment of the present invention can execute the lithography machine alignment control method provided in any embodiment of the present invention, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of the execution method.

[0089] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device 12 that can be used to implement an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as desktop computers, workstations, servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants, smart phones, wearable devices (such as helmets, glasses, watches, etc.) and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are only examples and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention described and / or claimed herein.

[0090] like Figure 4 As shown, electronic device 12 is implemented as a general-purpose computing device. Components of electronic device 12 may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or processing units 16, system memory 28, and a bus 18 that connects various system components (including system memory 28 and processing unit 16).

[0091] Bus 18 represents one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processor, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. Examples of these architectures include, but are not limited to, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MAC) bus, an Enhanced ISA bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

[0092] The electronic device 12 typically includes a variety of computer system readable media. These media can be any available media that can be accessed by the electronic device 12, including volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

[0093] The system memory 28 may include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 30 and / or cache memory 32. The electronic device 12 may further include other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer system storage media. By way of example only, the storage system 34 may be configured to read and write non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media ( Figure 4 Not shown, often called a "hard drive"). Although Figure 4Not shown, a magnetic disk drive for reading and writing to a removable non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a "floppy disk"), and an optical disk drive for reading and writing to a removable non-volatile optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical media) may be provided. In these cases, each drive may be connected to bus 18 via one or more data media interfaces. System memory 28 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules configured to perform the functions of various embodiments of the present invention.

[0094] A program / utility 40 having a set (at least one) of program modules 42 may be stored, for example, in system memory 28. Such program modules 42 include, but are not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each of which, or some combination thereof, may include an implementation of a network environment. Program modules 42 generally perform the functions and / or methods of the embodiments described herein.

[0095] The electronic device 12 can also communicate with one or more external devices 14 (e.g., a keyboard, pointing device, display 24, etc.), one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the electronic device 12, and / or any device that enables the electronic device 12 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., a network card, a modem, etc.). Such communication can occur via an input / output (I / O) interface 22. Furthermore, the electronic device 12 can communicate with one or more networks (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or a public network such as the Internet) via a network adapter 20. As shown, the network adapter 20 communicates with other modules of the electronic device 12 via a bus 18. It should be understood that, although not shown, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with the electronic device 12, including but not limited to microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0096] The processing unit 16 executes various functional applications and data processing by running programs stored in the system memory 28, such as implementing a lithography machine alignment control method provided by an embodiment of the present invention, which includes:

[0097] Initializing tasks for a task list corresponding to a wafer stage of a lithography machine and a task list corresponding to a mask stage of the lithography machine, respectively, to determine a first task list to be executed by the wafer stage and a second task list to be executed by the mask stage;

[0098] Parallel execution of the wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list;

[0099] Determining a mask alignment task in the second task list based on a pre-established association between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task, the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, and the execution result of the mask loading task, and executing the mask alignment task;

[0100] Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks and the execution results of the photomask alignment task, the silicon wafer alignment task in the first task list is determined, and the silicon wafer alignment task is executed to align the pattern on the photomask with the pattern on the silicon wafer.

[0101] Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that the processor can also implement the technical solution of the lithography machine alignment control method provided by any embodiment of the present invention.

[0102] This embodiment provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the lithography machine alignment control method provided in any embodiment of the present invention are implemented. The method includes:

[0103] Initializing tasks for a task list corresponding to a wafer stage of a lithography machine and a task list corresponding to a mask stage of the lithography machine, respectively, to determine a first task list to be executed by the wafer stage and a second task list to be executed by the mask stage;

[0104] Parallel execution of the wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list;

[0105] Determining a mask alignment task in the second task list based on a pre-established association between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task, the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, and the execution result of the mask loading task, and executing the mask alignment task;

[0106] Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks and the execution results of the photomask alignment task, the silicon wafer alignment task in the first task list is determined, and the silicon wafer alignment task is executed to align the pattern on the photomask with the pattern on the silicon wafer.

[0107] The computer storage medium of the embodiment of the present invention can adopt any combination of one or more computer-readable media. The computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to: an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or component, or any combination of the above. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In this document, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, device or device.

[0108] A computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, which carries computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium that can transmit, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0109] Program code embodied on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0110] Computer program code for performing the operations of the present invention can be written in one or more programming languages, or a combination thereof, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving a remote computer, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0111] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modules or steps of the present invention described above can be implemented using a general-purpose computing device. They can be centralized on a single computing device or distributed across a network of multiple computing devices. Alternatively, they can be implemented using program code executable by a computer device, which can then be stored in a storage device and executed by the computing device. Alternatively, they can be fabricated into separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated into a single integrated circuit module. Thus, the present invention is not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

[0112] Note that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and that various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and may include many other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling alignment of a lithography machine, characterized in that: include: Initializing tasks for a task list corresponding to a wafer stage of a lithography machine and a task list corresponding to a mask stage of the lithography machine, respectively, to determine a first task list to be executed by the wafer stage and a second task list to be executed by the mask stage; Parallel execution of the wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list; Determining a mask alignment task in the second task list based on a pre-established association between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task, the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, and the execution result of the mask loading task, and executing the mask alignment task; Based on the pre-established correlation between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks and the execution results of the photomask alignment task, the silicon wafer alignment task in the first task list is determined, and the silicon wafer alignment task is executed to align the pattern on the photomask with the pattern on the silicon wafer.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The parallel execution of the wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list includes: Synchronously controlling the concurrent execution of the mask loading task corresponding to the mask stage and the wafer loading task corresponding to the wafer stage based on the first task list and the second task list; The completion status of the photomask loading task and the completion status of the silicon wafer loading task are detected in real time, and the execution results of the silicon wafer loading task and the execution results of the photomask loading task are generated.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining of the mask alignment task in the second task list based on the pre-established association between the lithography machine task execution result and the lithography machine task, the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, and the execution result of the mask loading task, and executing the mask alignment task, includes: Based on the pre-established correlation relationship between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task and the execution result of the mask loading task, performing a correlation analysis on the execution result of the mask loading task to determine the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask loading task; Based on the pre-established association relationship between the lithography machine task execution result and the lithography machine task, determining whether the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask plate loading task is a synchronous task of the mask plate loading task, and generating a synchronous task judgment result; Based on the synchronization task judgment result and the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, the mask alignment task in the second task list is determined, and the mask alignment task is executed.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The determining, based on the pre-established association relationship between the lithography machine task execution result and the lithography machine task, whether the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask plate loading task is a synchronous task of the mask plate loading task includes: Based on the pre-established association between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task, if the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask plate loading task is the mask plate alignment task, then the mask plate alignment task is determined to be a synchronous task of the mask plate loading task.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The determining, based on the synchronization task judgment result and the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, the mask alignment task in the second task list and executing the mask alignment task, includes: If the execution result of the silicon wafer loading task is the loading completion result and the synchronization task judgment result is that the execution result of the mask loading task corresponds to the associated task which is the synchronization task of the mask loading task, then the mask alignment task in the second task list is determined and the mask alignment task is executed.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining, based on the pre-established association between the lithography machine task execution result and the lithography machine task and the execution result of the mask alignment task, the wafer alignment task in the first task list, and executing the wafer alignment task, includes: Based on the pre-established correlation relationship between the execution result of the lithography machine task and the lithography machine task, performing correlation analysis on the execution result of the reticle alignment task to determine the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the reticle alignment task; Based on the pre-established association relationship between the lithography machine task execution result and the lithography machine task, determining whether the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the reticle alignment task is a synchronous task of the reticle alignment task; If the associated task corresponding to the execution result of the mask alignment task is a wafer alignment task, the wafer alignment task is determined to be a synchronous task of the mask alignment task, and the wafer alignment task is executed.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The photomask alignment task includes: a first photomask alignment task and a second photomask alignment task, wherein the alignment accuracy of the first photomask alignment task is greater than the alignment accuracy of the second photomask alignment task; Before executing the first mask alignment task, the method further includes: Level and focus the target area on the wafer stage.

8. A photolithography machine alignment control device, characterized in that: include: an initialization module, configured to respectively initialize the task list corresponding to the wafer stage of the lithography machine and the task list corresponding to the mask stage of the lithography machine, and determine a first task list to be executed by the wafer stage and a second task list to be executed by the mask stage; A parallel execution module, configured to execute in parallel the wafer loading task in the first task list and the mask loading task in the second task list; A first alignment module is configured to determine, based on a pre-established association between lithography machine task execution results and lithography machine tasks, an execution result of the silicon wafer loading task, and an execution result of the mask loading task, a reticle alignment task in the second task list, and execute the reticle alignment task; The second alignment module is used to determine the silicon wafer alignment task in the first task list based on the pre-established association between the execution results of the lithography machine tasks and the lithography machine tasks and the execution results of the mask alignment tasks, and execute the silicon wafer alignment tasks to align the pattern on the mask with the pattern on the silicon wafer.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein, The memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the at least one processor, and the computer program is executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to execute the lithography machine alignment control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions are used to enable a processor to implement the lithography machine alignment control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 when executed.

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