Alignment device and method of semiconductor production equipment, and semiconductor production equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an alignment device and method of semiconductor production equipment and the semiconductor production equipment. The alignment device comprises a mounting plate and an alignment module, the alignment module comprises a plurality of lens assemblies, at least part of the lens assemblies comprise driving mechanisms and lens units, the driving mechanisms are arranged on the mounting plate, connected with the lens units and capable of driving the lens units to move in the first direction and / or the second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The alignment device is applied to the semiconductor production equipment and can perform an alignment method on a substrate carried on a workpiece table of the semiconductor production equipment. When the alignment method is executed, the multiple lens assemblies of the alignment module are utilized to execute alignment operation on the multiple alignment marks on the same exposure area at the same time, so that the movement stroke and the movement time of each lens unit are short, in addition, the alignment time can be shortened by controlling at least part of the lens units to move at the same time, and the alignment efficiency is improved; and the productivity of semiconductor production equipment is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of semiconductor production equipment, and in particular relates to an alignment device and method for semiconductor production equipment, and semiconductor production equipment. Background Art

[0002] The substrate alignment subsystem is one of the key subsystems of the substrate exposure equipment. It mainly provides the pixel coordinate positions of the substrate marks and reference marks in the imaging field of view for the realization of precise exposure function, and converts the coordinates of the substrate marks and reference marks into the coordinate system of the whole machine through the object-image conversion relationship, so that the upper-level components can solve the position information of each alignment mark on the substrate in the coordinate system of the whole machine according to the substrate alignment model, and then establish the relative position relationship between the mask coordinates, the workpiece stage coordinates, and the substrate coordinates to achieve a certain overlay accuracy requirement.

[0003] The substrate alignment operation in the prior art is completed by the movement of the workpiece stage that carries the substrate. Specifically, the exposure device has an alignment lens that remains relatively still with the housing of the entire device. When performing the alignment operation on the substrate, the workpiece stage is used to carry the substrate, and the substrate mark on the substrate is made to correspond one by one with the reference mark on the workpiece stage. Then, the movement of the workpiece stage is controlled so that each substrate mark on the substrate is successively located under the alignment lens, thereby obtaining the pixel coordinate position of each substrate mark in the imaging field of view, and then a series of photoelectric signal conversions are performed to obtain the physical coordinates of each alignment mark under the entire device.

[0004] However, the size of the materials produced by the substrate exposure equipment is relatively large, such as 404mm×515mm, 510mm×515mm, 600mm×600mm, etc. In actual operation, the substrate is divided into multiple exposure areas, and multiple alignment marks are set on each exposure area. The distance between the multiple alignment marks is relatively far. This results in that when the workpiece stage moves so that each alignment mark arrives directly under the alignment lens in turn to complete the alignment operation of each alignment mark of the substrate, the movement distance and movement time of the workpiece stage are long, and the alignment efficiency is low. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an alignment device and method for semiconductor production equipment, and semiconductor production equipment, aiming to improve the efficiency of substrate alignment operation, thereby improving the productivity of semiconductor production equipment.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an alignment device for semiconductor production equipment, comprising:

[0007] Mounting plate; and,

[0008] At least one alignment module; the alignment module includes a plurality of lens assemblies; at least part of the lens assemblies includes a driving mechanism and a lens unit; the driving mechanism is arranged on the mounting plate and connected to the lens unit, and is configured to drive the lens unit to move along a first direction and / or a second direction to perform an alignment operation on an alignment mark on a substrate; the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0009] Optionally, the driving mechanism is further configured to drive the lens unit to move along a third direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

[0010] Optionally, the first direction and the second direction are horizontal directions, and the third direction is a vertical direction.

[0011] Optionally, when the driving mechanism is configured to be capable of driving the lens unit to move along the first direction or the second direction, and to drive the lens unit to move along the third direction, the driving mechanism includes a first sub-driving mechanism and a third sub-driving mechanism; the first sub-driving mechanism and the third sub-driving mechanism each include a driving portion, a guide rail, and a slider, the slider being movably disposed on the guide rail and connected to the driving portion so as to be capable of moving along the extension direction of the guide rail under the drive of the driving portion;

[0012] The guide rail of the first sub-driving mechanism is arranged on the mounting plate and extends along the first direction or the second direction; the guide rail of the third sub-driving mechanism is connected to the slider of the first sub-driving mechanism and extends along the third direction;

[0013] The lens unit is connected to the slider of the third sub-driving mechanism.

[0014] Optionally, when the driving mechanism is configured to be able to drive the lens unit to move along the first direction, the second direction and the third direction, the driving mechanism includes a first sub-driving mechanism, a second sub-driving mechanism and a third sub-driving mechanism; the first sub-driving mechanism, the second sub-driving mechanism and the third sub-driving mechanism each include a driving portion, a guide rail and a slider, the slider is movably disposed on the guide rail and connected to the driving portion so as to be able to move along the extension direction of the guide rail under the drive of the driving portion;

[0015] The guide rail of the first sub-driving mechanism is arranged on the mounting plate and extends along the first direction; the guide rail of the second sub-driving mechanism is connected to the slider of the first sub-driving mechanism and extends along the second direction; the guide rail of the third sub-driving mechanism is connected to the slider of the second sub-driving mechanism and extends along the third direction;

[0016] The lens unit is connected to the slider of the third sub-driving mechanism.

[0017] Optionally, the guide rail is any one of a mechanical guide rail, an air-floating guide rail, and a magnetic levitation guide rail.

[0018] Optionally, when at least one of the guide rails is the mechanical guide rail, the lens assembly further includes a brake, and the brake is configured to brake the slider disposed on the mechanical guide rail.

[0019] Optionally, the brake is a clamp.

[0020] Optionally, the lens assembly further comprises a position detection element, and the position detection element is configured to detect position information of the corresponding lens unit.

[0021] Optionally, the lens assembly further includes a limit sensor, and the limit sensor is configured to detect whether the position of the corresponding lens unit in the first direction and / or the second direction is within an allowable range.

[0022] Optionally, the alignment device includes one alignment module, or the alignment device includes a plurality of alignment modules, and the plurality of alignment modules are arranged along the first direction or the second direction, or distributed in an array.

[0023] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention further provides a semiconductor production equipment, comprising an alignment device for the semiconductor production equipment as described in any of the preceding items.

[0024] To achieve the above object, the present invention further provides an alignment method, which is performed based on the alignment device of the semiconductor production equipment as described in any of the preceding items, and is used to perform an alignment operation on a substrate carried on a workpiece table, wherein the substrate includes at least one exposure area, and a plurality of alignment marks are arranged on the exposure area, and the alignment module is arranged on the lower surface of the mounting plate, and the alignment method comprises:

[0025] Controlling the workpiece stage to move until the substrate is at least partially located below the mounting plate, and each alignment module is located above one of the exposure areas; and,

[0026] The driving mechanism that controls at least one of the lens assemblies of the alignment module drives the corresponding lens unit to move along the first direction and / or the second direction to perform an alignment operation on each of the alignment marks on the exposure area currently located below the alignment module.

[0027] Optionally, the number of the exposure areas is greater than the number of the alignment modules, and the alignment method further comprises:

[0028] Control the movement of the workpiece stage and / or the alignment module so that the alignment module switches from above the exposure area where the alignment operation has been completed to above the exposure area where the alignment operation has not yet been performed, and perform the alignment operation on each alignment mark on the exposure area currently located under the alignment module.

[0029] Optionally, the step of controlling the driving mechanism of at least one lens assembly of the alignment module to drive the corresponding lens unit to move along the first direction and / or the second direction to perform an alignment operation on each alignment mark on the exposure area currently located under the alignment module includes:

[0030] At the same time, the driving mechanism of at least part of the lens assembly is controlled to drive the corresponding lens unit to move along the first direction and / or the second direction.

[0031] Optionally, the step of controlling the driving mechanism of at least one lens assembly of the alignment module to drive the corresponding lens unit to move along the first direction and / or the second direction to perform an alignment operation on each alignment mark on the exposure area currently located under the alignment module includes:

[0032] First, one of the multiple lens assemblies of the alignment module is used as a target lens assembly, and the lens unit of the target lens assembly is controlled to move relative to the workpiece stage so that the lens unit of the target lens assembly arrives just above one of the alignment marks on the exposure area currently located below the alignment module;

[0033] Taking the alignment mark located directly below the lens unit of the target lens assembly as a reference alignment mark, and based on the current position of the lens unit of the target lens assembly, the reference alignment mark and the relative position relationship between the remaining alignment marks on the exposure area currently located below the alignment module, a plurality of target positions corresponding to the remaining alignment marks are obtained; and,

[0034] The driving mechanisms of the remaining lens assemblies in the alignment module are controlled based on the plurality of target positions to drive the corresponding lens units to move.

[0035] Optionally, when at least part of the alignment marks on the substrate are not on the same horizontal plane, the driving mechanism of at least part of the lens assembly is controlled to drive the corresponding lens unit to move along a third direction when performing an alignment operation on the alignment marks of at least part of the exposure area, so that the corresponding lens unit is still focused on the substrate when aligned with the alignment marks; the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

[0036] Compared with the prior art, the alignment device and method of the semiconductor production equipment and the semiconductor production equipment of the present invention have the following advantages: the alignment device of the aforementioned semiconductor production equipment includes a mounting plate and an alignment module; the alignment module includes a plurality of lens assemblies, at least some of the lens assemblies include a driving mechanism and a lens unit, the driving mechanism is arranged on the mounting plate and connected to the lens unit, and is configured to be able to drive the lens unit to move along a first direction and / or a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction. The alignment device is applied to a semiconductor production equipment, and can perform an alignment method on a substrate carried on a workpiece stage of the semiconductor production equipment to perform an alignment operation on an alignment mark on the substrate, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of exposure areas, and a plurality of alignment marks are arranged on the exposure areas. In actual application, the alignment module is arranged on the lower surface of the mounting plate, and the alignment method includes controlling the workpiece stage to move to the substrate so that the substrate is partially located below the mounting plate, and each alignment module is located above one of the exposure areas; controlling the driving mechanism of at least one lens assembly of the alignment module to drive the corresponding lens unit to move along the first direction and / or the second direction, so as to perform an alignment operation on each alignment mark on the exposure area currently located below the alignment module. The alignment operation is performed on the plurality of alignment marks on one exposure area by using the plurality of lens assemblies of the alignment module at the same time, so that the movement stroke and movement time of each lens unit are short. In addition, the alignment time can be shortened by controlling at least part of the lens units to move simultaneously, thereby improving the alignment efficiency and thus improving the production capacity of the semiconductor production equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The accompanying drawings are used to better understand the present invention and shall not constitute improper limitations of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a substrate in the prior art.

[0039] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of another substrate in the prior art.

[0040] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of another substrate in the prior art.

[0041] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of another substrate in the prior art.

[0042] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an alignment device for semiconductor production equipment provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. The alignment device in the figure includes an alignment module, and the substrate includes an exposure area.

[0043] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an alignment device for semiconductor production equipment provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. The alignment device in the figure includes two alignment modules, and the substrate includes two exposure areas.

[0044] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an alignment device for semiconductor production equipment provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. The alignment device in the figure includes an alignment module, and the substrate includes four exposure areas.

[0045] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of a lens assembly of an alignment device for semiconductor production equipment provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. The driving mechanism in the figure can drive the lens unit to move along the first direction or the second direction.

[0046] Fig. 9 It is a structural schematic diagram of a lens assembly of an alignment device for semiconductor production equipment provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. The driving mechanism in the figure can drive the lens unit to move along a first direction and a second direction.

[0047] Fig.10 1 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a lens assembly of an alignment device for semiconductor production equipment provided according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the first guide rail in the figure is an air-floating guide rail or a magnetic suspension guide rail;

[0048] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an alignment device for semiconductor production equipment provided according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the substrate in the figure is in a warped state.

[0049] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an alignment device for semiconductor production equipment provided according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the thickness of the exposure area is uneven.

[0050] Fig.13 It is a position fluctuation curve of a lens unit of an alignment device of a semiconductor production equipment provided by an embodiment of the present invention in a first direction when a workpiece stage moves.

[0051] Fig.14It is a position fluctuation curve of a lens unit of an alignment device of a semiconductor production equipment provided by an embodiment of the present invention in the second direction when the workpiece stage moves.

[0052] Fig.15 The present invention is a position fluctuation meter of a lens unit of an alignment device of a semiconductor production equipment provided by an embodiment of the present invention when a workpiece stage moves.

[0053] [The accompanying drawings are marked as follows]: 01-substrate, 011-exposure area, 0101-alignment mark, 1-mounting plate, 2-lens assembly, 21-driving mechanism, 2111-first driving unit, 2112-first guide rail, 2113-first slider, 2121-second driving unit, 2122-second guide rail, 2123-second slider, 2131-third guide rail, 2132-third slider, 22-lens unit, 231-first brake, 232-second brake, 233-third brake. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The following is an explanation of the embodiments of the present invention by specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the present embodiment only illustrate the basic concept of the present invention in a schematic manner, and only the components related to the present invention are shown in the figure instead of being drawn according to the number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. The type, quantity and proportion of each component in the actual implementation can be a random change, and the component layout type may also be more complicated.

[0055] In addition, each embodiment of the following description has one or more technical features, but this does not mean that the user of the present invention must implement all the technical features in any embodiment at the same time, or can only implement part or all of the technical features in different embodiments separately. In other words, under the premise that implementation is possible, those skilled in the art can selectively implement part or all of the technical features in any embodiment according to the disclosure of the present invention and according to the design specifications or implementation requirements, or selectively implement a combination of part or all of the technical features in multiple embodiments, thereby increasing the flexibility of the implementation of the present invention.

[0056] As used in this specification, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" include plural objects, and the plural form "multiple" includes more than two objects, unless the content clearly indicates otherwise. As used in this specification, the term "or" is usually used in the sense of including "and / or", unless the content clearly indicates otherwise, and the terms "install", "connect", and "connect" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. It can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. It can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. Relational terms such as the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations, nor do they indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly indicate the number of technical features indicated. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0057] Figures 1 to 4 Schematic diagrams showing the structures of different substrates 01 in the prior art, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, a plurality of dispersed alignment marks 0101 are provided on the substrate 01. As described in the background technology, the substrate 01 is relatively large, resulting in a relatively long distance between the alignment marks 0101. Therefore, in the production process of the exposure device, when the alignment operation of the alignment marks 0101 on the substrate 01 is completed by moving the workpiece stage in the prior art so that each alignment mark sequentially arrives directly below the fixed alignment lens, there is a problem that the movement stroke of the workpiece stage is long, the movement time is long, and the alignment efficiency is low, which leads to a low production capacity of the exposure device.

[0058] In view of this, the present invention provides an alignment device and method for semiconductor production equipment, and semiconductor production equipment, aiming to improve the alignment efficiency of the substrate by optimizing the structure of the alignment device of the semiconductor production equipment and the process of the alignment method, thereby improving the production capacity of the semiconductor production equipment.

[0059] In order to make the purpose, advantages and features of the present invention more clear, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are all in very simplified form and in non-precise proportions, and are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention. The same or similar reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or similar components.

[0060] Figure 5 and Figure 7A schematic diagram showing different application scenarios of an alignment device for semiconductor production equipment provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing an application scenario of an alignment device for semiconductor production equipment provided by another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the alignment device of the semiconductor production equipment includes a mounting plate 1 and at least one alignment module (not marked in the figure). The alignment module is arranged on the mounting plate 1 and may include a plurality of lens assemblies 2 (such as Figures 8 to 12 At least part of the lens assembly 2 includes a drive mechanism 21 (such as Figure 8 and Fig. 9 ) and a lens unit 22. In the lens assembly 2 including the driving mechanism 21, the driving mechanism 21 is disposed on the mounting plate 1 and connected to the lens unit 22. The driving mechanism 21 is configured to drive the lens unit 22 to move along a first direction and / or a second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The first direction may also be referred to as the X direction and the second direction may be referred to as the Y direction herein.

[0061] The alignment device is applied to semiconductor production equipment, and the semiconductor production equipment also includes a work stage. When working, the work stage carries the substrate 01, and the alignment device is used to perform an alignment method on the substrate 01 carried on the work stage to complete the alignment operation of each alignment mark 0101 on the substrate 01. Since each alignment module includes a plurality of lens assemblies 2, when executing the alignment method, multiple lens assemblies 2 can be used simultaneously to perform alignment operations on different alignment marks 0101, which is conducive to reducing the movement path and movement duration of the lens unit 22 of the lens assembly 2, thereby improving the alignment efficiency of the alignment device and improving the yield of the semiconductor production equipment. The specific operation process of the alignment method will be described in detail later. The semiconductor production equipment includes but is not limited to exposure equipment, and can also be a detection equipment.

[0062] Furthermore, the driving mechanism 21 is further configured to drive the corresponding lens unit 22 to move along a third direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. In actual application, the first direction and the second direction may be horizontal directions, and the third direction is a vertical direction. In this way, when the alignment device is used to perform an alignment operation on the warped substrate 01 (such as Fig.11 ) or performing an alignment operation on the substrate 01 having a non-uniform thickness (such as Fig.12As shown), the corresponding lens unit 22 can be driven to move in the vertical direction by the driving mechanism 21 to focus the lens unit 22, so that the lens unit 22 can be focused on the substrate 01, thereby improving the alignment accuracy.

[0063] In some alignment devices provided by the embodiments of the present invention, each lens assembly 2 includes the driving mechanism 21 and the lens unit 22; in other alignment devices, one lens assembly 2 does not include the driving mechanism 21 but only includes the lens unit 22, and the other lens assemblies 2 all include the driving mechanism 21 and the lens unit 22. It should be understood that in the lens assembly 2 that does not include the driving mechanism 21, the lens unit 22 cannot move relative to the mounting plate 1.

[0064] Next, the structure of the alignment device is further introduced.

[0065] Please refer back to Figures 1 to 4 The substrate 01 includes at least one exposure area 011 , and each exposure area 011 is provided with a plurality of alignment marks 0101 .

[0066] like Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the alignment device may include one or more alignment modules. When the alignment device includes multiple alignment modules, the multiple alignment modules are arranged along the first direction or the second direction, or the multiple alignment modules are distributed in an array. It can be understood that in the case where the substrate 01 includes multiple exposure areas 011, if the alignment device includes one alignment module, the alignment device uses one alignment module to sequentially perform alignment operations on the alignment marks 0101 on the multiple exposure areas 011 on the substrate 01; if the alignment device includes multiple alignment modules, the alignment device can use multiple alignment modules to perform alignment operations on the alignment marks 0101 on the multiple exposure areas 011 of the substrate 01 at one time, thereby further improving the alignment efficiency of the alignment device.

[0067] In the lens assembly 2 including the driving mechanism 21, when the driving mechanism 21 can only drive the lens unit 22 to move along the first direction or the second direction, the structure of the driving mechanism 21 is as follows: Figure 8As shown, it includes a first sub-driving mechanism (not marked in the figure), which includes a first driving part 2111, a first guide rail 2112 and a first slider 2113. The first guide rail 2112 is arranged on the mounting plate 1 and extends along one of the first direction and the second direction. The first slider 2113 is movably arranged on the first guide rail 2112 and is also connected to the first driving part 2111 so as to be able to move along the extension direction of the first guide rail 2112 under the drive of the first driving part 2111. The lens unit 22 is connected to the first slider 2113.

[0068] More specifically, the first slider 2113 may include a first sliding connection portion and a first adapter portion (not marked in the figure), the first sliding connection may be movably arranged on the first guide rail 2112, the first adapter portion is connected to the first sliding connection portion, and the lens unit 22 is connected to the first adapter portion.

[0069] In the lens assembly 2 including the driving mechanism 21, when the driving mechanism is capable of driving the lens unit to move along the first direction or the second direction, and driving the lens unit to move along the third direction, the driving mechanism includes the aforementioned first sub-driving mechanism and the third sub-driving mechanism (shown in the figure). The configuration of the first sub-driving mechanism is as follows: Figure 8 As shown, no further description is given here. The third sub-driving mechanism includes a third driving part, a third guide rail and a third slider. The third guide rail is arranged on the first slider, more specifically, on the first adapter, and the third guide rail extends along the third direction. The third slider is movably arranged on the third guide rail and connected to the third driving part so as to be able to move along the extension direction of the third guide rail under the drive of the third driving part. The lens unit 22 is connected to the third slider.

[0070] The structure of the third slider may be similar to that of the first slider, including a third sliding connection portion and a third transition portion connected to each other. The third sliding connection portion may be movably disposed on the third guide rail, and the lens unit 22 is connected to the third transition portion.

[0071] In the lens assembly 2 including the driving mechanism 21, when the driving mechanism 21 is capable of driving the lens unit 22 to move along the first direction and the second direction, Fig. 9As shown, the driving mechanism 21 includes a second sub-driving mechanism (not marked in the figure) on the basis of including the first sub-driving mechanism. The configuration of the first sub-driving mechanism refers to the above, and the second sub-driving mechanism includes a second driving part 2121, a second guide rail 2122 and a second slider 2123. The second guide rail 2122 is arranged on the first slider 2113, more specifically, on the first adapter, and the second guide rail extends along the other of the first direction and the second direction. The second slider 2123 is movably arranged on the second guide rail 2122 and is connected to the second driving part 2121 so as to be able to move along the extension direction of the second guide rail 2122 under the drive of the second driving part 2121. The lens unit 22 is connected to the second slider 2123.

[0072] The second slider 2123 may be similar in structure to the first slider, including a second sliding connection portion and a second transition portion (not marked in the figure) connected to each other. The second sliding connection portion may be movably disposed on the second guide rail, and the lens unit 22 is connected to the second transition portion.

[0073] In the lens assembly 2 including the driving mechanism 21, when the driving mechanism 21 is capable of driving the lens unit 22 to move along the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction, the driving mechanism 21 includes the first sub-driving mechanism and the second sub-driving mechanism, and further includes a third sub-driving mechanism. The configurations of the first sub-driving mechanism and the second sub-driving mechanism are as follows: Fig. 9 As shown. Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown, the third sub-driving mechanism includes a third driving part (not shown in the figure), a third guide rail 2131, and a third slider 2132. The third guide rail 2131 is arranged on the second slider 2122, more specifically, on the second adapter, and the third guide rail 2131 extends along the third direction. The third slider 2132 is movably arranged on the third guide rail 2131 and connected to the third driving part so as to be able to move along the third guide rail 2131 under the drive of the third driving part. The lens unit 22 is connected to the third slider 2132.

[0074] Of course, the structure of the third slider may be similar to the first slider and the second slider, including a third sliding connection part and a third transition part connected to each other. The third sliding connection part may be movably arranged on the third guide rail, and the lens unit 22 is connected to the third transition part.

[0075] When the driving mechanism 21 is in state maintenance, it is desirable that the lens unit 22 can remain relatively still relative to the mounting platform 1. Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the first guide rail 2112 is a mechanical guide rail, the lens assembly 2 further includes a first brake 231, and the first brake 231 is configured to brake the first slider 2113. It can be understood that when the driving mechanism 21 includes the second sub-driving mechanism and the second guide rail 2122 is a mechanical guide rail, the lens assembly 2 further includes a second brake 232 (such as Fig. 9 ), the second brake 232 is configured to brake the second slider 2123. And, when the driving mechanism 21 includes the third sub-driving mechanism, and the third guide rail 2131 is a mechanical guide rail, the lens assembly 2 further includes a third brake 233 (as shown in FIG. Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown in FIG. 2 , the third brake 233 is configured to brake the third slider 2132. The first brake 231, the second brake 232, and the third brake 233 can all be clamps.

[0076] Of course, in an alternative embodiment, all guide rails (i.e., the first guide rail, the second guide rail, and the third guide rail) may be air-floating guide rails or magnetic suspension guide rails (e.g., Fig.10 As shown, Fig.10 Only the first sub-drive mechanism is shown in the figure), so there is no need to set a brake to brake each slider.

[0077] The solution of mechanical guide rail combined with clamp has better stability. Figures 13 to 15It can be seen that when all guide rails are set as mechanical guide rails and the corresponding sliders are braked by the clamp, during the acceleration and deceleration of the workpiece stage, the maximum fluctuation value of the lens unit 22 in the positive direction of the X direction is 596nm, the maximum fluctuation value in the negative direction is 651nm, and the average fluctuation value is 362nm, and the maximum fluctuation value in the positive direction of the Y direction is 595nm, the maximum fluctuation value in the negative direction is 508nm, and the average fluctuation value is 387nm; during the stable movement of the workpiece stage, the maximum fluctuation value of the lens unit 22 in the positive direction of the X direction is 23nm, the maximum fluctuation value in the negative direction is 11nm, and the average fluctuation value is 22nm, the maximum fluctuation value in the positive direction of the Y direction is 27nm, the maximum fluctuation value in the negative direction is 31nm, and the average fluctuation value is 40nm; during the exposure process, the maximum fluctuation value of the lens unit 22 in the positive direction of the X direction is 10nm, the maximum fluctuation value in the negative direction is 15nm, and the average fluctuation value is 13nm, and the maximum fluctuation value in the positive direction of the Y direction is 29nm, the maximum fluctuation value in the negative direction is 20nm, and the average fluctuation value is 31nm. This shows that the structure of mechanical guide rail plus clamp can effectively reduce the impact of other moving parts such as the workpiece table on the lens unit 22, and improve the vertical stability of the lens unit 22. The solution of air-floating guide rail or magnetic suspension guide rail has higher motion accuracy and positioning accuracy.

[0078] Optionally, the lens assembly 2 further includes a position detection element 23, and the position detection element 23 is configured to detect the position information of the corresponding lens unit 22. The embodiment of the present invention does not specifically limit the type and setting position of the position detection element 23, as long as it can detect the position information of the lens unit 22.

[0079] Optionally, the lens assembly 2, especially the lens assembly 2 including the driving mechanism 21, further includes a limit sensor 24, and the limit sensor 24 is configured to detect whether the position of the corresponding lens unit 22 is within an allowable range, so as to avoid the lens unit 22 from moving beyond the limit and exceeding the preset limit position, thereby causing damage to the lens assembly 2. In the embodiment of the present invention, the limit sensor 24 is, for example, a pressure detection element arranged at the limit position, so as to determine whether the lens unit 22 moves beyond the limit by pressure detection. Of course, the limit sensor 24 can also be a distance sensor arranged at the limit position, which determines whether the lens unit 22 moves beyond the limit by detecting a specified structure on the driving mechanism 21 or the distance between the lens unit 22 and the limit position.

[0080] It should be understood that the number of the limit sensors 24 is 2n, where n is any one of 1, 2, and 3. Specifically, when the driving mechanism 21 can only drive the lens unit 22 to move along the first direction or the second direction, n is 1, so that the number of the limit sensors 24 is two, and the two limit sensors 24 are arranged at intervals in the moving direction of the lens unit 22, and are respectively located at two extreme positions of the lens unit 22; when the driving mechanism 21 can drive the lens unit 22 to move along one of the first direction and the second direction, and can drive the lens unit 22 to move along the third direction, n is 2, so that the number of the limit sensors 24 is four, and the two limit sensors 24 are arranged at intervals in one of the first direction and the second direction, and are respectively located at the two extreme positions of the corresponding direction. When the driving mechanism 21 is capable of driving the lens unit 22 to move along the first direction, the second direction and the third direction, n is 3, so that the number of the limit sensors 24 is six, two of which are arranged at intervals along the first direction and are respectively located at the two limit positions in the first direction, another two of which are arranged at intervals along the second direction and are respectively located at the two limit positions in the second direction, and another two of which are arranged at intervals along the third direction and are respectively located at the two limit positions in the third direction.

[0081] In addition, in the lens assembly 2 including the driving mechanism 21, the lens assembly 2 also includes a cable, and the cable is electrically connected to the first driving unit, the second driving unit (if any), and the third driving unit (if any) for power transmission.

[0082] Next, the alignment method is described in further detail.

[0083] As mentioned above, in actual application, both the first direction and the second direction are horizontal directions. Moreover, the alignment module is arranged on the lower surface of the mounting plate 1. For the convenience of description, the following text will be introduced in this direction.

[0084] The alignment method at least includes the following steps S11 and S12.

[0085] The step S11 includes: controlling the workpiece stage to move until the substrate 01 is at least partially located below the mounting plate 1 , and making each alignment module located above one of the exposure areas 011 .

[0086] The step S12 includes: controlling the driving mechanism 21 of at least one lens assembly 2 of each alignment module to drive the corresponding lens unit 22 to move along the first direction and / or the second direction to perform an alignment operation on each alignment mark 0101 on the exposure area 011 currently located below the alignment module.

[0087] In some embodiments, the number of the exposure regions 011 on the substrate 01 is less than or equal to the number of the alignment modules of the alignment device. For example, the substrate 01 includes only one exposure region 011 (eg, Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown) and the alignment device includes an alignment module (as shown Figure 5 As shown), the substrate 01 includes two exposure areas 011 (as shown Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown) and the alignment device includes two alignment modules (as Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , in this case, when the step S12 is completed, the alignment method is completed. It should be understood that when the substrate includes two exposure areas 011 and the alignment device includes two alignment modules, when executing the step S11, the arrangement direction of the two exposure areas 011 of the substrate 01 should correspond to the arrangement direction of the two alignment modules, so that the two alignment modules are respectively located above the two exposure areas 011.

[0088] In some embodiments, the number of the exposure regions 011 on the substrate 01 is greater than the number of the alignment modules of the alignment device. For example, the substrate 01 includes four exposure regions 011 (eg, Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown), the alignment device only includes one alignment module (as shown Figure 7 As shown), in this case, the alignment method also includes step S13, and the step S13 includes controlling the movement of the workpiece stage and / or the alignment module so that each alignment module switches from above the exposure area 011 where the alignment operation has been completed to above the exposure area 011 where the alignment operation has not yet been performed.

[0089] After each execution of step S12, if there are still exposure areas 011 that have not been aligned, step S13 is executed, and after step S13 is completed, it is determined whether to return to step S12. The alignment method ends after all exposure areas 011 have completed the alignment operation.

[0090] If after the execution of step S13, there is exactly one lens unit 22 directly above each alignment mark 0101 on the exposure area 011 currently under the alignment module, there is no need to return to execute step S12; if after the execution of step S13, there is no lens unit 22 directly above at least one alignment mark 0101 on the exposure area 011 currently under the alignment module, it is necessary to return to execute step S12.

[0091] For any of the alignment modules, the step S12 preferably includes the following step S121, step S122, and step S123.

[0092] The step S121 includes: using one of the lens assemblies 2 in the alignment module as the target lens assembly, and controlling the lens unit 22 of the target lens assembly to move relative to the workpiece stage, so that the lens unit 22 of the target lens assembly arrives directly above an alignment mark 0101 on the exposure area 011 currently located under the alignment module, thereby completing the alignment operation of the alignment mark 0101.

[0093] In step S121, if the target lens assembly does not include the driving mechanism 21, the alignment device is controlled to be immobile, and the substrate 01 is driven to move by the movement of the work stage, so that the lens unit 22 of the target lens assembly moves relative to the work stage and the substrate 01 until the lens unit 22 of the target lens assembly arrives directly above an alignment mark 0101 on the exposure area 011 currently located below the alignment module. If the target lens assembly 2 includes the driving mechanism 21, the work stage is controlled to be immobile, and the corresponding lens unit 22 is driven to move by the driving mechanism 21 of the target lens assembly 2 until the lens unit 22 of the target lens assembly arrives directly above an alignment mark 0101 on the exposure area 011 currently located below the alignment module. In addition, all the lens assemblies 2 except the target lens assembly include the driving mechanism 21.

[0094] The step S122 includes: taking the alignment mark 0101 located directly below the lens unit 22 of the target lens assembly as a reference alignment mark, and based on the current position of the lens unit 22 of the target lens assembly, the reference alignment mark and the relative position relationship between the remaining alignment marks 0101 on the exposure area 011 currently located below the alignment module, obtaining a plurality of target positions corresponding one-to-one to the remaining alignment marks 0101.

[0095] The step S123 includes: corresponding each of the target positions to a lens assembly 2 of the alignment module except the target lens assembly, and controlling the driving mechanism 21 of each of the lens assemblies 2 of the alignment module except the target lens assembly to drive the corresponding lens unit 22 to move along the first direction and / or the second direction to reach the corresponding target position, thereby completing the alignment operation of the corresponding alignment mark 0101.

[0096] In this way, the movement stroke and movement time of the lens unit 2 of the lens assembly 2 other than the target lens assembly can be made as short as possible, so as to further improve the alignment efficiency.

[0097] It can be understood that before the execution of step S123, if the lens unit 22 of any of the lens assemblies 2 other than the target lens assembly is already located at its corresponding target position, the distance that the corresponding driving mechanism 21 drives the lens unit 22 to move is zero, that is, the lens unit 22 does not move.

[0098] It is worth noting that if the driving mechanism 21 includes a mechanical guide rail, after the step S122 is executed, the slider disposed on the mechanical guide rail is kept in position under the action of the brake; if the driving mechanism 21 includes an air-floating guide rail, after the step S122 is executed, the slider disposed on the air-floating guide rail is kept in position by stopping the air supply; if the driving mechanism 21 includes a magnetic suspension guide rail, after the step S122 is executed, the slider disposed on the magnetic suspension guide rail is kept in position by stopping the generation of magnetic force. It is easy to understand that the slider here includes at least one of the first slider, the second slider, and the third slider.

[0099] Furthermore, during the execution of step S123, the position information of the lens unit is detected in real time by the position detection element 23. When the position detection element 23 detects that the lens unit 22 has reached the corresponding target position, each slider of the corresponding driving mechanism 21 is controlled to maintain the position.

[0100] The number of the lens assemblies 2 included in the alignment module is less than or equal to the number of the alignment marks 0101 on the exposure area 011. It can be understood that when the number of the lens assemblies 2 included in the alignment module is less than the number of the alignment marks 0101 on the exposure area 011, when executing step S123, at least one of the lens assemblies 2 needs to correspond to at least two of the target positions, that is, at least one of the lens assemblies 2 needs to complete the alignment operation of at least two of the alignment marks 0101. When the number of the lens assemblies 2 included in the alignment module is equal to the number of the alignment marks 0101 on the exposure area 011, when executing step S123, multiple target positions correspond one-to-one to each of the remaining lens assemblies 2 of the alignment module except the target lens assembly, so that each of the lens assemblies 2 is used to perform an alignment operation on one of the alignment marks 0101, so as to further improve the alignment efficiency.

[0101] Of course, in other embodiments, the number of the lens assemblies 2 included in the alignment module may be greater than the number of the alignment marks 0101 on the exposure area 011, but some of the lens assemblies 2 will be idle when executing the alignment method.

[0102] Further, when the driving mechanism 21 is capable of driving the lens unit 22 to move along the third direction, the alignment device is suitable for aligning the substrate 01 (such as Fig.10 and Fig.11 In this regard, when performing step S12 on at least part of the exposure area 011, step S12 further includes: controlling the driving mechanism 2111 of at least part of the lens assembly 2 to drive the corresponding lens unit 22 to move along the third direction, so that the lens unit 22 is focused on the substrate 01. In this way, the alignment effect can be improved.

[0103] It can be understood that when the substrate 01 is in the Fig.11 The warping state shown, or Fig.12 As shown, the thickness of the substrate 01 is non-uniform, which may cause at least part of the alignment marks 0101 to be not in the same horizontal plane when the substrate 01 is located on the workpiece stage.

[0104] Specifically, when the substrate 01 is in a warped state, for example Fig.11In the embodiment, when the exposure area 011 of the substrate 01 is warped in a wave shape, causing the alignment mark 0101 on the left to be lower than the alignment mark 0101 on the right, it is necessary not only to move the lens unit 22 on the left to be directly above the alignment mark 0101 on the left and the lens unit 22 on the right to be directly above the alignment mark 0101 on the right, but also to move the lens unit 22 on the right upward by a certain distance so that the lens unit 22 on the right can be focused on the substrate 01, and / or move the lens unit 22 on the left downward by a certain distance so that the lens unit 22 on the left can be focused on the substrate 01. In this way, the lens unit 22 on the left and the lens unit 22 on the right are different in height.

[0105] When the thickness of the substrate 01 is not uniform, for example Fig.12 When the thickness of the left side of the exposure area 011 of the substrate 01 is less than the thickness of the right side, the alignment module is used to align Fig.12 When performing an alignment operation on the alignment mark 0101 on the exposure area 011 of the substrate 01, it is also necessary not only to move the lens unit 22 on the left side to be directly above the alignment mark 0101 on the left side and the lens unit 22 on the right side to be directly above the alignment mark 0101 on the right side, but also to move the lens unit 22 on the right side upward by a certain distance so that the lens unit 22 on the right side is focused on the substrate 01, and / or move the lens unit 22 on the left side downward by a certain distance so that the lens unit 22 on the left side is focused on the substrate 01.

[0106] Although the present invention is disclosed as above, it is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, the present invention is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An alignment device for semiconductor production equipment, characterized in that: The alignment device comprises: Mounting plate; and, At least one alignment module; the alignment module includes a plurality of lens assemblies; at least part of the lens assemblies includes a driving mechanism and a lens unit; the driving mechanism is arranged on the mounting plate and connected to the lens unit, and is configured to drive the lens unit to move along a first direction and / or a second direction to perform an alignment operation on an alignment mark on a substrate; the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

2. The alignment device for semiconductor production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism is further configured to drive the lens unit to move along a third direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

3. The alignment device of semiconductor production equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first direction and the second direction are horizontal directions, and the third direction is a vertical direction.

4. The alignment device for semiconductor production equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the driving mechanism is configured to be able to drive the lens unit to move along the first direction or the second direction, and to drive the lens unit to move along the third direction, the driving mechanism includes a first sub-driving mechanism and a third sub-driving mechanism; the first sub-driving mechanism and the third sub-driving mechanism each include a driving portion, a guide rail and a slider, the slider being movably disposed on the guide rail and connected to the driving portion so as to be able to move along the extension direction of the guide rail under the drive of the driving portion; The guide rail of the first sub-driving mechanism is arranged on the mounting plate and extends along the first direction or the second direction; the guide rail of the third sub-driving mechanism is connected to the slider of the first sub-driving mechanism and extends along the third direction; The lens unit is connected to the slider of the third sub-driving mechanism.

5. The alignment device for semiconductor production equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the driving mechanism is configured to be able to drive the lens unit to move along the first direction, the second direction and the third direction, the driving mechanism includes a first sub-driving mechanism, a second sub-driving mechanism and a third sub-driving mechanism; the first sub-driving mechanism, the second sub-driving mechanism and the third sub-driving mechanism each include a driving part, a guide rail and a slider, the slider is movably arranged on the guide rail and connected to the driving part so as to be able to move along the extension direction of the guide rail under the driving of the driving part; The guide rail of the first sub-driving mechanism is arranged on the mounting plate and extends along the first direction; the guide rail of the second sub-driving mechanism is connected to the slider of the first sub-driving mechanism and extends along the second direction; the guide rail of the third sub-driving mechanism is connected to the slider of the second sub-driving mechanism and extends along the third direction; The lens unit is connected to the slider of the third sub-driving mechanism.

6. The alignment device for semiconductor production equipment according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The guide rail is any one of a mechanical guide rail, an air-floating guide rail, and a magnetic suspension guide rail.

7. The alignment device for semiconductor production equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: When at least one of the guide rails is the mechanical guide rail, the lens assembly further includes a brake configured to brake the slider disposed on the mechanical guide rail.

8. The alignment device of semiconductor production equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The brake is a clamp.

9. The alignment device for semiconductor production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lens assembly further includes a position detection element configured to detect position information of the corresponding lens unit.

10. The alignment device for semiconductor production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lens assembly further includes a limit sensor, which is configured to detect whether the position of the corresponding lens unit in the first direction and / or the second direction is within an allowable range.

11. The alignment device for semiconductor production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The alignment device includes one alignment module, or the alignment device includes a plurality of alignment modules, and the plurality of alignment modules are arranged along the first direction or the second direction, or distributed in an array.

12. A semiconductor production equipment, characterized in that: An alignment device for semiconductor production equipment comprising the device described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. An alignment method, based on the alignment device of the semiconductor production equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 11, for performing an alignment operation on a substrate carried on a workpiece stage, wherein the substrate comprises at least one exposure area, and a plurality of alignment marks are arranged on the exposure area, wherein: The alignment module is arranged on the lower surface of the mounting plate, and the alignment method comprises: Controlling the workpiece stage to move until the substrate is at least partially located below the mounting plate, and each alignment module is located above one of the exposure areas; and, The driving mechanism that controls at least one of the lens assemblies of the alignment module drives the corresponding lens unit to move along the first direction and / or the second direction to perform an alignment operation on each of the alignment marks on the exposure area currently located below the alignment module.

14. The alignment method according to claim 13, characterized in that: The number of the exposure areas is greater than the number of the alignment modules, and the alignment method further comprises: Control the movement of the workpiece stage and / or the alignment module so that the alignment module switches from above the exposure area where the alignment operation has been completed to above the exposure area where the alignment operation has not yet been performed, and perform the alignment operation on each alignment mark on the exposure area currently located under the alignment module.

15. The alignment method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that: The step of controlling the driving mechanism of at least one lens assembly of the alignment module to drive the corresponding lens unit to move along the first direction and / or the second direction to perform an alignment operation on each alignment mark on the exposure area currently located under the alignment module comprises: At the same time, the driving mechanism of at least part of the lens assembly is controlled to drive the corresponding lens unit to move along the first direction and / or the second direction.

16. The alignment method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that: The step of controlling the driving mechanism of at least one lens assembly of the alignment module to drive the corresponding lens unit to move along the first direction and / or the second direction to perform an alignment operation on each alignment mark on the exposure area currently located under the alignment module comprises: First, one of the multiple lens assemblies of the alignment module is used as a target lens assembly, and the lens unit of the target lens assembly is controlled to move relative to the workpiece stage so that the lens unit of the target lens assembly arrives just above one of the alignment marks on the exposure area currently located below the alignment module; Taking the alignment mark located directly below the lens unit of the target lens assembly as a reference alignment mark, and based on the current position of the lens unit of the target lens assembly, the reference alignment mark and the relative position relationship between the remaining alignment marks on the exposure area currently located below the alignment module, a plurality of target positions corresponding to the remaining alignment marks are obtained; and, The driving mechanisms of the remaining lens assemblies in the alignment module are controlled based on the plurality of target positions to drive the corresponding lens units to move.

17. The alignment method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that: When at least part of the alignment marks on the substrate are not on the same horizontal plane, controlling the driving mechanism of at least part of the lens assembly to drive the corresponding lens unit to move along a third direction when performing an alignment operation on the alignment marks of at least part of the exposure area, so that the corresponding lens unit is still focused on the substrate when aligned with the alignment marks; The third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

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