Exposure system, control mainboard thereof and photoetching machine

Abstract

The invention discloses an exposure system, a control mainboard thereof and a photoetching machine, and belongs to the technical field of photoetching machines. The control mainboard is applied to an exposure system in the photoetching machine; the exposure system includes a shutter drive assembly, an optical radiation flux sensor, a temperature sensor, and a cooling fin. The control mainboard comprises a control module, a first analog-to-digital conversion module and a cooling fin driving module; the first analog-to-digital conversion module is used for converting a radiation flux analog signal of the exposure light beam acquired by the optical radiation flux sensor into a radiation flux digital signal; the control module provides a turn-off control signal for the shutter driving assembly when judging that the radiation flux of the exposure light beam reaches a preset radiation flux threshold value according to the radiation flux digital signal; the cooling fin driving module controls the cooling fin to cool the optical radiation flux sensor according to a temperature signal detected by the temperature sensor and a preset temperature, so that the difference value between the temperature of the optical radiation flux sensor and the preset temperature is smaller than an allowable temperature difference threshold value. The embodiment of the invention can improve the exposure effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of photolithography machines, and in particular to an exposure system and a control mainboard thereof, and a photolithography machine. Background Art

[0002] The exposure system is an important part of the lithography machine. It projects the exposure beam onto the photoresist of the target object (such as a silicon wafer) through an optical channel to form a lithography pattern. During the exposure process, it is necessary to collect the radiation flux of the exposure beam to measure the exposure dose and control the shutter switch accordingly. However, during the exposure process, the high-intensity irradiation of the exposure beam will cause the temperature of the light intensity sensor to rise, thereby causing dark current and other phenomena, affecting the detection results of the light radiation flux, and thus affecting the exposure effect. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention provides an exposure system and a control mainboard thereof, and a photolithography machine, so as to stabilize the temperature of a light radiation flux sensor, improve the accuracy of the detection result of the radiation flux of the exposure beam, and improve the exposure effect.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a control mainboard of an exposure system, which is applied to an exposure system in a photolithography machine; the exposure system includes a shutter drive component, a light radiation flux sensor, and a temperature sensor and a cooling sheet attached to the light radiation flux sensor;

[0005] The control mainboard comprises:

[0006] A control module connected to the shutter drive assembly;

[0007] a first analog-to-digital conversion module, connected to the optical radiation flux sensor and the control module respectively; the first analog-to-digital conversion module is used to convert the radiation flux analog signal of the exposure light beam collected by the optical radiation flux sensor into a radiation flux digital signal; the control module is used to provide a shutdown control signal to the shutter drive component when it is determined according to the radiation flux digital signal that the radiation flux of the exposure light beam reaches a preset radiation flux threshold, so that the shutter drive component controls the shutter to close;

[0008] A cooling fin driving module is respectively connected to the temperature sensor and the cooling fin; the cooling fin driving module is used to control the cooling fin to cool the optical radiation flux sensor according to the temperature signal detected by the temperature sensor and the preset temperature, so that the difference between the temperature of the optical radiation flux sensor and the preset temperature is less than an allowable temperature difference threshold.

[0009] Optionally, the first analog-to-digital conversion module includes:

[0010] A voltage follower; the input end of the voltage follower is connected to the optical radiation flux sensor;

[0011] Analog-to-digital converter; the input end of the analog-to-digital converter is connected to the output end of the voltage follower, and the output end of the analog-to-digital converter is connected to the control module.

[0012] Optionally, the input end of the analog-to-digital converter is a single-ended input end, and the output end of the voltage follower is directly connected to the single-ended input end;

[0013] Alternatively, the input end of the analog-to-digital converter is a differential input end, including a first sub-input end and a second sub-input end; the first analog-to-digital conversion module also includes: a differential amplifier, the input end of the differential amplifier is connected to the output end of the voltage follower, and the two output ends of the differential amplifier are respectively connected to the first sub-input end and the second sub-input end.

[0014] Optionally, the input end of the cooling fin driving module is connected to the temperature sensor, the output end of the cooling fin driving module is connected to the cooling fin, and the control module is also connected to the sleep control end of the cooling fin driving module; the control module is also used to send a sleep control signal to the sleep control end to control whether the cooling fin driving module is enabled; and / or, the control main board also includes: a second analog-to-digital conversion module, respectively connected to the temperature sensor and the control module; the second analog-to-digital conversion module is used to convert the temperature signal into a temperature digital signal and transmit it to the control module.

[0015] Optionally, the cooling fin driving module includes:

[0016] a comparison unit, connected to the temperature sensor, and configured to generate a temperature control signal according to the temperature signal and the preset temperature;

[0017] A cooling fin driving unit is respectively connected to the comparison unit and the cooling fin, and is used to control the cooling fin to cool the optical radiation flux sensor according to the temperature control signal.

[0018] Optionally, the control mainboard of the exposure system further includes: an input and output module, respectively connected to the control module and the shutter drive assembly;

[0019] Wherein, the input and output modules include:

[0020] At least two output units; the at least two output units include a first output unit and a second output unit; an input end of the first output unit is connected to the control module, an output end of the first output unit is connected to a closing control end of the shutter drive component, and the control module transmits the closing control signal to the shutter drive component through the first output unit; an input end of the second output unit is connected to the control module, an output end of the second output unit is connected to an opening control end of the shutter drive component, the control module transmits an opening control signal to the shutter drive component through the second output unit, and the shutter drive component controls the shutter to open according to the opening control signal;

[0021] At least one input unit; the at least one input unit includes a first input unit, the input end of the first input unit is connected to the position output end of the shutter drive component, the output end of the first input unit is connected to the control module, the shutter drive component transmits a position signal to the control module through the first input unit, and the position signal is used to indicate whether the shutter is closed.

[0022] Optionally, the output unit includes: a first photocoupler and a first transistor; the input end of the first photocoupler is connected to the control module, the output end of the first photocoupler is connected to the control electrode of the first transistor, the first electrode of the first transistor is connected to the first power supply signal, and the second electrode of the first transistor serves as the output end of the output unit;

[0023] The input unit comprises: a second photoelectric coupler; the input end of the second photoelectric coupler serves as the input end of the input unit, and the output end of the second photoelectric coupler is connected to the control module.

[0024] Optionally, the control mainboard of the exposure system also includes: a communication module, which is respectively connected to the control module and the host computer in the lithography machine; wherein the communication module includes a PHY chip; and / or the control module includes: FPGA; and / or the allowable temperature difference threshold is less than or equal to 0.01°C.

[0025] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an exposure system, comprising:

[0026] a light source, for providing a source light beam;

[0027] An exposure component, used for adjusting the source light beam into an exposure light beam;

[0028] a shutter, disposed between the light source and the exposure assembly, for controlling whether the source light beam is provided to the exposure assembly;

[0029] A shutter driving component, connected to the shutter, and used to control the shutter to open or close;

[0030] A light intensity collection board, comprising: a light radiation flux sensor, and a temperature sensor and a cooling plate attached to the light radiation flux sensor; the light radiation flux sensor is used to collect the radiation flux of the exposure light beam, the temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the light radiation flux sensor, and the cooling plate is used to cool the light radiation flux sensor;

[0031] A control mainboard as provided in any embodiment of the present invention; the control mainboard is connected to the light intensity collection board and the shutter drive assembly respectively.

[0032] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a lithography machine, including: an exposure system as provided in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] In the control mainboard of the exposure system provided by the embodiment of the present invention, a control module, a first analog-to-digital conversion module and a cooling fin driving module are provided; the light radiation flux related information collected by the light radiation flux sensor is fed back to the control module through the first analog-to-digital conversion module, and the control module controls the shutter to close through the shutter driving component when the light radiation flux reaches the preset radiation flux threshold, and can realize real-time adjustment and closed-loop control of the shutter opening and closing state based on the collection of light radiation flux, and can effectively control the exposure dose. The temperature of the light radiation flux sensor can be detected in real time by the temperature sensor attached to the light radiation flux sensor, and the cooling fin driving module adjusts the working state of the cooling fin in real time according to the temperature signal, so as to realize real-time adjustment and closed-loop control of the temperature of the light radiation flux sensor. The embodiment of the present invention can ensure the working stability of the light radiation flux sensor by controlling the temperature difference of the light radiation flux sensor to be within the allowable temperature difference threshold with the preset temperature, so that the detection result is accurate and reliable, thereby making the control module more accurate in controlling the opening and closing of the shutter, realizing accurate control of the exposure dose, and being conducive to improving the exposure effect.

[0034] It should be understood that the contents described in this section are not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Other features of the present invention will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. 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.

[0036] Figure 1is a structural schematic diagram of an exposure system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a control mainboard provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a first analog-to-digital conversion module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of another first analog-to-digital conversion module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a cooling fin driving module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of an input unit provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of an output unit provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Fig. 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of another exposure system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the scheme of the present invention, the technical scheme 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 described embodiments 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 creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification 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.

[0047] An embodiment of the present invention provides a control mainboard of an exposure system, which is applied to the exposure system in a lithography machine and can realize precise temperature control of a light radiation flux sensor used to detect the radiation flux of an exposure beam, thereby ensuring the accuracy of data collected by the sensor, and further ensuring accurate control of shutter action, so that the exposure dose provided during each shutter opening meets the target requirements, thereby improving the exposure effect.

[0048] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of an exposure system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 , briefly describing the basic structure of the exposure system. Exemplarily, the exposure system may include a light source, an exposure assembly, and a shutter; the light source is used to provide a source light beam; the shutter is disposed between the light source and the exposure assembly, and the shutter is used to control whether the source light beam is provided to the exposure assembly by opening and closing; the exposure assembly may include a light processing component and an objective lens, etc., and the exposure assembly is used to provide an optical channel to a target object (such as a silicon wafer), adjust the source light beam to an exposure beam, and project it onto the target object. Combined with Figure 1 The exposure system also includes a series of control components, such as a shutter drive component 300, a light radiation flux sensor 210, a temperature sensor 220 and a cooling fin 230 attached to the light radiation flux sensor 210, and a control main board 100. The light radiation flux sensor 210 is used to collect the radiation flux of the exposure beam, the temperature sensor 220 is used to detect the temperature of the light radiation flux sensor 210, and the cooling fin 230 is used to cool the light radiation flux sensor 210; the shutter drive component 300 is used to control the working state of the shutter, such as controlling the shutter to open or close; the control main board 100 can control the working state of the shutter through the shutter drive component 300 according to the radiation flux collected by the light radiation flux sensor 210; and control the working state of the cooling fin 230 according to the temperature of the light radiation flux sensor 210 collected by the temperature sensor 220 (for example, control the cooling fin to start or stop working or control the cooling capacity of the cooling fin, etc.). The temperature sensor 220 may be implemented by a negative temperature coefficient thermistor, and the cooling fin 230 may be a semiconductor cooling fin (Thermo Electric Cooler, TEC).

[0049] The structure of the control main board 100 is described in detail below.

[0050] See also Figure 1, the control main board includes: a control module 110, a first analog-to-digital conversion module 120 and a cooling fin driving module 130. Among them, the control module 110 is connected to the shutter driving component 300; the first analog-to-digital conversion module 120 is respectively connected to the optical radiation flux sensor 210 and the control module 110; the cooling fin driving module 130 is respectively connected to the temperature sensor 220 and the cooling fin 230. The first analog-to-digital conversion module 120 is used to convert the radiation flux analog signal IMA of the exposure light beam collected by the optical radiation flux sensor 210 into a radiation flux digital signal IMD; the control module 110 is used to provide a shutdown control signal OFF to the shutter driving component 300 when it is determined according to the radiation flux digital signal IMD that the radiation flux of the exposure light beam reaches a preset radiation flux threshold, so that the shutter driving component 300 controls the shutter to close. The cooling fin driving module 130 is used to control the cooling fin 230 to cool the optical radiation flux sensor 210 according to the temperature signal TEMP detected by the temperature sensor 220 and the preset temperature, so that the difference between the temperature of the optical radiation flux sensor 210 and the preset temperature is less than the allowable temperature difference threshold.

[0051] Among them, the control module 110 can be any processor with digital signal processing function, such as FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The first analog-to-digital conversion module 120 can be any circuit with analog-to-digital conversion function, such as composed of discrete components or composed of analog-to-digital conversion chips and their peripheral circuits. The temperature signal TEMP detected by the temperature sensor 220 is used to characterize the temperature of the light radiation flux sensor 210; the cooling fin driving module 130 can specifically compare the temperature represented by the temperature signal TEMP with the preset temperature, and output the cooling drive signal S1 according to the comparison result to control the working state of the cooling fin 230; the cooling fin driving module 130 may include a cooling fin driving chip and its peripheral circuits. The preset radiation flux threshold can be set according to the actual process requirements, for example, different preset radiation flux thresholds can be set when the photoresist thickness is different. The preset temperature can be set according to the actual process requirements, for example, it is set to room temperature or the rated applicable temperature of the light radiation flux sensor 210. The allowable temperature difference threshold can be set according to the type of the optical radiation flux sensor 210 and the radiation flux detection accuracy requirement, ensuring that the temperature within the allowable temperature difference threshold above and below the preset temperature does not affect the detection result of the optical radiation flux sensor 210.

[0052] In the control mainboard 100 of the exposure system provided by the embodiment of the present invention, a control module 110, a first analog-to-digital conversion module 120 and a cooling fin driving module 130 are provided; the light radiation flux related information collected by the light radiation flux sensor 210 is fed back to the control module 110 through the first analog-to-digital conversion module 120, and the control module 110 controls the shutter to close through the shutter driving component 300 when the light radiation flux reaches the preset radiation flux threshold, and can realize real-time adjustment and closed-loop control of the shutter opening and closing state based on the collection of the light radiation flux, and can effectively control the exposure dose. The temperature of the light radiation flux sensor 210 can be detected in real time by the temperature sensor 220 attached to the light radiation flux sensor 210, and the cooling fin driving module 130 can adjust the working state of the cooling fin 230 in real time according to the temperature signal TEMP, so as to realize real-time adjustment and closed-loop control of the temperature of the light radiation flux sensor 210. The embodiment of the present invention ensures the working stability of the light radiation flux sensor 210 by controlling the temperature of the light radiation flux sensor 210 to a value within the allowable temperature difference threshold value compared with the preset temperature, so that its detection result is accurate and reliable, thereby making the control module 110 more precise in controlling the opening and closing of the shutter, thereby achieving precise control of the exposure dose, which is beneficial to improving the exposure effect.

[0053] The following is an exemplary description of the specific structure that the control mainboard 100 may have, but it is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0054] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of a control mainboard provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 On the basis of the above embodiments, optionally, the first analog-to-digital conversion module 120 includes: a voltage follower 121 and an analog-to-digital converter 122. The input end of the voltage follower 121 is connected to the optical radiation flux sensor and receives the radiation flux analog signal IMA; the input end of the analog-to-digital converter 122 is connected to the output end of the voltage follower 121; the output end of the analog-to-digital converter 122 is connected to the control module 110 and outputs the radiation flux digital signal IMD.

[0055] In this embodiment, the analog-to-digital converter 122 serves as the core conversion component in the first analog-to-digital conversion module 120. By setting the voltage follower 121, the radiation flux analog signal IMA can be stably transmitted to the analog-to-digital converter 122, thereby improving the output stability of the radiation flux digital signal IMD.

[0056] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first analog-to-digital conversion module provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3Exemplarily, the voltage follower 121 may include a first operational amplifier U1 and a first resistor R1; the positive input terminal of the first operational amplifier U1 is connected to the radiation flux analog signal IMA, the negative input terminal of the first operational amplifier U1 is connected to the output terminal of the first operational amplifier U1, and the output terminal of the first operational amplifier U1 serves as the output terminal of the voltage follower 121; one end of the first resistor R1 is connected to the positive input terminal of the first operational amplifier U1, and the other end is grounded.

[0057] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, optionally, for different types of input terminals of the analog-to-digital converter 122, the output terminal of the voltage follower 121 can be set to be directly connected to the input terminal of the analog-to-digital converter 122 or indirectly connected to the input terminal of the analog-to-digital converter 122 through other conversion structures, which are explained below respectively.

[0058] In one implementation, optionally, the input end of the analog-to-digital converter 122 is a single-ended input end, and then the output end of the voltage follower 121 may be directly connected to the single-ended input end.

[0059] In another embodiment, the input end of the analog-to-digital converter 122 is optionally a differential input end, and the differential input end of the analog-to-digital converter 122 may include a first sub-input end and a second sub-input end; accordingly, Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the first analog-to-digital conversion module 120 further includes a differential amplifier 124. The input end of the differential amplifier 124 is connected to the output end of the voltage follower 121, and the two output ends of the differential amplifier 124 are respectively connected to the first sub-input end and the second sub-input end.

[0060] The differential amplifier 124 is, for example, a 1:1 differential amplifier circuit. The signal transmission stability can be further improved by providing the differential amplifier 124. The structure of the differential amplifier is exemplarily described below, but is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0061] See also Figure 3In one embodiment, the differential amplifier 124 may optionally include: a second operational amplifier U2, a second resistor R2, a third resistor R3, a fourth resistor R4, a fifth resistor R5, a sixth resistor R6, a seventh resistor R7, a first capacitor C1, and a second capacitor C2. The first end of the second resistor R2 serves as the input end of the differential amplifier 124, the second end of the second resistor R2 is respectively connected to the first end of the third resistor R3 and the first end of the fourth resistor R4, the second end of the third resistor R3 is grounded, and the second end of the fourth resistor R4 is connected to the positive input end of the second operational amplifier U2; the fifth resistor R5 and the first capacitor C1 are both connected between the positive input end and the first output end of the second operational amplifier U2; one end of the sixth resistor R6 is connected to the negative input end of the second operational amplifier U2, and the other end is grounded; the seventh resistor R7 and the second capacitor C2 are both connected between the negative input end and the second output end of the second operational amplifier U2; the first output end and the second output end of the second operational amplifier U2 are respectively connected to the first sub-input end and the second sub-input end of the analog-to-digital converter 122. The second resistor R2 and the third resistor R3 form a voltage divider structure. The resistance values ​​of the second resistor R2, the third resistor R3, the fourth resistor R4 and the sixth resistor R6 may satisfy the following relationship: R4+R2||R3=R6, that is, the parallel resistance value of the second resistor R2 and the third resistor R3 plus the resistance value of the fourth resistor R4 is equal to the resistance value of the sixth resistor R6.

[0062] It should be noted that each resistor mentioned in each embodiment of the present invention can be understood as a resistive element with a certain impedance, which can be a single resistor or a series-parallel structure of multiple resistors, and can be specifically set according to the impedance requirements and the component selection. Figure 3 The second resistor R2 in the embodiment may actually include: Figure 4 The first sub-resistor R21 and the second sub-resistor R22 are connected in series.

[0063] In summary, the specific structure of the first analog-to-digital conversion module 120 can be set according to the input terminal type of the analog-to-digital converter 122. When the analog-to-digital converter 122 supports both differential input and single-ended input, the differential input is preferably used to improve signal stability.

[0064] exist Figure 3 Based on the circuit shown, the first analog-to-digital conversion module 120 may also include a series of peripheral circuits for power supply or protection. Figure 4, the analog-to-digital converter 122 may include an analog-to-digital conversion chip U4 and its peripheral circuits. The pins of the analog-to-digital conversion chip U4 may be numbered counterclockwise starting from the top pin in the left column; in this embodiment, the two differential input pins of the analog-to-digital conversion chip U4 are used as the differential input terminals of the analog-to-digital converter 122, and are respectively connected to a group of differential signals output by the differential amplifier 124: the first signal S01 and the second signal S02. The analog-to-digital conversion chip U4 can provide a 16-bit radiation flux digital signal IMD. The analog-to-digital conversion chip U4 may be provided with capacitors, resistors, inductors and other components to provide filtering, pull-up, pull-down and current limiting functions to support the normal and stable operation of the analog-to-digital conversion chip U4. The first operational amplifier U1 and the second operational amplifier U2 may be respectively connected to the power supply signal and the ground signal required for their operation, and the filter capacitors at the power supply may be correspondingly provided. The differential amplifier 124 may also include a first voltage conversion chip U3 and a first sliding resistor RL1 to provide a suitable bias voltage to the bias end of the second operational amplifier U2; and the differential amplifier 124 may also include a first jumper selection unit JP1 to control whether the first sliding resistor RL1 can provide a bias voltage to the bias end of the second operational amplifier U2; and the output end of the second operational amplifier U2 may also be provided with a protection circuit composed of a resistor, a capacitor and a diode to ensure that the first signal S01 and the second signal S02 can be correctly and stably output.

[0065] It should be noted that in each embodiment of the present invention, the power signals connected to different components / chips may be the same or different, and may be set according to actual needs. The power signal may have a DC positive voltage of 3.3V, 5V, 12V or 24V; and, the ground signals connected to different components / chips may be the same or different, and may be set according to actual needs. The ground signal may be 0 voltage or negative voltage; when an isolation device is present, the ground signals at both ends of the isolation device are different ground signals.

[0066] Continue to see Figure 2 On the basis of the above embodiments, optionally, the cooling fin driving module 130 includes: a comparison unit 131 and a cooling fin driving unit 132. The comparison unit 131 is connected to the temperature sensor and the cooling fin driving unit 132 respectively, and the cooling fin driving unit 132 is also connected to the cooling fin. The comparison unit 131 is used to generate a temperature control signal according to the temperature signal TEMP and the preset temperature; the cooling fin driving unit 132 is used to generate a cooling driving signal S1 according to the temperature control signal, so as to control the cooling fin to cool the optical radiation flux sensor.

[0067] For details, see Figure 5, the cooling fin driving unit 132 may include a cooling fin driving chip U5 and its peripheral circuits; the first output pin OS1 and the second output pin OS2 of the cooling fin driving chip U5 are both connected to the cooling fin, and the signals output by the first output pin OS1 and the second output pin OS2 together constitute the cooling driving signal S1; the control pin CTL of the cooling fin driving chip U5 is used to receive the temperature control signal CTL1 output by the comparison unit 131. Further, the cooling fin driving unit 132 may also include a second jumper selection unit JP2, which is used to select the control mode of the control pin CTL of the cooling fin driving chip U5, for example, whether the temperature control signal CTL1 output by the control comparison unit 131 is transmitted to the control pin CTL.

[0068] The comparison unit 131 may include a sixth operational amplifier U6, a seventh operational amplifier U7, and an eighth operational amplifier U8; the negative input terminal of the sixth operational amplifier U6 is connected to a reference signal TREF corresponding to a preset temperature, and the positive input terminal of the sixth operational amplifier U6 is connected to its output terminal; the output terminal of the sixth operational amplifier U6 is connected to the negative input terminal of the seventh operational amplifier U7, and the positive input terminal of the seventh operational amplifier U7 is connected to the temperature signal TEMP. The seventh operational amplifier U7 is used to compare the temperature signal TEMP with the reference signal TREF, and the comparison result is output to the negative input terminal of the eighth operational amplifier U8. The positive input terminal of the eighth operational amplifier U8 is connected to a fixed voltage signal TEC_REF, and the eighth operational amplifier U8 can adjust the voltage of the comparison result to a voltage that can be recognized by the control pin CTL of the cooling fin driving chip U5. Further, the comparison unit 131 may be provided with a structure for providing a reference signal TREF, which may specifically include a second sliding rheostat RL2, one connection terminal of the second sliding rheostat RL2 is connected to a fixed voltage (for example, a fixed voltage signal TEC_REF), the other connection terminal is grounded, and the sliding terminal is used to provide the reference signal TREF.

[0069] Exemplarily, the temperature sensor includes a thermistor NTC, and an eighth resistor R8 can be set, one end of the eighth resistor R8 is connected to a fixed voltage, the other end is connected to one end of the thermistor NTC, and the other end of the thermistor NTC is grounded. In this way, the detection result of the thermistor NTC can be converted into a temperature signal TEMP in the form of a voltage through the voltage divider structure. The eighth resistor R8 can be integrated into the cooling fin driver module 130 or the temperature sensor, which is not limited here. Among them, the fixed voltage connected to the eighth resistor R8 can be a fixed voltage signal TEC_REF, which can be provided by the reference voltage output pin REF of the cooling fin driver chip U5. It can be understood that peripheral circuits such as resistors and capacitors required for normal and stable operation can also be set in each unit of the cooling fin driver module 130.

[0070] In summary, in the cooling fin driving module 130, the fixed voltage signal TEC_REF is divided by the second sliding rheostat RL2 to obtain a voltage corresponding to a preset temperature (i.e., a reference signal TREF). The reference signal TREF is transmitted to the comparator composed of the seventh operational amplifier U7 through the voltage follower composed of the sixth operational amplifier U6. The comparator compares the temperature signal TEMP and the reference signal TREF to obtain a difference, which is transmitted to the amplifier composed of the eighth operational amplifier U8. The amplifier amplifies the difference to form a temperature control signal CTL1. The waveform of the temperature control signal CTL1 is input to the control pin CTL of the cooling fin driving chip U5. The cooling fin driving chip U5 then controls the signals output by the first output pin OS1 and the second output pin OS2 according to the temperature control signal CTL1.

[0071] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 5 On the basis of the above embodiments, optionally, the input end of the cooling fin driving module 130 is connected to the temperature sensor, the output end of the cooling fin driving module 130 is connected to the cooling fin, and the control module 110 is also connected to the sleep control end of the cooling fin driving module 130; the control module 110 is also used to send a sleep control signal SLEEP to the sleep control end to control whether the cooling fin driving module 130 is enabled. Figure 5 The sleep control signal SLEEP can be provided to the sleep control pin SHDN of the cooling fin driving chip U5. Furthermore, the cooling fin driving unit 132 can also include a second voltage conversion chip U9 for adjusting the voltage of the sleep control signal SLEEP to a voltage recognizable by the sleep control pin SHDN.

[0072] Continue to see Figure 2 On the basis of the above embodiments, optionally, the control main board 100 further includes: a second analog-to-digital conversion module 140; the second analog-to-digital conversion module 140 is connected to the temperature sensor and the control module 110 respectively; the second analog-to-digital conversion module 140 is used to convert the temperature signal TEMP into a temperature digital signal and transmit it to the control module 110. The control module 110 can determine the temperature of the optical radiation flux sensor according to the temperature digital signal, and perform corresponding control according to the temperature, for example, controlling whether the cooling fin driving module 130 is dormant.

[0073] Continue to see Figure 2On the basis of the above embodiments, the control main board 100 may optionally further include: an input / output module 150; the input / output module 150 is respectively connected to the control module 110 and the shutter drive assembly 300. In this embodiment, the control module 110 may perform signal interaction with the shutter drive assembly 300 through the input / output module 150, for example, output an opening control signal ON and a closing control signal OFF to the shutter drive assembly 300, and receive a position signal SP provided by the shutter drive assembly 300, the position signal SP being used to indicate whether the shutter is fully closed.

[0074] Specifically, the input-output module 150 may include: at least two output units. The at least two output units include a first output unit and a second output unit; the input end of the first output unit is connected to the control module 110, the output end of the first output unit is connected to the closing control end of the shutter driving component 300, and the control module 110 transmits the shutdown control signal OFF to the shutter driving component 300 through the first output unit. The input end of the second output unit is connected to the control module 110, the output end of the second output unit is connected to the opening control end of the shutter driving component 300, the control module 110 transmits the opening control signal ON to the shutter driving component 300 through the second output unit, and the shutter driving component 300 controls the shutter to open according to the opening control signal ON. And, the input-output module 150 may include: at least one input unit; the at least one input unit includes a first input unit, the input end of the first input unit is connected to the position output end of the shutter driving component 300, the output end of the first input unit is connected to the control module 110, and the shutter driving component 300 transmits the position signal SP to the control module 110 through the first input unit. In this way, the control module 110 can perform signal transmission with the corresponding end of the shutter driving component 300 through each input unit / output unit in a one-to-one correspondence, thereby avoiding signal errors.

[0075] The input unit and the output unit in the input-output module 150 may be redundantly set to meet other control requirements and expansion requirements of the control module 110. For example, the control module 110 may also receive a trigger signal / synchronization signal, etc., from the host computer through one of the input units. The input-output module 150 may be set separately or integrated into the control module 110, without specific limitation.

[0076] For details, see Figure 6, the input unit may include: a second photocoupler U10; the input end of the second photocoupler U10 is used as the input end of the input unit, and is connected to the external input signal IN (for example, the position signal SP); the output end of the second photocoupler U10 is connected to the control module 110. The second photocoupler U10 isolates the external input signal IN to form an input isolation signal DI and provides it to the control module 110, which is conducive to improving the safety of signal transmission. Furthermore, the input unit may also include peripheral circuits required to ensure the normal and stable operation of the second photocoupler U10, such as resistors and capacitors. Furthermore, according to the recognition ability of the relevant pins of the control module 110, an inverter may also be set in the input unit, connected between the output end of the second photocoupler U10 and the control module 110, and the isolated signal is converted into a voltage recognizable by the relevant pins of the control module 110 through inversion processing. Figure 6 Two input units are given as an example, see Figure 6 , the inverters of the two input units can be integrated into a dual inverter U11.

[0077] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an output unit provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 , the output unit includes: a first photocoupler and a first transistor Q1; the input end of the first photocoupler is connected to the control module 110 and connected to the output signal D0; the output end of the first photocoupler is connected to the control electrode of the first transistor Q1, the first electrode of the first transistor Q1 is connected to the first power supply signal (for example, grounded), and the second electrode of the first transistor Q1 is used as the output end of the output unit to output an external output signal OUT (for example, a shutdown control signal OFF). In this embodiment, signal isolation can be achieved through the first photocoupler to improve circuit stability and safety; different external output signals OUT can be formed according to the different on-off states of the first transistor Q1. Further, the output unit may also include a peripheral circuit required to ensure the normal and stable operation of the first photocoupler, for example, composed of a resistor. Further, the output unit may also include a pull-up resistor connected to the second electrode of the first transistor Q1 to stabilize the voltage of the external output signal OUT when the first transistor Q1 is turned off. Among them, the pull-up resistor can be a peripheral installed on the control motherboard 100. Figure 7 Four output units are given as an example, see Figure 7 The first optocouplers of the four output units can be integrated into a four-way optocoupler U12.

[0078] Continue to see Figure 2On the basis of the above embodiments, the control mainboard 100 may optionally further include: a communication module 160; the communication module 160 is respectively connected to the control module 110 and a host computer (not shown in the figure) in the lithography machine. The control module 110 may exchange information with the host computer through the communication module 160, for example, uploading the received sensor data to the host computer, and receiving various control instructions issued by the host computer.

[0079] For details, see Figure 8 The communication module 160 may include a PHY chip U13 and its peripheral circuits (such as resistors, inductors, and capacitors) to implement data transmission based on Ethernet. For example, the PHY chip U13 may be a chip that supports Gigabit Ethernet, so that the data transmission between the control module 110 and the host computer can be achieved once every 1us. For example, Figure 8, the relevant pins on the left side of the PHY chip U13 are used to connect to the control module 110, and the relevant pins on the right side are used to connect to the host computer. Specifically, the model of the PHY chip U13 can be YT8511SC_CA, and its pins include: RXD0, RXD1, RXD2, RXD3, RX_CLK, RX_DV, TXD0, TXD1, TXD2, TXD3, TX_EN, GTX_CLK, MDIO, MDC, INT, CLK_25M, XLT_IN, XLT_OUT, RESET_N, VDDH_REG, RBLAS, VDD33, AVDD33, VDDIO, DVDDL, AVDDL, LX, EP, TXP0, TXN0, TXP1, TXN1, TXP2, TXN2, TXP3, TXN3, LED_ACT, LED_10_100 and LED_1000. Among them, pins VDDH_REG, VDD33, AVDD33, VDDIO, DVDDL, AVDDL and LX are all power-related function pins; pins TXD0, TXD1, TXD2, TXD3, TXP0, TXN0, TXP1, TXN1, TXP2, TXN2, TXP3, TXN3 and TX_EN are all data transmission related function pins; pins RXD0, RXD1, RXD2, RXD3 and RX_DV are all data reception related function pins; pins RX_CLK, GTX_ CLK, CLK_25M, XLT_IN and XLT_OUT are all clock-related function pins; pin MDIO is the management data input / output function pin; pin MDC is the management clock function pin; pin RESET_N is the reset function pin; pins LED_ACT, LED_10_100 and LED_1000 are all status indication and control-related function pins; pin INT is the interrupt output function pin; pin RBLAS is the receive bias function-related pin; pin EP is the exposed ground pad on the back of the chip, which is used for grounding.

[0080] Based on the above embodiments, the control module 110 may optionally include an FPGA. Furthermore, an interface circuit may be provided in the control mainboard 100 to lead out all pins of the control module 110, which is beneficial to neat wiring and external connection design of the control mainboard 100.

[0081] Based on the above embodiments, optionally, the allowable temperature difference threshold can be set to be less than or equal to 0.01°C to ensure the temperature stability of the optical radiation flux sensor. Also, a temperature sensor with a detection accuracy less than the allowable temperature difference threshold can be selected to detect the temperature of the optical radiation flux sensor.

[0082] The embodiment of the present invention also provides an exposure system, including the control mainboard of the exposure system provided by any embodiment of the present invention, and has corresponding beneficial effects. Exemplarily, the exposure system includes: a light source, an exposure component, a shutter, a shutter drive component, a light intensity collection board and a control mainboard. Among them, the light source is used to provide a source light beam; the exposure component is used to adjust the source light beam to an exposure light beam; the shutter is arranged between the light source and the exposure component, and the shutter is used to control whether the source light beam is provided to the exposure component; the shutter drive component is connected to the shutter, and the shutter drive component is used to control the shutter to open or close; the light intensity collection board includes: a light radiation flux sensor, and a temperature sensor and a cooling plate attached to the light radiation flux sensor; the light radiation flux sensor is used to collect the radiation flux of the exposure beam, the temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the light radiation flux sensor, and the cooling plate is used to cool the light radiation flux sensor; the control mainboard is connected to the light intensity collection board and the shutter drive component respectively, and the control mainboard is used to control the working state of the cooling plate, and the working state of the shutter is controlled by the shutter drive component.

[0083] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another exposure system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 In the light intensity collection board 200, the light radiation flux sensor 210 may specifically include: a light intensity sensor 211, an integrator 212 and an operational amplifier 213. The light intensity sensor 211 is used to collect the radiation energy of the exposure light beam; the integrator 212 is connected to the light intensity sensor 211, and the integrator 212 is used to calculate the integral of the radiation energy over time; the operational amplifier 213 is connected to the integrator 212, and the operational amplifier 213 is used to obtain the radiation flux analog signal of the exposure light beam according to the integral of the radiation energy over time. The temperature sensor 220 and the cooling plate 230 are both attached to the light intensity sensor 211 ( Fig. 9 The dotted lines in the figure indicate the fit).

[0084] Continue to see Fig. 9 Exemplarily, the shutter drive assembly 300 includes: a shutter motor driver 310 and a shutter motor 320; the shutter motor driver 310 is connected to the control module 110 and the shutter motor 320 respectively, and the shutter motor 320 is also connected to the shutter. The control module 110 is connected to the shutter motor driver 310, for example, through the input and output module 150, and the control module 110 provides a shut-off control signal or an opening control signal to the shutter motor driver 310. The shutter motor driver 310 controls the working state of the shutter motor 320 according to the control signal provided by the control module 110, thereby controlling the working state of the shutter.

[0085] Exemplarily, the shutter motor driver 310 may include a driver chip, which is used to receive and analyze the closing control signal and the opening control signal provided by the control module 110. Furthermore, the shutter motor driver 310 may also include a position detection unit, which is used to detect the shutter position and transmit the position signal to the control module 110. The position detection unit is composed of a photoelectric switch, for example. When the shutter is not fully closed, the photoelectric switch will not be blocked; when the shutter is fully closed, the photoelectric switch can be blocked; accordingly, the photoelectric switch can return a corresponding position signal to the control module 110.

[0086] Furthermore, an absolute encoder 330 can be provided in the shutter drive component 300. The absolute encoder 330 is used to detect the rotation of the shutter. The absolute encoder 330 can be used as a shutter position feedback sensor to feed back the shutter position information to the shutter motor driver 310 to monitor the shutter movement state. The shutter motor driver 310 can also adjust the control strategy of the shutter according to the shutter position information.

[0087] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, optionally, a backup analog-to-digital conversion module 170 connected to the control module 110 can also be provided in the control main board 100 to enable timely switching when a failure occurs in the first / second analog-to-digital conversion module, thereby ensuring the main board function and meeting the functional expansion requirements of the control main board 100.

[0088] In summary, in the exposure system provided by the embodiment of the present invention, a closed loop circuit of the temperature control of the light radiation flux sensor 210 can be realized based on the temperature sensor 220, the control main board 100 and the cooling plate 230; by attaching the temperature sensor 220 and the cooling plate 230 to the light intensity sensor 211, precise temperature control can be achieved to ensure that the temperature change of the light intensity sensor 211 itself is within 0.01°C, and the accuracy of its collected data is ensured. In addition, the control module 110 is internally configured with a relevant algorithm for shutter control based on the light radiation flux, which can ensure that the value of the light radiation flux is consistent with the preset value during each shutter opening and closing, thereby ensuring the exposure effect.

[0089] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a photolithography machine, including the exposure system provided by any embodiment of the present invention, having corresponding beneficial effects.

[0090] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add or delete steps. For example, the steps described in the present invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially or in different orders, as long as the desired results of the technical solution of the present invention can be achieved, and this document does not limit this.

[0091] The above specific implementations do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modification, equivalent substitution and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control mainboard of an exposure system, characterized in that: An exposure system used in a photolithography machine; the exposure system comprises a shutter drive assembly, a light radiation flux sensor, and a temperature sensor and a cooling sheet attached to the light radiation flux sensor; The control mainboard comprises: A control module connected to the shutter drive assembly; a first analog-to-digital conversion module, connected to the optical radiation flux sensor and the control module respectively; the first analog-to-digital conversion module is used to convert the radiation flux analog signal of the exposure light beam collected by the optical radiation flux sensor into a radiation flux digital signal; the control module is used to provide a shutdown control signal to the shutter drive component when it is determined according to the radiation flux digital signal that the radiation flux of the exposure light beam reaches a preset radiation flux threshold, so that the shutter drive component controls the shutter to close; A cooling fin driving module is respectively connected to the temperature sensor and the cooling fin; the cooling fin driving module is used to control the cooling fin to cool the optical radiation flux sensor according to the temperature signal detected by the temperature sensor and the preset temperature, so that the difference between the temperature of the optical radiation flux sensor and the preset temperature is less than an allowable temperature difference threshold.

2. The control mainboard of the exposure system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first analog-to-digital conversion module comprises: A voltage follower; the input end of the voltage follower is connected to the optical radiation flux sensor; Analog-to-digital converter; the input end of the analog-to-digital converter is connected to the output end of the voltage follower, and the output end of the analog-to-digital converter is connected to the control module.

3. The control mainboard of the exposure system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The input end of the analog-to-digital converter is a single-ended input end, and the output end of the voltage follower is directly connected to the single-ended input end; Alternatively, the input end of the analog-to-digital converter is a differential input end, including a first sub-input end and a second sub-input end; the first analog-to-digital conversion module also includes: a differential amplifier, the input end of the differential amplifier is connected to the output end of the voltage follower, and the two output ends of the differential amplifier are respectively connected to the first sub-input end and the second sub-input end.

4. The control mainboard of the exposure system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The input end of the cooling fin driving module is connected to the temperature sensor, the output end of the cooling fin driving module is connected to the cooling fin, and the control module is also connected to the sleep control end of the cooling fin driving module; the control module is also used to send a sleep control signal to the sleep control end to control whether the cooling fin driving module is enabled; And / or, the control main board also includes: a second analog-to-digital conversion module, connected to the temperature sensor and the control module respectively; the second analog-to-digital conversion module is used to convert the temperature signal into a temperature digital signal and transmit it to the control module.

5. The control mainboard of the exposure system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling fin driving module comprises: a comparison unit, connected to the temperature sensor, and configured to generate a temperature control signal according to the temperature signal and the preset temperature; A cooling fin driving unit is respectively connected to the comparison unit and the cooling fin, and is used to control the cooling fin to cool the optical radiation flux sensor according to the temperature control signal.

6. The control mainboard of the exposure system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: An input and output module, connected to the control module and the shutter drive component respectively; Wherein, the input and output modules include: At least two output units; the at least two output units include a first output unit and a second output unit; an input end of the first output unit is connected to the control module, an output end of the first output unit is connected to a closing control end of the shutter drive component, and the control module transmits the closing control signal to the shutter drive component through the first output unit; an input end of the second output unit is connected to the control module, an output end of the second output unit is connected to an opening control end of the shutter drive component, the control module transmits an opening control signal to the shutter drive component through the second output unit, and the shutter drive component controls the shutter to open according to the opening control signal; At least one input unit; the at least one input unit includes a first input unit, the input end of the first input unit is connected to the position output end of the shutter drive component, the output end of the first input unit is connected to the control module, the shutter drive component transmits a position signal to the control module through the first input unit, and the position signal is used to indicate whether the shutter is closed.

7. The control mainboard of the exposure system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The output unit comprises: a first photoelectric coupler and a first transistor; the input end of the first photoelectric coupler is connected to the control module, the output end of the first photoelectric coupler is connected to the control electrode of the first transistor, the first electrode of the first transistor is connected to the first power supply signal, and the second electrode of the first transistor serves as the output end of the output unit; The input unit comprises: a second photoelectric coupler; the input end of the second photoelectric coupler serves as the input end of the input unit, and the output end of the second photoelectric coupler is connected to the control module.

8. The control mainboard of the exposure system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A communication module, connected to the control module and the host computer in the lithography machine respectively; wherein the communication module includes a PHY chip; And / or, the control module includes: FPGA; And / or, the allowable temperature difference threshold is less than or equal to 0.01°C.

9. An exposure system, characterized in that: include: a light source for providing a source light beam; An exposure component, used for adjusting the source light beam into an exposure light beam; a shutter, disposed between the light source and the exposure assembly, for controlling whether the source light beam is provided to the exposure assembly; A shutter driving component, connected to the shutter, and used to control the shutter to open or close; A light intensity collection board, comprising: a light radiation flux sensor, and a temperature sensor and a cooling plate attached to the light radiation flux sensor; the light radiation flux sensor is used to collect the radiation flux of the exposure light beam, the temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the light radiation flux sensor, and the cooling plate is used to cool the light radiation flux sensor; A control mainboard as described in any one of claims 1-8; the control mainboard is respectively connected to the light intensity collection board and the shutter drive assembly.

10. A photolithography machine, characterized in that: include: The exposure system as claimed in claim 9.

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