Exposure device and lithographic apparatus
By setting light blocking components between the photomask and the wafer carrier and controlling the temperature of the lens and the photomask, the problems of light leakage and crystal edge peeling defects in the lithography process are solved, and the exposure effect with higher accuracy and yield is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510819762.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-18
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-05
AI Technical Summary
In the existing lithography processes, the wafer edge exposure (WEE) process has a difficult light leakage problem, which makes the exposure area difficult to control. The chemical EBR process cannot retain the photoresist on the wafer surface and cannot solve the short circuit problem caused by crystal edge peeling defects in structural processes with height difference.
A light blocking member is provided between the photomask and the wafer carrier to block the exposure light from scattering to the non-exposed area. The temperature control module is combined to control the temperature of the lens and the photomask to ensure the accuracy and uniformity of the exposed light.
The accuracy of the actual exposure area is improved, light leakage problem is avoided, the shape and range of the exposure area is optimized, the yield of the wafer is improved, and the short circuit problem caused by crystal edge peeling defects is solved.
Smart Images
Figure CN120428522A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to an exposure device and a photolithography equipment. Background Art
[0002] Photolithography is a critical process in semiconductor device manufacturing. The typical photolithography process involves cleaning and drying the wafer surface, spin-coating photoresist, soft baking, alignment and exposure, post-baking, and development. After applying the photoresist, the photoresist must be removed from the wafer edge to prevent peeling.
[0003] Currently, the commonly used edge bead removal (EBR) processes include wafer edge exposure (WEE) process and chemical EBR process.
[0004] The WEE process has a problem of light leakage that is difficult to control, making it difficult to control the exposure area. The chemical EBR process cannot retain the photoresist on the wafer surface.
[0005] For structural processes that require retaining crystal edges and have height differences, the existing WEE process cannot solve the problem of short circuits caused by crystal edge peeling defects. Summary of the Invention
[0006] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an exposure device and a photolithography apparatus.
[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present disclosure is implemented as follows:
[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an exposure device, comprising: a photomask and a wafer carrier; the photomask comprises a light-transmitting area and a light-shielding area, and the wafer carrier is used to carry a wafer to be exposed; an optical module, the optical module is used to provide exposure light, so that the exposure light passes through the light-transmitting area and irradiates the exposure area of the wafer to be exposed; a light-blocking component arranged between the photomask and the wafer carrier, for blocking the exposure light from scattering onto the non-exposure area of the wafer to be exposed when the exposure light is scattered.
[0009] In some embodiments, the light-blocking surface of the light-blocking component is an arc cylinder; and the central axis of the light-blocking surface overlaps with the center of the wafer to be exposed.
[0010] In some embodiments, the light mask is a rectangular light mask; on a plane parallel to the light mask, the projection of the light-blocking surface intersects with two opposite side edges of the projection of the light mask.
[0011] In some embodiments, the optical module includes a light source and a lens; the light source is used to provide exposure light to the lens, and the lens is used to focus the exposure light onto the mask; the exposure device also includes a temperature control module, which is used to control the temperature of the lens at a preset temperature when the exposure device performs an exposure operation.
[0012] In some embodiments, the temperature control module includes a first temperature control component arranged between the light source and the lens; and along the arrangement direction of the light source and the lens, the projection of the first temperature control component does not overlap with the projection of the light source and the projection of the lens; the first temperature control component is used to output a cooling airflow to control the temperature of the lens at the preset temperature.
[0013] In some embodiments, the temperature control module includes a second temperature control component arranged between the lens and the light shield; and along the arrangement direction of the lens and the light shield, the projection of the second temperature control component does not overlap with the projection of the lens and the projection of the light shield; the second temperature control component is used to output a cooling airflow to control the temperature of the lens and the temperature of the light shield at the preset temperature.
[0014] In some embodiments, the material of the light blocking component includes a light absorbing material.
[0015] In some embodiments, the wafer carrier is further configured to rotate the wafer to be exposed when the exposure device performs an exposure operation.
[0016] In some embodiments, the optical module, the photomask and the wafer carrier are arranged in a processing chamber; the exposure device also includes an exhaust device connected to the processing chamber, which is used to exhaust the gas in the processing chamber when the exposure device performs an exposure operation.
[0017] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a lithography device, comprising an exposure device as in any of the above embodiments.
[0018] The disclosed embodiments provide an exposure device and a photolithography device. The exposure device includes: a photomask and a wafer carrier; the photomask includes a light-transmitting area and a light-shielding area, and the wafer carrier is used to carry the wafer to be exposed; an optical module, the optical module is used to provide exposure light, so that the exposure light passes through the light-transmitting area and irradiates the exposure area of the wafer to be exposed; a light-blocking component provided between the photomask and the wafer carrier is used to block the exposure light from being scattered onto the non-exposure area of the wafer to be exposed when the exposure light is scattered. In the disclosed embodiments, by providing a light-blocking component between the photomask and the wafer carrier, the exposure light can be blocked from being scattered onto the non-exposure area of the wafer to be exposed, thereby improving the accuracy of the actual exposure area and avoiding the influence of light leakage on the range of the exposure area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the relationship between a wafer and a wafer exposure device is provided for one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0020] Figure 2 An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for Figure 1 A schematic top view of an actual exposure area when the wafer exposure device in FIG. 1 is exposing the wafer;
[0021] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of an exposure device is provided for one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0022] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a light-blocking component provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0023] Figure 5 A schematic top view of a light-blocking component and a wafer to be exposed provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0024] Figure 6 A schematic bottom view of a light mask and a light-blocking component provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0025] Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view of a photomask, a light-blocking component, and a wafer to be exposed in an XOZ plane according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0026] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the first air outlet, the first air inlet, and the lens, as viewed along a direction perpendicular to the surface of the lens close to the light source, provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the second air outlet, the second air inlet, the lens, and the photomask, as viewed along a direction perpendicular to the photomask, provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the embodiments of the present disclosure and the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
[0029] In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features known in the art are not described to avoid confusion with the present disclosure; that is, all features of actual embodiments are not described herein, nor are well-known functions and structures described in detail.
[0030] In the drawings, the sizes of layers, regions, elements and their relative sizes may be exaggerated for clarity. Like reference numerals denote like elements throughout.
[0031] It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on, adjacent to, connected to, or coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, adjacent to, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on, directly adjacent to, directly connected to, or directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or part from another element, component, region, layer, or part. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure, the first element, component, region, layer, or part discussed below may be represented as a second element, component, region, layer, or part. However, when the second element, component, region, layer, or part is discussed, it does not necessarily mean that the first element, component, region, layer, or part exists in the present disclosure.
[0032] Spatially relative terms such as "under," "beneath," "below," "under," "above," "above," etc., may be used herein for convenience of description to describe the relationship of an element or feature shown in the figures to other elements or features. It should be understood that in addition to the orientations shown in the figures, the spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use and operation. For example, if the device in the drawings is flipped, then the elements or features described as "under the other elements" or "under it" or "under it" will be oriented as "on" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary terms "under" and "under" may include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be oriented otherwise (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations) and the spatial descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.
[0033] The purpose of the terms used herein is only to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. When used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprising" and / or "comprising", when used in this specification, determine the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups. When used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.
[0034] In order to fully understand the present disclosure, detailed steps and detailed structures will be presented in the following description to illustrate the technical solution of the present disclosure. The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below. However, in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present disclosure may also have other implementation methods.
[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the relationship between a wafer and a wafer exposure device is provided for one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 Wafer exposure apparatus 1 includes a light source 2, a lens 3, and a photomask. The photomask includes a light-transmitting region 4a and a light-shielding region 4b. Light source 2 provides exposure light, which sequentially passes through lens 3 and light-transmitting region 4a of the photomask and irradiates photoresist 6 on the surface of wafer 5. Light-shielding region 4b controls the shape and area of the exposure light passing through the photomask.
[0036] Among them, the exposure area of wafer 5 is A1. However, due to the insufficient purity of lens 3, the exposure light will be scattered, thereby affecting the range of the exposure area. In addition, the temperature of the environment in which the wafer exposure device 1 is located is difficult to control, and the lens 3 and the mask will heat up during the exposure operation of the wafer exposure device 1, causing the exposure light to be scattered during the transmission process, and the temperature change will cause the energy distribution of the exposure light to be unstable, thereby aggravating the degree of scattering of the exposure light, resulting in the range and shape of the exposure area being unstable. Therefore, when the wafer exposure device 1 is performing the exposure operation, there is a phenomenon that the exposure light is irradiated on the light leakage area A2 other than the exposure area A1, resulting in the problem that the actual exposure area is too large, thereby affecting the yield of the wafer.
[0037] Figure 2 An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for Figure 1 A schematic top view of the actual exposure area when the wafer exposure device in FIG. Figure 2 Since the commonly used photomask is a rectangular photomask, it can be understood that the light-transmitting area 4a is rectangular. Therefore, when the wafer rotation speed is low, the exposure light provided by the wafer exposure device 1 has a rectangular corner defect in the actual exposure area A3 on the wafer 5, resulting in a low wafer yield.
[0038] In view of this, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an exposure device.
[0039] It should be noted that for ease of description, various directions that may be used in the following description are first defined. The intersecting X and Y directions are defined in a plane parallel to the mask, and the Z direction is defined in a plane perpendicular to the mask. The X, Y, and Z directions can be perpendicular to each other.
[0040] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of an exposure device is provided for one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 The exposure device includes: a photomask 10 and a wafer carrier 20; the photomask 10 includes a light-transmitting area 11 and a light-shielding area 12, and the wafer carrier 20 is used to carry the wafer to be exposed (not shown in the figure); an optical module 30, the optical module 30 is used to provide exposure light, so that the exposure light passes through the light-transmitting area 11 and is irradiated onto the exposure area of the wafer to be exposed; a light-blocking component 40 arranged between the photomask 10 and the wafer carrier 20 is used to block the exposure light from being scattered onto the non-exposure area of the wafer to be exposed when the exposure light is scattered.
[0041] See also Figure 3When the exposure device performs an exposure operation, the exposure light provided by the optical module 30 can pass through the light-transmitting area 11 and illuminate the exposure area of the wafer to be exposed, and the exposure light irradiated on the light-shielding area 12 will be absorbed by the light-shielding area 12. It can be understood that the mask 10 can be used to control the shape and range of the exposure light irradiated on the wafer to be exposed. The light-blocking component 40 is disposed between the mask 10 and the wafer carrier 20 to prevent the exposure light from scattering onto the non-exposure area, thereby controlling the range of the actual exposure area.
[0042] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a light-blocking component is provided between the mask and the wafer carrier, which can prevent the exposure light from scattering on the non-exposure area of the wafer to be exposed, thereby improving the accuracy of the actual exposure area and avoiding the impact of light leakage problems on the exposure area range.
[0043] In some embodiments, the wafer supporting platform 20 is further used to rotate the wafer to be exposed when the exposure device performs an exposure operation.
[0044] In some embodiments, when the exposure device performs an exposure operation, the wafer carrier 20 can rotate the wafer to be exposed at a preset speed so that the exposure light is evenly irradiated on the edge of the wafer to be exposed. Here, the embodiments of the present disclosure do not specifically limit the preset speed.
[0045] When the wafer carrier 20 drives the wafer to be exposed to rotate, the light blocking component 40 is used to block the exposure light from being scattered onto the non-exposure area, so as to control the range of the actual exposure area.
[0046] Here, the photomask 10 , the light shielding member 40 and the wafer carrying table 20 may be sequentially arranged along the Z direction.
[0047] In some embodiments, the optical module 30 , the light mask 10 and the light blocking component 40 may be fixed in a suitable position by means of a robotic arm or a support frame.
[0048] It should be noted that the present disclosure does not impose any restrictions on the fixing methods of the optical module, the light shield, and the light-blocking portion.
[0049] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a light-blocking component provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 5 A schematic top view of a light-blocking component and a wafer to be exposed provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0050] In some embodiments, see Figure 4 and Figure 5 The light-blocking surface 41 of the light-blocking component 40 is an arc cylinder; the central axis of the light-blocking surface 41 overlaps with the center C of the wafer W to be exposed.
[0051] In some embodiments, the exposure light passing through the light-transmitting area 11 may be blocked by the light-blocking surface 41 when being scattered, so as to prevent the exposure light from irradiating the non-exposure area of the wafer W to be exposed, thereby controlling the accuracy of the actual exposure area.
[0052] In some embodiments, the central axis of the light-blocking surface 41 overlaps with the center of the wafer W to be exposed. This allows the actual exposure area on the wafer W to be exposed to be a circular ring when the wafer carrier 20 rotates the wafer W to be exposed, thereby optimizing the shape and range of the actual exposure area and avoiding warping caused by uneven exposure areas to improve the wafer yield. Here, the inner radius of the ring is the same as the radius of the light-blocking surface 41, and the outer periphery of the ring is the periphery of the wafer W to be exposed.
[0053] When the exposure device performs the exposure operation, as the wafer carrier 20 drives the wafer W to be exposed to rotate, on the XOY plane, since the edge of the light-transmitting area 11 close to the center C of the wafer W to be exposed is a straight line or other shape, when the rotation speed of the wafer carrier 20 is low, the actual exposure area may produce a rectangular corner defect, that is, a similar Figure 2 The light-blocking surface 41 of the light-blocking component 40 is designed as an arc cylinder, and the central axis of the arc cylinder overlaps with the center of the wafer W to be exposed, which can avoid the occurrence of rectangular corner defects, increase the process window of the exposure device, and reduce the possibility of wafer defects, thereby improving the yield of the wafer.
[0054] Here, the light blocking component 40 has a light blocking surface 41 of an arc cylinder, which can be adapted to a light mask of any shape, thereby improving the design flexibility of the light mask 10 .
[0055] In some embodiments, the radial dimension of the light-blocking surface 41 can be determined based on the width of the exposure area on the wafer W to be exposed. For example, if the wafer W to be exposed is 12 inches, that is, the radius of the wafer to be exposed is 150 mm, and the width d1 of the exposure area of the wafer W to be exposed is 3 mm, then the radius of the non-exposure area is 147 mm. At this time, the radius of the light-blocking surface of the light-blocking component 40 can be 147 mm. It is understandable that in actual application, the radius of the light-blocking surface 41 can be set to be slightly smaller than the radius of the non-exposure area without affecting the range of the exposure area.
[0056] In some embodiments, along the radial direction of the light blocking surface 41 , the surface of the light blocking component 40 facing away from the light blocking surface 41 may have the same shape as the light blocking surface 41 to reduce the manufacturing complexity of the light blocking component 40 .
[0057] In some embodiments, along the radial direction of the light blocking surface 41, the surface of the light blocking member 40 facing away from the light blocking surface 41 may have the same or different shape as the light blocking surface 41. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose any specific restrictions on the shapes of the surfaces of the light blocking member 40 other than the light blocking surface 41.
[0058] In some embodiments, the surface of the wafer W to be exposed is coated with photoresist.
[0059] When the exposure device performs an exposure operation, the photoresist on the surface of the wafer W to be exposed may undergo a photochemical reaction under the action of the exposure light, thereby removing the photoresist in the exposed area. Specifically, if the photoresist coated on the wafer W to be exposed is a UV adhesive, the exposure light may be UV light.
[0060] Figure 6 A bottom schematic diagram of a light mask and a light-blocking component provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0061] In some embodiments, see Figure 6 on a plane parallel to the mask, the projection of the light-blocking surface 41 intersects with the two opposite sides of the projection of the mask 10.
[0062] See also Figure 6 The light-transmitting area 11 and the light-shielding area 12 of the mask 10 are rectangular. In the XOY plane, the projection of the light-blocking surface 41 does not overlap with the projection of the light-transmitting area 11 to prevent the exposure light from leaking to the non-exposure area of the wafer W to be exposed.
[0063] On the XOY plane, the projection of the light-blocking surface 41 intersects with two opposite sides of the projection of the mask 10 , ensuring that the light-blocking component 40 can block exposure light scattered to the non-exposure area, thereby improving the reliability of the exposure operation.
[0064] Here, the embodiment of the present disclosure does not impose any specific limitation on the size of the mask, and it can be set according to exposure requirements.
[0065] In some embodiments, the material of the light blocking member 40 includes a light absorbing material.
[0066] In some embodiments, the material of the light blocking component 40 includes a light-absorbing material, which can prevent the exposure light irradiated on the light blocking component 40 from being reflected, thereby avoiding the problem of stray light in the exposure light caused by the reflection phenomenon and interfering with the exposure operation, and can improve the reliability of the exposure operation.
[0067] Figure 7 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a photomask, a light-blocking component, and a wafer to be exposed in the XOZ plane according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0068] In some embodiments, see Figure 6 and Figure 7 On the XOY plane, if the distance between the light shielding member 40 and the light-transmitting area 11 is d2, then along the Z direction, the distance h1 between the light shielding member 40 and the photomask 10 can be greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to H, and the distance h2 between the light shielding member 40 and the wafer W to be exposed (specifically, the photoresist on the surface of the wafer W to be exposed) can be greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to H.
[0069] Here, H satisfies the following formula (1): wherein α is the refraction angle of the exposure light passing through the light-transmitting region 11 .
[0070] H=D×tan α (1)
[0071] When h1 and h2 satisfy the above formula (1), the light shielding member 40 can effectively block the exposure light from being scattered onto the non-exposure area of the wafer W to be exposed.
[0072] In some embodiments, the optical module 30 includes a light source 31 and a lens 32; the light source 31 is used to provide exposure light to the lens 32, and the lens 32 is used to focus the exposure light onto the mask 10; the exposure device also includes a temperature control module for controlling the temperature of the lens 32 at a preset temperature when the exposure device performs an exposure operation.
[0073] In some embodiments, the temperature control module can control the temperature of the lens 32 at a preset temperature, which can solve the problem of lens 32 expanding and deforming due to the increase in temperature of the lens 32 during the exposure operation of the exposure device, thereby causing exposure light scattering and unstable energy distribution. The accuracy of the actual exposure area and the reliability of the exposure operation can be improved. Here, the preset temperature can be room temperature, for example, 21°C, 22°C or 23°C. It should be noted that the preset temperature can be set according to actual conditions, and this disclosure does not impose specific limitations on this.
[0074] In some embodiments, the lens 32 may include a first region 33 and a second region 34. The first region 33 and the second region 34 may precisely control the shape and size of the exposure light passing through the lens 32, thereby preventing the exposure light from irradiating areas outside the photomask 10. Furthermore, the first region 33 may focus or focus and collimate the exposure light, thereby improving the uniformity of the exposure light irradiated on the photomask 10.
[0075] In some embodiments, the second region 34 may include a light absorbing material.
[0076] In some embodiments, the intensity of the exposure light provided by light source 31 should be neither too high nor too low. Specifically, if the intensity of the exposure light provided by light source 31 is too low, the intensity of the exposure light irradiated on the photoresist decreases after transmission, and the photochemical reaction of the photoresist may not occur, thereby failing to achieve the function of exposing the photoresist on the exposure area of the wafer W to be exposed. If the exposure light provided by light source 31 is too high, it is likely to cause energy waste, increase process difficulty, and increase process cost. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the intensity of the exposure light generated by light source 31 is within the range of 300mJ to 400mJ.
[0077] In some embodiments, the light source 31 may be an I-line light source or a DUV light source to provide exposure light with a wavelength of 365 nm or 254 nm.
[0078] In some embodiments, the lens 32 may be a lens group including a plurality of lenses. The present disclosure does not limit the specific composition of the lens 32.
[0079] In some embodiments, the temperature control module includes a first temperature control component 51 arranged between the light source 31 and the lens 32; and along the arrangement direction of the light source 31 and the lens 32, the projection of the first temperature control component 51 does not overlap with the projection of the light source 31 and the projection of the lens 32; the first temperature control component is used to output a cooling airflow to control the temperature of the lens 32 at a preset temperature.
[0080] See also Figure 3 The first temperature control component 51 includes a first air outlet 51a and a first air inlet 51b. The first air outlet 51a is configured to output a cooling airflow, and the first air inlet 51b is configured to receive the cooling airflow output by the first air outlet 51a. The first air outlet 51a and the first air inlet 51b are arranged parallel to the surface of the lens 32, specifically, the surface of the lens 32 closest to the light source 31.
[0081] In some embodiments, the flow rate of the cooling airflow is approximately 235 L / min to 260 L / min, which can safely cool the lens and prevent the sublimation of contaminants generated during the exposure operation from damaging the exposure device and interfering with the exposure operation.
[0082] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the first air outlet, the first air inlet, and the lens, as observed along a direction perpendicular to the surface of the lens close to the light source, provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0083] See also Figure 8The first air outlet portion 51a includes a first air outlet area 51c, and a plurality of first air outlet holes may be arranged at intervals in the first air outlet area 51c, and the first air inlet holes are used to output the cooling airflow; the first air inlet portion 51b includes a first air inlet area 51d, and a plurality of first air inlet holes may be arranged at intervals in the first air inlet area 51d, and the first air inlet holes are used to receive the cooling airflow.
[0084] Here, the area S1 between the first air outlet region 51c and the first air inlet region 51d, through which the cooling airflow is transmitted, can cover the surface of the lens 32. It will be appreciated that the distance between the first air outlet region 51c and the first air inlet region 51d is greater than the size of the lens 32. In a plane parallel to the surface of the lens 32 close to the light source 31, and in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the first air outlet portion 51a and the first air inlet portion 51b, the size of the first air outlet region 51c and the first air inlet region 51d is greater than or equal to the size of the lens 32.
[0085] Here, the cooling gas flow can be nitrogen or other inert gases.
[0086] In some embodiments, the temperature control module includes a second temperature control component 52 arranged between the lens 32 and the light shield 10; and along the arrangement direction of the lens 32 and the light shield 10, the projection of the second temperature control component 52 does not overlap with the projection of the lens 32 and the projection of the light shield 10; the second temperature control component 52 is used to output a cooling airflow to control the temperature of the lens 32 and the temperature of the light shield 10 at a preset temperature.
[0087] See also Figure 3 The second temperature control component 52 includes a second air outlet 52a and a second air inlet 52b. The second air outlet 52a is used to output a cooling airflow, and the second air inlet 52b is used to receive the cooling airflow output by the second air outlet 52a. Here, the arrangement direction of the second air outlet 52a and the second air inlet 52b is parallel to the mask 10.
[0088] In some embodiments, the flow rate of the cooling airflow is approximately 235L / min to 260L / min, which can ensure safe cooling of the lens and mask, prevent the sublimation of pollutants generated during the exposure operation from damaging the exposure device, and avoid interference with the exposure operation caused by the sublimation of pollutants.
[0089] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the second air outlet, the second air inlet, the lens, and the photomask, as viewed along a direction perpendicular to the photomask, provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0090] See also Figure 9The second air outlet portion 52a includes a second air outlet area 52c, and a plurality of second air outlet holes may be arranged at intervals in the second air outlet area 52c, and the second air inlet holes are used to output the cooling airflow; the second air inlet portion 52b includes a second air inlet area 52d, and a plurality of second air inlet holes may be arranged at intervals in the second air inlet area 52d, and the second air inlet holes are used to receive the cooling airflow.
[0091] Here, the region S2 between the second air outlet region 52c and the second air inlet region 52d, through which the cooling airflow is transmitted, can cover the surface of the lens 32. It will be appreciated that the distance between the second air outlet region 52c and the second air inlet region 52d is greater than the dimensions of the lens 32 and the light mask 10. In a plane parallel to the light mask 10, and in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the second air outlet portions 52a and the second air inlet portions 52b, the dimensions of the second air outlet region 52c and the second air inlet region 52d are greater than or equal to the dimensions of the lens 32 and the light mask 10.
[0092] In some embodiments, the optical module 30, the mask 10 and the wafer carrier 20 are arranged in the processing chamber; the exposure device also includes an exhaust device connected to the processing chamber for exhausting the gas in the processing chamber when the exposure device performs an exposure operation.
[0093] In some embodiments, when the exposure device performs an exposure operation, the exhaust device can discharge pollutants generated by the photochemical reaction of the photoresist during the exposure operation into the processing chamber during the exhaust process, so as to avoid contamination of the wafer W to be exposed by the pollutants, thereby improving the yield of the wafer.
[0094] In some embodiments, the exhaust device can also control the pressure within the processing chamber to positive pressure to prevent gas backflow from contaminating the exposure device and the wafers to be exposed. Specifically, the pressure within the processing chamber can be controlled to between 27 Pa and 37 Pa. It should be noted that positive pressure means that the pressure within the processing chamber is greater than the pressure outside the processing chamber.
[0095] In some embodiments, the exposure apparatus may further include an air intake device connected to the processing chamber for delivering gas into the processing chamber when the exposure apparatus performs an exposure operation. Here, the gas input into the processing chamber by the air intake device may be nitrogen or other inert gas.
[0096] In some embodiments, the gas outlets of the first gas inlet portion 51b and the second gas inlet portion 52b may be connected to an exhaust device to discharge the used cooled gas flow out of the processing chamber.
[0097] In some embodiments, a temperature detection device, a flow rate detection device, and a position detection device may be provided in the processing chamber. The temperature detection device may be used to measure the temperature in the processing chamber or the temperature around the lens and the photomask in real time, so that the parameters of the exposure device may be adjusted according to the temperature measured by the temperature detection device, such as adjusting the temperature and flow rate of the cooling airflow. The flow rate detection device may detect the flow rate of the cooling airflow in the processing chamber in real time, so that the flow rate of the cooling airflow may be adjusted according to the flow rate measured by the flow rate detection device, or the exposure operation may be performed when the flow rate of the cooling airflow reaches a preset range. The position detection device may be used to detect the position of each component and wafer in the exposure device, so as to facilitate adjusting each component and wafer to a suitable position. At the same time, the exposure area may also be controlled and corrected according to the parameters measured by the temperature detection device, the flow rate detection device, and the position detection device, thereby improving the accuracy of the actual exposure area.
[0098] An embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a photolithography device, including an exposure device as in any of the above embodiments.
[0099] Here, since the lithography equipment provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure includes any one of the exposure devices provided by the above embodiments, it has the same or corresponding technical effects as the exposure device in any of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.
[0100] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide an exposure device and a photolithography device. The exposure device includes: a photomask and a wafer carrier; the photomask includes a light-transmitting area and a light-shielding area, and the wafer carrier is used to carry the wafer to be exposed; an optical module, the optical module is used to provide exposure light, so that the exposure light passes through the light-transmitting area and irradiates the exposure area of the wafer to be exposed; a light-blocking component provided between the photomask and the wafer carrier is used to block the exposure light from being scattered onto the non-exposure area of the wafer to be exposed when the exposure light is scattered. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, by providing a light-blocking component between the photomask and the wafer carrier, the exposure light can be blocked from being scattered onto the non-exposure area of the wafer to be exposed, thereby improving the accuracy of the actual exposure area and avoiding the influence of light leakage problems on the range of the exposure area.
[0101] It should be understood that “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” mentioned throughout the specification means that specific features, structures or characteristics related to the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” appearing throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, these specific features, structures or characteristics can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present disclosure, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The serial numbers of the embodiments of the present disclosure are for description only and do not represent the advantages and disadvantages of the embodiments.
[0102] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and does not limit the patent scope of the present disclosure. All equivalent structural transformations made by using the contents of the present disclosure and the drawings under the inventive concept of the present disclosure, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present disclosure.
Claims
1. An exposure device, characterized in that include: Photomask and wafer carrier; The photomask includes a light-transmitting area and a light-shielding area, and the wafer carrying platform is used to carry the wafer to be exposed; an optical module, the optical module being configured to provide exposure light, so that the exposure light passes through the light-transmitting area and irradiates the exposure area of the wafer to be exposed; The light blocking component provided between the photomask and the wafer carrying platform is used for blocking the exposure light from being scattered onto the non-exposure area of the wafer to be exposed when the exposure light is scattered.
2. The exposure device according to claim 1, wherein The light-blocking surface of the light-blocking component is an arc cylinder; the central axis of the light-blocking surface overlaps with the center of the wafer to be exposed.
3. The exposure device according to claim 2, wherein The light mask is a rectangular light mask; on a plane parallel to the light mask, the projection of the light-blocking surface intersects with two opposite side edges of the projection of the light mask.
4. The exposure device according to claim 1, wherein The optical module includes a light source and a lens; the light source is used to provide exposure light to the lens, and the lens is used to focus the exposure light onto the mask; The exposure device further includes a temperature control module for controlling the temperature of the lens at a preset temperature when the exposure device performs an exposure operation.
5. The exposure device according to claim 4, wherein The temperature control module includes a first temperature control component disposed between the light source and the lens; and along the arrangement direction of the light source and the lens, a projection of the first temperature control component does not overlap with a projection of the light source and a projection of the lens; The first temperature control component is used to output a cooling airflow to control the temperature of the lens at the preset temperature.
6. The exposure device according to claim 4, wherein The temperature control module includes a second temperature control component disposed between the lens and the light shield; and along the arrangement direction of the lens and the light shield, the projection of the second temperature control component does not overlap with the projection of the lens and the projection of the light shield; The second temperature control component is used to output a cooling airflow to control the temperature of the lens and the temperature of the light shield at the preset temperature.
7. The exposure device according to claim 1, wherein The material of the light blocking component includes a light absorbing material.
8. The exposure device according to claim 1, wherein The wafer carrying platform is further used to drive the wafer to be exposed to rotate when the exposure device performs an exposure operation.
9. The exposure device according to claim 1, wherein The optical module, the photomask and the wafer carrier are arranged in a processing chamber; The exposure device further includes an exhaust device connected to the processing chamber, for exhausting gas in the processing chamber when the exposure device performs an exposure operation.
10. A photolithography apparatus, characterized in that: The exposure device comprises the exposure device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.