Adjustable diaphragm device, exposure system and diaphragm window forming method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing equipment, and discloses an adjustable diaphragm device, an exposure system and a forming method of a diaphragm window. The adjustable diaphragm device comprises at least two diaphragm assemblies which are oppositely arranged in the first direction, and each diaphragm assembly comprises a plurality of diaphragm modules which are sequentially arranged in the second direction. Any diaphragm module comprises a driving piece and a diaphragm sheet body which are connected with each other; and at least part of the diaphragm sheet bodies are configured to move oppositely along the first direction under the driving of the driving piece, so that one ends, relatively far away from the driving piece, of the diaphragm sheet bodies are used as a plurality of fitting points forming the contour of the diaphragm window to jointly enclose the diaphragm window. The diaphragm window is provided with the plurality of independently controllable diaphragm modules, the position of the diaphragm sheet body in each diaphragm module can be independently controlled, and the plurality of diaphragm sheet bodies are arranged to correspond to the plurality of fitting points or fitting areas after contour differentiation of the diaphragm window, so that the overall shape of the diaphragm window is not limited any more; diaphragm windows of various shapes can be realized with high precision.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor processing equipment and testing equipment, specifically to an adjustable aperture device and exposure system, and a method for forming an aperture window. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, photolithography methods in the semiconductor chip manufacturing field have evolved through several stages: contact lithography, proximity lithography, and projection lithography. Among them, projection lithography technology uses a complex illumination system and projection lens to transfer the target pattern onto the wafer, achieving high-resolution imaging. However, its equipment structure is complex, its manufacturing cost is high, and it has extremely high requirements for wavefront aberration control. As the feature size of high-end chips continues to shrink, the performance requirements for lithography machines are also increasing. Therefore, another type of lithography system has emerged—the holographic lithography system.

[0003] Holographic lithography utilizes holographic diffraction imaging to expose silicon wafers, eliminating the need for traditional projection lenses and overcoming the structural complexity of conventional lithography systems. Furthermore, without altering the illumination system, holographic lithography systems can block light outside the exposure area by adding an aperture system, changing the shape and size of the light spot illuminating the mask. This allows for exposure of masks of different sizes, reducing stray light interference between the mask and the silicon wafer and improving image quality. However, current holographic lithography systems can easily form conventional windows such as rectangles and squares, making them unsuitable for scenarios with specific requirements for aperture window shape. Moreover, the shape accuracy and stability of the aperture window are relatively poor, making it difficult to guarantee exposure quality. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an adjustable aperture device and exposure system, as well as a method for forming the aperture window, to solve the problems that existing aperture systems cannot adapt to different aperture window shapes, have poor aperture window shape accuracy and stability, and are difficult to guarantee exposure quality.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an adjustable aperture device, comprising: at least two aperture assemblies disposed opposite to each other along a first direction, the aperture assembly comprising a plurality of aperture modules arranged sequentially along a second direction, the second direction forming a preset angle with the first direction; each aperture module comprising a driving member and an aperture plate, one end of the aperture plate being connected to the driving member; in the two aperture assemblies, at least a portion of the aperture plates are configured to move toward each other along the first direction under the drive of the driving member, such that the end of the aperture plate relatively far from the driving member serves as a plurality of fitting points constituting the aperture window outline, which together form an aperture window.

[0006] Beneficial effects: The adjustable aperture device of the present invention is equipped with multiple independent and controllable aperture modules, which are then combined into a large aperture assembly. The position of the aperture plate in each aperture module can be independently controlled, and several aperture plates are set to correspond to multiple fitting points or fitting regions after the contour differentiation of the aperture window. The overall shape of the aperture window is no longer restricted. For example, the aperture window graphics required by various exposure systems can be edited by graphics software and analyzed into several fitting points or fitting regions, thereby achieving aperture windows of various shapes with high precision, not just rectangles and squares, thus providing precise illumination spots for the exposure system and improving exposure quality.

[0007] In one optional implementation, it further includes: a plurality of first detection structures, each of which corresponds one-to-one with an aperture plate, adapted to acquire position information of each aperture plate and feed it back to the terminal device.

[0008] Beneficial effects: As the aperture plates are driven to move, multiple first detection structures, each corresponding to an aperture plate, monitor the actual position of each aperture plate in real time until each aperture plate has moved to its designated position. This closed-loop control achieves higher aperture window forming accuracy. This ensures both the accuracy of the aperture window pattern and the long-term stability of the pattern. If the aperture window pattern changes or shifts, it can be corrected promptly, thus guaranteeing the stability of the adjustable aperture device and the exposure system.

[0009] In one optional implementation, it further includes: a second detection structure disposed above the aperture window, adapted to acquire the actual shape of the aperture window and feed the actual shape back to the terminal device.

[0010] Beneficial effects: After each aperture slab moves to its actual position, the second detection structure acquires the complete shape and position of the aperture window and feeds back the actual shape information of the aperture window to the terminal device. This facilitates subsequent comparison of the actual shape of the aperture window with the target shape in the terminal device, thereby correcting the shape of the aperture window. Through the detection assembly composed of the first and second detection structures, the aperture window is detected in real time, including both overall and local measurements, comprehensively improving the graphic accuracy of the aperture window.

[0011] In one optional embodiment, the device further includes a terminal device, which includes a drawing module and a control module. The drawing module is adapted to draw the target shape of the aperture window. The control module is electrically connected to the drawing module and the driving component, and is adapted to activate the driving component of the corresponding portion of the aperture module according to the target shape, so that the driving component moves the corresponding aperture plate to the target position, and corrects the position of the aperture plate according to the feedback information of the first detection structure and the second detection structure.

[0012] Beneficial effects: The adjustable aperture device includes a terminal device, a detection component, and an aperture body. The three work together to realize the graphical programming of the aperture window, which is simple and clear and easy to operate. The aperture window can not only realize rectangular and square windows, but also cross-shaped, circular, and other types of windows. Moreover, the position of the window graphic can be adjusted arbitrarily within a certain range, and the real-time status monitoring of the aperture window shape can be realized.

[0013] In one optional embodiment, any two adjacent aperture plates are further provided with a guide structure on their adjacent sides. The guide structure includes a guide groove and a guide protrusion extending along a first direction and respectively formed on the two adjacent aperture plates. The guide protrusion slides within the guide groove along the first direction.

[0014] Beneficial effects: The self-guiding design of the present invention can greatly improve the smoothness of the movement of the aperture plate and the stability of the device itself, avoid the problem of vibration of the aperture plate during movement, and ensure that there is no light leakage between the aperture plates, so that the entire aperture achieves a good light-blocking effect; in addition, several aperture plates are arranged closely together to form a double-sided guiding structure, which further enhances the stability.

[0015] In one alternative implementation, it includes: a multi-layer aperture group stacked in the longitudinal direction, wherein any layer of the aperture group includes two aperture components disposed opposite to each other.

[0016] Beneficial effect: The design of a multi-layer aperture group can further improve the resolution of the aperture window shape.

[0017] In one optional embodiment, it includes: a first layer of aperture group and a second layer of aperture group arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction; the arrangement direction of several aperture modules in the first layer of aperture group is the same as the arrangement direction of several aperture modules in the second layer of aperture group but is longitudinally staggered; or, the arrangement direction of several aperture modules in the first layer of aperture group and the arrangement direction of several aperture modules in the second layer of aperture group form a first angle, the first angle being greater than 0° and less than 180°.

[0018] Beneficial effects: Setting multiple aperture groups in the same direction with a staggered arrangement or at a certain angle helps to improve the graphic resolution of the formed aperture window and enhance the graphic diversity of the aperture window.

[0019] In one alternative implementation, the shape of the aperture window includes any one of the following: square, rectangle, cross, circle, ellipse, trapezoid, irregular polygon, or irregular curve.

[0020] Beneficial effects: The shape of the aperture window of the adjustable aperture device of the present invention can basically cover all, and can be adapted to the aperture window requirements of different scene shapes.

[0021] Secondly, the present invention also provides an exposure system, comprising: a light source, a light processing module, an illumination module, a mask, a substrate, and a first aperture. The light processing module is adapted to receive light emitted by the light source and process it before emitting it; the illumination module is adapted to receive light emitted by the light processing module; the mask is disposed on the light-emitting side of the illumination module; the substrate is disposed on the side of the mask that is relatively far away from the illumination module; the first aperture is disposed between the illumination module and the mask, and the first aperture adopts the aforementioned adjustable aperture device.

[0022] Beneficial effects: The light source emits a beam of light, which is output as a large beam that meets the system requirements after passing through the illumination system. After being processed by the first aperture, a light spot shape that is adapted to the current photomask is obtained. The light spot is transmitted through the photomask and exposed on the substrate by holographic diffraction to form the corresponding pattern. The first aperture adopts the aforementioned adjustable aperture device to improve the accuracy and diversity of the light spot, thereby adapting to a variety of optical systems.

[0023] In an alternative embodiment, the device further includes a second aperture disposed between the mask and the substrate, the second aperture employing the adjustable aperture device described above.

[0024] Beneficial effect: Adding a second aperture above the substrate helps to filter out stray light and further improves exposure quality.

[0025] Thirdly, the present invention also provides a method for forming an aperture window, employing the aforementioned adjustable aperture device, the method comprising: The drawing module draws the target shape of the aperture window and resolves the outline of the target shape into several target coordinate points; The control module drives at least a portion of the aperture plates in the aperture module to move according to the target coordinate point, so that the ends of multiple aperture plates are relatively far away from the driving component, and each serves as a fitting point to form the aperture window outline.

[0026] Beneficial effects: The aperture window forming method of the present invention firstly uses the drawing module of the terminal device, such as graphics software, to edit the aperture window graphics required by various exposure systems and parse them into several fitting points or fitting regions to obtain several target coordinate points; then, the control module drives multiple independent and controllable aperture modules to move several points separately, so that several aperture plates reach the target coordinate points, thereby realizing aperture windows of various shapes with high precision, providing accurate illumination spots for the exposure system and improving exposure quality. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a top view of an adjustable aperture device when the aperture window is square, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a top view of an adjustable aperture device when the aperture window is circular, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first aperture assembly in the adjustable aperture device; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the aperture module according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustable aperture device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating the principle of the adjustable aperture device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the adjustable aperture device with one aperture group according to an embodiment of the present invention at the location of the aperture plate; Figure 8 This is a top view schematic diagram of the second-layer aperture group in the adjustable aperture device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the adjustable aperture device with two aperture groups according to an embodiment of the present invention at the location of the aperture plate. Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of different aperture windows in the adjustable aperture device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the exposure system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic flowchart of the method for forming the aperture window according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1000, Light source; 2000, Light processing module; 3000, Illumination module; 4000, Mask; 5000, Adjustable aperture device; 5001, First aperture; 5002, Second aperture; 6000, Substrate; 5100, First-layer aperture group; 5110, First aperture assembly; 5120, Second aperture assembly; 5130, First aperture window; 5140, Mounting base; 5111, Aperture module; 5200, Second-layer aperture group; 5210, Third aperture assembly; 5220, Fourth aperture assembly; 5230, Second aperture window; 5300, Terminal device; 5310, Drawing module; 5320, Control module; 5400, Detection component; 5410, First detection structure; 5411, Transmitter; 5412, Receiver; 5420, Second detection structure; 1. Driving component; 101. Body; 102. Mounting base; 2. Aperture plate; 3. Base; 4. Transmission component; 5. Guide structure; 501. Guide protrusion; 502. Guide groove. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, this embodiment provides an adjustable aperture device 5000, including at least two aperture assemblies arranged opposite each other along a first direction. Each aperture assembly includes a plurality of aperture modules 5111 arranged sequentially along a second direction, the second direction forming a preset angle with the first direction. Each aperture module 5111 includes a driving member 1 and an aperture plate 2, one end of the aperture plate 2 being connected to the driving member 1. In the two aperture assemblies, at least a portion of the aperture plates 2 are configured to move towards each other along the first direction under the drive of the driving member 1, so that the end of the aperture plate 2 that is relatively far from the driving member 1 serves as a plurality of fitting points constituting the aperture window outline, which together form an aperture window.

[0032] For example, the aperture body 101 portion of the adjustable aperture device 5000 can be composed of two aperture components: a first aperture component 5110 and a second aperture component 5120, which are arranged at relative intervals along a first direction. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The left and right aperture assemblies shown are illustrated below. Taking the left aperture assemblies as an example, as follows: Figure 3As shown, each aperture assembly includes several aperture modules 5111 arranged adjacent to each other along the second direction. In this embodiment, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other on the horizontal plane. Of course, the first aperture assembly 5110 and the second aperture assembly 5120 can also be arranged at intervals relative to each other along the second direction. The several aperture modules 5111 in each aperture assembly are arranged along the first direction, and the specific orientation is not strictly limited. The number of aperture modules 5111 in each aperture assembly can be determined according to the size of the aperture window to be formed. In this embodiment, the outline of the target aperture window to be formed can be divided into several tiny fitting points or fitting regions. Then, several strip-shaped aperture pieces 2 with very small widths are used. Under the drive of the independent driving component 1 connected to them, their ends are moved to different fitting points or fitting regions. For example, taking a single aperture group as an example, the aperture piece 2 in the left aperture assembly is driven to the right and moves to the right, while the aperture piece 2 in the right aperture assembly is driven to the left and moves to the left. This allows the ends or the front or rear sides of different aperture pieces 2 to cooperate and finally enclose to form the aperture window, i.e., the first aperture window 5130.

[0033] like Figure 4 As shown, the aforementioned driving component 1 can be a rotational driving component 1 or a sliding driving component 1, including a body 101 and a mounting base 102. The body 101 serves as the driving power source for the aperture plate 2, and the mounting base 102 is used to fix the body 101. For example, the body 101 of the driving component 1 in this embodiment can be a motor, which, together with a lead screw or other transmission structure, converts the rotational motion of the motor into linear displacement motion. Alternatively, the body 101 can also be a linear output structure such as a push rod motor or a cylinder.

[0034] The adjustable aperture device 5000 of this embodiment is provided with multiple independently controllable aperture modules 5111. The multiple aperture modules 5111 are combined into a complete large aperture assembly. The position of the aperture plate 2 in each aperture module 5111 can be controlled independently. Several aperture plates 2 are set to correspond to multiple fitting points or fitting regions after the contour differentiation of the aperture window. The overall shape of the aperture window is no longer restricted. For example, the aperture window graphics required by various exposure systems can be edited by graphics software and analyzed into several fitting points or fitting regions, thereby realizing aperture windows of various shapes with high precision, not just rectangles and squares, so as to provide precise illumination spots for the exposure system and improve exposure quality.

[0035] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the adjustable aperture device 5000 further includes: a plurality of first detection structures 5410, which correspond one-to-one with the aperture plate 2 and are adapted to acquire the position information of each aperture plate 2 and feed it back to the terminal device 5300.

[0036] Specifically, the first detection structure 5410 can be a laser position sensor, including a transmitter 5411 and a receiver 5412. The aperture module 5111 also includes a base 3. The transmitter 5411 of the first detection structure 5410 is fixed on the base 3, and the receiver 5412 is fixedly connected to the aperture plate 2. When the aperture plate 2 is driven to move, the multiple first detection structures 5410 corresponding one-to-one with the aperture plate 2 monitor the actual position of each aperture plate 2 in real time until each aperture plate 2 has moved to the designated position. Closed-loop control achieves higher forming accuracy of the aperture window. This ensures the accuracy of the aperture window pattern on the one hand, and allows for long-term monitoring of the stability of the aperture window pattern on the other hand. If the pattern of the aperture window changes or shifts, it can be corrected in a timely manner, thereby ensuring the stability of the adjustable aperture device 5000 and the exposure system.

[0037] In some embodiments, the adjustable aperture device 5000 further includes a second detection structure 5420 disposed above the aperture window, the second detection structure 5420 being adapted to acquire the actual shape of the aperture window and feed the actual shape back to the terminal device 5300.

[0038] For example, the second detection structure 5420 can be a graphics sensor or a detector. After each aperture plate 2 moves to its actual position, the second detection structure 5420 acquires the complete shape and position of the aperture window through methods such as scanning, and feeds back the actual shape information of the aperture window to the terminal device 5300. This facilitates subsequent comparison of the actual shape of the aperture window with the target shape in the terminal device 5300, thereby correcting the shape of the aperture window. That is, in this embodiment, the detection component 5400 composed of the first detection structure 5410 and the second detection structure 5420 can perform real-time detection of the aperture window, including both overall and local detection, thereby comprehensively improving the graphic accuracy of the aperture window.

[0039] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the terminal device 5300 of the adjustable aperture device 5000 includes a drawing module 5310 and a control module 5320. The drawing module 5310 is adapted to draw the target shape of the aperture window. The control module 5320 is electrically connected to the drawing module 5310 and the drive unit 1, and is adapted to activate the drive unit 1 of the corresponding partial aperture module 5111 according to the target shape, so that the drive unit 1 drives the corresponding aperture plate 2 to move to the target position, and corrects the position of the aperture plate 2 according to the feedback information of the first detection structure 5410 and the second detection structure 5420.

[0040] For example, firstly, the target shape of the required aperture window is drawn using the drawing module 5310 of the terminal device 5300, such as graphics software; then, the drawing module 5310 sends instructions to the control module 5320, which converts the graphic information of the target shape into the control information required by the left and right aperture components through parsing, and finally decomposes it into the movement information of the aperture plate body 2 in each aperture module 5111 of the left and right aperture components, and sends the control instructions to the driver of the driver 1 of each aperture module 5111 respectively; then the driver 1 is activated, driving the aperture plate. Body 2 moves in a straight line until it reaches the commanded position; then, the first detection structure 5410 monitors the actual position of the aperture slab bodies 2 in real time until each aperture slab body 2 moves to the designated position, achieving higher aperture window accuracy through closed-loop control; finally, the second detection structure 5420 obtains the actual shape of the aperture window composed of all aperture slab bodies 2, compares this actual shape with the target shape, and then drives the aperture slab bodies 2 that need correction to move in the same way until the actual shape of the aperture window composed of all aperture slab bodies 2 matches the target shape, thus achieving optimized aperture window shaping. This method enables graphical programming of aperture windows, which is simple and clear, easy to operate, and allows for not only rectangular and square windows, but also cross-shaped, circular, and other types of windows. Moreover, the position of the window shape is arbitrarily adjustable within a certain range, and real-time status monitoring of the aperture window shape is possible.

[0041] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, in the above-mentioned adjustable aperture device 5000, any two adjacent aperture plates 2 also have a guide structure 5 formed on their sides that are close to each other. The guide structure 5 includes a guide groove 502 and a guide protrusion 501 that extend along the first direction and are respectively formed on the two adjacent aperture plates 2. The guide protrusion 501 slides in the guide groove 502 along the first direction.

[0042] For example, taking the first aperture assembly 5110 as an example, any two adjacent aperture plates 2 have guide structures 5 formed on their opposite sides along the second direction. One aperture plate 2 has a guide protrusion 501 extending along the first direction, and the other aperture plate 2 has a guide groove 502 extending along the first direction. When the aperture plate 2 moves along the first direction, the guide protrusion 501 slides in the guide groove 502, limiting the offset of the aperture plate 2 in the second and longitudinal directions. Compared with the conventional cantilever design, this self-guiding design can greatly improve the smoothness of the movement of the aperture plate 2 and the stability of the device itself, avoid the vibration problem of the aperture plate 2 during the movement, and also ensure that there is no light leakage between the aperture plates 2, so that the entire aperture achieves a good light-blocking effect. In addition, several aperture plates 2 are arranged adjacent to each other to form a double-sided guide structure 5, which further enhances the stability.

[0043] The aforementioned guide protrusion 501 and its cross-sectional shape can be rectangular, semi-circular, trapezoidal, or other shapes. Of course, different aperture plates 2 can have the same or different structures. For example, apart from the two aperture plates 2 on both sides of the edge, the other aperture plates 2 can all be: one side of the two opposing sides along the second direction is a guide protrusion 501, and the other side is a guide groove 502, such as... Figure 7 As shown; or the guide structure 5 can be a double convex and double concave structure, that is, part of the aperture plate 2 is formed with guide grooves 502 on both sides, and part of the aperture plate 2 is formed with guide protrusions 501 on both sides.

[0044] In some embodiments, the adjustable aperture device 5000 may include an aperture group, such as Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown; it can also include multi-layered aperture groups stacked in the longitudinal direction, such as two, three, or even more layers. Figure 9 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the aperture plate 2 when two aperture groups are configured. Each aperture group includes two aperture components arranged opposite each other and a mounting base 5140 for mounting the aperture components. The number of mounting bases 5140 can correspond one-to-one with the number of aperture components, such as... Figures 1 to 3 As shown, each aperture assembly can also be provided with an integral fixing base 5140, without specific limitations, as long as the installation and fixing of the aperture assembly can be achieved. The design of a multi-layer aperture group can further improve the shape resolution of the aperture window; the structure of the aperture modules 5111 in the multi-layer aperture group can be the same or different, that is, the width and number of the aperture body 101 can be the same or different, depending on the specific situation.

[0045] The following description uses a two-layer aperture group as an example. The adjustable aperture device 5000 includes a first-layer aperture group 5100 and a second-layer aperture group 5200 arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction, forming a first aperture window 5130 and a second aperture window 5230, respectively.

[0046] In one optional embodiment, the arrangement direction of a plurality of aperture modules 5111 in the first aperture group 5100 is the same as that of a plurality of aperture modules 5111 in the second aperture group 5200, but they are longitudinally offset.

[0047] Specifically, if the first aperture assembly 5110 and the second aperture assembly 5120 in the first aperture group 5100 are arranged opposite each other along the first direction, and a plurality of aperture modules 5111 therein are arranged along the second direction, then the third aperture assembly 5210 and the fourth aperture assembly 5220 in the second aperture group 5200 are also arranged opposite each other along the first direction, and a plurality of aperture modules 5111 therein are also arranged along the second direction. That is, the third aperture assembly 5210 can be stacked on the first aperture assembly 5110 or the second aperture assembly 5120 in the same direction, and the fourth aperture assembly 5220 can be stacked on the second aperture assembly 5120 or the first aperture assembly 5110 in the same direction. Based on this, the aperture module 5111 in the second-layer aperture group 5200 and the aperture module 5111 in the first-layer aperture group 5100 are misaligned in the longitudinal direction and are not completely corresponding. That is, the center line of the aperture body 101 in the first-layer aperture group 5100 and the center line of the aperture body 101 in the second-layer aperture group 5200 are spaced apart in the second direction. Figure 9 As shown, the non-perfectly corresponding first aperture window 5130 and second aperture window 5230 help to improve the shape resolution of the final cutout aperture window.

[0048] In another optional embodiment, the arrangement direction of a plurality of aperture modules 5111 in the first aperture group 5100 and the arrangement direction of a plurality of aperture modules 5111 in the second aperture group 5200 form a first angle, the first angle being greater than 0° and less than 180°.

[0049] Specifically, if the first aperture assembly 5110 and the second aperture assembly 5120 in the first aperture group 5100 are arranged opposite each other along a first direction, then the arrangement directions of the third aperture assembly 5210 and the fourth aperture assembly 5220 in the second aperture group 5200 can have a first angle of a certain size with the first direction, such as 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, 120°, etc. For example, the first aperture group 5100 can be orthogonally arranged to the second aperture group 5200, that is, the first aperture group 5001 can be arranged as follows: Figure 1 The first aperture assembly 5110 and the second aperture assembly 5120 shown are arranged opposite to each other along the first direction, and the second aperture assembly 5002 can be as follows: Figure 8 The third aperture assembly 5210 and the fourth aperture assembly 5220 shown are arranged opposite each other along the second direction. Such an orthogonal arrangement can improve the graphic resolution of the formed aperture window and enhance the graphic diversity of the aperture window.

[0050] In some embodiments, such as Figure 10As shown, the shapes of the aperture windows mentioned above include: a square as shown in (a), a rectangle as shown in (b), a cross as shown in (c), a circle as shown in (d), and any one of an ellipse, trapezoid, irregular polygon, or irregular curve. That is, the shapes of the aperture windows of the adjustable aperture device 5000 in this embodiment can basically cover all of them, and can be adapted to the aperture window shape requirements of different scenes.

[0051] Based on the above embodiments, the adjustable aperture device 5000 of this embodiment can be applied to various scenarios such as holographic exposure systems, projection lithography systems, and wafer inspection systems.

[0052] like Figure 11 As shown, this embodiment also provides an exposure system, including: a light source 1000, a light processing module 2000, an illumination module 3000, a mask 4000, a substrate 6000, and a first aperture 5001. The light processing module 2000 is adapted to receive light emitted from the light source 1000, process it, and then emit it. The illumination module 3000 is adapted to receive light emitted from the light processing module 2000. The mask 4000 is disposed on the light-emitting side of the illumination module 3000. The substrate 6000 is disposed on the side of the mask 4000 that is relatively far away from the illumination module 3000. The first aperture 5001 is disposed between the illumination module 3000 and the mask 4000, and the first aperture 5001 adopts the aforementioned adjustable aperture device 5000.

[0053] Specifically, the light processing module 2000 can be a structure such as a mirror, and the substrate 6000 used for imaging can be a wafer or a silicon wafer. The light source 1000 emits a light beam, which is then output as a large beam that meets the system requirements after passing through the illumination module 3000. After being processed by the first aperture 5001, a light spot shape adapted to the current mask 4000 is obtained. The light spot is transmitted through the mask 4000 and exposed on the substrate 6000 through holographic diffraction to form a corresponding pattern. The first aperture 5001 adopts the aforementioned adjustable aperture device 5000 to improve the accuracy and diversity of the light spot, thereby adapting to various optical systems.

[0054] In some embodiments, such as Figure 11 As shown, the exposure system described above also includes a second aperture 5002 disposed between the mask 4000 and the substrate 6000. The second aperture 5002 can also be the adjustable aperture device 5000 described above.

[0055] Adding a second aperture 5002 above the substrate 6000 helps filter out stray light and further improves exposure quality. The window shapes of the first aperture 5001 and the second aperture 5002 can be the same or different, depending on the specific requirements.

[0056] This embodiment also provides a method for forming an aperture window, using the aforementioned adjustable aperture device 5000. Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating the forming method, which specifically includes the following steps: In step S1201, the drawing module 5310 draws the target shape of the aperture window and resolves the outline of the target shape into several target coordinate points.

[0057] In step S1202, the control module 5320 drives at least a portion of the aperture plate 2 in the aperture module 5111 to move according to the target coordinate point, so that the ends of the multiple aperture plates 2 that are relatively far away from the driving member 1 respectively serve as fitting points that constitute the aperture window outline to form an aperture window.

[0058] The method for forming the aperture window in this embodiment firstly involves using the drawing module 5310 of the terminal device 5300 (e.g., graphics software) to edit the aperture window graphics required by various exposure systems and analyze them into several fitting points or fitting regions to obtain several target coordinate points. Then, the control module 5320 drives multiple independently controllable aperture modules 5111 to move several points separately, so that several aperture plates 2 reach the target coordinate points, thereby achieving aperture windows of various shapes with high precision, providing accurate illumination spots for the exposure system, and improving exposure quality.

[0059] In some embodiments, after step S1202 described above, the method further includes: Step S1203: The detection component 5400 acquires the actual shape of the aperture window and feeds it back to the terminal device 5300; In step S1204, the terminal device 5300 obtains the position error by comparing the actual shape of the aperture window with the target shape, and transmits the position error to the control module 5320. In step S1205, the control module 5320 drives the aperture plate 2 in the corresponding aperture module 5111 to move again through the driver until all the aperture plates 2 move to the target position, thus obtaining the target shape of the aperture window.

[0060] That is, when the actual shape of the aperture window initially forms has an error compared with the target shape, it can be detected in real time by the detection component 5400 and the actual shape can be transmitted to the terminal device 5300. The terminal device 5300 then compares the actual shape with the target shape to obtain the position error information. The control module 5320 then controls each aperture module 5111 to perform position correction based on the position error information, and finally obtains a more accurate aperture window shape.

[0061] Further functional descriptions of the above structures are the same as those of the corresponding embodiments described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0062] Although embodiments of the invention have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications and variations fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An adjustable aperture device (5000), characterized in that, include: At least two aperture components are arranged opposite each other along a first direction. The aperture components include a plurality of aperture modules (5111) arranged sequentially along a second direction. The second direction forms a preset angle with the first direction. Any of the aperture modules (5111) includes a driving member (1) and an aperture plate (2), one end of the aperture plate (2) being connected to the driving member (1); in the two sets of aperture assemblies, at least a portion of the aperture plates (2) are configured to move towards each other in a first direction under the drive of the driving member (1), so that the end of the aperture plate (2) that is relatively far from the driving member (1) serves as a plurality of fitting points constituting the aperture window outline, which together enclose the aperture window.

2. The adjustable aperture device (5000) according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A plurality of first detection structures (5410) are provided, each corresponding to one of the aperture plates (2), and are adapted to acquire the position information of each aperture plate (2) and feed it back to the terminal device (5300).

3. The adjustable aperture device (5000) according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: The second detection structure (5420) is disposed above the aperture window and is adapted to acquire the actual shape of the aperture window and feed the actual shape back to the terminal device (5300).

4. The adjustable aperture device (5000) according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: The terminal device (5300) includes a drawing module (5310) and a control module (5320). The drawing module (5310) is adapted to draw the target shape of the aperture window. The control module (5320) is electrically connected to the drawing module (5310) and the drive unit (1). It is adapted to activate the drive unit (1) of the corresponding part of the aperture module (5111) according to the target shape, so that the drive unit (1) drives the corresponding aperture plate (2) to move to the target position, and corrects the position of the aperture plate (2) according to the feedback information of the first detection structure (5410) and the second detection structure (5420).

5. The adjustable aperture device (5000) according to claim 1, characterized in that, Any two adjacent aperture plates (2) also have a guide structure (5) formed on their adjacent sides. The guide structure (5) includes a guide groove (502) and a guide protrusion (501) extending along a first direction and formed on the two adjacent aperture plates (2) respectively. The guide protrusion (501) slides in the guide groove (502) along the first direction.

6. The adjustable aperture device (5000) according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes: a multi-layered aperture group stacked in the longitudinal direction, wherein any layer of the aperture group includes two aperture components arranged opposite to each other.

7. The adjustable aperture device (5000) according to claim 6, characterized in that, include: The first aperture group (5100) and the second aperture group (5200) are arranged sequentially along the longitudinal direction. The arrangement direction of several aperture modules (5111) in the first layer aperture group (5100) is consistent with the arrangement direction of several aperture modules (5111) in the second layer aperture group (5200) but is longitudinally staggered; or, the arrangement direction of several aperture modules (5111) in the first layer aperture group (5100) and the arrangement direction of several aperture modules (5111) in the second layer aperture group (5200) form a first angle, the first angle being greater than 0° and less than 180°.

8. The adjustable aperture device (5000) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shape of the aperture window includes any one of the following: square, rectangle, cross, circle, ellipse, trapezoid, irregular polygon, and irregular curve.

9. An exposure system, characterized in that, include: Light source (1000); The light processing module (2000) is adapted to receive light emitted from the light source (1000), process it, and then emit it. The lighting module (3000) is adapted to receive light emitted by the light processing module (2000); A mask (4000) is disposed on the light-emitting side of the lighting module (3000); A substrate (6000) is disposed on the side of the mask (4000) that is relatively far away from the lighting module (3000); A first aperture (5001) is disposed between the illumination module (3000) and the mask plate (4000), and the first aperture (5001) adopts the adjustable aperture device (5000) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The exposure system according to claim 9, characterized in that, Also includes: A second aperture (5002) is disposed between the mask (4000) and the substrate (6000), and the second aperture (5002) adopts the adjustable aperture device (5000) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A method for forming an aperture window, characterized in that, The method using the adjustable aperture device (5000) according to any one of claims 1-8 includes: The drawing module (5310) draws the target shape of the aperture window and resolves the outline of the target shape into several target coordinate points; The control module (5320) drives at least a portion of the aperture plate (2) in the aperture module (5111) to move according to the target coordinate point, so that the ends of the multiple aperture plates (2) that are relatively far away from the driving member (1) respectively serve as fitting points that constitute the aperture window outline to form the aperture window.

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