Leveling mechanism and exposure machine

Abstract

The utility model provides a leveling mechanism and an exposure machine, and relates to the technical field of photoetching machines. The leveling mechanism comprises a mask plate and a carrying table which are oppositely arranged in the vertical direction; the number of the jacking assemblies is at least three, the jacking assemblies are annularly arranged at the bottom of the carrying table, and the jacking assemblies always have the trend of jacking the carrying table; the positions of the four corners of the carrying table can relatively ascend and descend through the multiple jacking assemblies; the number of the fixing assemblies is multiple, the fixing assemblies and the jacking assemblies are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence mode, the fixing assemblies are connected with the jacking assemblies, and the fixing assemblies are used for fixing the positions of the jacking assemblies; wherein the fixing assembly is used for being connected with a lifting mechanism of the exposure machine. And the leveling mechanism is convenient for leveling the carrying platform. The exposure machine comprises the leveling mechanism. The platform deck leveling device has the advantage that the platform deck can be conveniently leveled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of lithography machines, and more specifically, to a leveling mechanism and an exposure machine. Background Art

[0002] Lithography is a very important process in the semiconductor manufacturing process. It is a process of sequentially transferring the chip patterns on a series of mask plates to the corresponding layers of the silicon wafer through exposure, and is one of the core steps in the manufacturing of large-scale integrated circuits. A series of complex lithography processes in semiconductor manufacturing are mainly completed by corresponding lithography machines. The exposure mechanism of a lithography machine generally includes a mask plate and a wafer stage for carrying the wafer. In order to improve the exposure accuracy, it is required to ensure that the upper surface of the wafer stage and the lower surface of the mask plate always maintain a highly parallel state to prevent layer deviation of the wafer during exposure.

[0003] Therefore, how to facilitate the leveling of the wafer stage to ensure that the wafer stage and the mask plate maintain a highly parallel state is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently in this field. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a leveling mechanism and an exposure machine, which can facilitate the leveling of the stage.

[0005] The embodiments of the utility model are implemented as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, the utility model provides a leveling mechanism, including:

[0007] A mask plate and a stage oppositely arranged in the vertical direction;

[0008] A jacking assembly, at least three jacking assemblies are arranged in a ring at the bottom of the stage, and the jacking assembly always has a tendency to jack up the stage; the plurality of jacking assemblies enable the relative lifting between the four corner positions of the stage;

[0009] A fixing assembly, a plurality of fixing assemblies are also provided, the fixing assemblies are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the jacking assemblies, the fixing assemblies are connected to the jacking assemblies, and the fixing assemblies are used to fix the positions of the jacking assemblies;

[0010] Wherein, the fixing assembly is used to be connected with the lifting mechanism of the exposure machine.

[0011] In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of positioning balls are embedded in the lower surface of the mask plate, and receiving grooves corresponding to the positioning balls are formed on the upper surface of the stage.

[0012] In an alternative embodiment, the lifting assembly includes a lifting rod and an elastic member. The lifting rod is slidably disposed on the fixing assembly in the vertical direction. The elastic member is disposed on the lifting rod and connected to the fixing assembly. The elastic member is configured to always urge the lifting rod to move upward in the vertical direction, and the fixing assembly is configured to fix the lifting rod.

[0013] In an alternative embodiment, a spherical joint bearing is provided at the top of the lifting rod, and the movable end of the spherical joint bearing is detachably connected to the stage.

[0014] In an alternative embodiment, the fixing assembly includes a fixing base, a brake, and a guide plate. The brake is detachably disposed on the fixing base. The upper end of the guide plate is connected to the fixing base, and the lower end of the guide plate extends horizontally below the brake. The lifting rod slidably passes through the guide plate, the brake, and the fixing base in the vertical direction.

[0015] In an alternative embodiment, the elastic member is connected to the guide plate, and an elastic adjustment member is further disposed between the elastic member and the guide plate. The elastic adjustment member is configured to adjust the pre-tightening force of the elastic member.

[0016] In an alternative embodiment, a mounting plate is connected between the plurality of fixing bases, and the mounting plate is configured to be connected to the lifting mechanism of the exposure machine.

[0017] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an exposure machine, including the leveling mechanism according to any one of the foregoing embodiments.

[0018] In an alternative embodiment, it further includes a loading bin, an unloading bin, and a robot transfer module. The robot transfer module is configured to transport the wafers in the loading bin to the stage, and transport the wafers that have been exposed on the stage to the unloading bin for storage.

[0019] In an alternative embodiment, it further includes a recycling bin and a detection module. The detection module is configured to detect the wafers transported by the robot transfer module, and the robot transfer module is configured to transport the wafers that do not meet the processing conditions detected by the detection module to the recycling bin for storage.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention include:

[0021] When leveling the stage, the stage is driven by the lifting mechanism of the exposure machine to move vertically towards the mask plate, so that the upper plane of the stage fits with the lower plate surface of the mask plate. Then, the stage is continuously driven to move towards the mask plate, and the four lifting components press the stage tightly against the mask plate, and the stage and the mask plate are in a highly parallel state. Then, the positions of the four lifting components are fixed by the fixing component, and the plane of the stage is fixed to the current position. During the subsequent process of driving the stage to move vertically and carrying the wafer, the upper surface of the stage always remains parallel to the lower surface of the mask plate. The overall structure of the leveling mechanism is simple, and the process of leveling the stage is convenient and fast, achieving the effect of facilitating the leveling of the stage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention, and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0023] Figure 1 Structural schematic diagram of the leveling mechanism provided by some alternative embodiments of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 Partial structural schematic diagram of the leveling mechanism provided by some alternative embodiments of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 Installation schematic diagram of the leveling mechanism provided by some alternative embodiments of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 Structural schematic diagram of the exposure machine provided by some alternative embodiments of the present invention.

[0027] Reference numerals: 100 - leveling mechanism; 110 - mask plate; 111 - positioning ball; 120 - stage; 121 - receiving groove; 130 - lifting component; 131 - lifting rod; 132 - elastic member; 140 - fixing component; 141 - fixing seat; 142 - brake; 143 - guide plate; 150 - spherical joint bearing; 160 - elastic adjusting member; 170 - mounting plate;

[0028] 200 - exposure machine; 210 - loading bin; 220 - unloading bin; 230 - robot transfer module; 240 - recycling bin; 250 - detection module; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present utility model clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present utility model, rather than all of the embodiments. Usually, the components of the embodiments of the present utility model described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0030] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present utility model provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed present utility model, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present utility model. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0031] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters indicate similar items in the following drawings. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings.

[0032] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the utility model product is usually placed when in use. It is only for the convenience of describing the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present utility model. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for descriptive distinction and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0033] In addition, terms such as "horizontal" and "vertical" do not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or hanging, but can be slightly inclined. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly inclined.

[0034] In the description of the present utility model, it should also be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set", "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0035] When performing exposure processing on a wafer, in order to improve the exposure accuracy, it is required to accurately align the wafer so that the wafer and the mask are in a highly parallel state, avoiding layer deviation of the exposure pattern on the wafer during exposure. In the current wafer processing process, when leveling the stage, it is often necessary to detect through high-precision sensors such as horizontal sensors and pressure sensors, and then adjust by cooperating with adjusting fine screws and hydraulic and pneumatic systems. The entire process often requires software control. This makes the operation of leveling the stage cumbersome and costly, and it is not convenient to level the stage.

[0036] In view of the above situation, the present application provides a leveling mechanism 100 and an exposure machine 200, which can quickly and conveniently level the stage 120, make the stage 120 and the mask 110 in a highly parallel state, and the overall structure is simple and the operation is convenient. The following combines Figures 1-4 to introduce in detail the basic structure, working principle and technical effects achieved by a leveling mechanism and an exposure machine provided by the present application.

[0037] Please refer to Figures 1-3 As shown in [figure reference], an embodiment of the present application provides a leveling mechanism 100, which includes a mask 110 and a stage 120. The leveling mechanism 100 is used to level the stage 120 that bears the wafer during the exposure process to ensure the processing accuracy of the wafer during exposure. The mask 110 and the stage 120 are oppositely arranged in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the lower surface of the mask 110 and the upper surface of the stage 120 are both rectangular. In other alternative embodiments, the mask 110 and the stage 120 can also be other shapes. The leveling mechanism 100 further includes a jacking component 130 and a fixing component 140. At least three jacking components 130 are arranged around the stage 120. In this embodiment, four jacking components 130 are arranged. The jacking components 130 always have a tendency to drive the stage 120 to jack up, and the four jacking components 130 act on the stage 120 separately, so that the four corners of the stage 120 can be lifted and lowered relatively. Four fixing components 140 are also arranged. The four fixing components 140 correspond to the four jacking components 130 one by one. The fixing components 140 are connected to the jacking components 130, and the fixing components 140 are used to fix the jacking components 130, and further fix the position of the stage 120. The four fixing components 140 are connected to the lifting mechanism of the exposure machine 200. In other alternative embodiments, the number of the jacking components 130 and the fixing components 140 can be set to other numbers greater than three.

[0038] When leveling the carrier 120, the lifting mechanism of the exposure machine 200 drives the carrier 120 to move vertically upward toward the mask plate 110, and makes the upper plane of the carrier 120 fit with the lower plate surface of the mask plate 110. Since the four lifting assemblies 130 in this embodiment make the four corners of the carrier 120 have a tendency to move upward, the four lifting assemblies 130 press the carrier 120 against the mask plate 110, and the carrier 120 and the mask plate 110 are in a highly parallel state. At this time, the positions of the four lifting assemblies 130 are fixed by the fixing assembly 140, and the plane of the carrier 120 is fixed to the current position. Subsequently, the lifting mechanism of the exposure machine 200 drives the carrier 120 to move in the vertical direction, and in the process of carrying the wafer, the upper surface of the carrier 120 always remains parallel to the lower surface of the mask plate 110. When leveling the stage 120 , it is only necessary to drive the stage 120 to move to contact the mask plate 110 and fix the stage 120 . The leveling mechanism 100 has a simple structure and convenient leveling operation, thereby achieving the effect of facilitating leveling of the stage 120 .

[0039] Please refer to Figure 3 In some optional embodiments, a plurality of positioning balls 111 are embedded on the lower surface of the mask plate 110. The positioning balls 111 are ceramic balls. In this embodiment, four positioning balls 111 are provided, and the size and installation depth of the four positioning balls 111 are consistent. Receiving grooves 121 are provided on the upper surface of the carrier 120 corresponding to the four positioning balls 111. The receiving grooves 121 are grooves adapted to the positioning balls 111. When the carrier 120 moves toward the mask plate 110, the carrier 120 collides with the four positioning balls 111, so that the gap between the upper surface of the carrier 120 and the lower surface of the mask plate 110 is the same, that is, the carrier 120 and the mask plate 110 are in a parallel state. At the same time, the setting of the positioning balls 111 avoids direct collision and contact between the carrier 120 and the mask plate 110, and avoids damage to the mask plate 110 and the carrier 120.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2, in order to facilitate pressing the four corners of the stage 120 against the reticle 110 during leveling, so that the stage 120 and the reticle 110 are kept in a highly parallel state. In some alternative embodiments, the lifting assembly 130 includes a lifting rod 131 and an elastic member 132. The lifting rod 131 is a cylindrical rod body, the lifting rod 131 extends in the vertical direction, and the lifting rod 131 is slidably disposed on the fixing assembly 140. The elastic member 132 is disposed on the lifting rod 131 and connected to the fixing assembly 140. The elastic member 132 makes the lifting rod 131 always have a tendency to move upward in the vertical direction relative to the fixing assembly 140. The fixing assembly 140 is used to fix the lifting rod 131. When the stage 120 moves to fit with the reticle 110, the elastic member 132 is compressed. The elastic member 132 presses the stage 120 against the reticle 110 through the lifting rod 131. At the same time, the four elastic members 132 act on the four lifting rods 131 respectively, so that the upper surface of the stage 120 is parallel to the lower plane of the reticle 110.

[0041] Furthermore, in order to facilitate driving multiple parts of the stage 120 to move relatively up and down, so as to adjust the angle of the upper surface of the stage 120, and further make the upper surface of the stage 120 parallel to the lower surface of the reticle 110. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , spherical joint bearings 150 are provided at the tops of the lifting rods 131. The movable ends of the spherical joint bearings 150 are detachably connected to the stage 120 by bolts. The lifting rods 131 are hinged to the stage 120 through the spherical joint bearings 150. Thus, by the independent movement of the multiple lifting rods 131, the angle of the stage 120 can be adjusted. Further, the sizes of the ball head, the ball bearings, the outer ring and the gaps therebetween inside the spherical joint bearing 150 can be selected according to actual requirements.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2, To facilitate the fixation of the jacking rod 131 and thereby fix the position of the stage 120, in some alternative embodiments, the fixing assembly 140 includes a fixing base 141, a brake 142, and a guide plate 143. The brake 142 is detachably mounted on the fixing base 141 by bolts. There is a slot on the brake 142 for the jacking rod 131 to pass through. When the brake 142 is activated, the brake pads on both sides of the slot of the brake 142 clamp the jacking rod 131 located in the slot, achieving the fixation of the jacking rod 131. The guide plate 143 is L-shaped. The vertical section of the guide plate 143 is connected to the fixing base 141, and the horizontal section of the guide plate 143 extends horizontally below the brake 142. The jacking rod 131 passes through the guide plate 143, the brake 142, and the fixing base 141 in sequence from bottom to top in the vertical direction, and the jacking rod 131 is slidably arranged on the guide plate 143, the brake 142, and the fixing base 141. Further, to facilitate the sliding of the jacking rod 131 relative to the fixing base 141, a through hole for the jacking rod 131 to pass through is opened on the fixing base 141, and a linear bearing (not shown in the drawings) is also provided in the fixing base 141 and within the through hole, thereby facilitating the sliding of the jacking rod 131 within the fixing base 141 and reducing the influence of frictional resistance on the jacking rod 131.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 2 , To facilitate the jacking rod 131 to always have a tendency to drive the stage 120 to move upward, the elastic member 132 is connected to the guide plate 143, and an elastic adjusting member 160 is provided between the elastic member 132 and the guide plate 143. The elastic adjusting member 160 is used to adjust the pre-tightening force of the elastic member 132. In some alternative embodiments, the elastic member 132 includes a spring. The spring is sleeved on the jacking rod 131, and the other end of the spring abuts against the guide plate 143 through the elastic adjusting member 160. When the stage 120 moves to fit with the reticle 110 and continues to move towards the reticle 110, the elastic member 132 is compressed. The elastic member 132 provides a pressing force to the stage 120 through the jacking rod 131, pressing the stage 120 against the reticle 110.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 1 , In some alternative embodiments, a mounting plate 170 is connected between multiple fixing bases 141. The mounting plate 170 connects multiple fixing bases 141 to the same horizontal plane. At the same time, the mounting plate 170 is connected to the lifting mechanism of the exposure machine 200, thereby facilitating the fixation of the positions of multiple fixing bases 141 and also facilitating the installation of the fixing bases 141 on the exposure machine 200.

[0045] The leveling process and principle of the leveling device for the stage 120 in the present utility model are as follows:

[0046] The lifting mechanism of the exposure machine 200 drives the mounting plate 170 to move upward in the vertical direction, thereby driving the stage 120 to move toward the reticle 110. At this time, multiple brakes 142 are in a released state with respect to the lifting rods 131;

[0047] After the stage 120 moves until it abuts against multiple positioning balls 111, the mounting plate 170 is still driven to move toward the reticle 110. At this time, the position of the stage 120 is restricted by the positioning balls 111 and remains stationary, and the elastic member 132 is compressed by the force. The elastic member 132 presses the stage 120 against the reticle 110, and the stage 120 and the reticle 110 are in a state of being highly parallel;

[0048] After the elastic member 132 is compressed to a set pressure, driving the mounting plate 170 to move upward is stopped, and multiple brakes 142 are synchronously activated to fix multiple lifting rods 131;

[0049] Then the mounting plate 170 is driven to descend, and the wafer is carried by the stage 120 for subsequent wafer exposure processing. During this process, the upper surface of the stage 120 always maintains a state parallel to the lower surface of the reticle 110.

[0050] The embodiment of the present application further provides an exposure machine 200. The exposure machine 200 includes the above leveling mechanism 100, and the mounting plate 170 in the leveling mechanism 100 is connected to the lifting mechanism of the exposure machine 200.

[0051] Please refer to Figure 4 , in some alternative embodiments, the exposure machine 200 further includes a loading bin 210, an unloading bin 220, and a robot transfer module 230. The robot transfer module 230 uses a conventional robot for wafer handling. The loading bin 210 and the unloading bin 220 are arranged on one side of the leveling mechanism 100 and are used for storing wafers. The robot transfer module 230 takes out the wafer raw material stored in the loading bin 210 and transports it onto the stage 120. After the wafer on the stage 120 is exposed and processed, the robot transfer module 230 takes the processed wafer off the stage 120 and transports it into the unloading bin 220 for storage.

[0052] Please refer to Figure 4 , in the existing wafer processing, if there are dirty or damaged raw materials, they need to be manually picked out, resulting in low processing efficiency and high labor intensity for workers. Based on this, in some other alternative embodiments, the exposure machine 200 further includes a recycling bin 240 and a detection module 250. The recycling bin 240 is located on one side of the loading bin 210 or the unloading bin 220, and the detection module 250 is arranged on one side of the moving path of the robot transfer module 230.

[0053] During the process that the manipulator transfer module 230 conveys the wafer raw material from the loading position basket 210 to the stage 120, the detection module 250 detects the external dimensions and product postures of the wafer raw material. The wafer raw material that meets the processing conditions continues to be conveyed to the stage 120 for processing, and the wafer raw material that does not meet the processing conditions is conveyed to the recycling position basket 240 for storage. After the wafer exposure processing is completed, when the manipulator transfer module 230 conveys the processed wafer from the stage 120 to the unloading position basket 220, the detection module 250 performs a secondary detection on the processed wafer. The wafers that pass the detection are conveyed to the unloading position basket 220 for storage, and the wafers that fail the detection are conveyed to the recycling position basket 240 for storage. By detecting the wafers twice during the production process, the final product quality of the wafers is improved, and the unqualified products are automatically removed and stored, reducing the labor intensity of the workers.

[0054] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can have various changes and modifications. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A leveling mechanism, characterized in that, Comprising: A mask plate and a stage oppositely arranged in the vertical direction; A jacking assembly, at least three of which are arranged around the bottom of the stage, and the jacking assembly always has a tendency to jack up the stage; The multiple jacking assemblies enable the stage to be relatively lifted and lowered between multiple directions; A fixing assembly, multiple of which are also provided, the fixing assembly is arranged corresponding to the jacking assembly one by one, the fixing assembly is connected to the jacking assembly, and the fixing assembly is used to fix the position of the jacking assembly; Wherein, the fixing assembly is used to be connected to the lifting mechanism of the exposure machine.

2. The leveling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein A plurality of positioning balls are embedded in the lower surface of the mask plate, and accommodating grooves corresponding to the positioning balls are formed on the upper surface of the stage.

3. The leveling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein The jacking assembly includes a jacking rod and an elastic member, the jacking rod is slidably arranged on the fixing assembly in the vertical direction, the elastic member is arranged on the jacking rod and connected to the fixing assembly, and the elastic member is used to make the jacking rod always have a tendency to move upward in the vertical direction, and the fixing assembly is used to fix the jacking rod.

4. The leveling mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that A spherical joint bearing is arranged at the top of the jacking rod, and the movable end of the spherical joint bearing is detachably connected to the stage.

5. The leveling mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that The fixing assembly includes a fixing seat, a brake and a guide plate, the brake is detachably arranged on the fixing seat, the upper end of the guide plate is connected to the fixing seat, the lower end of the guide plate extends horizontally below the brake, and the jacking rod slidably passes through the guide plate, the brake and the fixing seat in the vertical direction.

6. The leveling mechanism according to claim 5, wherein, The elastic member is connected to the guide plate, and an elastic adjusting member is further arranged between the elastic member and the guide plate, and the elastic adjusting member is used to adjust the pre-tightening force of the elastic member.

7. The leveling mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that An installation plate is connected between the multiple fixing seats, and the installation plate is used to be connected to the lifting mechanism of the exposure machine.

8. An exposure machine, characterized in that, Comprising the leveling mechanism according to any one of claims 1-7 above.

9. The exposure machine according to claim 8, wherein, It further includes a loading bin, an unloading bin, and a robot transfer module, and the robot transfer module is used to transport the wafers in the loading bin to the stage, and transport the wafers that have been exposed on the stage to the unloading bin for storage.

10. The exposure machine according to claim 9, characterized in that, It further includes a recycling bin and a detection module, the detection module is used to detect the wafers transported by the robot transfer module, and the robot transfer module is used to transport the wafers that do not meet the processing conditions detected by the detection module to the recycling bin for storage.

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