Wafer bearing device for infiltration type photoetching machine and infiltration type photoetching machine

Abstract

The utility model provides a wafer bearing device for an infiltration type photoetching machine and the infiltration type photoetching machine, the wafer bearing device comprises a first bearing table and a second bearing table which are used for bearing a wafer, one side of the first bearing table is provided with a first switching bridge, one side of the second bearing table is provided with a second switching bridge, and liquid is infiltrated between the wafer and a projection device; when the first bearing platform is located on the outer side of the projection device and the second bearing platform is located below the projection device, the first bearing platform and the second bearing platform are suitable for being in butt joint through the first switching bridge and the second switching bridge and moving so as to carry out wafer switching. The first switching bridge is provided with a first inclined surface facing obliquely upward, the second switching bridge is provided with a second inclined surface facing obliquely downward, the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are correspondingly arranged, and during wafer switching, the included angle between the moving direction of the first bearing table and the second bearing table and the first inclined surface is an obtuse angle. According to the scheme, the influence on the motion precision of the bearing table can be reduced, and the downtime risk of the machine table is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photolithography technology, and more specifically to a wafer carrier for an immersion lithography machine and an immersion lithography machine. Background Technology

[0002] A lithography machine is a machine that transfers desired patterns onto a wafer. Immersion lithography machines improve resolution by wetting a liquid (such as water) between the projection device and the wafer. Immersion lithography machines typically use a wafer carrier to hold the wafer. The wafer carrier includes two chucks for holding the wafer. During operation, one chuck holds the wafer below the projection device so that light is projected onto the wafer to expose it. The other chuck is positioned outside the projection device to await wafer exchange. Wafer exchange refers to moving the chuck below the projection device (where the wafer on it has already been exposed) to the outside of the projection device, and moving the chuck outside the projection device to the bottom of the projection device to expose the wafer on that chuck.

[0003] However, during wafer exchange, the liquid wetting between the projection device and the wafer can easily leak onto the balance mass under the stage, which can affect the motion accuracy of the stage. Specifically, it can affect the dynamic moving average / moving standard division (Dynamic MA / MSD) of the stage, and in severe cases, it can even cause the machine to crash.

[0004] Therefore, improvements are needed to at least partially address the aforementioned problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model description section introduces a series of simplified concepts, which will be further explained in detail in the detailed description section. This utility model description section is not intended to limit the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0006] To address the existing problems, this application provides a wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine, including a first carrier stage and a second carrier stage for carrying the wafer. A first exchange bridge is provided on one side of the first carrier stage, and a second exchange bridge is provided on one side of the second carrier stage. A liquid is immersed between the wafer and the projection device.

[0007] When the first carrier platform is located outside the projection device and the second carrier platform is located below the projection device, the first carrier platform and the second carrier platform are adapted to dock and move through the first exchange bridge and the second exchange bridge to perform wafer exchange;

[0008] The first switching bridge has a first inclined surface facing upwards, and the second switching bridge has a second inclined surface facing downwards. The first and second inclined surfaces are correspondingly arranged. When performing wafer exchange, the moving directions of the first and second support platforms form an obtuse angle with the first inclined surface.

[0009] For example, a second exchange bridge is also provided on the other side of the first carrier platform, and a first exchange bridge is also provided on the other side of the second carrier platform. When the first carrier platform is located below the projection device and the second carrier platform is located outside the projection device, the first carrier platform and the second carrier platform are adapted to dock and move through the second exchange bridge on the first carrier platform and the first exchange bridge on the second carrier platform to perform wafer exchange.

[0010] For example, the first switching bridge further has an upward-facing first horizontal surface connected to the bottom of the first inclined surface, and the second switching bridge further has a downward-facing second horizontal surface connected to the bottom of the second inclined surface, with the first horizontal surface and the second horizontal surface being disposed correspondingly.

[0011] It also includes a first liquid extraction device, which is disposed on the first horizontal surface.

[0012] For example, it also includes a second liquid extraction device disposed on the first horizontal surface, wherein the first liquid extraction device and the second liquid extraction device are disposed independently.

[0013] For example, the first liquid extraction device and the second liquid extraction device include a vacuum extraction device.

[0014] For example, it also includes a first discharge pipe and a second discharge pipe that are independently configured, wherein the first discharge pipe is connected to the bottom of the first liquid extraction device and the second discharge pipe is connected to the bottom of the second liquid extraction device.

[0015] For example, a blocking structure is also provided on the first horizontal surface.

[0016] For example, the blocking structure is disposed at one end of the first horizontal surface away from the first inclined surface; and / or

[0017] During wafer exchange, the top surface of the barrier structure comes into contact with the second horizontal surface.

[0018] For example, the first switching bridge also has an upward-facing third horizontal surface connected to the top of the first inclined surface, and the second switching bridge also has an upward-facing fourth horizontal surface connected to the top of the second inclined surface, the third horizontal surface being flush with the fourth horizontal surface.

[0019] Another aspect of this application provides an immersion lithography machine, comprising:

[0020] The wafer carrier device as described above;

[0021] A projection device is disposed above the wafer carrier for projecting light onto the wafer, wherein a liquid is impregnated between the wafer and the projection device.

[0022] The wafer carrier device and the immersion lithography machine of this application embodiment, when the first carrier stage is located outside the projection device and the second carrier stage is located below the projection device, the first carrier stage and the second carrier stage are adapted to dock and move through the first exchange bridge and the second exchange bridge to perform wafer exchange. The first exchange bridge has a first inclined surface facing obliquely upward and the second exchange bridge has a second inclined surface facing obliquely downward. When performing wafer exchange, the moving direction of the first carrier stage and the second carrier stage forms an obtuse angle with the first inclined surface, which can effectively prevent liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the carrier stage, thereby reducing the impact on the movement accuracy of the carrier stage, that is, reducing the impact on the dynamic moving average and moving standard deviation of the carrier stage, and also reducing the risk of machine downtime. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The following drawings, which are incorporated herein by reference and are used to understand this application, illustrate embodiments of the invention and their descriptions, thereby explaining the apparatus and principles of the invention.

[0024] In the attached image:

[0025] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of the wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine of the relevant technology is shown;

[0026] Figure 1B A schematic diagram of the first and second switching bridges of a wafer carrier device in the related technology is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 This paper shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine according to a specific embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 3This paper shows a top view schematic diagram of a wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine according to a specific embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 The diagram shows a schematic representation of the structure of a first switching bridge and a second switching bridge according to a specific embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine is shown, according to another specific embodiment of this application.

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0032] 110-First support platform, 120-Second support platform, 130-First exchange bridge, 131-First inclined surface, 132-Liquid extraction device, 140-Second exchange bridge, 141-Second inclined surface, 150-Projection device, 160-Liquid;

[0033] 210-First support platform, 220-Second support platform, 230-First exchange bridge, 231-First inclined surface, 232-First horizontal surface, 233-Third horizontal surface, 234-First liquid extraction device, 235-Second liquid extraction device, 236-First discharge pipeline, 237-Second discharge pipeline, 238-Blocking structure, 240-Second exchange bridge, 241-Second inclined surface, 242-Second horizontal surface, 243-Fourth horizontal surface, 250-Projection device, 260-Liquid, 270-Wafer. Detailed Implementation

[0034] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of this application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this application can be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features well-known in the art have not been described to avoid confusion with this application. It should be understood that this application can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, providing these embodiments will make the disclosure thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of this application to those skilled in the art. In the accompanying drawings, for clarity, the dimensions and relative dimensions of layers and regions may be exaggerated. The same reference numerals denote the same elements throughout.

[0035] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various elements, components, areas, layers, and / or parts, these elements, components, areas, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, area, layer, or part from another element, component, area, layer, or part. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this application, the first element, component, area, layer, or part discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, area, layer, or part.

[0036] Spatial relation terms such as "below," "under," "below," "under," "above," and "above" are used here for convenience to describe the relationship between one element or feature shown in the figure and other elements or features. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figure, spatial relation terms are intended to also include different orientations of devices in use and operation.

[0037] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. When used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, identify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. When used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0038] Embodiments of the utility model are described herein with reference to cross-sectional views that serve as schematic diagrams of preferred embodiments (and intermediate structures) of this application. Thus, variations in the shown shape can be anticipated due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, embodiments of this application should not be limited to the specific shapes shown herein, but include shape deviations due to, for example, manufacturing processes. Consequently, the figures are substantially schematic, and their shapes are not intended to show the actual shape of the device and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0039] In related technologies, such as Figure 1A and Figure 1BAs shown, the wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine includes a first carrier stage 110 and a second carrier stage 120. A first exchange bridge 130 is provided on one side of the first carrier stage, and a second exchange bridge 140 is provided on one side of the second carrier stage 120. The first carrier stage 110 is positioned outside the projection device 150, and the second carrier stage 120 is positioned below the projection device. At this time, a liquid 160 is immersed between the wafer carried on the second carrier stage 120 and the projection device 150. After the wafer carried on the second carrier stage 120 has completed exposure, the first carrier stage 110 and the second carrier stage 120 are adapted to dock and move synchronously via the first exchange bridge 130 and the second exchange bridge 140. Figure 1A The arrows shown indicate the direction of movement. Figure 1A The first carrier stage 110 and the second carrier stage 120 move from left to right to perform wafer exchange, that is, the second carrier stage 120 is moved to the outside of the projection device 150 and the first carrier stage 110 is moved below the projection device 150 to expose the wafer carried on the first carrier stage 110.

[0040] like Figure 1B As shown, the first switching bridge 130 has a first inclined surface 131 facing downwards, and the second switching bridge 140 has a second inclined surface 141 facing upwards. The first and second inclined surfaces are correspondingly arranged. When wafer swapping is performed, if the synchronization of the movement of the first support platform 110 and the second support platform 120 is poor, a gap will be generated between the first inclined surface 131 and the second inclined surface 141. The angle between the extension direction from the bottom to the top of the gap and the movement direction of the first support platform 110 and the second support platform 120 forms an acute angle. Figure 1A and Figure 1B The arrows shown indicate the direction of movement. Figure 1A and Figure 1B The first support platform 110 and the second support platform 120 move from left to right, while the bottom of the gap extends from the bottom left to the top right. Due to inertia and friction, the liquid 160 can easily leak through the gap to the balance mass block below the support platform, affecting the motion accuracy of the support platform. Specifically, it will affect the dynamic moving average and moving standard deviation of the support platform, and in severe cases, it may even cause the machine to crash.

[0041] The first support platform 110 is also provided with a second exchange bridge 140 on the other side, and the second support platform 120 is also provided with a first exchange bridge 130 on the other side. When the first support platform 110 is located below the projection device 150 and the second support platform 120 is located outside the projection device, the first support platform 110 and the second support platform 120 are adapted to dock and move synchronously through the second exchange bridge 140 on the first support platform 110 and the first exchange bridge 130 on the second support platform 120 (that is, the two supports dock and move through the first exchange bridge on the support platform outside the projection device and the second exchange bridge on the support platform below the projection device to perform wafer exchange). At this time, a gap is generated between the first inclined surface 131 and the second inclined surface 141. The angle between the extension direction from the bottom to the top of the gap and the moving direction of the first support platform 110 and the second support platform 120 is also an acute angle, which will also cause the above-mentioned problem.

[0042] Therefore, in view of the aforementioned technical problems, this application proposes a wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine, including a first carrier stage and a second carrier stage for carrying wafers. A first exchange bridge is provided on one side of the first carrier stage, and a second exchange bridge is provided on one side of the second carrier stage. A liquid is immersed between the wafer and the projection device. When the first carrier stage is located outside the projection device and the second carrier stage is located below the projection device, the first carrier stage and the second carrier stage are adapted to dock and move through the first exchange bridge and the second exchange bridge to perform wafer exchange.

[0043] The first switching bridge has a first inclined surface facing upwards, and the second switching bridge has a second inclined surface facing downwards. The first and second inclined surfaces are arranged correspondingly. When performing wafer exchange, the moving directions of the first and second carriers form an obtuse angle with the first inclined surface.

[0044] In the wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine according to embodiments of this application, when the first carrier stage is located outside the projection device and the second carrier stage is located below the projection device, the first carrier stage and the second carrier stage are adapted to dock and move through a first exchange bridge and a second exchange bridge to perform wafer exchange. The first exchange bridge has a first inclined surface facing upwards, and the second exchange bridge has a second inclined surface facing downwards. When performing wafer exchange, the moving direction of the first carrier stage and the second carrier stage forms an obtuse angle with the first inclined surface, which can effectively prevent liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the carrier stage, thereby reducing the impact on the movement accuracy of the carrier stage, that is, reducing the impact on the dynamic moving average and moving standard deviation of the carrier stage, and also reducing the risk of machine downtime.

[0045] Below, for reference Figures 2 to 5 The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device of this application is described in detail, wherein, Figure 2This invention illustrates a schematic diagram of a wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine according to a specific embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This paper shows a top view schematic diagram of a wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine according to a specific embodiment of this application. Figure 4 This application shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a first switching bridge and a second switching bridge according to a specific embodiment. Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine is shown, according to another specific embodiment of this application.

[0046] In one example, such as Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine includes a first carrier stage 210 and a second carrier stage 220 for carrying a wafer 270. A first exchange bridge 230 is disposed on one side of the first carrier stage 210, and a second exchange bridge 240 is disposed on one side of the second carrier stage. A liquid 260 (e.g., water) is immersed between the wafer 270 and the projection device 250. The projection device 250 projects light onto the wafer 270 to expose it. The light emitted from the light source passes sequentially through a mask and the projection device 250 to illuminate the wafer, transferring the pattern on the mask onto the wafer 270, thus completing the exposure. Exemplarily, the liquid 260 is confined to a localized area above the wafer 270 by an immersion hood, which may consist of an inwardly flowing gas field. The objective lens of the projection device 250 is immersed in the liquid 260.

[0047] In one example, such as Figures 2 to 4 As shown, when the first support platform 210 is located outside the projection device 250 and the second support platform 220 is located below the projection device 250, the first support platform 210 and the second support platform 220 are adapted to dock and move through the first exchange bridge 230 and the second exchange bridge 240. Figures 2 to 4 The arrows shown indicate the direction of movement. Figures 2 to 4 The first stage 210 and the second stage 220 move from left to right to perform wafer exchange. For example, after the wafer on the second stage 220 has been exposed, a wafer exchange is performed to move the second stage 220 outside the projection device 250 and move the first stage 210 below the projection device to expose the wafer on the first stage 210. After the wafer exchange is completed, liquid 260 is located between the wafer on the first stage 210 and the projection device 250.

[0048] In one example, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the first switching bridge 230 has a first inclined surface 231 facing upwards, and the second switching bridge 240 has a second inclined surface 241 facing downwards. The first inclined surface 231 and the second inclined surface 241 are correspondingly arranged. During wafer swapping, the moving directions of the first support stage 210 and the second support stage 220 form an obtuse angle with the first inclined surface 231; that is, when the first switching bridge 230 and the second switching bridge 240 are docked, the first inclined surface 231 and the second inclined surface 241 are docked. Exemplarily, the first inclined surface 231 and the second inclined surface 241 are arranged parallel to each other. For example, during wafer swapping, the obtuse angle between the moving directions of the first support stage 210 and the second support stage 220 and the first inclined surface 231 means that during wafer swapping, the obtuse angle between the moving directions of the first support stage 210 and the second support stage 220 and the extending direction of the first inclined surface 231, wherein the extending direction of the first inclined surface 231 is the direction from the bottom of the first inclined surface 231 to the top of the first inclined surface 231 (from...). Figure 4 Viewed from the center, the first inclined surface 231 extends from the lower right to the upper left.

[0049] When the first carrier platform 210 and the second carrier platform 220 are docked and moved via the first exchange bridge 230 and the second exchange bridge 240 for wafer exchange, if the first carrier platform 210 and the second carrier platform 220 have good synchronicity, no gap will be formed between the first inclined surface 231 and the second inclined surface 241, and the liquid 260 will not leak onto the balance mass block below the carrier platform. If the synchronicity of the first carrier platform 210 and the second carrier platform 220 is poor, a gap will be formed between the first inclined surface 231 and the second inclined surface 241, and the liquid 260 may enter the gap. This poses a risk of leakage to the balancing mass block below the support platform through the gap. However, the first exchange bridge 230 of this application has a first inclined surface 231 facing upwards, and the second exchange bridge 240 has a second inclined surface 241 facing downwards. During wafer exchange, the angle between the moving direction of the first support platform 210 and the second support platform 220 and the first inclined surface 231 is obtuse. That is, the angle between the extension direction of the gap between the first inclined surface 231 and the second inclined surface 241 from its bottom to its top and the moving direction of the first support platform 210 and the second support platform 220 is obtuse. Figures 2 to 3 The arrows shown indicate the direction of movement. Figures 2 to 3The first support platform 210 and the second support platform 220 move from left to right, while the bottom of the gap extends from the top of the gap from the lower right to the upper left. At this time, due to inertia and friction, the amount of liquid entering the gap can be greatly reduced, which can effectively prevent the liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block under the support platform, thereby reducing the impact on the motion accuracy of the support platform, that is, reducing the impact on the dynamic moving average and moving standard deviation of the support platform, and also reducing the risk of machine downtime.

[0050] In one example, such as Figure 5 As shown, a second swap bridge 240 is also provided on the other side of the first carrier platform 210, and a first swap bridge 230 is also provided on the other side of the second carrier platform 220. When the first carrier platform 210 is located below the projection device 250 and the second carrier platform 220 is located outside the projection device 250, the first carrier platform 210 and the second carrier platform 220 are adapted to dock and move through the second swap bridge 240 on the first carrier platform 210 and the first swap bridge 230 on the second carrier platform 220 to perform wafer swapping. Exemplarily, during wafer swapping, the first carrier platform 210 and the second carrier platform 220 always dock and move through the first swap bridge 230 on the carrier platform outside the projection device 250 and the second swap bridge 240 on the carrier platform below the projection device 250. Exemplarily, the first swap bridge 230 is also called a rear swap bridge (R-swap bridge), and the second swap bridge 240 is also called a front swap bridge (F-swap bridge).

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, when the first carrier platform 210 and the second carrier platform 220 are docked and moved via the second exchange bridge 240 on the first carrier platform 210 and the first exchange bridge 230 on the second carrier platform 220 to perform wafer exchange, similarly, the moving direction of the first carrier platform 210 and the second carrier platform 220 also forms an obtuse angle with the first inclined surface 231. That is, the angle between the gap generated between the first inclined surface 231 and the second inclined surface 241 from its bottom to its top is obtuse. Figure 5 The arrows shown indicate the direction of movement. Figure 5 The first support platform 210 and the second support platform 220 move from left to right, while the bottom of the gap extends from the top of the gap from the lower right to the upper left. At this time, due to inertia and friction, the amount of liquid entering the gap can be greatly reduced, which can effectively prevent the liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block under the support platform, thereby reducing the impact on the motion accuracy of the support platform, that is, reducing the impact on the dynamic moving average and moving standard deviation of the support platform, and also reducing the risk of machine downtime.

[0052] In one example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the first exchange bridge also has an upward-facing first horizontal surface 232 connected to the bottom of the first inclined surface, and the second exchange bridge also has a downward-facing second horizontal surface 242 connected to the bottom of the second inclined surface, with the first and second horizontal surfaces correspondingly disposed. The wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine of this application also includes a first liquid extraction device 234, which is disposed on the first horizontal surface. Exemplarily, the first liquid extraction device 234 is used to extract liquid entering the gap between the first exchange bridge 230 and the second exchange bridge 240. Exemplarily, the first liquid extraction device 234 includes a vacuum extraction device, which uses negative pressure to extract liquid entering the gap between the first exchange bridge 230 and the second exchange bridge 240, and the vacuum extraction device can be a pump capable of withstanding liquid.

[0053] In one example, such as Figure 1B As shown, in related technologies, the liquid extraction device 132 is disposed on the first inclined surface 131. Taking the liquid extraction device 132 as a vacuum extraction device as an example, when the liquid extraction device 132 experiences pressure fluctuations, the liquid extraction power is insufficient, making it difficult to extract all the liquid that has entered the gap, causing the liquid to leak through the gap onto the balance mass block below the support platform. However, in this application, by disposing the first liquid extraction device 234 on the first horizontal surface, taking the first liquid extraction device as a vacuum extraction device as an example, even if the first liquid extraction device 234 experiences pressure fluctuations, resulting in insufficient liquid extraction power and inability to extract all the liquid, the liquid can still fall into the first liquid extraction device 234 along the gap between the first exchange bridge 230 and the second exchange bridge 240, and then be discharged through the discharge pipe connected to the first liquid extraction device 234, effectively preventing the liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the support platform.

[0054] In one example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine of this application further includes a second liquid extraction device 235 disposed on a first horizontal surface. The first liquid extraction device 234 and the second liquid extraction device 235 are independently disposed. Exemplarily, the second liquid extraction device 235 is used to extract liquid entering the gap between the first exchange bridge 230 and the second exchange bridge 240. Exemplarily, the second liquid extraction device 235 includes a vacuum extraction device. By providing the first liquid extraction device 234 and the second liquid extraction device 235, the liquid extraction capacity can be effectively increased, preventing liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the carrier stage.

[0055] In one example, such as Figure 4As shown, the wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine of this application further includes independently configured first discharge pipe 236 and second discharge pipe 237. The first discharge pipe 236 is connected to the bottom of the first liquid extraction device 234, and the second discharge pipe 237 is connected to the bottom of the second liquid extraction device 235. For example, the connection between the first discharge pipe 236 and the bottom of the first liquid extraction device 234, and the connection between the second discharge pipe 237 and the bottom of the second liquid extraction device 235, facilitates liquid discharge. Furthermore, taking the first liquid extraction device 234 and the second liquid extraction device 235 as vacuum extraction devices, connecting them to different pipes effectively reduces the probability of simultaneous pressure fluctuations in both devices, thereby avoiding differences in liquid extraction power and effectively preventing liquid leakage onto the balance mass block below the carrier platform.

[0056] In one example, such as Figure 4 As shown, a blocking structure 238 is also provided on the first horizontal surface 232. The blocking structure 238 protrudes vertically from the first horizontal surface 232. When liquid enters the gap between the first exchange bridge 230 and the second exchange bridge 240, the liquid will flow along the first inclined surface 231 to the first horizontal surface 232. By providing the blocking structure 238, the liquid can be effectively blocked from continuing to flow, thereby preventing the liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the support platform.

[0057] In one example, such as Figure 4As shown, the blocking structure 238 is disposed at one end of the first horizontal surface 232 away from the first inclined surface 231; and / or, during wafer exchange, the top of the blocking structure 238 contacts the second horizontal surface 242. For example, the farther the blocking structure 238 is located from the first inclined surface 231, the more liquid the first horizontal surface 232 between the blocking structure 238 and the first inclined surface 231 can hold. This better prevents the liquid from flowing across the blocking structure 238. By placing the blocking structure 238 at the end of the first horizontal surface 232 away from the first inclined surface 231, the first horizontal surface 232 between the blocking structure 238 and the first inclined surface 231 can hold the maximum amount of liquid. At the same time, the blocking structure 238 being placed at the end of the first horizontal surface 232 away from the first inclined surface 231, and the first liquid extraction device 234 and the second liquid extraction device 235 being placed on the first horizontal surface between the first inclined surface 231 and the blocking structure 238, also facilitates the extraction of liquid entering the gap by the first liquid extraction device 234 and the second liquid extraction device 235. For example, during wafer swapping, the first swapping bridge 230 and the second swapping bridge 240 are docked. By bringing the top of the barrier structure 238 into contact with the second horizontal surface, the amount of liquid that the first horizontal surface 232 between the barrier structure 238 and the first inclined surface 231 can hold can be further increased. At the same time, the barrier structure 238 can form a closed space with the first inclined surface 231 and the second inclined surface 241 to prevent liquid entering the gap from continuing to seep downward.

[0058] In one example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the first exchange bridge 230 further has an upward-facing third horizontal surface 233 connected to the top of the first inclined surface 231, and the second exchange bridge 240 further has an upward-facing fourth horizontal surface 243 connected to the top of the second inclined surface 241. The third horizontal surface 233 and the fourth horizontal surface 243 are flush. Exemplarily, during wafer exchange, liquid sequentially contacts the fourth horizontal surface 243 and the third horizontal surface 233. Exemplarily, the third horizontal surface 233 and the fourth horizontal surface 243 are flush with the wafer surface.

[0059] In one example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the first switching bridge 230 also has a vertical surface connected to the end of the first horizontal surface 232 away from the first inclined surface 231, and the second switching bridge 240 also has a vertical surface connected to the end of the second horizontal surface 242 away from the second inclined surface 241. The vertical surfaces of the first switching bridge 230 and the second switching bridge 240 are arranged correspondingly.

[0060] In one example, the dimensions and shapes of the surfaces of the first and second exchange bridges 230 and 240, as well as the first liquid extraction device 234, the second liquid extraction device 235, and the blocking structure 238, can be reasonably set according to actual needs. For example, the angle between the first inclined surface 231 and the second inclined surface 241 and the vertical direction is 30°; the vertical distance between the first horizontal surface 232 and the bottom of the first exchange bridge 230 is 2 mm; the vertical distance between the third horizontal surface 233 and the bottom of the first exchange bridge 230 is 4 mm; the length of the third horizontal surface 233 along the moving direction (the moving direction of the first support stage 210 and the second support stage 220 during wafer exchange) is 13 mm; the vertical distance between the fourth horizontal surface and the bottom of the second exchange bridge 240 is 4 mm; the length of the fourth horizontal surface 243 along the moving direction is 25 mm; the lengths of the first liquid extraction device 234 and the second liquid extraction device 235 along the moving direction are both 1.3 mm; and the length of the blocking structure 238 along the moving direction is 0.5 mm.

[0061] This concludes the description of the structure of the wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine according to this application. The complete wafer carrier device may also include other components, which will not be described in detail here.

[0062] In summary, the wafer carrier device for an immersion lithography machine according to the embodiments of this application has a first inclined surface facing upwards on the first exchange bridge and a second inclined surface facing downwards on the second exchange bridge. During wafer exchange, the moving directions of the first and second carriers form an obtuse angle with the first inclined surface, which effectively prevents liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the carrier, thereby reducing the impact on the movement accuracy of the carrier, i.e., reducing the impact on the dynamic moving average and moving standard deviation of the carrier, and also reducing the risk of machine downtime; at the same time, the first liquid extraction device is disposed at... The first horizontal surface further prevents liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the support platform. Simultaneously, a second liquid extraction device is also provided on the first horizontal surface, with the first and second devices connected to different pipelines, further preventing liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the support platform. Additionally, a blocking structure is provided on the first horizontal surface to further prevent liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the support platform. Furthermore, during wafer exchange, the top of the blocking structure contacts the second horizontal surface, further preventing liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the support platform.

[0063] This application also provides an immersion lithography machine, which includes the wafer carrier and projection device described above. The projection device is disposed above the wafer carrier and is used to project light onto the wafer. A liquid is immersed between the wafer and the projection device. Since the immersion device of this application includes the wafer carrier described above, it has the same advantages.

[0064] The immersion lithography machine of this application embodiment has a first inclined surface facing upwards on the first exchange bridge and a second inclined surface facing downwards on the second exchange bridge. During wafer exchange, the moving directions of the first and second carrier stages form an obtuse angle with the first inclined surface, effectively preventing liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the carrier stage, thereby reducing the impact on the movement accuracy of the carrier stage, i.e., reducing the impact on the dynamic moving average and moving standard deviation of the carrier stage, and also reducing the risk of machine downtime. Simultaneously, a first liquid extraction device is disposed on a first horizontal surface, further preventing liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the carrier stage. A second liquid extraction device is also disposed on the first horizontal surface, with the first and second liquid extraction devices connected to different pipelines, further preventing liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the carrier stage. Furthermore, a blocking structure is disposed on the first horizontal surface, further preventing liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the carrier stage. During wafer exchange, the top of the blocking structure contacts the second horizontal surface, further preventing liquid from leaking onto the balance mass block below the carrier stage.

[0065] Although exemplary embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this application. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this application as claimed in the appended claims.

[0066] Numerous specific details are set forth in the specification provided herein. However, it will be understood that embodiments of this application may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification.

[0067] Similarly, it should be understood that, in order to simplify this application and aid in understanding one or more of the various aspects of the invention, in the description of exemplary embodiments of this application, various features of this application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this approach should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claimed application requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the inventive point lies in solving the corresponding technical problem with fewer features than all of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into that detailed description, wherein each claim itself is a separate embodiment of this application.

[0068] Those skilled in the art will understand that, apart from the mutual exclusion of features, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) and all processes or elements of any method or apparatus so disclosed can be combined in any combination. Unless otherwise expressly stated, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature serving the same, equivalent, or similar purpose.

[0069] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments described herein include certain features but not others included in other embodiments, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any one of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0070] It should be noted that the above embodiments are illustrative of this application and not restrictive of this application, and that those skilled in the art can devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wafer carrying device for a dip-and-etch photolithography machine, characterized by, It includes a first support stage and a second support stage for carrying a wafer. A first exchange bridge is provided on one side of the first support stage, and a second exchange bridge is provided on one side of the second support stage. A liquid is immersed between the wafer and the projection device. When the first carrier platform is located outside the projection device and the second carrier platform is located below the projection device, the first carrier platform and the second carrier platform are adapted to dock and move through the first exchange bridge and the second exchange bridge to perform wafer exchange; The first switching bridge has a first inclined surface facing upwards, and the second switching bridge has a second inclined surface facing downwards. The first and second inclined surfaces are correspondingly arranged. When performing wafer exchange, the moving directions of the first and second support platforms form an obtuse angle with the first inclined surface.

2. The wafer carrier apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The first carrier platform is provided with a second exchange bridge on the other side, and the second carrier platform is provided with a first exchange bridge on the other side. When the first carrier platform is located below the projection device and the second carrier platform is located outside the projection device, the first carrier platform and the second carrier platform are adapted to dock and move through the second exchange bridge on the first carrier platform and the first exchange bridge on the second carrier platform to perform wafer exchange.

3. The wafer carrier apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first switching bridge also has an upward-facing first horizontal surface connected to the bottom of the first inclined surface, and the second switching bridge also has a downward-facing second horizontal surface connected to the bottom of the second inclined surface, with the first horizontal surface and the second horizontal surface being disposed correspondingly. It also includes a first liquid extraction device, which is disposed on the first horizontal surface.

4. The wafer carrier apparatus of claim 3, wherein, It also includes a second liquid extraction device disposed on the first horizontal surface, wherein the first liquid extraction device and the second liquid extraction device are disposed independently.

5. The wafer carrier apparatus of claim 4, wherein, The first liquid extraction device and the second liquid extraction device include a vacuum extraction device.

6. The wafer carrier apparatus of claim 4, wherein, It also includes a first discharge pipe and a second discharge pipe that are independently configured, wherein the first discharge pipe is connected to the bottom of the first liquid extraction device, and the second discharge pipe is connected to the bottom of the second liquid extraction device.

7. The wafer carrier apparatus of claim 3, wherein, A blocking structure is also provided on the first horizontal surface.

8. The wafer carrier device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The blocking structure is disposed at one end of the first horizontal surface away from the first inclined surface; and / or During wafer exchange, the top surface of the barrier structure comes into contact with the second horizontal surface.

9. The wafer carrier apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The first switching bridge also has an upward-facing third horizontal surface connected to the top of the first inclined surface, and the second switching bridge also has an upward-facing fourth horizontal surface connected to the top of the second inclined surface, the third horizontal surface being flush with the fourth horizontal surface.

10. A flood exposure photolithography machine characterized by comprising: include: A wafer carrier for an immersion lithography machine as described in any one of claims 1-9; A projection device is disposed above the wafer carrier for projecting light onto the wafer, wherein a liquid is impregnated between the wafer and the projection device.

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