Carousel Optical Element Holder for Projection Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of semiconductor manufacturing requires more dynamic and finer patterns, necessitating various types of illumination light, but existing optical element holders are limited in design space, leading to inconvenient frequent changes and reduced throughput in exposure processes.
Innovation Solution
A carrousel optical element holder with a support member and rotational driving sections that allow multiple optical elements to be arranged circumferentially and rotated to select and adjust the arrangement direction of each element, enabling efficient switching between different illumination shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple aperture diaphragms are arranged to provide various illumination shapes, then the versatility of illumination types is improved, but the design space of the exposure apparatus is exceeded and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical element holder is segmented into multiple slots arranged circumferentially, each slot accommodating a different aperture diaphragm. This segmentation allows various illumination shapes to be provided without increasing overall device complexity, as each segment is a standardized unit that can be independently selected and positioned.
Solution Approach 2:
The aperture diaphragms are arranged in a circumferential direction around a rotation axis, transitioning from a linear arrangement to a two-dimensional circular arrangement. This dimensional change allows multiple diaphragms to be accommodated within a compact space, providing various illumination shapes without exceeding the design space of the exposure apparatus.
2Adaptability or versatility
If aperture diaphragm plate is frequently changed to match dynamic pattern shapes, then the adaptability to different patterns is improved, but the throughput of exposure process deteriorates due to time-consuming changes
Solution Approach 1:
The optical element holder is designed to rotate about a central axis, allowing dynamic selection of different aperture diaphragms during the exposure process. This dynamic capability enables quick switching between different illumination shapes without physically changing the entire diaphragm plate, thereby maintaining high throughput while adapting to different pattern shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple aperture diaphragms are pre-positioned in different slots around the rotation axis in advance. When a specific pattern shape is required, the holder is simply rotated to bring the appropriate pre-positioned diaphragm into the optical path, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual changes and maintaining high exposure throughput.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of aperture diaphragms is increased to meet diverse illumination requirements, then the illumination shape variety is improved, but the cost of optical elements increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical element holder serves multiple functions: it stores multiple aperture diaphragms, selects the required diaphragm through rotation, and positions it in the optical path. This multi-functionality allows a single device to provide diverse illumination shapes without requiring separate mechanisms for each function, reducing the overall number of optical elements needed while maintaining illumination type diversity.
Data Source
AI summary
In an optical member holder and a projection exposure apparatus having the same, a light beam radiated from a light source may be formed into light having a desired shape by selecting one of a plurality of optical elements. An optical element holder may include a support member to support the plurality of optical elements, a first driving section to move or rotate the support member to select one of the optical elements, and a second driving section to rotate the selected optical element to adjust an arrangement direction thereof. The light formed by the selected optical element may be directed through a reticle.