Charged Particle Substrate Positioning With Optical-to-Beam Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electron beam lithography systems are time-consuming for processing entire workpieces, and there is a need for improved methods to accurately position substrates and target charged particle beams for efficient processing.
Innovation Solution
A method involving optical inspection and multiple sensors to accurately position a movable object within a processing tool, using a combination of optical and charged particle devices to determine precise positions and offsets, enabling high-precision substrate treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If electron beam lithography is used to process an entire workpiece, then highly customized variations can be enabled on the semiconductor wafer, but the processing time becomes prohibitively long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the workpiece into multiple fields of view that can be processed independently and concurrently. Multiple modular miniature charged particle devices are assigned to different fields, allowing parallel processing of different regions of the substrate, thus reducing overall processing time while maintaining customization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary positioning of the substrate using optical inspection and coordinate mapping before actual charged particle processing. This preliminary action establishes a coordinate system and identifies features in advance, enabling faster processing during the actual treatment phase by eliminating the need for real-time positioning adjustments.
2Manufacturing precision
If charged particle beams with nanometer dimensions are used to form features, then high precision feature formation is achieved, but substrate positioning and beam targeting become critical and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical positioning systems with an optical inspection and coordinate-based targeting system. Instead of relying solely on mechanical precision for beam positioning, the system uses optical images to identify features and calculates beam targeting coordinates mathematically, reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining nanometer-scale precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the substrate's coordinate system and feature locations through optical inspection. This digital representation is then used to guide the charged particle beams without requiring direct physical measurement or complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms during processing, simplifying the physical system while maintaining precision.
3Productivity
If multiple modular miniature charged particle devices are used to concurrently process a single substrate, then processing speed is accelerated, but accurate positioning and beam targeting become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal coordinate system and optical inspection methodology that serves all multiple charged particle devices simultaneously. The same optical system and positioning algorithms are used across all devices, allowing them to operate concurrently with consistent accuracy standards, thus maintaining measurement precision while enabling parallel processing for high productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of processing substrates in a processing tool having a plurality of miniature modular charged particle devices include obtaining a first digital image of a feature of a movable object using an optical inspection system; determining a first position of the movable object based on the digital image using readings from a first plurality of position sensors having a first accuracy; based on the first position, and a predetermined dimension of the processing tool, moving the movable object such that the feature is within an exposure area of a charged particle device; obtaining a second digital image of the feature using the charged particle device; and determining a second position of the movable object based on the second digital image and readings from a second plurality of position sensors. Other methods include using a second charged particle device to perform a print plan when a first device is not operated.