Exposure Apparatus Mark Array for Beam Irradiator Position Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing maskless exposure apparatuses face challenges in efficiently correcting the positions of multiple beam irradiators, leading to increased time and reduced production flexibility during the exposure process.
Innovation Solution
An exposure apparatus with a stage featuring a mark array and a controller that uses detector feedback to correct the positions of beam irradiators, allowing each irradiator to scan a separate mark, thereby reducing the overall time required for position alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a single mark is used for position correction of multiple beam irradiators, then the structure is simple, but the time required for position correction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The single mark is divided into multiple separate marks (first mark, second mark, etc.) arranged in an array. Each beam irradiator can simultaneously scan its corresponding mark, enabling parallel position correction operations that reduce total correction time while maintaining structural simplicity through the organized array layout
2Productivity
If multiple beam irradiators scan the same mark simultaneously, then position correction can be parallelized, but the scanning time for each irradiator increases due to overlapping paths
Solution Approach 1:
The scanning paths are segmented by assigning each beam irradiator a dedicated mark to scan. This eliminates overlapping scan paths and allows each irradiator to complete its scanning operation independently and simultaneously with others, reducing the scanning duration for each irradiator while maintaining parallel productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The marks are arranged in a spatial array configuration where each mark occupies a distinct position. This spatial dimensionality allows multiple beam irradiators to operate in parallel without interference, as each irradiator scans its assigned mark at a different location, enabling simultaneous operations with reduced individual scanning time
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces the time needed to correct the positions of beam irradiators, enhancing the efficiency of the exposure process and improving production flexibility by allowing each irradiator to focus on a specific mark, thus streamlining the pattern formation on substrates.
Implementation Method 1
a detector disposed over the mark array and configured to receive a third beam reflected by the first mark and a fourth beam reflected by the second mark
Data Source
AI summary
An exposure apparatus comprising, a stage configured to receive a substrate, a mark array disposed on the stage and comprising a first mark and a second mark separated from each other by a first distance, a first beam irradiator configured to irradiate a first beam to the first mark, a second beam irradiator being separated from the first beam by a pitch greater than the first distance and configured to irradiate a second beam to the second mark, a detector disposed over the mark array and configured to receive a third beam reflected by the first mark and a fourth beam reflected by the second mark, and a controller configured to control the position of the stage using an output of the detector.