Immersion Lithography Temperature Gradient Control to Reduce Turbulence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Temperature gradients in immersion media during semiconductor lithography cause turbulence, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to convection, bubble formation, and changes in optical characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing wireless temperature sensors to measure and generate a gradient map of the immersion medium, which identifies instability and controls conditions using heating, cooling, or other components to mitigate turbulence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If temperature gradients are present in the immersion medium, then convection and turbulence occur, but this leads to bubble formation, pressure changes, and degraded optical characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the immersion medium into multiple spatial zones using an array of temperature sensors positioned at different locations. Each sensor monitors a specific region, enabling localized temperature control and gradient management to prevent convection and turbulence while maintaining overall thermal uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously measures temperature at multiple locations and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust heating and cooling components. The control system processes temperature gradient information and modifies thermal management actions to maintain stable optical conditions, eliminating bubble formation and pressure variations.
2Reliability
If multiple temperature sensors are deployed to monitor immersion medium, then turbulence can be detected and controlled, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature sensor array serves multiple functions: it maps temperature gradients, detects turbulence conditions, and provides feedback for control. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby managing system complexity while enhancing turbulence control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical turbulence control mechanisms with a field-based approach using temperature sensing and thermal management. By substituting mechanical control with thermal field control, the system achieves turbulence reduction through more elegant and less complex means.
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
The system effectively reduces immersion medium turbulence, enhancing the stability and efficiency of semiconductor fabrication processes by minimizing temperature differences and flow-related issues.
Implementation Method 1
A number of the immersion medium temperatures are sensed and the temperatures are utilized to generate a gradient map of the immersion medium
Implementation Method 2
The gradient map can be utilized to control the immersion medium, such as by providing a control signal to a heating component, cooling component, etc.
Implementation Method 3
The gradient map can be utilized to control the immersion medium, such as by providing a control signal to a heating component, cooling component, etc.
Implementation Method 4
Such temperature variations between different portions of the immersion medium can cause flowing of the immersion medium (e.g., via convection) between regions with disparate temperatures and thus, yield turbulence within the immersion medium
Data Source
AI summary
The subject invention provides systems and methods that monitor and/or control turbulence of an immersion medium. The systems and methods relate to computer controlled techniques that reduce effects of immersion medium flow due to a liquid temperature gradient. According to an aspect of the subject invention, a number of temperature measurements of the immersion medium are obtained, and the temperature measurements are utilized to generate a gradient map of the immersion medium. By way of illustration, the temperature measurements can be made via wireless temperature sensors. The gradient map can be utilized to understand the stability of the immersion medium. According to an aspect of the subject invention, instability identified with the gradient map can be mitigated.