Interface Gas Flow Temperature Control for Wafer Alignment Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The interface between photoresist coating and developing machines and lithography machines lacks temperature control, leading to inconsistent wafer temperatures, which affects the authenticity and stability of overlaying errors during alignment, resulting in reduced productivity due to either insufficient or prolonged temperature control times.
Innovation Solution
A temperature control device with a temperature detection system and gas flow generator is implemented at the interface, using a controller to manage gas flow to maintain a target temperature, ensuring the wafer enters the lithography machine with stable conditions by generating a gas flow sealing knife or injecting temperature control gas flows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the TSU temperature control time is extended, then the wafer stress release and temperature stability are improved, but the lithography machine productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas flow sealing knife is activated at the interface between coating/developing machine and lithography machine to perform preliminary temperature control on the wafer before it enters the TSU. This preliminary action ensures the wafer reaches the target temperature earlier, allowing the TSU to operate with shorter control time while maintaining temperature stability, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity.
2Productivity
If the TSU temperature control time is reduced, then the lithography machine productivity is improved, but the wafer stress release and alignment stability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Temperature control is performed in advance at the interface using the gas flow sealing knife, which stabilizes the wafer temperature before the wafer enters the TSU. This preliminary temperature stabilization ensures that even with reduced TSU control time, the wafer maintains adequate temperature stability and stress release, preserving alignment stability while improving productivity.
3Device complexity
If no temperature control is applied at the interface, then the device complexity is reduced, but the wafer temperature consistency and overlaying error stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The gas flow sealing knife uses pneumatic principles to generate a controlled gas flow that forms a sealing barrier at the interface. This gas flow not only seals the interface but also provides temperature control functionality, achieving both temperature consistency and overlaying error stability with a relatively simple pneumatic device rather than complex thermal control systems.
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 reduces the temperature control time required for the wafer in the temperature stable unit, ensuring timely stress release and improved alignment stability, thereby enhancing lithography machine productivity and reducing rework.
Implementation Method 1
The gas flow generator is at least configured to generate a gas flow sealing knife around the interface
Implementation Method 2
The temperature detection device is configured to detect an actual temperature at the interface in real time
Implementation Method 3
to control the actual temperature at the interface to reach the target temperature through the gas flow sealing knife
Data Source
AI summary
A temperature control device and a temperature control method are provided. The temperature control device is located at an interface between a photoresist coating and developing machine and a lithography machine and includes: a temperature detection device, a gas flow generator and a controller. The temperature detection device and the gas flow generator are respectively connected to the controller. The temperature detection device is configured to detect an actual temperature at the interface in real time. The gas flow generator is at least configured to generate a gas flow sealing knife around the interface. The controller is configured to control the gas flow generator to generate the gas flow sealing knife responsive to that the actual temperature detected by the temperature detection device is not equal to the target temperature, to control the actual temperature at the interface to reach the target temperature through the gas flow sealing knife.