Lithographic Substrate Handler Thermal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate handlers affect the thermal conditions of substrates during transfer, leading to varying temperature and temperature uniformity, which can adversely impact overlay characteristics in lithographic processes.
Innovation Solution
A substrate handler that initiates the transfer process based on predetermined processing characteristics of the lithographic apparatus to maintain a constant transfer period, ensuring substrates are handled under consistent thermal conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If substrates are transferred by a substrate handler with buffering capability, then substrate handling flexibility and productivity are improved, but thermal conditions of substrates deteriorate due to variable transfer times affecting temperature uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate handler dynamically adjusts the transfer timing of substrates based on real-time thermal conditions and processing characteristics. The system varies transfer speeds and timing to compensate for thermal effects, ensuring that substrates are transferred at optimal moments to maintain temperature uniformity while preserving handling flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters including transfer speed, transfer timing, and waiting periods based on substrate thermal state. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the substrate handler optimizes both productivity and thermal condition maintenance, resolving the contradiction between handling flexibility and temperature uniformity.
2Ease of operation
If the transfer period of substrates in the substrate handler varies, then handling flexibility is improved, but overlay characteristics deteriorate due to inconsistent thermal conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate handler incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor substrate thermal conditions and processing status in real-time. Based on this feedback, the system adjusts transfer timing to ensure substrates are exposed at consistent thermal states, thereby maintaining overlay precision while preserving handling flexibility through adaptive control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary thermal conditioning and timing adjustments before substrate transfer based on predetermined processing characteristics. By pre-calculating optimal transfer moments and preparing substrates in advance with appropriate thermal management, the system ensures both operational flexibility and manufacturing precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If substrates are sequentially processed through different tools with buffering, then process flexibility is improved, but thermal conditioning deteriorates leading to overlay errors
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate handler dynamically coordinates transfers between different processing tools, adjusting timing and speed based on real-time thermal monitoring. This dynamic coordination enables flexible sequential processing while maintaining consistent thermal conditions for overlay precision through adaptive synchronization with tool processing cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate handler serves multiple functions including thermal management, timing coordination, and transfer optimization across different processing tools. By integrating these diverse functions into a single universal system, it maintains both process flexibility and thermal conditioning quality throughout the sequential processing sequence.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate handler for transferring substrates to be exposed from a track to a lithographic apparatus. The substrate handler comprises a controller. The controller is configured to determine an instance for starting a transfer process of a first one of the substrates. The instance is based on a predetermined processing characteristic of the lithographic apparatus, in order to maintain a transfer period of the substrate in the substrate handler substantially constant.