Lithography Thermal Control for Wavefront Drift Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lithography systems face challenges in controlling wavefront drift induced by thermal changes in optical elements, leading to defects in semiconductor devices.
Innovation Solution
A method is developed to determine process parameters associated with thermal devices to mitigate wavefront drift. This involves obtaining wavefront data, determining wavefront drift, and adjusting thermal device parameters to minimize aberrations and reduce defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If thermal devices are used to control wavefront drift, then imaging precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting thermal device parameters (heating power, cooling rate) to control wavefront drift. The system modifies thermal parameters in response to measured wavefront aberrations, enabling precise control of optical element temperatures to maintain imaging precision while managing the complexity of the thermal control system.
2Reliability
If dynamic thermal adjustment is implemented, then wavefront drift is reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by measuring wavefront drift using interferometry or wavefront sensing, comparing the measured wavefront to a reference, and adjusting thermal device parameters based on the detected aberrations. This closed-loop feedback system maintains wavefront stability while optimizing energy consumption by applying thermal corrections only when and where needed, rather than continuous full-system thermal control.
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 approach effectively reduces defects and improves imaging performance by dynamically adjusting thermal energy distribution to compensate for wavefront drift, enhancing the precision of semiconductor manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
parameters associated with a thermal device, where the thermal device is configured to provide thermal energy to the optical projection system
Data Source
AI summary
Dynamic aberration control in a semiconductor manufacturing process is described. In some embodiments, wavefront data representing a wavefront provided by an optical projection system of a semiconductor processing apparatus may be received. Wavefront drift may be determined based on a comparison of the wavefront data and target wavefront data. Based on the wavefront drift, one or more process parameters may be determined. The one or more process parameters include parameters associated with a thermal device, where the thermal device is configured to provide thermal energy to the optical projection system during operation.