Substrate Alignment Apparatus Rough Pre-alignment Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-accuracy alignment of substrates in multilayered semiconductor device manufacturing is time-consuming when alignment marks are initially positioned far from target positions, leading to reduced throughput in the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
An alignment apparatus that includes a first aligner for aligning substrates to a reference position, a second aligner for aligning a substrate holder, and a position detector to accurately detect alignment marks after the substrate is held, allowing for pre-alignment of substrates and holders separately, which reduces displacement and speeds up the alignment process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a high-accuracy position detecting apparatus is utilized to align substrates on the order of submicrons, then alignment precision is improved, but the time required to complete alignment increases enormously when alignment marks are initially positioned far away from target positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a rough alignment of substrates before mounting them on the substrate holder. This pre-alignment step brings the alignment marks closer to the target position in advance, so that when high-accuracy detection is performed later, the marks are already within a reasonable detection range, thereby reducing the time required for precise alignment without sacrificing accuracy
2Manufacturing precision
If substrates are aligned directly to target positions without pre-alignment, then alignment precision can be achieved, but the throughput of the multilayered semiconductor device manufacturing process is lowered due to enormously long alignment time
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment process is segmented into two distinct stages: a rough alignment stage performed before substrate mounting, and a precise alignment stage performed after mounting. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently - the rough alignment quickly reduces large positional errors, while the precise alignment fine-tunes the positioning, thereby improving overall throughput without compromising final alignment precision
3Adaptability or versatility
If alignment marks are initially positioned far away from target positions, then substrate placement flexibility is maintained, but the time required for high-accuracy alignment increases enormously
Solution Approach 1:
The rough alignment performed before substrate mounting serves as a preliminary action that bridges the gap between flexible substrate placement and efficient high-accuracy alignment. This preliminary step accommodates various substrate positions while preparing them for rapid precise alignment, thus maintaining placement flexibility without incurring excessive alignment time costs
Data Source
AI summary
The throughput of the alignment in an alignment apparatus is improved. There is provided an alignment apparatus for aligning a substrate having an alignment mark, including a first aligner that aligns the substrate to a first reference position, a second aligner that aligns a substrate holder to a second reference position before the substrate holder holds the substrate, and a position detector that detects a position of the alignment mark of the substrate after the substrate holder holds the substrate.