Tag Coordinate Determination for Photomask Alignment Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual capture of coordinates for patterns on a wafer dicing lane is prone to errors, leading to inaccuracies in exposure alignment and measurement during the manufacturing process of integrated circuits.
Innovation Solution
A tag coordinate determination method and apparatus that generate a tag unit for placing a detection tag, set the detection tag and tag unit in an image of a photomask, and obtain a tag position file with position coordinates, allowing for accurate acquisition of tag coordinates without manual measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual capture of coordinates is used for patterns on wafer dicing lane, then the process can be completed with simple operations, but the accuracy of coordinate determination deteriorates due to human errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical operation of capturing coordinates with an automated computer-based system. The measurement and coordinate extraction process is transformed from a manual task prone to human error into an automated digital process that reads coordinates directly from the photomask image, eliminating human intervention and significantly improving measurement precision while maintaining operational simplicity through software automation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual measurement of tag coordinates is performed, then the method can be applied to existing workflows, but the time consumption and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates tag units with predefined coordinate information directly into the photomask design before manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures that coordinate data is already embedded in the photomask image, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual measurement during the manufacturing process. The system simply reads the pre-positioned tag coordinates from the image, dramatically reducing time consumption while maintaining compatibility with existing workflows through seamless integration.
3Measurement precision
If automated tag coordinate determination is implemented, then accuracy and efficiency are improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a simplified copying approach where coordinate information is directly read from the photomask image without requiring complex measurement or calculation systems. The tag units in the photomask serve as pre-prepared copies of the coordinate data, allowing the system to simply extract and use this information. This eliminates the need for sophisticated automated measurement equipment, maintaining low device complexity while achieving high accuracy through the pre-encoded tag coordinate information.
Data Source
AI summary
A tag coordinate determination method includes: generating a tag unit for placing a detection tag; setting the detection tag and the tag unit in an image of a photomask, and obtaining a tag position file of the image, the tag position file including position coordinates of the tag unit in the image; and acquiring position coordinates of a tag to be processed in the image according to the tag position file. The tag coordinate determination method can overcome to a certain extent the problem of manually capturing the coordinates being prone to errors, thereby improving accuracy of coordinate determination.