CN114384766A - Correction system and correction method for exposure figure position deviation - Google Patents

Correction system and correction method for exposure figure position deviation Download PDF

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Publication number
CN114384766A
CN114384766A CN202011142251.5A CN202011142251A CN114384766A CN 114384766 A CN114384766 A CN 114384766A CN 202011142251 A CN202011142251 A CN 202011142251A CN 114384766 A CN114384766 A CN 114384766A
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CN
China
Prior art keywords
mask
laser
sensor
pattern
scanning
Prior art date
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Pending
Application number
CN202011142251.5A
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
刘智龙
贺晓彬
丁明正
刘强
杨涛
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Institute of Microelectronics of CAS
Zhenxin Beijing Semiconductor Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Institute of Microelectronics of CAS
Zhenxin Beijing Semiconductor Co Ltd
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Application filed by Institute of Microelectronics of CAS, Zhenxin Beijing Semiconductor Co Ltd filed Critical Institute of Microelectronics of CAS
Priority to CN202011142251.5A priority Critical patent/CN114384766A/en
Publication of CN114384766A publication Critical patent/CN114384766A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
    • G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
    • G03F7/70—Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor
    • G03F7/70691—Handling of masks or workpieces
    • G03F7/70775—Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
    • G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
    • G03F7/70—Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor
    • G03F7/70483—Information management; Active and passive control; Testing; Wafer monitoring, e.g. pattern monitoring
    • G03F7/70491—Information management, e.g. software; Active and passive control, e.g. details of controlling exposure processes or exposure tool monitoring processes
    • G03F7/70516—Calibration of components of the microlithographic apparatus, e.g. light sources, addressable masks or detectors

Abstract

The system comprises a mask platform for bearing a mask, a wafer platform for bearing a wafer, scanning equipment for controlling the scanning operation of the mask platform and the wafer platform, and is characterized by further comprising a laser and a first sensor, wherein the laser and the first sensor are arranged outside an effective exposure area; the laser is positioned on one side of the mask table for bearing the mask, the first sensor is positioned on the opposite side of the mask table for bearing the mask, and the laser and the first sensor are always positioned on a straight line vertical to the surface of the mask table; during the scanning exposure operation, the laser and the first sensor are used for measuring the deformation amount of the mask in real time in the process of scanning the mask, so that the photoetching machine adjusts the relative position between the mask and the wafer according to the deformation amount, the aim of correcting the position deviation of an exposure pattern is fulfilled under the condition of not interrupting production, and the production efficiency of products is improved.

Description

Correction system and correction method for exposure figure position deviation
Technical Field
The application relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, in particular to a system and a method for correcting position deviation of an exposure pattern.
Background
Photolithography (photolithography) is a key process in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, and in the photolithography process, as a light source of an illumination system continuously irradiates a mask, the mask becomes hotter and hotter as time is accumulated, the mask gradually deforms based on the principle of thermal expansion and cold contraction, a pattern placement error occurs, and further, the position deviation of an exposed pattern of the pattern increases.
In the prior art, a sensor of a wafer stage is used to measure a position deviation between an alignment mark (alignment mark) on a mask and the alignment mark (alignment mark) on the alignment mark to indirectly obtain a variation of mask deformation, and then a lithography machine compensates a relative position between the mask and the wafer according to the variation to achieve a purpose of correcting the position deviation of an exposure pattern.
However, the sensor provided on the wafer table has a problem that the mask is moved to the sensor position while the amount of change in the mask deformation is measured, and thus, the production work of the product needs to be interrupted, which adversely affects the production efficiency of the product.
Disclosure of Invention
The present application is directed to a system and a method for correcting a positional deviation of an exposure pattern, which are provided to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the related art, and the present application is achieved by the following means.
The first aspect of the application provides a system for correcting exposure pattern position deviation, which comprises a mask table for bearing a mask, a wafer table for bearing a wafer, and a scanning device for controlling the scanning operation of the mask table and the wafer table, and is characterized by further comprising a laser and a first sensor which are arranged outside an effective exposure area; the laser is positioned on one side of the mask table for bearing the mask, the first sensor is positioned on the opposite side of the mask table for bearing the mask, and the laser and the first sensor are positioned on a straight line vertical to the surface of the mask table;
during the scanning exposure operation, the laser and the first sensor are used for measuring the deformation quantity of the mask in real time during the mask scanning process, so that the photoetching machine adjusts the relative position between the mask and the wafer according to the deformation quantity.
A second aspect of the present application provides a method for correcting a positional deviation of an exposure pattern, the method being applied to the correction system according to the first aspect, the method including:
during the scanning exposure operation, the laser emits laser to the surface direction of the mask table;
when the mask moves below the laser, the first sensor detects the deformation amount of the mask according to the received laser;
the photoetching machine adjusts the relative position between the mask and the wafer according to the deformation quantity.
Based on the above-mentioned first aspect and second aspect respectively described correction system and correction method for exposure pattern position deviation, the present application has the following beneficial effects:
in the process of mask scanning exposure, when the mask is moved to the position below the laser along with the movement of the mask table, the first sensor receives the laser passing through the hollow structure due to the fact that the mask is provided with the hollow structure of the pattern, and the deformation quantity of the mask can be obtained according to the received laser. Therefore, under the condition of ensuring uninterrupted production, the laser and the first sensor can measure the deformation of the mask in real time in the mask scanning process, and the photoetching machine can adjust the relative position between the mask and the wafer according to the deformation measured in real time, so that the purpose of correcting the position deviation of the exposure pattern is achieved, and the production efficiency of products is improved.
Drawings
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the application and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the application and together with the description serve to explain the application and not to limit the application. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a mask of the type shown in the present application being continuously heated to cause misalignment of an exposed pattern;
FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a prior art sensor on a wafer table as shown in the present application;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a system for correcting misalignment of an exposure pattern according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of another system for correcting the position deviation of an exposure pattern according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3
Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for correcting a position deviation of an exposure pattern according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.
Detailed Description
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the description is illustrative only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the following description, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the concepts of the present disclosure.
Various structural schematics according to embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the figures. The figures are not drawn to scale, wherein certain details are exaggerated and possibly omitted for clarity of presentation. The shapes of various regions, layers, and relative sizes and positional relationships therebetween shown in the drawings are merely exemplary, and deviations may occur in practice due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations, and a person skilled in the art may additionally design regions/layers having different shapes, sizes, relative positions, as actually required.
In the context of the present disclosure, when a layer/element is referred to as being "on" another layer/element, it can be directly on the other layer/element or intervening layers/elements may be present. In addition, if a layer/element is "on" another layer/element in one orientation, then that layer/element may be "under" the other layer/element when the orientation is reversed.
Referring to fig. 1, in the exposure process, a light source of an illumination system continuously irradiates a mask, and the mask gradually deforms based on the principle of expansion with heat and contraction with cold, so that a pattern position placement error occurs after a pattern on the mask is transferred onto a wafer, and thus, the overlay offset of the pattern is increased.
In the prior art, referring to fig. 2, a sensor of an alignment mark is disposed outside a production area of a wafer stage, and in a conventional scheme, the sensor is used to calibrate a lithography machine by using the position of the alignment mark.
However, since the alignment mark and the sensor are located on the wafer stage outside the production area (i.e., outside the condenser lens), the sensor needs to move the mask to the sensor position after the production is interrupted when measuring the positional deviation, which causes a problem of a decrease in productivity.
In order to solve the above technical problem, the present application provides an improved correction system for positional deviation of an exposure pattern, which is shown in fig. 3 and includes a mask table 1, a wafer table 2, and a scanning device 3, wherein the mask table 1 carries a mask, the wafer table 2 carries a wafer, and during a scanning exposure operation, the scanning device 3 is configured to control the mask table 1 and the wafer table 2 to perform a scanning operation so as to transfer a pattern on the mask onto the wafer.
The present application differs from the prior art in that the correction system further comprises a laser 4 and a first sensor 5 arranged outside the effective exposure area (the area where the condenser lens corresponds to the wafer and the mask), specifically, the laser 4 is located on the side of the mask table 1 carrying the mask (i.e. above the mask table 1), the direction of the emitted laser light is towards the surface direction of the mask table 1, the first sensor 5 is located on the opposite side of the mask table 1 carrying the mask (i.e. below the mask table 1), and the laser 4 and the first sensor 5 are always located on a straight line perpendicular to the surface of the mask table 1.
In the process of scanning and exposing the mask, when the mask is moved to the position below the laser 4 along with the movement of the mask stage 1, the first sensor 5 receives the laser passing through the hollowed-out structure due to the hollowed-out structure of the pattern on the mask, so that the first sensor 5 can obtain the deformation amount of the mask according to the received laser.
Therefore, under the condition of ensuring uninterrupted production, the laser 4 and the first sensor 5 can measure the deformation of the mask in real time in the mask scanning process, so that the photoetching machine can adjust the relative position between the mask and the wafer according to the measured deformation, the purpose of correcting the position deviation of the exposure pattern is achieved, and the production efficiency of products is improved.
In a specific embodiment, the laser 4 and the first sensor 5 may measure the position deviation of the alignment mark on the mask in real time during the mask scanning process, so as to indirectly obtain the deformation amount of the mask according to the position deviation of the alignment mark.
When the deformation amount of the mask is obtained by using the position of the alignment mark on the mask, the first sensor 5 needs to obtain the initial position of the alignment mark before the mask is heated before the scanning exposure operation, so that when the position of the alignment mark after the mask is heated is measured during the scanning exposure operation, the measured position can be compared with the initial position to obtain the position deviation of the alignment mark before and after the mask is heated, and further the deformation amount before and after the mask is heated can be obtained.
In another embodiment, the laser 4 and the first sensor 5 can also measure the position deviation of the pattern on the mask in real time during the mask scanning process, so as to obtain the deformation amount of the mask according to the position deviation of the pattern.
When the position of the pattern on the mask is used to obtain the deformation amount of the mask, the first sensor 5 needs to obtain the initial position of the pattern before heating the mask before the scanning exposure operation, so that when the position of the pattern after heating the mask is measured during the scanning exposure operation, the measured position can be compared with the initial position to obtain the position deviation of the pattern before and after heating the mask, and further obtain the deformation amount before and after heating the mask.
It should be noted that, since the mask is moved in a scanning manner along with the mask stage 1 during the scanning exposure operation, in order for the laser 4 and the first sensor 5 to accurately measure the amount of deformation of the mask, the laser 4 and the first sensor 5 are required to move along with the mask to measure the amount of deformation.
Based on this, referring to fig. 4, the correction system may further include a second sensor 6 disposed around the laser 4, and the error of the positional variation of the laser 4 is always corrected during the movement measurement of the laser 4, so as to avoid the position of the laser 4 from being wrong.
The following describes in detail a correction scheme of the correction system for positional deviation of an exposure pattern shown in the above-described embodiment shown in fig. 3 and 4, in a specific embodiment.
Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for correcting a position deviation of an exposure pattern according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, where as shown in fig. 5, the method for correcting a position deviation of an exposure pattern includes the following steps:
step 501: during the scanning exposure operation, the laser emits laser light toward the mask stage surface.
During the mask scanning exposure process, the laser emits laser to the surface direction of the mask table, and when the mask moves below the laser, the first sensor receives the laser penetrating through the mask.
Step 502: when the mask is moved below the laser, the first sensor detects the amount of deformation of the mask based on the received laser light.
It is understood that the mask is generally provided with a pattern and an alignment mark, and thus the first sensor can obtain the mask deformation amount by measuring the positional deviation of the pattern, and can also obtain the mask deformation amount by measuring the positional deviation of the alignment mark.
In some embodiments, for the process of obtaining the mask deformation amount by measuring the position deviation of the alignment mark, the first sensor needs to acquire the initial position of the alignment mark on the mask before the scanning exposure operation, and it is understood that the initial position of the alignment mark is the position before the mask is heated.
Accordingly, when the first sensor detects the amount of deformation of the mask based on the received laser light, it is possible to detect the position of the alignment mark after the mask is heated based on the received laser light, and further to obtain the positional deviation of the alignment mark based on the initial position before the mask is heated and the position after the mask is heated, and to obtain the amount of deformation of the mask based on the positional deviation.
In other embodiments, for the process of obtaining the mask deformation amount by measuring the position deviation of the pattern, the first sensor needs to acquire the initial position of the pattern on the mask before the scanning exposure operation, and it is understood that the initial position of the pattern is the position before the mask is heated.
Accordingly, when the first sensor detects the amount of deformation of the mask based on the received laser light, it is possible to detect the position of the pattern after the mask is heated based on the received laser light, obtain the positional deviation of the pattern based on the initial position before the mask is heated and the position after the mask is heated, and obtain the amount of deformation of the mask based on the positional deviation.
Step 503: the photoetching machine adjusts the relative position between the mask and the wafer according to the deformation quantity.
It should be noted that, when the first sensor receives the laser light transmitted through the mask, the laser and the first sensor may move together with the mask to measure the deformation amount of the mask in order that the laser and the first sensor can accurately measure the deformation amount of the mask.
Based on the position error correction method, the second sensor can always correct the position variation error of the laser in the laser movement measurement process so as to avoid the position error of the laser.
To this end, the calibration process shown in fig. 5 is completed, and in the process of scanning and exposing the mask, when the mask is moved to the position below the laser along with the movement of the mask stage, because the mask has the hollow structure of the pattern, the first sensor receives the laser passing through the hollow structure, and the deformation amount of the mask can be obtained according to the received laser. Therefore, under the condition of ensuring uninterrupted production, the laser and the first sensor can measure the deformation of the mask in real time in the mask scanning process, and the photoetching machine can compensate the relative position between the mask and the wafer according to the deformation measured in real time, so that the purpose of correcting the position deviation of the exposure pattern is achieved, and the production efficiency of products is improved.
In the above description, the technical details of patterning, etching, and the like of each layer are not described in detail. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that layers, regions, etc. of the desired shape may be formed by various technical means. In addition, in order to form the same structure, those skilled in the art can also design a method which is not exactly the same as the method described above. In addition, although the embodiments are described separately above, this does not mean that the measures in the embodiments cannot be used in advantageous combination.
The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. However, these examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and such alternatives and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims (10)

1. A correction system of exposure figure position deviation, the said system includes the mask platform used for bearing the mask, the wafer platform used for bearing the wafer and scanning equipment used for controlling the said mask platform and said wafer platform scanning operation, characterized by that, also include setting up laser and first sensor outside the effective exposure area; the laser is positioned on one side of the mask table for bearing the mask, the first sensor is positioned on the opposite side of the mask table for bearing the mask, and the laser and the first sensor are positioned on a straight line vertical to the surface of the mask table;
during the scanning exposure operation, the laser and the first sensor are used for measuring the deformation quantity of the mask in real time during the mask scanning process, so that the photoetching machine adjusts the relative position between the mask and the wafer according to the deformation quantity.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the laser and the first sensor are specifically configured to measure a position deviation of an alignment mark on the mask in real time during a mask scanning process, and to obtain a deformation amount of the mask according to the position deviation of the alignment mark;
wherein the position deviation of the alignment mark is the position deviation of the mask before and after heating.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the laser and the first sensor are configured to measure a position deviation of a pattern on the mask in real time during the mask scanning, and obtain a deformation amount of the mask according to the position deviation of the pattern;
wherein the positional deviation of the pattern is a positional deviation between before heating the mask and after heating for exposure.
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor disposed about the laser;
the second sensor is used for correcting the position variation error of the laser in the laser movement measurement process.
5. A method for correcting positional deviation of an exposure pattern, which is applied to the correction system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the method comprising:
during the scanning exposure operation, the laser emits laser to the surface direction of the mask table;
when the mask moves below the laser, the first sensor detects the deformation amount of the mask according to the received laser;
the photoetching machine adjusts the relative position between the mask and the wafer according to the deformation quantity.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
before scanning exposure operation, the first sensor acquires an initial position of an alignment mark on the mask, wherein the initial position is the position of the alignment mark before the mask is heated;
the first sensor detects a deformation amount of the mask according to the received laser light, including:
the first sensor detects the position of the alignment mark after the mask is heated according to the received laser, obtains the position deviation of the alignment mark according to the initial position of the mask before heating and the position after heating, and further obtains the deformation amount of the mask according to the position deviation.
7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
before scanning exposure operation, the first sensor acquires an initial position of a pattern on the mask, wherein the initial position is the position of the pattern before the mask is heated;
the first sensor detects a deformation amount of the mask according to the received laser light, including:
the first sensor detects the position of the heated pattern of the mask according to the received laser, obtains the position deviation of the pattern according to the initial position before the mask is heated and the position after the mask is heated, and further obtains the deformation amount of the mask according to the position deviation.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the laser and the first sensor move with the mask to measure the amount of deformation of the mask when the first sensor receives the laser light through the mask.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
the second sensor corrects for errors in the laser position variations during the laser movement measurement.
10. A lithography machine comprising a correction system according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4.
CN202011142251.5A 2020-10-22 2020-10-22 Correction system and correction method for exposure figure position deviation Pending CN114384766A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202011142251.5A CN114384766A (en) 2020-10-22 2020-10-22 Correction system and correction method for exposure figure position deviation

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202011142251.5A CN114384766A (en) 2020-10-22 2020-10-22 Correction system and correction method for exposure figure position deviation

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CN114384766A true CN114384766A (en) 2022-04-22

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Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2003142365A (en) * 2001-10-31 2003-05-16 Canon Inc Apparatus and method for exposure
CN102540700A (en) * 2010-11-30 2012-07-04 Asml荷兰有限公司 Method of operating a patterning device and lithographic apparatus

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2003142365A (en) * 2001-10-31 2003-05-16 Canon Inc Apparatus and method for exposure
CN102540700A (en) * 2010-11-30 2012-07-04 Asml荷兰有限公司 Method of operating a patterning device and lithographic apparatus

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