JP2000208404A - Aligner and device manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ravel out trouble caused by the difference of temperature between the substrates to be exposed without increasing cost. SOLUTION: In an aligner provided with substrate feeding means 13, 14, 15 and 20 which feed the substrate to be exposed carried into the device to a substrate stage 6, a time measuring means, which measures the time after the substrate has been carried into the aligner, is provided. The time from when the substrate has been carried into the aligner untill it is fed to the substrate stage is arranged in such a manner that the time elapses the prescribed time or longer, based on the measurement by the time measuring means. Also, in the aligner provided with the substrate to be exposed storing means which temporarily stores the substrate to be exposed, and also provided with the substrate feeding means 13, 14, 15 and 20, which feed the substrate to be exposed carried into the aligner, the temporarily stored substrate to be exposed, having the longer storage time, is fed to the substrate stage sequentially.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus used for manufacturing an integrated circuit and the like, and a device manufacturing method using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus used in connection with a wafer coater developer, a wafer carried into an inline station of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is transferred to a stage after pre-alignment.

[0003]

However, the occurrence of a wafer processing time due to the pre-alignment time, the transfer time, the alignment time, the exposure processing time, etc., causes a difference in the wafer transfer time to the stage depending on the order of the loaded wafers. ing. Under these circumstances, if there is a difference between the stepper chamber temperature and the clean room temperature, if the wafer loaded into the stepper inline station is pre-aligned and then directly transferred to the stage, there will be a difference in the time to stage transfer depending on the order of the loaded wafers. Therefore, a difference occurs in the wafer temperature at the time of exposure, and a difference occurs in the wafer magnification.

In order to cope with such a difference in wafer temperature, a projection exposure method has been proposed in which a temperature controller is provided in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to control the temperature to be constant (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-234839). Gazette). However, there is a problem that providing a temperature controller leads to an increase in cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantage caused by a temperature difference between substrates to be exposed in an exposure apparatus and a device manufacturing method without increasing costs. It is in.

[0006]

In order to achieve this object, an exposure apparatus according to the present invention comprises a substrate stage for holding a substrate to be exposed and positioning the substrate at an exposure position, and a substrate stage to be exposed carried into the apparatus. An exposure apparatus comprising: a substrate supply unit for supplying the substrate to the substrate stage; and a time measurement unit for measuring, for each substrate to be exposed, a time elapsed since the substrate is carried into the apparatus.

In another exposure apparatus of the present invention, a substrate stage for holding a substrate to be exposed and positioning it at an exposure position, substrate storage means for temporarily storing the substrate to be exposed, and a substrate loaded into the apparatus. A substrate supply unit for temporarily storing the substrate to be exposed in the substrate storage unit and supplying the substrate to the substrate stage, wherein the substrate supply unit temporarily stores the substrate to be exposed in the substrate storage unit. Of these, the storage time is supplied to the substrate stage in ascending order of storage time.

Further, the device manufacturing method of the present invention is directed to a device manufacturing method for sequentially carrying a substrate to be exposed into an exposure chamber, supplying the substrate on a substrate stage, positioning the substrate, and performing exposure. It is characterized in that the time elapsed since the loading is measured for each substrate to be exposed.

Another device manufacturing method of the present invention is as follows.
In a device manufacturing method for sequentially carrying a substrate to be exposed into an exposure chamber, temporarily storing the substrate, supplying the substrate to a substrate stage, and positioning and exposing, the substrate to be exposed temporarily stored on the substrate stage When supplying to
Among the temporarily stored substrates to be exposed, the substrates are supplied on the substrate stage in ascending order of storage time.

[0010] According to this, the time between the substrates to be exposed is generated by referring to the time elapsed since the substrates to be exposed are loaded into the apparatus, or by keeping the storage time of each substrate to be exposed longer than a certain value. Temperature differences are reduced without cost.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In a preferred embodiment of the exposure apparatus of the present invention, the substrate supply means sets a predetermined time from the time of being carried into the apparatus to the time of supply onto the substrate stage based on the measurement by the time measurement means. The substrate to be exposed is supplied onto the substrate stage in such a manner that the time elapses or more. Further, there is provided a means for setting the predetermined time.

In another exposure apparatus according to the present invention, the substrate storage means includes a carrier capable of storing a plurality of substrates to be exposed, and a carrier elevator that holds and lifts the substrate.

Further, in the device manufacturing method of the present invention, each time from the time when the device is carried into the chamber to the time when the device is supplied onto the substrate stage is set such that a predetermined time or more elapses based on the measurement of the elapsed time. A substrate to be exposed is supplied on a substrate stage.

In a more specific embodiment, the time required for supplying a wafer as a substrate to be exposed carried into the exposure apparatus from the coater developer or the wafer supply apparatus to the wafer stage is set to a predetermined time or more by a timer. Thus, without providing a special wafer temperature adjuster, it is possible to prevent a difference in wafer temperature from occurring depending on the order of loading the wafers, and to prevent a difference in wafer magnification from occurring.

Further, the wafers carried in from the wafer supply device are sequentially stored in a wafer storage unit such as a wafer carrier used when the wafers are supplied in a stand-alone mode,
By transporting the wafers to the wafer stage in order from the longest staying time in the storage unit, by controlling the time until the wafer is discharged from the wafer storage unit to supply the wafer stage to a certain time or more, Without providing a special wafer temperature controller, it is possible to prevent a difference in wafer temperature from occurring depending on the order of loading the wafers, and prevent a difference in wafer magnification from occurring.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, this device measures a lighting device 1 including a light source and a shutter, a reticle stage 3 on which a reticle 2 on which a circuit pattern is drawn, and a position of the reticle 2 on the reticle stage 3. A reticle position measuring mechanism 4, an imaging lens 5 serving as a projection optical system for printing, an XY stage 6 on which a wafer 8 to be printed is placed and moved in two directions of X and Y in an XY plane;
A laser interferometer 7 for measuring the position of the XY stage 6 and a wafer Z stage 8 for vertically moving the wafer 9 for mounting the wafer 9 and adjusting the focus at the time of exposure (hereinafter referred to as focusing). And an autofocus unit 10 for measuring the focus position of the wafer 9.

As shown in FIG. 2, this semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is used together with a coater / developer 18 and is arranged in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus chamber 11, and further includes a carrier elevator 12, a loading hand 13, a pre-alignment unit 14, Each unit of the sending hand 15 is provided.

The carrier elevator 12 drives a wafer in the carrier 16 to a supply position or a wafer collection position by moving the carrier table up and down. The loading hand 13 supplies the wafer placed on the carrier 16 to the pre-alignment unit 14, collects the exposed wafer from the stage 6 to the carrier 16, and pre-aligns the wafer supplied from the coater developer 18 to the in-line unit 17. Transfer of the wafer to the unit 14 and O of the in-line unit 17 from the stage 6 of the exposed wafer
Carry to the UT (out) side. The pre-alignment unit 14 performs pre-alignment for transferring the wafer supplied by the loading hand 13 to the wafer chuck on the XY stage 6. The transfer hand 15 transfers the pre-aligned wafer to the stage 6.
An input / output interface 19 for instructing operation and inputting / outputting information is provided on the front surface of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus chamber 11, and a control computer 20 connected to the input / output interface 19 is provided inside the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a control flowchart of the loading hand 13 relating to the stage loading time control mode in the semiconductor manufacturing system including the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the coater developer 18. As shown in the figure, when control is started, first, in step S300, it is determined whether or not there is a wafer at the wafer unloading position (inline OUT) of the inline unit 17. If there is a wafer, the process proceeds to step S303. If there is no wafer, the process proceeds to S301.

In step S301, it is determined whether or not there is an exposed wafer on the wafer stage (XY stage 6 and Z stage 8). If there is a wafer, the process proceeds to step S302. If there is no wafer, the process proceeds to step S30.
Proceed to 3.

In step S302, the loading hand 13 transports the exposed wafer on the stage to the in-line OUT, and proceeds to step S303.

In step S303, it is determined whether or not a wafer loading completion request transmitted at the end of wafer loading has been received. If a wafer loading end request has been received, the process returns to step S300. If not, the process proceeds to step S304.

In step S304, it is determined whether or not there is a wafer at the wafer loading position (inline IN) of the inline unit 17. If there is a wafer, step S
Proceeding to 305, if there is no wafer, returning to step S300.

In step S305, it is determined whether there is a wafer in pre-alignment unit (PA unit) 14. When there is a wafer, the process returns to step S300, and when there is no wafer, the process proceeds to step S306.

In step S306, the loading time of the wafer to be transported from the in-line IN to the PA unit 14 is stored as wafer information data. Then, in step S307, the PA unit 1
4 is transported to the wafer.

FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of the transfer hand 15 relating to the stage loading time control mode in the semiconductor manufacturing system including the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the coater developer 18. First, in step S400, it is determined whether there is a pre-aligned wafer in PA unit 14. If there is a wafer, the process proceeds to step S401. If there is no wafer, step S40.
Proceed to 3.

In step S401, it is determined whether or not there is a wafer at a wafer stage standby position immediately adjacent to the wafer stage (XY stage 6 and Z stage 8). When there is a wafer, the process proceeds to step S403, and when there is no wafer, the process proceeds to step S402.

In step S402, the PA unit 14
The upper wafer is transferred to the wafer stage standby position, and the process proceeds to step S403.

In step S403, it is determined whether there is an exposed wafer on the wafer stage. When there is a wafer, the process returns to step S400, and when there is no wafer, the process proceeds to step S404.

In step S404, it is determined whether or not the stay time of the stage transfer processing target wafer at the wafer stage standby position in the apparatus is longer than a specified time T. If it is larger, the process proceeds to step S405. If smaller or equal, the process returns to step S400.

In step S405, the wafer at the stage standby position is transferred to the wafer stage.
Return to 00.

The wafer conveyed to the wafer stage is brought into a recoverable state through an alignment process and an exposure process (not shown).

According to the stage loading time control mode, the time until the wafer loaded from the coater developer 18 or the wafer supply device is supplied to the wafer stage is controlled by a timer so as to be a predetermined time or more. Further, without providing a special wafer temperature controller, it is possible to prevent a difference in wafer temperature from occurring due to the order of loading the wafers, and to prevent a difference in wafer magnification from occurring.

According to the stage loading time control mode, the judgment time can be arbitrarily set according to the wafer processing time, the wafer temperature difference, and the like, thereby maximizing the effect of the present invention depending on the situation. Becomes possible.

FIG. 5 is a control flowchart of the carry-in hand 13 in the carrier buffer control mode in the semiconductor manufacturing system including the above-described semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the coater developer 18. First, in step S500, it is determined whether or not there is a wafer at the wafer unloading position (inline OUT) of the inline unit 17. When there is a wafer, the process proceeds to step S503, and when there is no wafer, the process proceeds to step S501.

In step S501, it is determined whether or not there is an exposed wafer on the wafer stage (XY stage 6 and Z stage 8). If there is a wafer, the process proceeds to step S502. If there is no wafer, the process proceeds to step S50.
Proceed to 3.

In step S502, the loading hand 13 transports the exposed wafer on the stage to the in-line OUT, and proceeds to step S503.

In step S503, it is determined whether or not a wafer loading completion request transmitted at the end of wafer loading has been received. If a wafer loading end request has been received, the process proceeds to step S507. If not, the process proceeds to step S504.

In step S504, it is determined whether or not there is a wafer at the wafer loading position (inline IN) of the inline unit 17. If there is a wafer, step S
The process proceeds to step S505, and if there is no wafer, the process proceeds to step S507.

In step S505, it is determined whether or not there is an empty slot in the wafer carrier 16 installed as a wafer storage location. When there is an empty slot, the process proceeds to step S506, and when there is no empty slot, the process proceeds to step S507.

In step S 506, the wafer placed in the in-line IN is transferred to the wafer carrier 16. Then, the process returns to step S504.

In step S507, the wafer stored for the longest time among the wafers stored in the carrier 16 is transferred to the PA unit 14.

FIG. 6 is a control flowchart of the sending hand 15 in the carrier buffer control mode in the semiconductor manufacturing system including the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the coater developer 18. In step S600,
It is determined whether there is a pre-aligned wafer in PA unit 14. If there is a wafer, step S6
01, and if there is no wafer, the process proceeds to step S603.

In step S601, it is determined whether or not there is a wafer at a wafer stage standby position immediately adjacent to the wafer stage (XY stage 6 and Z stage 8). If there is a wafer, the process proceeds to step S603; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S602.

In step S602, the PA unit 14
The upper wafer is transferred to a wafer stage standby position. Then, the process proceeds to step S603.

In step S603, it is determined whether there is an exposed wafer on the wafer stage. When there is a wafer, the process returns to step S600, and when there is no wafer, the process proceeds to step S604.

In step S604, the wafer at the stage standby position is transferred to the wafer stage. Then, the process returns to step S600.

The wafer conveyed to the wafer stage is brought into a recoverable state through an alignment process and an exposure process (not shown).

The wafers thus loaded from the wafer supply device or the like are sequentially stored in a wafer storage unit such as a wafer carrier used when a wafer is supplied in a stand-alone mode, and a wafer staying in the storage unit for a long time is stored. By transferring the wafers from the wafer storage unit to the wafer stage in this order, it is possible to control the time until the wafer is discharged from the wafer storage unit to the wafer stage so as to be a predetermined time or more. Therefore, without providing a special wafer temperature controller, it is possible to prevent a difference in wafer temperature from occurring depending on the order of loading the wafers, and to prevent a difference in wafer magnification from occurring.

In the embodiment of the system in which wafers are sequentially stored in a wafer storage unit such as a wafer carrier (carrier buffer control mode), the storage time is not determined by the timer. The same effect can be obtained when both the (stage loading time control mode) and the carrier buffer control mode are implemented in combination.

<Embodiment of Device Manufacturing Method> Next, an embodiment of a device manufacturing method using the above-described semiconductor manufacturing apparatus will be described. FIG. 7 shows a flow of manufacturing micro devices (semiconductor chips such as ICs and LSIs, liquid crystal panels, CCDs, thin-film magnetic heads, micromachines, etc.). In step 1 (circuit design), a device pattern is designed. Step 2 is a process for making a mask on the basis of the designed pattern. On the other hand, in step 3 (wafer manufacture), a wafer is manufactured using a material such as silicon or glass. Step 4 (wafer process) is called a pre-process, and an actual circuit is formed on the wafer by lithography using the prepared mask and wafer. The next step 5 (assembly) is called a post-process, and step 4
Is a process of forming a semiconductor chip using the wafer produced by the above process, and includes processes such as an assembly process (dicing and bonding) and a packaging process (chip encapsulation). In step 6 (inspection), inspections such as an operation confirmation test and a durability test of the semiconductor device manufactured in step 5 are performed. Through these steps, a semiconductor device is completed and shipped (step 7).

FIG. 8 shows the wafer process (step 4).
The detailed flow of is shown. Step 11 (oxidation) oxidizes the wafer's surface. Step 12 (CVD) forms an insulating film on the wafer surface. Step 13 (electrode formation) forms electrodes on the wafer by vapor deposition. In step 14 (ion implantation), ions are implanted into the wafer. In step 15 (resist processing), a resist is applied to the wafer. Step 16 (exposure) uses the above-described exposure apparatus or exposure method to align and print the circuit pattern of the mask on a plurality of shot areas of the wafer.
Step 17 (development) develops the exposed wafer.
In step 18 (etching), portions other than the developed resist image are removed. In step 19 (resist stripping), unnecessary resist after etching is removed. By repeating these steps,
Multiple circuit patterns are formed on the wafer.

By using the production method of this embodiment, it is possible to produce a large-sized device, which was conventionally difficult to produce, at low cost.

[0054]

As described above, according to the present invention, by controlling the time required to supply the loaded substrate to be exposed to the substrate stage to be a predetermined time or more, a special temperature controller is provided. Without providing a substrate, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a temperature difference between the substrates to be exposed due to the order in which the substrates to be exposed are carried in, and to prevent the occurrence of a difference in exposure magnification. Also, in this case,
By providing the means for setting the predetermined time, the processing time of the substrate to be exposed, the predetermined time is arbitrarily set according to the temperature difference of the substrate to be exposed, etc., thereby maximizing the effect of the present invention depending on the situation. It can be withdrawn.

Further, since the substrate to be exposed is transported to the substrate stage in order from the substrate storage unit having a long storage time, the time required for discharging the substrate to be exposed from the substrate storage unit to supply it to the substrate stage is fixed. It can be controlled to be longer than the time. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a temperature difference between the substrates to be exposed due to the order of loading the substrates to be exposed and to prevent the occurrence of a difference in exposure magnification without providing a special temperature controller.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing system including the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1 and a coater developer.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of control of a loading hand in a stage loading time control mode in the semiconductor manufacturing system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of control of a sending hand in a stage loading time control mode in the semiconductor manufacturing system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of control of a loading hand in a wafer carrier buffer control mode in the semiconductor manufacturing system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of control of a sending hand in a wafer carrier buffer control mode in the semiconductor manufacturing system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a device manufacturing method that can use the exposure apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a detailed flowchart of a wafer process in FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

1: lighting device, 2: reticle, 3: reticle stage,
4: reticle position measurement mechanism, 5: projection lens, 6: XY
Stage, 7: laser interferometer, 8: wafer, 9: wafer Z stage, 10: autofocus unit, 11:
Semiconductor manufacturing equipment chamber, 12: carrier elevator,
13: Loading hand, 14: Pre-alignment unit,
15: Sending hand, 16: Carrier, 17: In-line unit, 18: Coater / deperper, 19: Input / output interface, 20: Control computer.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An exposure apparatus comprising: a substrate stage for holding a substrate to be exposed and positioning the substrate at an exposure position; and a substrate supply unit for supplying the substrate to be exposed carried into the apparatus onto the substrate stage. An exposure apparatus, comprising: a time measuring means for measuring a time elapsed since being carried into the apparatus for each substrate to be exposed. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate supply unit is configured so that a time period from when the substrate is supplied into the apparatus to when the substrate is supplied onto the substrate stage elapses a predetermined time or more based on measurement by the time measurement unit. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is supplied onto the substrate stage. 3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a unit for setting the predetermined time. 4. A substrate stage for holding a substrate to be exposed and positioning it at an exposure position, a substrate storage unit for temporarily storing the substrate to be exposed, and a substrate storage unit loaded into the apparatus with the substrate storage unit. A substrate supply means for temporarily storing, and supplying the substrate on the substrate stage, the substrate supply means, in order from the longest storage time of the exposed substrates temporarily stored in the substrate storage means, An exposure apparatus, wherein the exposure apparatus is provided on the substrate stage. 5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said substrate storage means includes a carrier capable of storing a plurality of substrates to be exposed, and a carrier elevator that holds and lifts the substrates. 6. A device manufacturing method for sequentially carrying a substrate to be exposed into an exposure chamber, supplying the substrate on an exposure stage, positioning the substrate, and performing exposure, wherein a time elapsed since the substrate is carried into the chamber is measured. A device manufacturing method characterized in that measurement is performed for each substrate to be exposed. 7. Each of the substrates to be exposed is placed on the substrate stage in such a manner that the time from when the substrate is carried into the chamber to when it is supplied onto the substrate stage is longer than a predetermined time based on the measurement of the elapsed time. The method according to claim 6, wherein the device is supplied on top. 8. A device manufacturing method for sequentially carrying a substrate to be exposed into an exposure chamber, temporarily storing the substrate, supplying the substrate on a substrate stage, and positioning and exposing the substrate.
When supplying the temporarily stored exposed substrate onto the substrate stage, the temporarily stored exposed substrate is supplied onto the substrate stage in ascending order of storage time. Production method.