JP2022515746A - Direct drive reticle safety latch - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of this document describe safety devices used to provide support to an object. Safety devices include a housing with a rotating shaft that extends along the length of the housing. The safety device also includes a rotary motor coupled to the first end of the rotary shaft and a safety latch coupled to the second end of the rotary shaft opposite to the first end of the rotary shaft. The safety latch is rotated by the rotation of the rotating shaft. The safety latch extends radially from the rotating shaft. The safety latch has a foot portion at the distal end of the safety latch away from the rotating shaft. The foot is designed to act as a point of contact with an object. [Selection diagram] FIG. 5

Description

Cross-reference to related applications This application claims the priority of US Provisional Application No. 62 / 738,896 filed December 21, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present disclosure relates to a safety mechanism, eg, a safety mechanism for holding a patterning device in a lithography system.

A lithography device is a machine that applies a desired pattern to a substrate, usually a target portion of the substrate. Lithographic devices are used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that case, a patterning device, also referred to as a mask or reticle, can be used to generate circuit patterns on individual layers of the IC. This pattern can be transferred to a target portion (eg, including a portion of a die, one die, or several dies) on a substrate (eg, a silicon wafer). The pattern transfer is typically performed by imaging onto a radiation sensitive material (resist) layer provided on the substrate. Generally, a single substrate contains network-like adjacent target portions, which are continuously exposed. Known lithography equipment includes so-called steppers and scanners. In the stepper, each target portion is irradiated so that the entire pattern is exposed to the target portion at one time. In the scanner, each target portion is irradiated so that the pattern is scanned by a radiating beam in a given direction (the "scanning" direction) and the substrate is scanned synchronously in parallel or antiparallel in this direction. It is also possible to transfer a pattern from a patterning device to a substrate by imprinting the pattern on the substrate.

Lithography is widely recognized as one of the major steps in the manufacture of ICs and other devices and / or structures. However, as the dimensions of features created using lithography become smaller, lithography has become a more critical factor in enabling the manufacture of smaller ICs and other devices and / or structures.

ここでλは使用される放射の波長であり、ＮＡはパターン印刷に使用される投影システムの開口数であり、ｋ１はプロセスに依存する調整係数でありレイリー定数とも呼ばれ、ＣＤは印刷されるフィーチャのフィーチャサイズ（または限界寸法）である。式（１）から導かれるのは、印刷可能なフィーチャサイズの最小値を小さくすることができる３つの方法があるということである。それはすなわち、露光波長λを短くすることによって、又は開口数ＮＡを大きくすることによって、又はｋ１の値を小さくすることによって、である。 The theoretical estimate of the limit of pattern printing is given by Eq. (1) shown below by Rayleigh's criteria for resolution.

Where λ is the wavelength of radiation used, NA is the numerical aperture of the projection system used for pattern printing, k1 is a process-dependent adjustment factor and is also called the Rayleigh constant, and the CD is printed. The feature size (or limit dimension) of the feature. Derived from equation (1), there are three ways in which the minimum printable feature size can be reduced. That is, by shortening the exposure wavelength λ, increasing the numerical aperture NA, or decreasing the value of k1.

It has been proposed to use extreme ultraviolet (EUV) sources to reduce the exposure wavelength and thereby the minimum printable size. EUV radiation is electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths in the range of 5 nm to 20 nm, such as 13 nm to 14 nm, or 5 nm to 10 nm, such as 6.7 nm or 6.8 nm. A feasible light source includes, for example, a laser-generated plasma source, a discharge plasma source, or a source based on synchrotron radiation supplied from an electron storage ring.

However, the radiation produced by such a light source is not limited to EUV radiation, but the light source can also emit other wavelengths, including infrared (IR) radiation and deep ultraviolet (DUV) radiation. DUV radiation can adversely affect the lithography system as it causes a decrease in contrast. In addition, unwanted IR radiation can cause thermal damage to components in the system. Therefore, it is known that a spectral purity filter is used to increase the proportion of EUV in the transmitted radiation and reduce and even eliminate unwanted non-EUV radiation such as DUV and IR.

In a lithography apparatus that uses EUV radiation, it may be necessary to keep the EUV radiation beam path, or at least most of it, in vacuum during the lithography operation. In such vacuum regions of lithographic equipment, electrostatic clamps can be used to clamp objects such as patterning devices and / or substrates to the structure of lithographic equipment such as patterning device tables and / or substrate tables, respectively. ..

Traditional patterning devices such as reticle are very expensive. Therefore, great care is taken in handling the reticle in the lithography appliance. The reticle is usually clamped to the chuck structure, but it is desirable to include a safety mechanism in case the clamping fails. Otherwise, the reticle can fall and damage not only the reticle itself, but also other expensive optics in the lithography appliance.

Traditional safety designs to prevent patterning devices such as reticle from accidentally falling off the chuck typically have a metal arm opened and closed with an electromagnet to "catch" the reticle if it falls. There is. These designs are not very efficient as they require a large motor to generate the force needed to open the arm and also require a certain amount of power consumption to keep the arm open. .. Embodiments of this document describe systems and methods for improved safety devices that do not require electromagnets.

In some embodiments, the safety device used to provide support to the object comprises a housing having a rotating shaft extending along the length of the housing. The safety device also includes a rotary motor coupled to the first end of the rotary shaft and a safety latch coupled to the second end of the rotary shaft opposite the first end of the rotary shaft. The rotation of the rotating shaft rotates the safety latch. The safety latch extends radially from the rotating shaft. The safety latch includes a foot portion at the distal end of the safety latch away from the rotating shaft. The foot is designed to act as a point of contact with an object.

In some embodiments, the lithography device includes a lighting system, a support structure, and one or more safety devices. The lighting system adjusts the radiated beam. The support structure is constructed to support a patterning device capable of forming a patterned radiation beam by applying a pattern to the cross section of the radiation beam. One or more safety devices are coupled to the support structure, each including a housing, a rotary motor and a safety latch. The housing has a rotating shaft that extends along the length of the housing. The rotary motor is coupled to the first end of the rotary shaft. The safety latch is coupled to the second end of the rotary shaft, which is opposite the first end of the rotary shaft. The rotation of the rotating shaft rotates the safety latch. The safety latch extends radially from the rotating shaft. The safety latch includes a foot portion at the distal end of the safety latch away from the rotating shaft. The foot is designed to act as a point of contact to the patterning device.

In some embodiments, the method comprises determining the rotational position of the safety latch in the safety device coupled to the chuck and translating the reticle towards the chuck. The method also includes coupling the reticle to the surface of the chuck and rotating the safety latch such that the foot portion at the distal end of the safety latch rotates to a position below the reticle.

Further features and advantages are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, along with the structure and operation of the various embodiments of the invention. It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein. These embodiments are presented for illustrative purposes only. Additional embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the teachings contained herein.

The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein by reference and illustrate the invention, explaining the principles of the invention along with a detailed description of the invention and manipulating the invention by those skilled in the art. It is provided to make it usable.

It is a schematic diagram of a lithography apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

It is a schematic perspective view of a reticle stage according to an exemplary embodiment.

It is a top view of the reticle stage of FIG.

It is a schematic diagram of a safety device according to an exemplary embodiment.

It is a partial schematic perspective view of the safety device of FIG.

It is a schematic diagram of the rotation of a safety latch according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a safety latch according to an exemplary embodiment.

8 (A) to 8 (C) are schematic views of mounting the patterning device on the chuck according to some embodiments.

It is a schematic diagram of the flowchart about the operation of a safety latch according to an exemplary embodiment.

The features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent by the detailed description of the invention described below in connection with the present drawings in which similar reference characters identify the corresponding elements. Similar reference numbers in the drawings generally refer to the same element, a functionally similar element, and / or a structurally similar element. Unless instructed to do so, the drawings provided through this disclosure should not be construed as full-scale drawings.

This specification discloses one or more embodiments incorporating the features of the present invention. The disclosed embodiments merely illustrate the present invention. The scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The present invention is defined by the appended claims.

References to the embodiments described and herein as "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "exemplary embodiments," etc., are such that the embodiments described are specific features, structures, or. It may have properties, but it shows that not all embodiments need to have that particular feature, structure or property. Moreover, such an expression does not necessarily indicate the same embodiment. In addition, when certain features, structures or properties are described in connection with one embodiment, such features, structures or properties, whether explicitly stated or not, are linked to other embodiments. It should be understood that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to make it work.

For ease of explanation, this document uses spatially relative terms such as "lower", "lower", "upper", and "upper" to separate from certain elements or features shown in the drawings. May explain the relationship with an element or feature. Such spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device during use and operation, in addition to the orientations shown. The device may be oriented in other orientations (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations) and the spatially relative description used herein may be construed accordingly.

As used herein, the term "about" refers to a given amount of value that can vary based on a particular technique. Based on a particular technique, the term "about" is a given amount that varies, for example, within a range of 10-30% of the value (eg, ± 10%, ± 20%, or ± 30% of the value). The value of can be shown.

The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium that can be read and executed by one or more processors. Machine-readable media may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (eg, a computer device). For example, a machine-readable medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage medium, optical storage medium, flash memory device, electrical, optical, acoustic or other form of propagating signal ( For example, a carrier, an infrared signal, a digital signal) and the like. In addition, firmware, software, routines, and / or instructions may be described herein as performing a particular operation. However, such explanations are for convenience only, and such behavior actually occurs when a computer device, processor, controller, or other device executes firmware, software, routines, instructions, and so on. It should be understood that it is a thing.

However, before discussing these embodiments in more detail, it is useful to present an exemplary environment in which the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented.

Example of lithography system

FIG. 1 shows a lithography system including a radiation source SO and a lithography apparatus LA. The radiation source SO is configured to generate the EUV radiation beam B and supply the EUV radiation beam B to the lithography apparatus LA. The lithography apparatus LA includes a lighting system IL, a support structure MT configured to support a patterning device MA (for example, a mask), a projection system PS, and a substrate table WT configured to support the substrate W. To prepare for.

The lighting system IL is configured to adjust the EUV emission beam B before it enters the patterning device MA. To that end, the illumination system IL may include a facet field mirror device 10 and a facet pupil mirror device 11. Both the facet field mirror device 10 and the facet pupil mirror device 11 provide an EUV emission beam B having a desired cross-sectional shape and a desired intensity distribution. The lighting system IL may include other mirrors or devices in addition to or in place of the facet field mirror device 10 and the facet pupil mirror device 11.

After being tuned in this way, the EUV emission beam B interacts with the patterning device MA. As a result of this interaction, a patterned EUV emission beam B'is produced. The projection system PS is configured to project the patterned EUV radiation beam B'on the substrate W. To that end, the projection system PS may include a plurality of mirrors 13, 14 configured to project the patterned EUV radiation beam B'on the substrate W held by the substrate table WT. The projection system PS may apply a reduction factor to the patterned EUV emission beam B'to form an image with features smaller than the corresponding features on the patterning device MA. For example, a 4x or 8x reduction may be applied. Although the projection system PS is illustrated in FIG. 1 as having only two mirrors 13, 14, the projection system PS may include a different number of mirrors (eg, 6 or 8 mirrors).

The substrate W may include a previously formed pattern. In such a case, the lithography apparatus LA aligns the image formed by the patterned EUV emission beam B'with the pattern previously formed on the substrate W.

A relative vacuum, i.e., a small amount of gas (eg hydrogen) at a pressure well below atmospheric pressure, may be applied to the source SO, the lighting system IL, and / or the projection system PS.

The radiation source SO may be a laser-generated plasma (LPP) source, a discharge-generated plasma (DPP) source, a free electron laser (FEL), or any other source capable of generating EUV radiation.

Examples of reticle stage and safety device systems

2 and 3 are schematic views of an exemplary reticle stage 200, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The reticle stage 200 can include a top stage surface 202, a bottom stage surface 204, a side stage surface 206, a reticle 208, and a safety device 300. In some embodiments, the reticle stage 200 with the reticle 208 can be mounted on the lithography device LA. For example, in the lithography apparatus LA, the reticle stage 200 may represent the support structure MT, and the reticle 208 may represent the patterning device MA. In some embodiments, the reticle 208 and the plurality of safety devices 300 may be placed on the topstage surface 202. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the reticle 208 may be placed in the center of the topstage surface 202 such that the safety device 300 is placed adjacent to each corner of the reticle 208.

In some lithographic devices, such as the lithographic device LA, a reticle stage or chuck 200 can be used to hold and position the reticle 208 for scanning or patterning operations. The reticle stage 200 requires a powerful drive, a large balance mass, and a heavy frame to support it. The reticle stage 200 has a large inertia and may weigh more than 500 kg in order to propel and position the reticle 208 of about 0.5 kg. Acceleration and deceleration forces may be provided by a linear motor driving the reticle stage 200 to achieve the reciprocating motion of the reticle 208 typically seen in lithography scanning or patterning operations.

In the event of a catastrophic failure of the reticle stage 200, for example due to a major power loss or a serious system failure, the acceleration and deceleration forces of the reticle stage 200 may be transmitted to the reticle, resulting in a reticle collision. The reticle 208 can collide with other components of the reticle stage 200 and damage the reticle 208 and / or other nearby components. The reticle 208 may collide with a large force (ie, high acceleration), depending on the pre-collision movement and momentum of the reticle stage 200. In soft reticle, bending can cause metal breakage (eg, pattern damage), and in hard reticle, bending can cause glass breakage (eg, reticle cracking). Current methods use some form of safety mechanism to reduce or reduce the force of the reticle in the event of a collision. However, in the worst case collision, the impact stress (force) of the reticle is high, which can cause damage to the reticle and / or the current safety mechanism.

One possible solution is to place a safety mechanism, eg, a safety device 300, around the reticle 208 to act as a shock absorber to reduce the impact force of the reticle 208 in the event of a collision. For example, a bumper device 201 with shock absorbers around the reticle 208 to absorb the forces or impacts that may be generated by a collision so that damage to the reticle 208 and safety device 300 can be reduced or completely removed. Can be used for. According to certain embodiments, each safety device 300 may include a safety latch (not shown) that is rotated in place below the reticle 208 to prevent the reticle 208 from falling apart from the reticle stage 200. The reticle 208 may be constrained, for example, by four safety devices 300 placed adjacent to the corners of the reticle 208. In certain embodiments, the safety device 300 may act like a "cage" used to contain an object so that it does not slip or fall. When safety devices 300 are used to provide emergency support to the reticle, they may be collectively referred to as the reticle cage. However, the safety device 300 can also be used to support other types of patterning devices, or other types of clamped objects.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the reticle stage 200 can include a first encoder 212 and a second encoder 214 for positioning operations. For example, the first and second encoders 212 and 214 can be interferometers. The first encoder 212 may be mounted along the first direction of the reticle stage 200, eg, the lateral direction (ie, the X direction), and the second encoder 214 may be mounted along the second direction of the reticle stage 200, eg the longitudinal direction (ie, the X direction). It may be mounted along the Y direction). In some embodiments, the first encoder 212 can be orthogonal to the second encoder 214, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The safety device 300 may be configured to secure the reticle 208 in the event of a collision and reduce damage. The safety device 300 may be configured to uniformly distribute the impact force of the reticle 208 in the event of a collision. In some embodiments, a plurality of safety devices 300 may be located on the topstage surface 202 and provided along the perimeter of the reticle 208. For example, the plurality of safety devices 300 can be arranged adjacent to each corner of the reticle 208 so as to uniformly distribute the impact force of the reticle 208 to the plurality of impact positions.

Reticle cage design with safety latch

FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of one safety device 300 according to an embodiment. As mentioned above in FIGS. 2 and 3, one or more safety devices 300 may be located around the reticle 208 and coupled to a chuck (eg, reticle stage 200). The safety device 300 has the longest length along the Z direction and includes a housing 402 provided to protect the movable parts arranged inside. The housing 402 may be an injection molded material such as a polymer material, or the housing 402 may be a machined metal. In some embodiments, the housing 402 has a length along the Z direction of about 60 millimeters.

According to one embodiment, the safety device 300 includes a rotary motor 404 coupled to a shaft 406. The shaft 406 is located inside the housing 402 and the rotary motor is coupled to one end of the shaft 406 outside the housing 402. The shaft 406 may extend along the length of the housing 402.

The rotary motor 404 may be a bistable friction drive motor. Alternatively, a rotary solenoid may be used instead of the motor, or another electric rotary motor with a braking mechanism may be used. Bistability of the rotary motor 404 means that the motion of the motor occurs only while it is receiving power. No power is consumed while the rotary motor 404 is fixed in place. The rotary motor 404 may be a piezoelectric motor or a DC motor.

A bushing 408 is also included as part of the motor design and may be located within the housing 402. Any type of bushing or bearing design may be used. According to some embodiments, the bushing 408 is designed to reduce the ejection of any particles generated from the moving parts into the area surrounding the reticle cage 300. If the particles generated by the operation of the safety device 300 adhere to the surface of the adjacent patterning device, it is very disadvantageous in forming an accurate pattern on the substrate. Therefore, the bushing 408 may be designed to include particle traps, such as small spacing between moving parts that make it difficult for particles to escape.

The rotary motor 404 may include a plurality of electrical connections 410. The electrical connection 410 supplies electric power to the rotary motor 404. According to some embodiments, the rotary motor 404 may receive a signal from a microcontroller or other type of control device via the electrical connection 410 to control the operation of the rotary motor 404.

The safety device 300 also includes a safety latch 412 coupled to the end of the shaft 406 opposite the end coupled to the rotary motor 404. The safety latch 412 rotates with the rotating shaft 406. In some embodiments, the safety latch 412 can rotate completely 360 degrees below the housing 402 about an axis parallel to the Z direction. The safety latch 412 may extend radially outward from the shaft 406 and have a length of less than 60 mm. The design of the illustrated safety latch 412 itself is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting. The safety latch 412 may include two or more separate beams, or may be one solid piece, as shown in FIG.

According to some embodiments, the foot region 414 is located at the distal end of the safety latch 412. The foot region 414 is substantially flat and may be designed to contact a portion of the patterning device. According to some embodiments, the foot region 414 is the only part of the safety latch 412 that comes into contact with the patterning device if it falls in the Z direction from its clamped position. The foot region 414 may be bent at an angle, such as an angle of about 90 degrees, away from the rest of the safety latch 412. According to some embodiments, the tilted member 415 may connect the safety latch 412 to the foot region 414, whereby the foot region 414 may be placed in a parallel plane lower than the safety latch 412.

As mentioned above, the safety device 300 can also include the safety bumper 201. Safety bumper 201 is not the focus of this disclosure, but is described in more detail at attorney reference number 2857.6980000, both pending, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the safety device 300 having the housing 402 may include a fixing mechanism 304, a safety latch 412, and a bumper device 201. The safety device 300 can be made of a rigid material such as metal or ceramic. In some embodiments, the housing 302 of the safety device 300 may extend through a portion of the reticle stage 200. For example, the housing 302 may be cylindrical and extend through the topstage surface 202 for tight alignment with the corners of the reticle 208. In some embodiments, the safety device 300 can be secured to the topstage surface 202 using one or more fixing mechanisms 304. For example, the fixing mechanism 304 can be a bolt. In some embodiments, the safety latch 412 may be configured to secure (ie, capture) the reticle 208 in the event of a collision to reduce damage to the reticle 208. For example, the foot region 414 of the safety latch 412 may be configured to extend over the top surface of the reticle 208 and prevent the reticle 208 from moving in a direction perpendicular to the topstage surface 202 (ie, the Z direction). good.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the patterning device 208 and the safety device 300 adjacent to one corner of the patterning device 208 according to an embodiment. It should be noted that FIG. 6 is not drawn to scale and certain features have been enlarged for clarity. Further, the position of the safety device 300 with respect to the patterning device 208 is not intended to be limited, and the safety device 300 may be anywhere around the patterning device 208.

As shown in FIG. 6, the safety latch 412 of the safety device 300 rotates between the first position shown on the left and the second position shown on the right. In the first position, the foot region 414 is patterned so that the patterning device 208 comes into contact with the foot region 414 when the patterning device 208 disengages from the chuck (not shown in FIG. 6) and falls in the Z direction. Aligned below device 208. In the second position, the safety latch 412 is rotated away from the patterning device 208 so that no part of the safety latch 412 is below the patterning device 208. According to one embodiment, the safety latch 412 will be rotated to the first position while the patterning device 208 is clamped to the chuck. According to one embodiment, the safety latch 412 will be rotated to a second position while loading the patterning device 208 into the chuck or removing the patterning device 208 from the chuck. The rotation angle θ of the safety latch 412 between the first position and the second position may be between 5 degrees and 20 degrees. Other rotation angles are possible, depending on the length of the safety latch 412.

According to one embodiment, one advantage of using a friction drive motor to rotate the safety latch 412 is that the motor consumes power only while rotating and the safety latch 412 is in the first or second position. Do not consume power while stationary on either side. Further, the safety device 300 does not rely on a rotary spring or a compression spring to provide the force to keep the safety latch 412 in the first position. In one embodiment, the safety device 300 provides a force of at least 1.5N when the safety latch 412 is "closed" in the first position. Due to the use of friction drive motors, the safety latch 500 has a smaller overall volume and mass compared to previous safety designs.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the safety device 300 in which the shaft 406 is coupled to the safety latch 412. As shown in FIG. 7, the shaft 406 extends through the housing 402 and is coupled to the safety latch 412. The shaft 406 rotates below the housing 402 around an axis "A" that passes through the center of the shaft 406 and is parallel to the Z direction.

The safety latch 412 may include an annular bearing 702 including an annular projection 704 projecting into an annular recess 706 provided at the bottom of the housing 402. It is not essential that the protrusion 704 be annular, and other designs are possible that can still stabilize the rotation of the safety latch 412.

According to one embodiment, the distance between the protrusion 704 and the recess 706 is such that particles generated from the moving parts during the rotation of the safety latch 412 are trapped in the housing 402 and discharged into the space around the safety device 300. It is designed not to be used. The distance between the protrusions 704 and the recesses 706 may be designed to be between about 0.5 mm and about 2 mm.

Example of operation method

8 (A) to 8 (C) show exemplary procedures for loading the reticle 208 onto the chuck 200, according to some embodiments. During the loading procedure, the direction of rotation of the safety device 300 changes. In FIG. 8A, the reticle 208 is translated towards the chuck 200 using the reticle arm 802. The reticle arm 802 may be a robot arm used to safely transfer a patterning device such as the reticle 802 to various locations within the lithography apparatus. For example, the reticle 208 is removed from the retracted position by the reticle arm 802 and translated towards the chuck 200 to a location where the reticle 208 can be clamped to the surface of the chuck 200.

While the reticle 208 is translating towards the chuck 802, the direction of rotation of the safety device 300 determines whether the safety latch 412 is rotating out of the path so as not to interfere with the progress of loading of the reticle 208. Confirmed to do. The safety latch 412 is rotated to a safe position if the safety latch 412 is in a position where it will hit either part of the reticle 208 or the reticle arm 802.

In FIG. 8B, the reticle arm 802 brings the reticle 208 into contact with the chuck 200. At this point, the reticle 208 can be clamped to the chuck 200 using any known method. Some common clamping techniques include the use of vacuum pressure to hold the reticle 208, or the use of electrostatic charges to hold the reticle 208.

In FIG. 8C, the reticle arm 802 is pulled away from the reticle 208 (now clamped to the chuck 200), and according to one embodiment, the safety latch 418 rotates to a position below a portion of the reticle 208. Will be done. The angle of rotation between the "safe" first position and the second position below the reticle 208 may be between 5 and 20 degrees, which is further the length of the latch (already mentioned in the previous section). It can be changed according to the above. Each safety device 300 arranged around the reticle 208 may rotate its own safety latch all at once.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of an exemplary method 900 for operating the safety latch of a safety device according to an embodiment. Method 900 describes the operation of the safety device 300 and its corresponding safety latch 412 described above with reference to FIGS. 2-8 (908 and 910 are reversed, the latch is rotated first, then the positioning arm. Is removed). It should be understood that the actions shown in Method 900 are not exhaustive and that other actions can be performed as well before, after, or in between any of the illustrated actions. In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the operations of Method 900 can be performed and / or varied in a different order.

In operation 902, the position of the safety latch is determined. If the position of the safety latch will hit the reticle or reticle arm when loading the reticle onto the reticle chuck, the safety latch will be rotated until it is no longer out of the path of the reticle. This is considered equivalent to rotating the safety latch to the "open" position. If the safety latch is already in the "open" position, no further movement of the safety latch is required. It should be understood that the safety latch can be considered in the "open" position at any position unless the safety latch is in the path of loading the reticle into the reticle chuck.

In operation 904, the reticle is translated towards the reticle chuck using a movable arm. The movable arm may be designed to support the reticle at one end of the arm and carry the reticle through the interior of the lithography appliance. The movable arm may first align the reticle with the reticle chuck and then translate the reticle toward the reticle chuck.

In operation 906, the reticle is clamped to the surface of the reticle chuck. Clamping may be done using vacuum pressure or electrostatic force. In some other examples, the reticle is mechanically clamped using a fixture on the reticle chuck.

In operation 908, the movable arm is removed from the reticle. The clamped reticle is left in place with respect to the surface of the reticle chuck. The movable arm may be translated away from the reticle in the direction opposite to that used to load the reticle. This operation is performed after 910.

In operation 910, the safety latches of one or more safety devices arranged around the reticle are rotated so that a portion of the safety latch is below the reticle. This portion of the safety latch may be a foot area on the safety latch designed to safely and reliably hold the weight of the reticle if the reticle falls away from the reticle chuck. The safety latch may be rotated between the "open" first position and the "closed" second position, with the first and second positions at any angle of 5 to 20 degrees. May be just apart. This operation is performed before 908.

The embodiments may be further described by the following sections.
1. 1. A safety device used to provide support to an object,
A housing with a rotating shaft that extends along the length of the housing,
A rotary motor coupled to the first end of the rotary shaft,
A safety latch that is coupled to the second end of the rotary shaft on the side opposite to the first end of the rotary shaft and is rotated by the rotation of the rotary shaft, and is a safety latch that extends radially from the rotary shaft. And, with
The safety latch is a safety device having a foot portion at the distal end of the safety latch away from the rotating shaft, the foot portion acting as a contact point with the object.
2. 2. Item 2. The safety device according to Item 1, wherein the safety latch further includes an annular protrusion that fits in an annular recess on the bottom surface of the housing.
3. 3. Item 2. The safety device according to Item 2, wherein the space between the annular protrusion and the annular recess is 0.5 to 2 mm.
4. Item 2. The safety device according to Item 1, wherein the foot portion is arranged at the distal end of the safety latch at an angle from the rest of the safety latch.
5. Item 4. The safety device according to Item 4, wherein the angle is about 90 degrees.
6. Item 1. The safety latch is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position, and the distance between the first position and the second position is between about 5 degrees and about 20 degrees. The safety device described.
7. Item 2. The safety device according to Item 1, wherein the rotary motor includes a friction drive motor or a rotary motor with a brake.
8. Item 2. The safety device according to Item 1, wherein the object is a patterning device.
9. A lighting system configured to tune the radiant beam,
A support structure constructed to support a patterning device capable of forming a patterned radiation beam by applying a pattern to the cross section of the radiation beam, and a support structure.
With one or more safety devices coupled to the support structure,
Each of the one or more safety devices
A housing with a rotating shaft that extends along the length of the housing,
A rotary motor coupled to the first end of the rotary shaft,
A safety latch that is coupled to the second end of the rotary shaft on the side opposite to the first end of the rotary shaft and is rotated by the rotation of the rotary shaft, and is a safety latch that extends radially from the rotary shaft. And, with
The safety latch is a lithography apparatus in which a foot portion is provided at a distal end of the safety latch away from the rotating shaft, and the foot portion serves as a contact point to the patterning device.
10. Item 9. The lithography apparatus according to Item 9, wherein the safety latch further includes an annular protrusion that fits in an annular recess on the bottom surface of the housing.
11. Item 10. The lithography apparatus according to Item 10, wherein the space between the annular protrusion and the annular recess is 0.5 to 2 mm.
12. Item 9. The lithography apparatus according to Item 9, wherein the foot portion is arranged at the distal end of the safety latch at an angle from the rest of the safety latch.
13. Item 12. The lithography apparatus according to Item 12, wherein the angle is about 90 degrees.
14. Item 12, wherein the safety latch is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position, and the distance between the first position and the second position is between about 5 degrees and about 20 degrees. The lithography equipment described.
15. Item 12. The lithography apparatus according to Item 12, wherein the rotary motor includes a friction drive motor or a rotary motor with a brake.
16. Determining the rotational position of the safety latch in the safety device coupled to the chuck,
To translate the reticle toward the chuck,
To bond the reticle to the surface of the chuck,
A method comprising rotating the safety latch such that the foot portion at the distal end of the safety latch rotates to a position below the reticle.
17. Item 16. The method of item 16, wherein the translation comprises lifting the reticle towards the chuck using a robot arm.
18. Item 16. The method of Item 16, wherein the coupling comprises electrostatically clamping the reticle to the surface of the chuck.
19. Item 16. The method of item 16, wherein the rotation comprises rotating the safety latch between a first position and a second position separated by an interval of about 5 to about 20 degrees.
20. The above decision is
Determining whether or not the reticle would be translated towards the chuck would hit the safety latch.
Item 16. The item 16 comprises rotating the safety latch to a position where the reticle will not hit the safety latch even if the reticle is translated toward the chuck when the reticle will hit the safety latch. The method described.

Conclusion

Although specific references to "reticles" may be made in this document, this is merely an example of a patterning device, and the embodiments described herein are applicable to any type of patterning device. You should understand that. Also, embodiments described herein are used to provide safety support to any object so that the object does not fall and damage itself or any of the other devices due to clamping failure. May be done.

Although this document may specifically mention the use of lithographic equipment in the manufacture of ICs, the lithographic equipment described here includes integrated optical systems, guide and detection patterns for magnetic domain memories, flat panel displays, and more. It should be understood that it may have other uses such as manufacturing of LCDs, thin film magnetic heads, etc. Those skilled in the art will consider the terms "wafer" or "die" herein to be synonymous with the more general terms "base" or "target portion", respectively, in these other applications. You will be able to understand. The substrate referred to in this document is pre-exposure or post-exposure, eg, by a track unit (typically a device that coats the substrate with a resist layer to develop the post-exposure resist), a metrology unit, and / or an inspection unit. It may be processed. Where applicable, the disclosures herein may also apply to these or other substrate processing equipment. Further, the substrate may be processed a plurality of times, for example, to manufacture a multilayer IC, in which case the term substrate in the present specification may also mean a substrate that already contains a large number of processed layers.

Although the above may specifically refer to the use of embodiments of the invention in optical lithography, the invention is not limited to optical lithography, as the context allows, and other uses such as imprint lithography. It will be understood that it can be used for. In imprint lithography, the topography of the patterning device defines the pattern produced on the substrate. The topography of the patterning device is pressed against a layer of resist fed to the substrate, which is then cured by electromagnetic radiation, heat, pressure or a combination thereof. When the patterning device is separated from the resist, a pattern is left on the cured resist.

The wording or terminology herein is for illustration purposes only, and should be construed by one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings of this document.

The term "substrate" used in this document describes a material with multiple layers of material added. In some embodiments, the substrate itself is patterned and the material added on it may also be patterned or may remain unpatterned.

The embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. Also, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium that can be read and executed by one or more processors. Machine-readable media may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (eg, a computer device). For example, machine-readable media include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, electrical, optical, acoustic or other forms of propagation signals. Is. In addition, firmware, software, routines, and / or instructions may be described herein as performing a particular operation. However, such description is for convenience only, and such behavior is in fact a computer device, processor, controller, or other device performing firmware, software, routines, and / or instructions. It should be understood that this is what happens.

The examples described below illustrate, but are not limited to, embodiments of the present disclosure. Other appropriate modifications and adaptations to the various conditions and parameters commonly encountered in the art that will be apparent to those skilled in the art are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Although this document may specifically refer to the use of the device and / or system according to the present invention in the manufacture of an IC, such a device and / or system may be used, for example, for an integrated optical system or a magnetic domain memory. It should be understood that it may have many other uses such as the manufacture of guide patterns and detection patterns, LCD panels, thin film magnetic heads and the like. For those skilled in the art, the terms "reticle," "wafer," or "die" in this document are the more general terms "mask," "substrate," and "target portion," respectively, in the context of these alternative uses. It can be understood that it is considered to be replaced by.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described above, the invention may be practiced in aspects other than those described. This description is not intended to limit the invention.

It should be noted that the "Detailed Description" column, rather than the "Summary" and "Summary" columns, is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The "Summary" and "Summary" columns describe one or more of the embodiments devised by the inventor, but not all exemplary embodiments and therefore. There is no intention to limit the scope of the present invention and the accompanying patent claims by any method.

In the above, the present invention is described with reference to functional blocks indicating implementation of specific functions and their relationships. The boundaries of these functional blocks are arbitrarily defined in this document for convenience of explanation. Alternative boundaries may be defined as long as a particular function and its relationships are properly performed.

The above description of a particular embodiment is fully open to the general nature of the invention and therefore, by applying the knowledge of those skilled in the art, without undue experimentation and from the general concepts of the invention. Without deviation, these particular embodiments can be immediately modified and / or adapted to various applications. Therefore, such modifications and indications are intended to be within the meaning and equivalent of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teachings and advice presented herein.

The extent and scope of the invention should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above, but should be defined only according to the claims and their equivalents.

Claims (20)

A safety device used to provide support to an object,
A housing with a rotating shaft that extends along the length of the housing,
A rotary motor coupled to the first end of the rotary shaft,
A safety latch that is coupled to the second end of the rotary shaft on the side opposite to the first end of the rotary shaft and is rotated by the rotation of the rotary shaft, and is a safety latch that extends radially from the rotary shaft. And, with
The safety latch is a safety device having a foot portion at the distal end of the safety latch away from the rotating shaft, the foot portion acting as a contact point with the object. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the safety latch further includes an annular protrusion that fits in an annular recess on the bottom surface of the housing. The safety device according to claim 2, wherein the space between the annular protrusion and the annular recess is 0.5 to 2 mm. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the foot portion is arranged at the distal end of the safety latch at an angle from the rest of the safety latch. The safety device according to claim 4, wherein the angle is about 90 degrees. The safety latch is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position, and the distance between the first position and the second position is between about 5 degrees and about 20 degrees. The safety device described in. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary motor includes a friction drive motor or a rotary motor with a brake. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the object is a patterning device. A lighting system configured to tune the radiant beam,
A support structure constructed to support a patterning device capable of forming a patterned radiation beam by applying a pattern to the cross section of the radiation beam, and a support structure.
With one or more safety devices coupled to the support structure,
Each of the one or more safety devices
A housing with a rotating shaft that extends along the length of the housing,
A rotary motor coupled to the first end of the rotary shaft,
A safety latch that is coupled to the second end of the rotary shaft on the side opposite to the first end of the rotary shaft and is rotated by the rotation of the rotary shaft, and is a safety latch that extends radially from the rotary shaft. And, with
The safety latch is a lithography apparatus in which a foot portion is provided at a distal end of the safety latch away from the rotating shaft, and the foot portion serves as a contact point to the patterning device. The lithography apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the safety latch further includes an annular protrusion that fits in an annular recess on the bottom surface of the housing. The lithography apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the space between the annular protrusion and the annular recess is 0.5 to 2 mm. The lithography apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the foot portion is arranged at the distal end of the safety latch at an angle from the rest of the safety latch. The lithography apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the angle is about 90 degrees. 12. The safety latch is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position, and the distance between the first position and the second position is between about 5 degrees and about 20 degrees. The lithography equipment described in. 12. The lithography apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the rotary motor includes a friction drive motor or a rotary motor with a brake. Determining the rotational position of the safety latch in the safety device coupled to the chuck,
To translate the reticle toward the chuck,
To bond the reticle to the surface of the chuck,
A method comprising rotating the safety latch such that the foot portion at the distal end of the safety latch rotates to a position below the reticle. 16. The method of claim 16, wherein the translation comprises lifting the reticle towards the chuck using a robot arm. 16. The method of claim 16, wherein the coupling comprises electrostatically clamping the reticle to the surface of the chuck. 16. The method of claim 16, wherein the rotation comprises rotating the safety latch between a first position and a second position separated by an interval of about 5 to about 20 degrees. The above decision is
Determining whether or not the reticle would be translated towards the chuck would hit the safety latch.
16. If the reticle will hit the safety latch, it comprises rotating the safety latch to a position where it does not hit the safety latch even if the reticle is translated toward the chuck. The method described in.

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