KR100742176B1 - Apparatus for adhering pellicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A pellicle adhering apparatus is provided to correct an interval between a stepper align key and a pellicle in real time by continuously aligning the stepper align key, until the pellicle is adhered on a photomask. A vision camera(30) is provided in a pellicle door arm(14), and is positioned at a rear of a pellicle door holder(24) to face a photomask(28). A position of the vision camera is stationary, and the vision camera is enclosed by a transparent cover(32). The vision camera continuously scans position information on a stepper align key formed on the photomask to output it to a controller, while a back door arm(12) and the pellicle door arm are moved towards a photomask holder(16).

Description

Apparatus for adhering pellicle}

1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a configuration of a device for attaching a ferrule according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external stereoscopic image of the ferrule attachment device having the configuration of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken in the III-III 'direction.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the photo mask holder and its driving means in the apparatus for attaching the vehicle shown in FIG.

* Description of Signs of Major Parts of Drawings *

10: lower housing 12: back door arm

14: Ferrule door arm 16: Photo mask (reticle) holder

18: Lower housing cover 20: Back door holder

22: back door 24: pellicle door holder

26: pellicle door 28: photo mask (reticle)

30: vision camera 32: vision camera cover

40: controller 50: support

60: stepper alignment key 16M, 12M, 14M: first to third drive means

16M1, 16M2, 16M3: first to third step motors

12S, 14S: first and second shaft

P1: Ferricle door carrying section P2: Back door carrying section

P3: Imager P4: Driver

1. Field of Invention

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing facility, and more particularly, to a pellicle attachment device.

2. Description of related technology

The photolithography process is included in the manufacturing process of electronic products, such as a semiconductor device and a liquid crystal display device. In the photolithography process, an exposure apparatus, for example a projection type exposure apparatus, is used to transfer the pattern on the photo mask (or reticle) to the substrate.

Due to the high integration of semiconductor devices, even small foreign matters can have a great influence on the manufacturing process of the semiconductor device. For example, in a photolithography process, when foreign matter is attached to the photomask, the image of the foreign matter is transferred to the substrate together with the pattern engraved on the photomask. Accordingly, an unwanted pattern, that is, a defect pattern, may be formed on the substrate.

To prevent this result, an optically stable and transparent polymer thin film called pellicle is attached to the surface of the photomask on which the pattern is formed.

When the pellicle is attached to the surface of the photo mask, when the stepper align key formed on the photo mask overlaps with the pellicle, a problem may occur that the photo mask cannot be aligned in the exposure process. Therefore, it is desirable that the pellicle and the stepper alignment keys do not overlap in the process of attaching the pellicle to the photomask surface. In addition, the pericle and stepper align keys must be spaced within a given range even if the pellicle and stepper align keys do not overlap.

By the way, when using the currently used ferrule attachment device, the spacing between the ferrule and the stepper align key may be larger or smaller than the allowable value than the given value, and in severe cases, the ferrule and the stepper align key may overlap. have.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to improve the above-described problems of the prior art, so that the gap between the pericle and stepper align key can be within a given allowable range while preventing the overlap of the pellicle and stepper align key. The present invention provides a device for attaching a pellicle.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, the present invention provides a device for attaching a pellicle to a photomask, a photomask holder for fixing the photomask; A pellicle door carrying part including a pellicle door for attaching the pellicle to the photo mask; A back door carrier facing the ferry door carrier around the photo mask holder and pushing the photo mask holder toward the ferry door carrier to attach the pericle to the photo mask; A driving unit for driving the photo mask holder, the ferric door carrying unit and the back door carrying unit; A controller configured to control the driving unit to control a moving speed of the ferry door carrying unit and the back door carrying unit and a degree of pressure applied to the photo mask; And an imaging unit which is provided to face the photo mask holder in the ferry door carrying unit and scans an alignment key or a specific pattern drawn on the photo mask and transmits its position information to the controller. Provide a claw attachment.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pellicle door carrying unit further includes a pellicle door prepared for the pellicle, a pellicle door holder for fixing the pellicle door, and a pellicle door arm for moving the pellicle door holder. It may include.

The back door carrying unit may further include a back door, a back door holder for fixing the back door, and a back door arm for moving the back door holder.

The driving unit may further include first driving means for driving the photo mask holder, second driving means for driving the ferry door carrying unit, and third driving means for driving the back door carrying unit. In this case, the first driving means may be a step motor, and the second and third driving means may be a servo motor.

In addition, the imaging unit may include at least one vision camera.

In addition, the photo mask holder, the pellicle door carrier and the back door carrier may be vertically aligned.

Using the present invention, the present invention uses a pellicle device that includes a vision camera and operates in real time in an automatic manner, and overlaps the pellicle and stepper alignment keys in the process of attaching the pellicle to the photomask surface. You can prevent it. In addition, it is possible to minimize the vertical and horizontal shifts and rotations of the pellicle and the photo mask while attaching the pellicle, so that the distance between the pellicle and the stepper alignment keys can be kept constant at a given value. Can be attached stably.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a ferrule attachment device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. In this process, the thicknesses of layers or regions illustrated in the drawings are exaggerated for clarity.

Figure 1 shows the configuration of a device for attaching a pericle according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, the device of the present invention).

Referring to Figure 1, the device of the present invention is a ferric door carrying portion (P1) involved in the movement of the vehicle door, back door carrying portion (P2) involved in the movement of the back door, photo mask holder 16, Imaging means for scanning a stepper alignment key formed on the photo mask, for example, an imaging unit P3 equipped with a vision camera, a ferry door carrying unit P1, a back door carrying unit P2, and a photo mask holder 16. Drive means for moving the wheels, for example, a drive unit P4 having a plurality of motors, a ferric door carrying unit P1, a back door carrying unit P2, and a driving unit P4 based on signals input from the imaging unit P3. It includes a controller 40 for controlling the overall operation of the).

An operation process of the apparatus of the present invention having such a configuration will be briefly described.

The position information of the stepper alignment key on the photomask surface is scanned by scanning the position of the stepper alignment key on the surface of the photomask (or reticle) held by the photomask holder 16 with the vision camera provided in the imaging unit P3. Send to 40. The controller 40 analyzes the positional information and drives the driving means provided in the driver P4, for example, a motor, to move the photo mask holder 16 by a given distance in a given direction. As a result, since the photo mask is moved, the position of the stepper alignment key drawn on the photo mask is also moved. Immediately, the position of the stepper alignment key drawn on the photo mask is aligned. The new positional information of the aligned stepper alignment key is given to the controller 40 again from the imaging unit P3. If it is determined from the new position information that the position of the stepper align key satisfies the set value, the controller 40 drives the pellicle door carrying part P1 and the back door carrying part P2 to pellicle the photomask surface. Attach.

Figure 2 shows a stereogram of the appearance of the device of the present invention having such a configuration. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a lower housing having a lid 18. A part of the components of FIG. 1, for example, the driving unit P4 and the controller 40, are embedded in the lower housing 10.

Referring to FIG. 2, a photo mask holder 16, a back door arm 12, and a vehicle door arm 14 are provided on the lower housing 10. The back door arm 12 and the ferry door arm 14 face around the photo mask holder 16. The photo mask 28 is held in the photo mask holder 16. The back door holder 20 is provided on the side facing the photo mask holder 16 of the back door arm 12, and the back door (20) is provided on the side facing the photo mask holder 16 of the back door holder 20. 22). The back door arm 12, the back door holder 20 and the back door 22 constitute the back door carrying part P2 of FIG. The surface of the ferry door arm 14 facing the photo mask holder 16 is provided with a ferry door holder 24. And the pericle door 26 is provided in the surface which faces the photomask holder 16 of the pericle door holder 24. As shown in FIG. Pericles (not shown) are prepared in the ferry door 26. The pellicle door arm 14, the pellicle door holder 24 and the pellicle door 26 constitute the pellicle door carrying portion P1 of FIG. 1.

When the alignment of the photo mask 28 held by the photo mask holder 16 is completed, the ferry door arm 14 and the back door arm 12 are moved toward the photo mask holder 16. This movement can be done quickly until it comes close to the photo mask holder 16 under the control of the controller (40 in FIG. 1). When the back door arm 12 and the ferry door arm 14 are close to the photo mask holder 16, as soon as the back door 22 and the ferry door 26 are close to the photo mask 28, The back door arm 12 and the pellicle door arm 14 are slowly moved until the pellicle prepared in the pellicle door 26 is attached to the photo mask 28. In addition, the back door 22 applies a predetermined pressure to the photo mask 28 in the process of attaching the ferrule to the photo mask 28. In this way, the pericle is firmly attached to the photo mask 28.

On the other hand, a vision camera 30 is provided inside the ferry door arm 14. The vision camera 30 is located behind the ferry door holder 24 and faces the photo mask 28. The position of the vision camera 30 is fixed. The vision camera 30 is included in the imaging unit P3 of FIG. 1. One or two vision cameras 30 may be provided. The vision camera 30 is covered with a cover 32. The cover 32 may be a transparent cover.

The vision camera 30 has a stepper align key drawn on the photo mask 28 even while the back door arm 12 and the ferry door arm 14 are moved toward the photo mask holder 16 for the ferrule attachment. Continue to scan the location information for and send it to the controller (40 in FIG. 1).

As described above, alignment of the stepper align key drawn on the photo mask 28 is continued until the pellicle is attached to the photo mask 28. The correction for the spacing between the ferrules is done in real time. Therefore, the ferrule can be attached to the photo mask while maintaining a constant distance between the pellicle and the stepper alignment key at a given interval, for example, about 3 μm.

On the other hand, the back door arm 12, the photo mask holder 16, the ferry door arm 14, and the like may be configured vertically instead of horizontally as shown in FIG. In this case, the back door arm 12 and the peripheral door arm 14 are positioned up and down with the photo mask holder 16 as the center.

Next, referring to FIG. 3, which is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 in the III-III ′ direction, first driving means for driving the photo mask holder 16 under the photo mask holder 16 of the lid 18 ( 16M). The first driving means 16M includes a plurality of step motors for moving the photo mask holder 16 up and down or forward and backward according to the control signal of the controller 40. Therefore, the actual photo mask 28 alignment main body is the first driving means 16M. The structure of the 1st drive means 16M is mentioned later. The second drive means 12M is provided under the back door arm 12 of the lid 18, and the third drive means 14M is provided under the ferry door arm 14. The second and third drive means 12M and 14M may be, for example, servo motors. The second and third driving means 12M and 14M respectively move the pellicle door arm 12 and the back door arm 14 at a high speed or a low speed according to a control signal to the controller 40 at the time of attaching the pellicle. It also maintains pressurization. The driving force generated by the second driving means 12M is transmitted to the ferry door arm 12 through the first shaft 12S, and the driving force generated by the third driving means 14M causes the second shaft 14S to pass through. It is transmitted to the back door arm 14 through.

The provided positions of the first to third driving means 16M, 12M, 14M may differ from those shown in FIG. For example, the first driving means 16M is provided on the support 50, but may be provided under the support 50 like the second and third driving means 12M and 14M. The second and third driving means 12M and 14M may be provided on the support 50. In the case of the controller 40 as well, the controller 40 is provided on the bottom of the lower housing 10 in FIG. 3, but the controller 40 may be provided at another position, for example, on the support 50.

4 shows a vertical cross section of the photo mask holder 16 and the first driving means 16M for driving it.

Referring to FIG. 4, the first driving means 16M advances the photo mask holder 16 according to a control signal given from the controller 40 based on the positional information given from the vision camera 30 of FIG. 3. Or a plurality of step motors 16M1, 16M2, 16M3 for reversing and adjusting height. The first step motor 16M1 moves the entire photo mask holder 16 to control the forward and backward direction of the photo mask holder 16. The second step motor 16M2 controls the left height of the photo mask holder 16 based on FIG. 4. In addition, the third step motor 16M3 controls the right height of the photo mask holder 16 based on FIG. 4. The first to third step motors 16M1, 16M2, 16M3 are individually driven by the controller 40. These first to third step motors 16M1-16M3 may be replaced by other controllers having the same function.

Reference numeral 60 in FIG. 4 shows an example of the stepper alignment key drawn on the photo mask 28. And reference numeral A1 denotes a ferrule attachment region in the photo mask 28.

While many details are set forth in the foregoing description, they should be construed as illustrative of preferred embodiments, rather than to limit the scope of the invention. For example, one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains may modify the structure of the back door arm 12, the ferry door arm 14, the photo mask holder 16 in other forms, The number of drive motors may be further reduced or increased. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be defined by the described embodiments, but should be determined by the technical spirit described in the claims.

As described above, the present invention includes a vision camera, which enables the alignment of the alignment keys drawn on the photo mask in real time until the ferrule is attached to the photo mask surface. Therefore, by using the present invention, the problem of overlapping the stepper alignment key and the pericle on the surface of the photo mask and the problem caused by the shift or rotation can be solved. In addition, the ferrule can be shifted or rotated according to the user's conditions, and the moving speed and the degree of pressurization can be controlled, whereby the ferrule can be stably attached to the surface of the photo mask.

Claims (6)

In a pellicle attachment device for attaching a pellicle to a photo mask, A photo mask holder for fixing the photo mask; A pellicle door carrying part including a pellicle door for attaching the pellicle to the photo mask; A back door carrier facing the ferry door carrier around the photo mask holder and pushing the photo mask holder toward the ferry door carrier to attach the pericle to the photo mask; A driving unit for driving the photo mask holder, the ferric door carrying unit and the back door carrying unit; A controller configured to control the driving unit to control a moving speed of the ferry door carrying unit and the back door carrying unit and a degree of pressure applied to the photo mask; And And an imaging unit which is provided to face the photo mask holder in the ferry door carrying unit and scans an alignment key or a specific pattern drawn on the photo mask and transmits its position information to the controller. Attachment device. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferry door carrying unit, A pellicle door in which the pellicle is prepared; A pellicle door holder for fixing the pellicle door; And And a pellicle door arm for moving the pellicle door holder. The method of claim 1, wherein the back door carrying unit, Back door; A back door holder for fixing the back door; And And a back door arm for moving the back door holder. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving unit, First driving means for driving the photo mask holder; Second driving means for driving the ferry door carrier; And And a third driving means for driving the back door carrying part. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the imaging unit comprises at least one vision camera. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photo mask holder, the ferric door carrying unit, and the back door carrying unit are vertically aligned.

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