TWI772750B - Mask temperature control device and mask exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a mask temperature control device and a mask exposure device. The mask temperature control device includes: a gas temperature control unit, a gas delivery unit and a mask storage unit; the gas delivery unit is used to deliver the gas bath gas to the mask storage unit, and the gas temperature control unit is used to deliver the gas The temperature of the gas bath gas transmitted from the unit to the above-mentioned photomask storage unit is adjusted to a preset temperature threshold range; wherein, the above-mentioned photomask storage unit includes a plate frame main body and a partition plate, and the above-mentioned partition plate is fixed in the above-mentioned plate frame main body, adjacent to the plate frame body. A accommodating space is formed between the two aforesaid partitions, and the foregoing accommodating space is used for placing a photomask.

Description

Mask temperature control device and mask exposure device

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the technical field of lithography equipment, for example, to a mask temperature control device and a mask exposure device.

With the development of semiconductor technology and the development of high-tech equipment in the direction of compactness, refinement and complexity, higher requirements are placed on the line width of integrated circuits. Accordingly, higher overlay resolution is required for lithography machines. , and the overlay resolution of the lithography machine is affected by factors such as mechanics, optics, temperature, and cleanliness. Small changes in the above factors may affect the overlay resolution of the lithography machine.

In the overall structure of the lithography machine, the mask transfer module is the only module inside the lithography machine that realizes the transfer of the mask from the mask storage unit to the mask unit. The temperature accuracy of the upper plate directly affects the overlay resolution. Therefore, it is particularly important to set a mask temperature control unit in the mask transmission area to ensure the temperature of the upper plate. However, the material of the reticle is usually low-expansion quartz glass, and the low-expansion quartz glass has low thermal conductivity and heat transfer efficiency, which makes it difficult to control the temperature of the reticle.

The invention provides a photomask temperature control device and a photomask exposure device to reduce the difficulty of photomask temperature control.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a mask temperature control device, the mask temperature control device includes: a gas temperature control unit, a gas conveying unit, and a mask storage unit;

The aforementioned gas delivery unit is used to deliver the gas bath gas to the aforementioned reticle storage unit, and the aforementioned gas temperature control unit is used to adjust the temperature of the gas bath gas delivered from the aforementioned gas delivery unit to the aforementioned reticle storage unit within a preset temperature threshold range ;

Wherein, the photomask storage unit includes a main body of a plate frame and a partition, the partition plate is fixed in the main body of the plate frame, and a accommodating space is formed between two adjacent partition plates, and the above-mentioned accommodating space is used for placing the photomask.

Embodiments of the present invention further provide a mask exposure device, which includes any one of the above-mentioned mask temperature control devices.

The mask temperature control device provided by the embodiment of the present invention can divide the space in the main body of the plate frame into multiple layers by means of the partition plate, so as to realize the layered isolation design of each accommodation space in the mask storage unit, which is beneficial to the laminar flow of the gas bath gas. The photomask is beneficial to improve the temperature stabilization efficiency of the photomask temperature control device, and is beneficial to reduce the difficulty of temperature control of the photomask.

10: Mask temperature control device

20: Photomask

110: Gas delivery unit

111: Gas transmission line

112: filter cloth

113: Adapter

120: Gas temperature control unit

121: Cooling water inlet

122: Cooling water outlet

123: Water inlet pipeline

124: Water outlet pipeline

130: Reticle storage unit

131: Frame main body

132: Separator

133: Photomask support

140: temperature sensor

150: Pressure flow adjustment unit

151: Pressure regulating valve

152: Throttle valve

160: Leak detection sensor

170: Pressure Sensor

180: Air bath gas sampling interface

1111: Air intake

1112: Air outlet

1113: Main Road

1114: Branch pipeline

1311: Auxiliary fixed platform

1321: Fixed point

1331: Connector

1332: Cylindrical Support

13311: First end

13312: Second end

[FIG. 1] is a schematic structural diagram of a mask temperature control device provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of another mask temperature control device provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a schematic structural diagram of a photomask storage unit of another photomask temperature control device provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[FIG. 4] It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the separator in FIG. 3. [FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another photomask temperature control device provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[FIG. 6] is a schematic structural diagram of the pressure-flow adjustment unit in FIG. 5. [FIG.

[FIG. 7] It is a partial structural schematic diagram of the gas delivery unit in FIG. 5. [FIG.

[Fig. 8] It is a working principle diagram of the temperature control device of the photomask in Fig. 5. [Fig.

[FIG. 9] It is a simulation result diagram of the air bath flow field distribution of the mask temperature control device provided in FIG. 5. [FIG.

The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the attached drawings and embodiments. FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a mask temperature control device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1 , the mask temperature control device 10 includes: a gas delivery unit 110 , a gas temperature control unit 120 and a mask storage unit 130 ; the gas delivery unit 110 is used for delivering gas bath gas to the mask storage unit 130 , and the gas temperature controls Unit 120 is used to transfer the gas delivery unit 110 to the reticle storage The temperature of the gas bath gas of the discharge unit 130 is adjusted to a value within a preset temperature threshold range. The photomask storage unit 130 includes a plate frame main body 131 and a partition 132, the partition plate 132 is fixed in the plate frame main body 131, and a accommodating space is formed between the two adjacent partition plates 132, and the accommodating space is used for placing the photomask.

The gas delivery unit 110 transmits the gas bath gas from the gas supply end to the photomask storage unit 130. During the transmission of the gas bath gas in the gas delivery unit 110, the gas temperature control unit 120 adjusts the temperature of the gas bath gas and adjusts the temperature of the gas bath gas to the mask storage unit 130. The temperature of the reticle is stabilized to within the preset temperature threshold range, and the gas bath gas with the stable temperature is delivered to the photomask storage unit 130 .

Exemplarily, the preset temperature threshold range corresponds to the temperature range of the reticle, and the temperature range of the reticle may be the reference temperature ± the allowable error temperature. The reference temperature is the ideal temperature value of the photomask. When the temperature of the photomask reaches the reference temperature, the plate can be loaded. The allowable error temperature is the range in which the temperature of the mask can fluctuate around the ideal temperature value, and the plate can also be printed within the allowable error temperature range; in this case, the impact of the mask temperature on the subsequent exposure process is within the acceptable range for product quality monitoring Inside.

Exemplarily, when the temperature range of the reticle can be 22±0.1°C, the ambient temperature of the reticle storage unit 130 will also affect the temperature of the reticle, so that the temperature fluctuation range of the reticle is greater than the preset temperature threshold range. The temperature fluctuation range, therefore, the allowable error temperature of the preset temperature threshold range can be set to be less than ±0.05°C, that is, the preset temperature threshold range is 22±0.05°C.

In this way, the temperature of the photomask can be stabilized at 22±0.1°C by means of heat exchange by blowing the gas bath gas onto the surface of the photomask.

It should be noted that the value of the preset temperature threshold range may be set according to the actual requirements of the mask temperature control device, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

The photomask storage unit 130 includes a frame body 131 and a partition plate 132. The plate 132 can separate the spaces surrounded by the plate frame main body 131 from each other to form a plurality of accommodating spaces, and each accommodating space can also be called a mask slot. Therefore, in the mask storage unit 130, the mask grooves are separated from each other by the partition plate 132, which can prevent the air flow disorder caused by the reduction of air resistance in the mask grooves without the photomask, which is beneficial to improve the flow stability of the gas bath gas, which is beneficial to In order to improve the stability of the heat exchange process between the gas bath gas and the photomask, it is beneficial to reduce the difficulty of temperature control of the photomask; further, it is beneficial to increase the plate-on time of the photomask in the lithography machine, and is beneficial to improve the lithography productivity.

In addition, in FIG. 1, the flow direction of the gas bath gas in the gas delivery unit 110 is shown by the arrow direction. FIG. 1 only exemplarily shows that the number of mask storage units 130 is two, and the number of partitions 132 in each mask storage unit 130 is seven, but not for the mask temperature control device provided by the embodiment of the present invention. 10 limit. In other embodiments, the number of mask storage units 130 and the number of partitions 132 in the mask storage unit 130 may be set according to actual requirements of the mask temperature control device 10 , which are not limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

Optionally, FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of another mask temperature control device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. 1 to 2 , the photomask storage unit 130 further includes a photomask support member 133; a plurality of photomask support members 133 are respectively provided on the side of each partition 132 that carries the photomask; the photomask support members 133 are used for supporting and placing A photomask in the accommodating space, and for fixing the partition 132 .

With this arrangement, only by setting the three-dimensional shape of the mask support member 133 , the mask support member 133 can not only support the mask placed in the accommodating space, but also fix the partition plate 132 ; thus, additional fixing is not required. The mechanism of the partition plate 132 does not require additional space to set up a mechanism for fixing the partition plate 132 , which can simplify the internal structure of the reticle storage unit 130 , which is beneficial to reduce the difficulty of fixing the partition plate 132 and reduce the reticle storage unit 130 . design Taking into account the difficulty of assembly, it is beneficial to reduce the overall design difficulty of the mask temperature control device 10 and to simplify its structure.

Optionally, FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a photomask storage unit of another photomask temperature control device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3 , the reticle support 133 includes a connector 1331 and a cylindrical support 1332; the plate frame body 131 includes an auxiliary fixing platform 1311; A fixed gap is set between the second end 13312 of the 1331 and the table top of the auxiliary fixed platform 1311, and the fixed gap is used to fix the partition plate 132; , the other end of the cylindrical support body 1332 is used to support the photomask 20 .

Exemplarily, taking the housing part of the plate holder main body 131 as a cuboid as an example, the plate holder main body 131 includes a bottom surface, a top surface and a side surface; The back flow direction is parallel to the bottom and top surfaces. The extension direction of the auxiliary fixing platform 1311 is parallel to the bottom surface and the top surface of the main body 131 of the plate frame. A column can be provided on the side of each auxiliary fixing platform 1311 close to the top surface. The column can be used to support the connecting piece 1331. The shape and distribution of the column The mode may be set according to the actual requirements of the mask temperature control device, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

Exemplarily, the auxiliary fixing platform 1311 and the housing part of the plate frame main body 131 may be integrally formed with the same material, which is beneficial to reduce the process steps for manufacturing the photomask storage unit 130 and simplify the preparation of the photomask temperature control device. craft.

Exemplarily, the cylindrical support body 1332 also includes opposite bottom surfaces and top surfaces, and a side surface connected between the bottom surface and the top surface. The bottom surface, the top surface, and the plate frame of the cylindrical support body 1332 The bottom surface and the top surface of the housing part of the main body 131 are arranged in parallel, according to this, on the one hand, it is beneficial for the gas bath gas to flow in laminar flow through the photomask in the photomask storage unit 130, which is beneficial to increase the temperature stable gas bath gas The contact area with the mask 20 is beneficial to improve the heat exchange efficiency between the gas bath gas and the mask 20, which is beneficial to reduce the difficulty of temperature control and improve the temperature control accuracy; on the other hand, the top surface of the cylindrical support 1332 is used to support the light The cover is beneficial to reduce the contact area between the reticle 20 and the cylindrical support 1332, thereby helping to improve the temperature uniformity of the reticle 20. At the same time, the top surface of the cylindrical support 1332 is a plane, and the reticle 20 is subjected to The support is beneficial to make the force on the contact portion of the photomask 20 and the photomask support member 133 uniform, thereby helping to avoid damage to the photomask 20 .

Exemplarily, the connecting piece 1331 and the cylindrical support body 1332 in the mask support member 133 can also be integrally formed with the same material, which is beneficial to reduce the process steps of manufacturing the mask support member 133 and simplify the temperature control of the mask. The preparation process of the device.

First of all, it should be noted that FIG. 2 only exemplarily shows that the number of separators 132 is 5, and FIG. 3 only exemplarily shows that the number of separators 132 is 3, but neither constitutes an implementation of the present invention. Example provided reticle temperature control means. In other embodiments, the number of partitions 132 in the mask storage unit 130 may be set according to the actual requirements of the mask temperature control device, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

Next, it should be noted that FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 only exemplarily show a side structure of the photomask storage unit 130 in the photomask temperature control device, only to illustrate the partition 132 in the photomask storage unit 130 and the light The relative positional relationship of the mask support member 133; wherein, the shape of the mask support member 133 can be set according to the actual requirements of the temperature control device, and can support the mask 20 and the fixed partition 132 at the same time.

Optionally, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the separator in FIG. 3 , FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 The side structure and the plane structure of the separator are shown in Fig. 3 and 4 , the partition plate 132 is a straight plate structure; the side of the partition plate 132 is clamped and fixed by the fixing gap between the second end 13312 of the connecting member 1331 and the table surface of the auxiliary fixing platform 1311 .

The baffle 132 is a straight plate structure, and the gas bath gas can form a laminar flow when flowing through the mask, which is beneficial to increase the heat exchange area and make the heat exchange efficiency higher; The time it takes for the temperature of the mask to stabilize is conducive to improving the efficiency of the plate.

The partition plate 132 is clamped and fixed by the fixed gap formed between the auxiliary fixing platform 1311 and the connecting piece 1331 . On the one hand, the stability of the partition plate 132 can be increased, which is beneficial to increase the gas bath gas during the temperature control process of the reticle 20 . On the other hand, compared with the structure of directly fixing the reticle 20 with screws, since no additional baffle fixing structure is added, it is further possible to avoid this problem. The structure reserves space to increase the design difficulty of the photomask storage unit, thereby helping to reduce the overall design and manufacturing difficulty of the photomask temperature control device.

Exemplarily, the supporting point of the photomask 20 is set corresponding to the fixing point of the spacer 132 . The mask is supported by four points, which maximizes the heat exchange area between the gas bath gas and the mask, and effectively shortens the heat exchange time when the same temperature is achieved.

Illustratively, the separator 132 is a metal separator with a thickness of 0.8 mm.

It should be noted that, FIG. 4 only exemplarily shows that there are four fixed points 1321 and are located at two opposite edges of the partition plate 132 , but this does not constitute a limitation on the mask temperature control device provided by the embodiment of the present invention. In other embodiments, a fixed position can be further set according to the actual requirements of the mask temperature control device, for example, the connecting member 1331 can be set. and the shape of the auxiliary fixing platform 1311, the fixing gap is set as a strip, and the two opposite sides of the partition 132 are fixed by the strip-shaped fixing gap; on this basis, the mask support 133 can be The strip protrusions support the photomask 20, and the embodiment of the present invention does not limit the fixing method of the partition plate and the supporting method of the photomask.

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another photomask temperature control device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5 , the gas temperature control unit 120 includes a heat exchanger, which is disposed in the transmission path of the gas delivery unit 110 ; the heat exchanger is used to stabilize the temperature of the gas bath gas delivered by the gas delivery unit 110 to a preset temperature Threshold range.

High temperature precision circulating cooling water (22°C) can be introduced into the heat exchanger. When the gas bath gas is connected to the heat exchanger, the gas bath gas will exchange heat with the high temperature precision circulating cooling water to realize the gas bath. The temperature stability of the bath gas improves the temperature accuracy of the gas bath gas. Exemplarily, the temperature of the gas bath gas at the inlet of the gas temperature control unit 120 (ie, the air inlet) is 22±0.1°C, and after the heat exchange by the heat exchanger, the temperature of the gas bath gas is exchanged to 22±0.05°C.

It should be noted that, according to the actual needs of the mask temperature control device, exemplarily, according to the flow rate, pressure, temperature and other indicators of the circulating cooling water and the gas bath gas, the heat exchanger that meets the heat exchange needs can be calculated and selected, so as to have this heat exchanger. The cooling capacity required under normal working conditions under the technical means does not limit the specific model and specification of the heat exchanger in the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the heat exchanger is a high-purity heat exchanger to ensure that the gas bath gas is not contaminated, thereby ensuring that the cleanliness of the gas bath gas is not damaged.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 5 , the mask temperature control device 10 further includes a temperature sensor 140; the temperature sensor 140 is disposed at at least one of the following positions: located in the gas delivery unit 110, and located between the gas temperature control unit 120 and the gas One of the air outlets 1112 of the conveying unit 110 space; located in the photomask storage unit 130.

The temperature sensor 140 is used to monitor the temperature of the gas bath after passing through the heat exchanger. In this way, it is beneficial to ensure the temperature stability of the gas bath gas entering the photomask storage unit 130 .

It should be noted that FIG. 5 only exemplarily shows that the number of temperature sensors 140 is one, and the temperature sensor 140 is arranged in the reticle storage unit 130 to detect the temperature of the gas bath gas after entering the reticle storage unit 130. It can also be understood as detecting the inlet air temperature; however, it does not constitute a limitation on the mask temperature control device provided by the embodiment of the present invention. In other embodiments, the number of temperature sensors 140 may further be two or more, and may be disposed between the gas temperature control unit 120 and the gas outlet 1112 of the gas delivery unit 110 , which is not performed in this embodiment of the present invention limited.

The heat exchanger is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger; a heat-conducting fluid circulates in the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and the flow direction of the heat-conducting fluid is opposite to the transmission direction of the gas bath gas in the gas conveying unit.

1 , the direction indicated by the arrow is the transmission direction of the gas bath gas, and the flow direction of the heat transfer fluid is opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow.

5 , the gas delivery unit 110 includes an air inlet 1111 and an air outlet 1112, and the gas temperature control unit 120 (taking a heat exchanger as an example) includes a cooling water inlet 121 and a cooling water outlet 122; the gas delivery The transmission direction of the gas bath gas in the unit 110 is from the air inlet 1111 to the air outlet 1112 along the path of the gas conveying unit 110 , and the flow direction of the heat transfer fluid (taking circulating cooling water as an example) in the gas temperature control unit 120 flows from the cooling water inlet 121 Point to the cooling water outlet 122 .

In this way, both ends of the heat exchanger are fed with gas bath gas flowing in opposite directions and circulating cooling water with high temperature accuracy. The temperature is beneficial to improve the heat exchange efficiency between the gas bath gas and the heat transfer fluid (ie, circulating cooling water), and shorten the heat exchange time.

It should be noted that, the heat exchanger may further be other types of heat exchangers known to those skilled in the art, which are neither repeated nor limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 5 , the mask temperature control device 10 further includes a pressure flow adjustment unit 150, which is arranged at the air inlet 1111 of the gas delivery unit 110; the pressure flow adjustment unit 150 is used to adjust the gas bath gas The pressure is adjusted to the preset pressure threshold, and the flow of the gas bath gas is adjusted to the preset flow threshold.

In this way, the gas bath gas can reach the preset pressure and flow rate indicators. Both the preset pressure threshold and the preset flow threshold can be set according to actual requirements of the mask temperature control device, which are not limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

By adjusting the pressure and flow of the gas bath gas, it is beneficial to improve the flow stability of the gas bath gas, thereby helping to improve the heat exchange stability between the gas bath gas and the mask, reducing the difficulty of controlling the temperature of the mask, and To improve the temperature stability of the photomask.

The range of the preset pressure threshold can be 1.7Bar~5Bar. Within this range, the smaller the fluctuation range of the gas bath gas pressure value, the more stable the gas bath gas pressure; when the fluctuation range is 0Bar, the gas bath gas the best pressure stability. Exemplarily, the pressure value of the gas bath gas may be 1.7 Bar, 1.9 Bar, or 2 Bar, or other pressure values within the above-mentioned value range, which are not limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

The preset flow threshold can be in the range of 200NL/min~500NL/min. Within this range, the smaller the fluctuation range of the gas bath gas flow value, the more stable the gas bath gas flow. When the fluctuation range is 0NL/min, the flow stability of the gas bath gas is the best. Exemplarily, the flow value of the gas bath gas may be 200NL/min, 220NL/min, or 250NL/min, or other flow values within the foregoing value ranges, which are not limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pressure-flow regulating unit in FIG. 5 . 6 , the pressure-flow regulating unit 150 includes a pressure regulating valve 151 and a throttle valve 152; the pressure regulating valve 151 is used to adjust the pressure of the gas bath gas, and the throttle valve 152 is used to regulate the flow rate of the gas bath gas.

Exemplarily, the pressure regulating valve 151 can be a high-purity pressure reducing valve, and the throttle valve 152 can be a high-purity throttle valve, so that the gas bath gas can be prevented from being polluted by the pressure flow regulating unit 150, so as to ensure that the gas bath gas has high of cleanliness. Illustratively, the cleanliness may be ISO Class1.

It should be noted that the models or specifications of the pressure regulating valve 151 and the throttle valve 152 can be selected according to the actual needs of the mask temperature control device, and those known to those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can be selected. This is not limited.

2 and 5, the gas delivery unit 110 includes a gas delivery pipeline 111 and a filter cloth 112; the air inlet 1111 of the gas delivery pipeline 111 is the inlet of the gas delivery unit 110, and the outlet The air port 1112 is the air outlet 1112 of the gas delivery unit 110, the air outlet 1112 of the gas transmission pipeline 111 is connected to the photomask storage unit 130, and the flow direction of the gas bath gas is parallel to the plane where the partition plate 132 is located; the filter cloth 112 is fixed on the gas The air outlet 1112 of the transmission line 111 .

The gas bath gas in the gas transmission line 111 passes through the filter cloth 112 and is evenly blown into each mask slot of the mask storage unit 130; after the gas bath gas contacts the mask 20, it heats the mask 20. Exchange, and realize the temperature control of the reticle 20 . By arranging the filter cloth 112 , it is beneficial to ensure that the air bath gas is evenly ventilated to each reticle slot, which is beneficial to each reticle in the reticle storage unit 130 . The temperature of the mask groove is uniform, which is beneficial to make the temperature stability of each mask consistent.

The value range of the mesh number of the filter cloth 112 is 300 meshes to 500 meshes.

With this arrangement, the filter cloth 112 can further filter impurities that may be introduced when the gas bath gas is transported in the gas transmission pipeline 111 , which is beneficial to ensure the cleanliness of the gas bath gas entering the photomask storage unit 130 . Exemplarily, the cleanliness of the gas bath gas ISO Class 1 can be kept intact.

It should be noted that the above only shows the cleanliness level of the gas bath gas by ISO14644-1 (international standard), but does not constitute a limitation on the mask temperature control device provided by the embodiment of the present invention. In other embodiments, other cleanliness level classification standards may also be used to represent the cleanliness level of the gas bath gas, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of the gas delivery unit in FIG. 5 . 1 and 7 , the gas transmission pipeline 111 includes a main pipeline 1113 and at least two branch pipelines 1114, and the number of photomask storage units 130 is at least two;

The temperature range of the gas bath gas in the main pipeline 1113 is the same as the temperature range of the gas bath gas in the two branch pipelines 1114 , and the temperature sensor 140 may be further disposed in the branch pipeline 1114 .

It should be noted that both FIG. 1 and FIG. 7 only exemplarily show that the number of mask storage units 130 is two, but it is not a limitation of the mask temperature control device provided by the embodiment of the present invention. In other embodiments, the number of mask storage units 130 and the number of branch pipes 1114 may be set adaptively according to the actual requirements of the mask temperature control device, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 7 , the gas delivery unit 110 further includes a conversion joint 113, and the conversion joint 113 is connected to the interface between the main pipeline 1113 and the at least two branch pipelines 1114; the conversion joint 113 is used to transmit the gas in the main pipeline 1113 to At least two branch pipelines 1114.

Among them, the conversion joint is a high-purity product to ensure that the gas bath gas is not polluted, that is, to ensure that the cleanliness of the gas bath gas is not damaged.

The roughness of the inner side wall of the gas transmission line 111 is less than or equal to 0.3 μm.

This arrangement ensures that the air bath gas is not polluted, that is, to ensure that the cleanliness of the air bath gas is not damaged.

Illustratively, the gas delivery line 111 may be machined using an electropolishing process. In addition, the gas transmission pipeline can also be processed by a process known to those skilled in the art, which is neither repeated nor limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a working principle diagram of the mask temperature control device in FIG. 5 . Referring to FIGS. 5 and 8 , the pipelines in the mask temperature control device 10 can be divided into a water circuit (shown by a dashed line with arrows in FIG. 8 ) and an air circuit (shown by a solid line with arrows in FIG. 8 ) Outflow direction) two-way. The water route environment provides circulating cooling water (temperature is 22°C), and a liquid leakage detection sensor 160 is arranged on the water route of the circulating cooling water to detect the leakage of the circulating cooling water in real time. Then the circulating cooling water enters the heat exchanger, and the cooling water flowing out of the heat exchanger returns to the ambient cooling water recovery port. The air circuit has an environment to provide air bath gas, the temperature is 22±0.1 ℃, and the cleanliness is ISO Class1; the air bath gas and the circulating cooling water flow into the heat exchanger in the opposite way, and the air bath gas flowing out of the heat exchanger is passed into the electro-polishing device. The gas transmission pipeline 111, the gas bath gas is transported to the mask tank in the mask storage unit 130 through the gas transmission pipeline 111, and the temperature of the gas bath gas after heat exchange by the circulating cooling water Stable (exemplarily, 22±0.05°C), the temperature-stabilized gas bath gas exchanges heat with the reticle 20 stored in the reticle slot, thereby ensuring that the temperature of the reticle 20 is controlled to the required value (exemplarily, 22±0.05°C). 0.1°C).

A pressure regulating valve 151 and a throttle valve 152 may be further provided at the air inlet of the gas transmission line 111 to adjust the pressure and flow of the gas bath gas; correspondingly, a pressure sensing device may be further provided in the gas transmission line 111 device 170 to detect the pressure of the gas bath gas. A temperature sensor 140 can be installed at the air inlet of the mask slot to measure the air inlet temperature of the air bath, and an air bath gas sampling interface 180 can be further arranged at the air inlet of the mask slot to sample the air bath gas and measure the temperature of the air bath. For parameters such as cleanliness, pressure, and other parameters of the gas bath gas that can be selected to be measured in the embodiment of the present invention, details are not described or limited.

Exemplarily, FIG. 9 is a simulation result diagram of the air bath flow field distribution of the mask temperature control device provided in FIG. 5 . Referring to FIG. 9 , when the gas bath gas flows through the mask 20 , it is basically a laminar flow, and accordingly, the heat exchange effect between the gas bath gas and the mask 20 is better.

It should be noted that, in FIG. 8 , only the liquid leakage detection sensor 160 is provided on the water inlet pipeline 123 , but it is not a limitation of the mask temperature control device provided by the embodiment of the present invention. In other embodiments, the liquid leakage detection sensor 160 may further be disposed on the water outlet pipeline 124 , which is not limited in this embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention further provide a mask exposure device, which includes any one of the above-mentioned mask temperature control devices. Therefore, the lithography apparatus has the technical effects of the above-mentioned mask temperature control apparatus, which can be understood with reference to the above, and will not be described in detail below.

Exemplarily, the lithography apparatus may further comprise an illumination unit, a reticle unit, a projection objective lens and a carrying unit; the illuminating unit is used for outputting light, and the reticle unit is used for carrying a temperature The photomask after the degree of stability is stabilized, the carrying unit is used to carry the sample to be exposed, and the projection objective lens projects light onto the sample to be exposed to expose the sample to be exposed. Among them, the reticle is stored in the reticle storage unit of the reticle temperature control device. Referring to the above, since the difficulty of controlling the reticle temperature is reduced, it is beneficial to improve the temperature accuracy of the reticle and shorten the stencil time, which is beneficial to improve the photomask temperature. Scale resolution, improve lithography productivity.

It should be noted that the lithography apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present invention may further include other components or parts known to those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field, which will not be described again without limitation.

The present invention claims the priority of the Chinese patent application with the application number 201910409932.4 submitted to the Chinese Patent Office on May 16, 2019, and the entire contents of the above invention are incorporated herein by reference.

10: Mask temperature control device

110: Gas delivery unit

120: Gas temperature control unit

130: Reticle storage unit

131: Frame main body

132: Separator

Claims (15)

A mask temperature control device is characterized in that it comprises: a gas temperature control unit, a gas delivery unit and a mask storage unit; the gas delivery unit is used for delivering gas bath gas to the mask storage unit, and the gas temperature control unit is used for The temperature of the gas bath gas transferred from the gas delivery unit to the photomask storage unit is adjusted to be within a preset temperature threshold range; wherein the photomask storage unit includes a plate holder body and a partition, and the partition is fixed on the plate In the frame body, a receiving space is formed between two adjacent partitions, and the receiving space is used to place the photomask; wherein, the photomask storage unit further includes a photomask support; A plurality of the aforementioned reticle supports are respectively arranged on one side; the aforementioned reticle supports are used for supporting the reticle placed in the aforementioned accommodating space and for fixing the aforementioned partitions; wherein, the aforementioned reticle supports include connecting pieces and cylindrical supports The main body of the plate frame includes an auxiliary fixing platform; the first end of the connecting piece is fixedly connected with the auxiliary fixing platform, and a fixed gap is set between the second end of the connecting piece and the table of the auxiliary fixing platform, and the fixing gap It is used for fixing the partition plate; one end of the cylindrical support body is arranged on the side of the connecting piece away from the auxiliary fixing platform, and the other end of the cylindrical support body is used to support the photomask. According to the photomask temperature control device described in claim 1, the spacer is a straight plate structure; and the sides of the spacer are clamped and fixed by the fixing gap. The photomask temperature control device as described in claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature threshold range is 22±0.05°C. The mask temperature control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gas temperature control unit includes a heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is disposed in the transmission path of the gas conveying unit; the The heat exchanger is used for stabilizing the temperature of the gas bath gas delivered by the gas delivery unit to the predetermined temperature threshold range. The photomask temperature control device as described in claim 4, further comprising a temperature sensor; the temperature sensor is disposed at at least one of the following positions: located in the gas delivery unit, and located in the above-mentioned between the gas temperature control unit and the gas outlet of the gas delivery unit; located in the photomask storage unit. The mask temperature control device according to claim 4, wherein the heat exchanger is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger; a heat-conducting fluid flows in the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and the flow direction of the heat-transfer fluid is the same as that of the The direction of transport of the gas bath gas in the aforementioned gas delivery unit is reversed. The photomask temperature control device as described in item 1 of the scope of the application, further comprising a pressure flow adjustment unit, the pressure flow adjustment unit is disposed at the air inlet of the gas delivery unit; the pressure flow adjustment unit is used for The pressure of the gas bath gas is adjusted to the preset pressure threshold value, and the flow rate of the gas bath gas is adjusted to the preset flow rate threshold value. The photomask temperature control device as described in item 7 of the patent application scope, wherein the range of the preset pressure threshold is 1.7Bar~5Bar; the range of the preset flow rate threshold is 200NL/min~500NL/min. The photomask temperature control device as described in item 7 of the scope of the patent application, wherein the pressure flow regulating unit includes a pressure regulating valve and a throttle valve; The pressure regulating valve is used to adjust the pressure of the gas bath gas, and the throttle valve is used to regulate the flow rate of the gas bath gas. The photomask temperature control device described in item 1 of the scope of the application, wherein the gas delivery unit comprises a gas delivery pipeline and a filter cloth; the air inlet of the gas delivery pipeline is the air inlet of the gas delivery unit, The gas outlet of the aforementioned gas transmission pipeline is the gas outlet of the aforementioned gas delivery unit, the gas outlet of the aforementioned gas delivery pipeline is connected to the aforementioned photomask storage unit, and the flow direction of the aforementioned gas bath gas is parallel to the plane where the aforementioned partition plate is located; the aforementioned The filter cloth is fixed on the gas outlet of the aforementioned gas transmission pipeline. According to the photomask temperature control device as described in item 10 of the patent application scope, the value range of the mesh number of the filter cloth is 300 meshes to 500 meshes. The photomask temperature control device according to claim 10, wherein the gas transmission pipeline comprises a main pipeline and at least two branch pipelines, the number of the mask storage units is at least two; the mask storage unit They are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the aforementioned branch pipes. The photomask temperature control device according to claim 12, wherein the gas delivery unit further comprises a conversion joint, and the conversion joint is connected to the interface between the main pipeline and the at least two branch pipelines; the conversion joint is used for The gas bath gas in the main pipeline is transmitted to the at least two branch pipelines. The mask temperature control device according to claim 12, wherein the roughness of the inner side wall of the gas transmission line is less than or equal to 0.3 μm. A photomask exposure apparatus is characterized in that it includes the photomask temperature control device described in any one of items 1 to 14 of the patent application scope.

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