A kind of aligning sniffer that is used for lithographic equipment
Technical field
The present invention relates to field of lithography, relate in particular to the aligning sniffer that is used for lithographic equipment.
Background technology
In commercial plant, because the needs of high precision and high production capacity, the measuring system and the control system of distributing a large amount of precise light electrical measurements, high-speed real-time signal sampling, data acquisition, exchanges data and communications etc.The control that these systems need us to adopt that multiple mode realizes that sensor signal controlling of sampling, data acquisition control, exchanges data control are communicated by letter with data transmission etc.Have the device of this measurement and demand for control to comprise: integrated circuit is made lithographic equipment, liquid crystal panel lithographic equipment, MEMS/MOEMS lithographic equipment, advanced encapsulation lithographic equipment, printed circuit board (PCB) lithographic equipment, printed circuit board (PCB) processing unit (plant) and printing circuit board element mounting device etc.
In lithographic equipment, use the alignment mark combination to carry out alignment scanning by the alignment system in the lithographic equipment and obtain alignment information such as the optical information of each alignment mark branch and positional information, these information are carried out respective handling, obtain the position relation between the alignment mark combination on mask alignment mark combination and the work stage datum plate, the alignment system of aiming at this lithographic equipment comprises: radiation-generating machine, mask graph illumination window and control panel thereof, mask and mask alignment mark combination thereof, mask platform, the mask platform position sensor, optical projection system, work stage and the combination of datum plate alignment mark thereof, work stage position sensor and radiation detection sensor; Wherein mask graph comprises exposure mask pattern and alignment mask figure, mask graph illumination window and control panel thereof be used to form window with radiation transmission to the alignment mask figure; Optical projection system is used for radiation irradiation is formed transmission picture or reflection image to the alignment mask figure, and this transmission picture or reflection image form aerial image by the optical projection system projection, with this aerial image of detection of workpiece stage fiducial plate alignment mark below; Radiation sensor is used to detect the emittance after aerial image passes through the transmission of work stage alignment patterns; Mask platform position sensor and work stage position sensor are surveyed the mask platform in the alignment scanning process and the locus of work stage respectively.
Because the sniffer of lithographic equipment is the comprehensive superelevation precision detection device of positional information and optical information, therefore employed material there be the optics and the photo-thermal characteristic of strict requirement, particularly material.Simultaneously, the manufacturing accuracy and the manufacture difficulty of this sniffer there is specific (special) requirements, need reduces manufacture difficulty and cost not reducing assembly precision and long-term the use under the stable prerequisite of detection accuracy.Figure 1 shows that the structural representation of sniffer of the alignment system of the used lithographic equipment of prior art.20 for aiming at sniffer among the figure; 21 is the wafer station datum plate, and 21 contain reflection-type mark and transmission-type mark for upper surface; 22 is the optics support; 23 is the photon conversion crystal; 24 is the optically filtering sheet; 25 is photodetector; 26 is division board; 27 is dowel; 28 is the photodetector support; 29 is the pre-plate that amplifies; Wafer station datum plate 21 lower surfaces have a datum plate blind hole (not indicating among the figure).Photon conversion crystal 23 and optically filtering sheet 24 are installed in the through hole of optics support 22, and optics support 22 is installed in the datum plate blind hole.Photodetector 25 is installed in division board 26 through holes, and photodetector 25 is connected with filter plate, and dowel 27 is fixing with optics support 22, division board 26 and photodetector support 28, amplifies plate 29 in advance and links to each other with photodetector support 28.The sniffer of Holland ASML company is exactly this structure that adopts.The datum plate blind hole bottom surface of prior art to wafer station datum plate upper surface distance is no more than 1mm, 0.5mm for example, datum plate blind hole bottom surface is thick more to wafer station datum plate upper surface distance, cause crosstalk between the transmission optics signal of each branch of transmission-type mark serious more, existing process technology difficult point is this datum plate blind hole of processing and manufacturing, quartz plate blind hole processing and manufacturing difficulty wherein, blind hole and photon conversion crystal are difficult to assembling, crosstalk between the transmission optics signal that each branch of mark produces.
Summary of the invention
The object of the present invention is to provide a kind of lithographic equipment sniffer, it can avoid crosstalking between each optical signalling, improves assembly precision and property easy to assembly, and improves processibility, thereby improves the performance and the efficient of lithographic equipment.
The invention provides a kind of aligning sniffer that is used for lithographic equipment, comprising:
The wafer station datum plate has the transmission-type mark that at least one is used for mask registration, and described mark is formed on the lower surface of wafer station datum plate;
The photon conversion crystal is used for ultraviolet light is converted to visible light, and its quantity is identical with the quantity of transmission-type mark, the center-aligned of the center of each photon conversion crystal and corresponding transmission-type mark;
The optics support has the hole that is used to that the through hole of photon conversion crystal is installed and locatees dowel on it, the quantity of through hole is identical with the quantity of photon conversion crystal;
Division board is used for the unit light that sees through the optics support is propagated isolation, have on it with the optics support on the through hole of number of openings equal number;
The optically filtering sheet is used for the outer unwanted light of filtering visible light wave range, and each all is installed in respectively in the respective through hole on the division board;
Optical fiber, each all directly links to each other with corresponding optically filtering sheet.
Wherein, the end face that links to each other with the optically filtering sheet of each optical fiber comprises the lens that are used for focal beam spot.
Wherein, the upper surface of wafer station datum plate has the reflection-type mark, is used for wafer station and aims at.
Wherein, the wafer station datum plate is the quartz plate of a band chromium layer, and the chromium layer is plated on the lower surface of quartz plate, and the transmission-type mark is formed on the chromium layer, and the reflection-type mark is formed on the upper surface of quartz plate.
Wherein, the transmission-type mark is the amplitude grating mark with multiple-branching construction, and the reflection-type mark is the phase grating mark.
Wherein, the photon conversion crystal is a scintillation crystal.
Wherein, the marked region plating reflection horizon of wafer station datum plate protection, the regional all plating reflection horizon not of the zone that transmission-type mark top is corresponding and other.
Wherein, described optical fiber is the multimode optical fiber greater than the spot diameter that is incident to fiber end face.
Wherein, the diameter of optically filtering sheet is greater than the diameter of photon conversion crystal.
Wherein, division board links to each other with the optics support by the location dowel, and the hole that is used for the installing and locating dowel on the optics support has two at least, and quantity is identical with the quantity of location dowel.
Wherein, division board is made by high thermal insulation ceramics material, can isolate extraneous thermal source.
The present invention is by directly linking to each other the transmission-type mark of the multiple-branching construction of wafer station datum plate lower surface with the photon conversion crystal at lithographic equipment aligning sniffer and using the fiber-optic probe structure, this device has prevented to crosstalk between the optical signal transmissive of each branch of transmission-type mark, has improved alignment precision;
This device has been avoided the manufacture difficulty of prior art processing blind hole on the wafer station datum plate, has reduced photon conversion plane of crystal and wafer station datum plate assembly difficulty, has improved processibility and property easy to assembly, does not reduce assembly precision simultaneously;
The upper surface of wafer station datum plate contains the reflection-type mark that is useful on the wafer station aligning among the present invention, and lower surface contains the transmission-type mark that is useful on mask registration, has the wafer station datum plate of this feature, can be used for wafer station simultaneously and aim at and mask registration.
Description of drawings
Figure 1 shows that the structural representation of the aligning sniffer that is used for lithographic equipment of prior art;
Figure 2 shows that according to the alignment device that is used for lithographic equipment of the present invention and the total arrangement between the lithographic equipment, principle of work structural representation;
Figure 3 shows that the structural representation that is used for the aligning sniffer of lithographic equipment according to of the present invention.
Embodiment
Below, describe in detail according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Figure 2 shows that according to the alignment device that is used for lithographic equipment of the present invention and the total arrangement between the lithographic equipment, principle of work structural representation.As shown in the figure, the formation of lithographic equipment comprises: the illuminator 1 that is used to provide exposing light beam; Be used to support the mask holder and the mask platform 3 of mask 2, the mask alignment mark RM that mask pattern is arranged on the mask 2 and have periodic structure; Be used for the mask pattern on the mask 2 is projected to the projection optical system 4 of wafer 6; The chip support and the wafer station 8 that are used for supporting wafer 6, the datum plate 9 that is carved with reference mark FM (include be used for reflection-type mark that wafer station aims at and the transmission-type mark of mask registration) is arranged on the wafer station 8, the alignment mark WM of periodicity optical structure is arranged on the wafer 6; Also comprise the off-axis alignment system 5 that is used for wafer aligned and wafer station aligning.
Wherein, illuminator 1 comprises that a light source, one make the lens combination of illumination homogenising, catoptron, a condenser (all not shown among the figure).As a light source cell, can adopt KrF excimer laser (wavelength 248nm), ArF excimer laser (wavelength 193nm), F
2Laser instrument (wavelength 157nm), Kr
2Laser instrument (wavelength 146nm), Ar
2Laser instrument (wavelength 126nm) or use ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp (g-line, i-line) etc.The exposing light beam IL of illuminator 1 uniform irradiation is radiated on the mask 2, includes the mask mark RM of mask pattern and periodic structure on the mask 2, is used for mask registration.Mask platform 3 can move in perpendicular to the X-Y plane of illuminator optical axis (overlapping with the optical axis AX of projection objective), and moves with specific sweep velocity in predetermined direction of scanning (being parallel to X-direction).Mask platform 3 belows, projection optical system 4 (projection objective) position, its optical axis AX is parallel to Z-direction.
Transmission-type mark by datum plate on the wafer station 8 is aimed at mask alignment mark RM, realizes mask registration.Illuminator 1 shines radiation laser beam on the mask mark RM, and projection forms aerial images through optical projection system 4 again, and with this aerial image of transmission-type marker detection; Sniffer 11 is used to detect the radiation information after aerial image passes through datum plate flag F M transmission; Mask platform position sensor 7 and work stage position sensor 10 are surveyed the mask platform 3 in the alignment scanning process and the locus of wafer station 8 respectively, synchro measure obtains the radiation information in the sniffer 11, all information acquisitions of detecting in registration signal treating apparatus 12, are carried out registration signal and handled and obtain aligned position.
Measure the reference mark of datum plate on a plurality of alignment marks that are positioned on the wafer and the wafer station by off-axis alignment system 5, realize that wafer aligned and wafer station aim at.
The alignment information of off-axis alignment system 5 is transferred to registration signal treating apparatus 12, carries out the registration signal processing and obtains aligned position.
Figure 3 shows that the present invention is used for the structural representation of the aligning sniffer of lithographic equipment.Wafer station datum plate 30 on the wafer station is a kind of quartz plates with the chromium layer, this quartz plate lower surface is coated with the chromium layer, what be used for that the transmission-type mark 32 of mask registration adopts is a kind of amplitude grating mark with multiple-branching construction, and transmission-type mark 32 is etching on the chromium layer of datum plate lower surface; The reflection-type mark 31 that is used for the wafer station aligning is a kind of phase grating marks, reflection-type mark 31 is in quartz plate upper surface etching, and in the protection of the marked region plating reflection horizon of wafer station datum plate, the regional all plating reflection horizon not of the zone of transmission-type mark 32 top correspondences and other; Photon conversion crystal 33 is a kind of scintillation crystals, is used for ultraviolet light is converted to visible light.Photon conversion crystal 33 directly links to each other with transmission-type mark 32, avoids the photon conversion crystal is linked to each other with datum plate by blind hole, and the center-aligned of the center of photon conversion crystal 33 and transmission-type mark 32; Be useful on through hole that photon conversion crystal 33 is installed and the hole of locating dowel 36 on the optics support 34, be used for the mechanical support and the isolation of photon conversion crystal; The quantity of photon conversion crystal 33 is consistent with the quantity of transmission-type mark 32, and the number of openings of optics support 34 is corresponding with photon conversion crystal 33 quantity, and the hole of location dowel 36 is at least two.Optically filtering sheet 37 is used for the outer unwanted light of filtering visible light wave range, and the quantity of optically filtering sheet 37 is corresponding with photon conversion crystal 33 quantity, and diameter is convenient to the outer unwanted light of effective elimination visible light wave range greater than the diameter of photon conversion crystal 33; Division board 35 is made by high thermal insulation ceramics material, is used for a plurality of unit light that see through optics support 34 are propagated isolation and isolated extraneous thermal source, and is distributed with and the corresponding through hole of optically filtering sheet 37 quantity.Optically filtering sheet 37 is installed in the through hole of division board 35.Division board 35 directly links to each other with optics support 34, and by location dowel 36 both is located by connecting, and improves bearing accuracy.Optical fiber 38 is a kind of multimode optical fibers greater than spot diameter, is used to focus on the beam and focus by behind the optically filtering sheet 37, and with optical signal detection to the follow-up signal processing circuit.Optical fiber 38 directly links to each other with optically filtering sheet 37, comprises lens that are used for focal beam spot at least with the end face that optically filtering sheet 37 directly links to each other, and be beneficial to the capacity usage ratio that improves light signal, and the quantity of optical fiber 38 is consistent with optically filtering sheet 37 quantity.The aberration that produces by this structure before aligning by system compensation.
Produce in the process that relative position moves in wafer station and mask platform, the flashlight that produces through optical projection system is from the 30 top incidents of wafer station datum plate, projecting the photon conversion crystal transition is visible light, and through optically filtering sheet 37, and by the photodetection module of optical fiber 38 detections to follow-up signal processing apparatus, pass through signal Processing again, detect the variation that obtains above-mentioned space pattern, obtain the mask registration position.
The off-axis alignment systematic survey is positioned at the alignment mark on the wafer and the reference mark of wafer station datum plate, the realization wafer aligned is aimed at wafer station, concrete principle can be with reference to prior art, as Chinese invention patent CN10111435A, and denomination of invention: a kind of alignment system that is used for lithographic equipment; CN101158814A, denomination of invention: a kind of mark of litho machine aligning and alignment methods of using this mark of being used for.In the present invention, the flashlight that produces by optical projection system 4 shines the reflection-type mark 31 of wafer station datum plate 30, produces 3 levels time diffraction light, again through the 5 interference imagings detection of off-axis alignment system, by follow-up signal processing apparatus collection, obtain the aligned position of wafer and wafer station.Equally, also applicable to the ATHENA off-axis alignment system of ASML, concrete structure can be referring to Chinese invention patent CN1506768A, denomination of invention for the reflection-type mark of this wafer station datum plate: the alignment system and the method that are used for etching system.
Described in this instructions is several preferred embodiment of the present invention, and above embodiment is only in order to illustrate technical scheme of the present invention but not limitation of the present invention.All those skilled in the art all should be within the scope of the present invention under this invention's idea by the available technical scheme of logical analysis, reasoning, or a limited experiment.