WO2019184921A1

WO2019184921A1 - Mask thickness measurement device, storage mechanism, transmission mechanism, and photolithography system

Info

Publication number: WO2019184921A1
Application number: PCT/CN2019/079742
Authority: WO
Inventors: 牛增欣; 郑教增
Original assignee: 上海微电子装备（集团）股份有限公司
Priority date: 2018-03-26
Filing date: 2019-03-26
Publication date: 2019-10-03
Also published as: TW201942690A; CN110361936B; TWI696900B; CN110361936A

Abstract

Provided is a mask thickness measurement device, comprising: a thickness measurement sensor, comprising a laser transmitting and receiving end (121), the laser transmitting and receiving end (121) being located at one side of a mask (110) and configured to transmit laser along the horizontal direction of the mask (110) to irradiate the mask (110), and to receive the reflected laser; a driving part configured to drive the mask (110) or the thickness measurement sensor to move, so that the mask (110) and the thickness measurement sensor move relatively along the thickness direction of the mask (110); and a thickness calculation unit configured to calculate thickness information of the mask (110) according to a laser signal received by the laser transmitting and receiving end (121) and the movement position of the mask (110) or the thickness measurement sensor. Also provided are a mask storage mechanism comprising the mask thickness measurement device, a transmission mechanism, and a photolithography system.

Description

Mask thickness detecting device, storage mechanism, transport mechanism and lithography system

The present disclosure claims the priority of the Chinese Patent Application, filed on Jun. 26, 2018, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Technical field

The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, for example, to a reticle thickness detecting device, a memory mechanism, a transport mechanism, and a lithography system.

Background technique

The reticle transport mechanism is used to transmit the reticle of the external world to the internal world of the lithographic apparatus with a certain precision, thereby completing the exposure of the pattern on the reticle at the exposure apparatus. 1 is a schematic view showing the distribution of a reticle on a mask holder in the related art, and FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the inside of the mask holder of FIG. 1. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein 1 denotes a mask holder, 2 denotes a reticle, and a plurality of stencils for reticle 2 are disposed on the mask holder 1. During the transfer of the reticle 2, the yoke of the reticle transport mechanism needs to be inserted into the gap between the stencils to be taken out or placed in the reticle 2.

According to the "SEMI P1-1101 Specification for Hard Surface Photomask Substrates" standard, reticle of the same size has a certain tolerance in the external dimensions, the following is a 6" reticle The physical dimensions are described as an example.

Table 1 Description of the dimensions of the 6" reticle

It can be seen from Table 1 that the outer dimensions of the same type of reticle have a large range of differences in thickness.

In the process of chip fabrication, in order to improve the exposure process, a common reticle is often added with a protective film (Pellicle) for protecting the pattern area, and the physical shape of the protective film also has different specifications, reticle quartz. The maximum thickness of the face protection film is generally 4.5 mm, and the maximum thickness of the chrome surface protection film is generally 5 mm, and the specific size is determined by the plate making specification. At the same time, according to the needs of the exposure process, the protective film may be distributed on the quartz surface side of the reticle, the chrome side, or both the quartz surface and the chrome surface, so that the thickness of the entire reticle is increased.

The reticle transmission scheme of the related art divides the size information of the reticle by the control program or divides the size of the reticle according to the theory, for example, the reticle is divided into a reticle of 6.35 mm thickness or a thickness of 3.85 mm at the time of production. The reticle is produced in two major categories, regardless of the actual size of the reticle.

According to the Semiconductor Equipmerit and Materials International (SEMI) standard, the slot pitch of the plurality of slots of the mask holder of the reticle storage mechanism is 19.05 mm, so if each slot in the reticle storage mechanism is A 6" reticle with a thickness of 6.35 mm is placed, and at the same time, the quartz surface and the chrome surface of the reticle are distributed with a protective film, and then the reticle transport mechanism is vertically raised or lowered during the pick-and-place of the reticle, in the adjacent groove The reticle will collide, damaging the reticle or reticle transport mechanism, which in turn affects lithography quality and even mechanical failure, affecting production efficiency.

Summary of the invention

The present disclosure provides a reticle thickness detecting device, a storage mechanism, a transport mechanism, and a lithography system that avoid collision between adjacent reticle and damage the reticle or reticle transport mechanism.

The present disclosure provides a reticle thickness detecting device comprising:

a thickness detecting sensor, the thickness detecting sensor comprises a laser emitting and receiving end, the laser emitting and receiving end is located on a first side of the reticle, and is arranged to emit a laser illuminating reticle along a horizontal direction of the reticle and receive the reflected laser light;

a driving component configured to drive the reticle or the thickness detecting sensor to move the reticle and the thickness detecting sensor relative to each other in a thickness direction of the reticle, wherein a horizontal direction of the reticle is perpendicular to a thickness direction of the reticle;

The thickness calculation unit is connected to the thickness detecting sensor and configured to calculate the thickness information of the reticle according to the energy of the laser light received by the laser emitting and receiving end and the moving position of the reticle or the thickness detecting sensor.

The present disclosure provides a reticle storage mechanism including the reticle thickness detecting device as described above, further comprising:

a frame assembly and a mask holder, a mask box and a platen table disposed in the frame assembly, wherein the mask holder is provided with a plate groove disposed to place the reticle, the mask frame is located in the mask case, and the mask box is placed On the platen, the thickness detecting sensor is disposed on the frame assembly facing the mask box.

The present disclosure provides a reticle transport mechanism, including the reticle thickness detecting device as described above, further comprising:

a first plate fork and a second plate fork which are oppositely disposed, wherein the laser emitting and receiving ends of the thickness detecting sensor are located at a front end of at least one of the first plate fork and the second plate fork;

In the case of detecting the thickness information of the reticle, the laser emitting and receiving ends emit laser light to illuminate the sidewall of the reticle in the horizontal direction of the reticle, and the driving component drives the thickness of the first plate-fork and the second plate-fork along the reticle Directional movement.

The present disclosure provides a reticle transmission system including the reticle storage mechanism as described above, the reticle storage mechanism as an external world reticle storage mechanism, the reticle transmission system further comprising:

An internal world reticle storage mechanism, a first reticle transport mechanism, and an external console; the external world reticle storage mechanism is docked with the external console, and is configured to store a masked mask box fed by the external console, A reticle transport mechanism is configured to complete the flow of the reticle between the external world reticle storage mechanism and the internal world reticle storage mechanism; the reticle thickness detecting device in the external world reticle storage mechanism is configured to detect the thickness information of the reticle The first reticle transport mechanism is further configured to adjust the actual moving distance in the thickness direction in real time according to the thickness information during the process of transferring the reticle in the thickness direction.

The present disclosure provides another reticle transport system, including the reticle transport mechanism as described above, the reticle transport system further comprising:

An external world reticle storage mechanism and an internal world reticle storage mechanism, the reticle transport mechanism is configured to complete the flow of the reticle between the external world reticle storage mechanism and the internal world reticle storage mechanism; the reticle transport mechanism is configured to be at least Before taking the reticle from the external world reticle storage mechanism, the reticle thickness detecting device on the reticle transport mechanism detects the thickness information of the reticle, and in the process of transferring the reticle in the thickness direction, the thickness information is real-time according to the thickness information. Adjust the actual movement distance in the thickness direction.

The present disclosure provides a reticle transmission method based on the reticle transmission system as described above, comprising:

Controlling the driving member to drive the platen table or the frame assembly to move along the thickness direction of the reticle to cause the mask holder and the thickness detecting sensor to relatively move in the thickness direction along the reticle;

The laser emitting and receiving ends of the thickness detecting sensor are controlled to emit laser light in a horizontal direction of the reticle during the movement, and receive the reflected laser light;

Calculating thickness information of the reticle in the plurality of slots according to the laser signal received by the laser at the receiving end and the moving position of the driving component during the relative motion;

The obtained thickness information of the reticle is stored in the reticle information database, and the actual moving distance of the thickness direction movement is adjusted in real time according to the thickness information during the work of transferring the reticle in the thickness direction.

The present disclosure provides another reticle transmission method based on the reticle transmission system as described above, comprising:

Controlling the movement of the reticle transport mechanism to the position of the station for detecting the thickness of the reticle in the external world reticle storage mechanism, and the laser emitting and receiving ends of the front end of at least one of the first platen fork and the second plate-fork Facing the mask sidewall, the driving component drives the first plate fork and the second plate fork to move along the thickness direction of the reticle;

Controlling the laser emitting and receiving end of the thickness detecting sensor to emit laser light in a horizontal direction of the reticle during the movement, and receiving the laser light reflected by the reticle;

The obtained thickness information of the reticle is stored in the reticle information database, and the actual moving distance in the thickness direction is adjusted in real time according to the thickness information in the process of transferring the reticle in the thickness direction.

The present disclosure provides a lithography system comprising a reticle transport system as described above.

The reticle thickness detecting device provided by the present disclosure detects a thickness of a reticle body and a protective film located on the reticle body by providing a thickness detecting sensor, and further performs a vertical station transfer process on the reticle according to the thickness information. The actual moving distance of the vertical motion is adjusted in real time, so as to avoid collision of the reticle in the adjacent plate groove when the reticle is lifted or lowered in the stencil, thereby damaging the problem of the reticle or the reticle transport mechanism.

DRAWINGS

1 is a schematic view showing the distribution of a reticle on a mask holder in the related art;

Figure 2 is a partial enlarged view of the inside of the mask holder of Figure 1;

3 is a schematic diagram of a reticle detecting device according to an embodiment;

4 is a schematic diagram of a thickness detecting sensor detecting a reticle in a reticle detecting device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a reticle storage mechanism according to an embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of another reticle storage mechanism according to an embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of another reticle transport mechanism according to an embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a reticle transmission system according to an embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a reticle transmission method according to an embodiment; FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of another reticle transmission method according to an embodiment.

detailed description

The present disclosure will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the disclosure and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, for the convenience of description, only some but not all of the structures related to the present disclosure are shown in the drawings.

Embodiment 1

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a reticle thickness detecting device according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the reticle thickness detecting device includes: a thickness detecting sensor including a laser emitting and receiving end 121, and a laser emitting and The receiving end 121 is located on the first side of the reticle 110, emits a laser illuminating reticle 110 in the horizontal direction of the reticle 110, and receives the laser light reflected back; a driving component (not shown) is provided to drive the reticle 110 Or the thickness detecting sensor moves to cause the reticle 110 and the thickness detecting sensor to relatively move in a thickness direction along the reticle 110, wherein a horizontal direction of the reticle 110 is perpendicular to a thickness direction of the reticle 110; a thickness calculating unit (not shown) Shown), the thickness information of the reticle 110 is calculated based on the laser signal received by the laser emitting and receiving end 121 and the moving position of the reticle 110 or the thickness detecting sensor.

In an embodiment, the reticle 110 includes a reticle body 111 and a protective film 112 located at least one of a quartz surface and a chrome surface of the reticle body. The reticle 110 is located on the mask holder 101, and a mask groove provided to place the reticle 110 is disposed in the mask holder 101. The driving member is configured to drive the mask holder 101 or the thickness detecting sensor to move relative movement of the reticle 110 and the thickness detecting sensor in the thickness direction of the reticle 110. Exemplarily, in an embodiment, the mask holder 101 is fixed, and the driving component drives the thickness detecting sensor to move at a certain speed along the thickness direction of the reticle 110 to be detected, and the laser light emitted from the laser emitting and receiving end 121 is sequentially scanned. All of the reticle 110 on the mask holder 101. The laser light emitted from the laser emitting and receiving end 121 passes through the reticle 110, is reflected back, and is received by the laser emitting and receiving end 121.

Since the materials of the reticle main body 111 and the protective film 112 are different, the absorption rate of the laser light is also different. In an embodiment, the laser light emitted by the laser emitting and receiving end 121 is mostly absorbed by the protective film 112. After the optical path passes through the protective film 112 and is reflected, the laser light received by the laser emitting and receiving end 121 is weak; the laser light is emitted. The laser light emitted from the receiving end 121 is partially absorbed by the reticle main body 111 (quartz). After the optical path passes through the reticle main body 111 and is reflected, the laser emitting and receiving end 121 can receive the laser light whose laser intensity is weakened; the laser emitting and receiving After the laser light emitted from the end 121 passes through the air and is reflected, the intensity of the laser light received by the laser emitting and receiving end 121 does not change.

Based on the above principle, the thickness detecting sensor converts the received laser intensity signal into an electrical signal and amplifies it through an amplifier. 4 is a schematic diagram of a thickness detecting sensor detecting a reticle in a reticle thickness detecting device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 4 is referred to. Two thresholds, such as R1 and R2, are set for the strength of the electrical signal. When the intensity of the electrical signal corresponding to the laser light received by the laser receiving end 121 is greater than 0 and less than R1, it may be determined that the detecting object is the protective film 112; when the laser light is emitted, the electrical signal intensity corresponding to the laser received by the receiving end 121 is [ When the range of R1, R2] is within the range of R1, R2], it can be determined that the detection target is the reticle main body 111; when the laser signal is higher than the R2 corresponding to the laser light received by the receiving end 121, it can be determined that there is no detection object (ie, between adjacent reticle plates) Clearance).

In an embodiment, the thickness calculation unit detects the moving speed of the sensor according to the duration and the thickness of the electrical signal, and calculates the moving distance of the thickness detecting sensor during the time, that is, the thickness of the reticle body 111 or the protective film 112. Further, the thickness of each reticle 110 on the mask holder 101 is obtained. The data is stored in the reticle information database, and during the vertical station transfer process of the reticle 110, the actual moving distance of the vertical movement when the reticle is taken and placed can be adjusted in real time according to the data information, thereby avoiding masking. When the stencil transfer mechanism is lifted or lowered vertically during the pick-and-place of the reticle, the reticle in the adjacent plate groove collides.

The reticle thickness detecting device provided in this embodiment provides a reticle main body and a mask on the mask frame by providing a thickness detecting sensor and using different responses of the reticle body and the protective film to the laser light. The thickness of the protective film on the main body of the stencil, and the reticle transport mechanism adjusts the actual moving distance of the vertical motion in real time during the vertical transfer of the reticle according to the thickness information, thereby preventing the reticle transport mechanism from masking When the stencil pick-and-place is lifted up or down, the reticle in the adjacent plate groove collides, thereby damaging the problem of the reticle or reticle transport mechanism.

In one embodiment, the thickness detecting sensor further includes a laser reflecting plate 122. The laser emitting and receiving end 121 and the laser reflecting plate 122 are disposed opposite to the first side and the second side of the reticle 110, and the laser emitting and receiving ends 121 are hidden. The laser beam is emitted in the horizontal direction of the stencil 110, and the laser light passing through the reticle 110 is reflected by the laser reflection plate 122 and received again by the laser emission and receiving end 121. The laser reflecting plate 122 can avoid scattering of the laser light, thereby avoiding energy loss of the laser during transmission.

Embodiment 2

5 is a schematic diagram of a reticle storage mechanism according to an embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of another reticle storage mechanism according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the reticle storage mechanism includes an embodiment. The reticle thickness detecting device described in the above, further comprising: a frame assembly 201 and a mask holder 101 disposed in the frame assembly 201, a mask box and a platen table 202, and the mask holder 101 is provided with a placement mask The plate slot of the stencil, the mask holder 101 is located in the mask case, the mask case is placed on the platen table 202, and the thickness detecting sensor is disposed on the frame assembly facing the mask box. In this embodiment, the thickness detecting sensor further includes a laser reflecting plate 122, and the thickness detecting sensor and the laser reflecting plate 122 are respectively disposed on the frame assembly 201 facing the opposite first side and second side of the mask case.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the drive member is a vertical running mechanism 203 that is configured to drive the frame assembly 201 or the platen 202 to move vertically. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, wherein the drive member is coupled to the frame assembly 201, that is, the vertical running mechanism 203 drives the frame assembly 201 and the thickness detecting sensor located on the frame assembly 201 to move vertically, and the platen table The mask box 202 and the mask cassette on the platen table 202 are fixed. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the driving member is coupled to the platen table 202, that is, the vertical running mechanism 203 drives the platen table 202 and the mask case on the platen table 202 to move vertically, the frame assembly The 201 and the thickness detecting sensor located on the frame assembly 201 are fixed.

The vertical movement of the frame assembly 201 or the platen table 202 by the driving member (the vertical running mechanism 203) causes the reticle and the thickness detecting sensor to relatively move in the thickness direction along the reticle, so that the reticle thickness detecting device detects the masking The thickness of each reticle on the mold base 101. And storing the data in the reticle information database, in the process of vertical station transfer of the reticle, the actual moving distance of the vertical movement when the reticle is taken and removed can be adjusted in real time according to the data information, to avoid masking When the stencil transfer mechanism is lifted or lowered vertically during the pick-and-place of the reticle, the reticle in the adjacent plate groove collides.

Embodiment 3

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a reticle transport mechanism according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the reticle transport mechanism provided in this embodiment includes the reticle thickness detecting apparatus according to the first embodiment, and further includes: a relative setting The first plate fork 301 and the second plate fork 302, the first plate fork 301 and the second plate fork 302, constitute a plate fork assembly. The laser emitting and receiving end of the thickness detecting sensor is located at the front end of at least one of the first platen fork 301 and the second platen fork 302. Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 7, the laser emitting and receiving end 131 of the thickness detecting sensor is located at the front end of the first platen fork 301. In the case of detecting the thickness information of the reticle, the laser emitting and receiving end 131 emits a side wall of the laser illuminating reticle in the horizontal direction of the reticle, and the driving part drives the first plate fork 301 and the second plate fork 302 along the cover. The thickness of the stencil moves.

In one embodiment, the reticle transport mechanism operates as follows:

The mask box containing the reticle is placed on the platen of the reticle storage mechanism, and the reticle transport mechanism needs to be moved to the reticle storage mechanism for detecting the position of the reticle. The position of the station is reticle transmission. The plate assembly of the mechanism is about to enter the position of the slot gap of the mask holder, and then the reticle transport mechanism carries the plate fork assembly and the thickness detecting sensor on the plate fork assembly at a certain moving speed from high to low or low to high. The vertical movement is performed to perform thickness detection on the reticle.

The detection principle is as follows: the reflectivity of the laser is different due to the different materials of the reticle main body and the protective film, and the intensity of the laser light received by the thickness detecting sensor is also different. When the object to be detected is air (the gap between adjacent masks), the laser cannot be returned, and the thickness detecting sensor does not receive the laser signal.

Based on the above principle, the thickness detecting sensor converts the received laser intensity signal into an electrical signal and amplifies it through an amplifier. According to the duration and thickness of an electrical signal, the moving speed of the sensor can be calculated, and the moving distance of the thickness detecting sensor during the time, that is, the thickness of the reticle main body or the protective film, can be calculated, thereby obtaining each reticle on the mask frame. thickness of. The data is stored in the reticle information database, and during the vertical workover process of the reticle, the actual moving distance of the vertical movement during the reticle can be adjusted in real time according to the data information to avoid reticle transmission. When the mechanism is lifted or lowered vertically during the pick-and-place of the reticle, the reticle in the adjacent plate groove collides.

Embodiment 4

The embodiment provides a reticle transmission system, including the reticle storage mechanism of the second embodiment, the reticle storage mechanism as an external world reticle storage mechanism. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a reticle transmission system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the reticle transmission system further includes: internal world reticle storage mechanisms 14 and 15, a first reticle transmission mechanism 16, and an external console 11 And the control chassis 21, the external world

reticle storage mechanisms

12 and 13 are interfaced with the external console 11, and are arranged to store the reticle-equipped mask case fed by the external console 11, the first reticle transport mechanism 16 being set to The flow of the reticle between the external world

reticle storage mechanisms

12 and 13 and the inner world reticle storage mechanisms 14 and 15 is completed; the reticle thickness detecting means in the outer world

reticle storage mechanisms

12 and 13 are arranged to detect the reticle The thickness information, the first reticle transport mechanism 16, is further configured to adjust the actual moving distance in the thickness direction in real time according to the thickness information during the station transfer process in the thickness direction of the reticle to avoid the first reticle transport mechanism 16 When the reticle is lifted or lowered in the pick-and-place operation, the reticle in the adjacent groove is collided.

In an embodiment, the reticle transport system further includes a first reticle alignment mechanism 18 configured to eliminate an initial positional deviation during reticle transmission of the external world; and a second reticle transport mechanism 19 configured to complete The reticle transfer of the first reticle transport mechanism 16 and the reticle of the mask table; the second reticle alignment mechanism 20 is arranged to reticle during the transfer of the second reticle transport mechanism 19 and the mask table The position is corrected; the reticle granularity detecting mechanism 17 is arranged to be masked before the first reticle transport mechanism 16 transfers the reticle from the external world

reticle storage mechanism

12 or 13 to the internal world reticle storage mechanism 14 or 15. The surface of the stencil is tested for particle size.

The working process of the reticle transmission system provided by this embodiment is: after the mask box containing the reticle is placed into the external world

reticle storage mechanism

12 or 13 from the external operation table 11, the external world

reticle storage mechanisms

12 and 13 The reticle thickness detecting device therein detects the thickness information of the reticle; the first reticle transport mechanism 16 takes out the reticle from the external world

reticle storage mechanism

12 or 13, and in the process, adjusts the reticle in real time according to the thickness information of the reticle The actual moving distance of the reticle transport mechanism 16 in the thickness direction prevents collision of the reticle in the adjacent plate grooves when the reticle is lifted or lowered in the stencil pick-and-place; the reticle particle size detecting mechanism 17 detects After passing, it is sent to the internal world reticle storage mechanism 14 or 15; the first reticle transport mechanism 16 takes out the reticle from the internal world reticle storage mechanism 14 or 15, after the position is corrected by the first reticle alignment mechanism 18. Intersecting with the second reticle transport mechanism 19 to transfer the reticle to the second reticle transport mechanism 19; the second reticle transport mechanism 19 via the second reticle pair After 20 position correction means, the transfer of the mask stage, the mask is transferred to the reticle stage, for a photolithography process.

In an embodiment, during the process of the second reticle transport mechanism 19 and the mask table being transferred, the specification of the reticle may be determined according to the thickness information of the reticle, thereby automatically adjusting the vertical movement of the second reticle transport mechanism 19. The actual moving distance to avoid collision between the reticle and the mask table.

Embodiment 5

This embodiment provides another reticle transmission system, including the reticle transmission mechanism of the third embodiment, the stencil transmission mechanism as the first reticle transmission mechanism, and with reference to FIG. 8, the reticle transmission system further includes: The external world

reticle storage mechanisms

12 and 13, the internal world reticle storage mechanisms 14 and 15 and the control chassis 21, the first reticle transport mechanism 16 is arranged to complete the reticle in the outer world

reticle storage mechanisms

12 and 13 and the inner world. The flow between the stencil storage mechanisms 14 and 15 and the thickness information of the reticle is detected by the reticle thickness detecting means on the first reticle transport mechanism 16 at least before the reticle is taken from the external world

reticle storage mechanism

12 or 13. During the process of transferring the reticle in the thickness direction, the actual moving distance in the thickness direction is adjusted in real time according to the thickness information. In one embodiment, the first reticle transport mechanism 16 is moved to an external world

reticle storage mechanism

12 or 13 for detecting a station position of the reticle thickness, the station position being the yoke of the first reticle transport mechanism 16. The component is about to enter the position of the slot gap of the mask holder, and then the first reticle transport mechanism 16 carries the plate fork assembly and the thickness detecting sensor on the plate fork assembly at a certain moving speed from high to low or low to high. Vertical motion, thickness detection of the reticle. During the vertical workover of the reticle, the actual moving distance of the vertical movement when the reticle is taken and removed can be adjusted in real time according to the data information, so as to prevent the first reticle transport mechanism 16 from picking up and playing the reticle. When the sag is lifted up or down, the reticle in the adjacent groove is collided.

In an embodiment, the reticle transport system further includes an external console 11 that interfaces with the external console 11 and is configured to store a reticle-masked mask fed by the external console 11. a mold stencil; a first reticle alignment mechanism 18 configured to eliminate an initial positional deviation during reticle transfer of the outside world; and a second reticle transport mechanism 19 configured to complete the reticle with the first reticle transport mechanism 16. Handing over and interfacing with a reticle of the mask table; the second reticle alignment mechanism 20 is configured to correct the reticle position during the transfer of the second reticle transport mechanism 19 and the mask table; the reticle particle size detecting mechanism 17. The arrangement is such that the surface of the reticle is subjected to graininess detection before the first reticle transport mechanism 16 transfers the reticle from the external world

reticle storage mechanism

12 or 13 to the internal world reticle storage mechanism 14 or 15.

The working process of the reticle transmission system provided in this embodiment is substantially the same as the reticle transmission system in the fourth embodiment, except that the reticle transmission system provided in this embodiment passes the mask on the first reticle transmission mechanism 16. The stencil thickness detecting device detects the thickness information of the reticle.

Embodiment 6

The embodiment provides a reticle transmission method, which is based on the reticle transmission system described in the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a reticle transmission method according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. The method provided by the example includes the following steps.

S110: Control the driving member to drive the platen table or the frame assembly to move in the thickness direction of the reticle to relatively move the mask holder and the thickness detecting sensor in the thickness direction along the reticle.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, the mask holder 101 is located in a mask case, the mask case is located on the platen table 202 of the external world reticle storage mechanism, and the thickness detecting sensor is located in the external world reticle. On the frame assembly 201 of the storage mechanism, the drive member drives the frame assembly 201 or the platen table 202 to move at a certain speed in the thickness direction of the reticle to be detected.

S120: The laser emitting and receiving end 121 of the thickness detecting sensor is controlled to emit laser light in a horizontal direction of the reticle during the movement, and receives the reflected laser light.

The reticle transmission system controls the laser emitting and receiving end 121 of the thickness detecting sensor to emit laser light, which is reflected by the laser emitting and receiving end 121.

S130: Calculate thickness information of a reticle of each of the plurality of slots according to the laser signal received by the laser emitting and receiving end 121 during the relative motion and the moving position of the driving component.

Since the material of the reticle main body and the protective film are different, the absorption rate of the laser light is also different. In an embodiment, the laser light emitted by the laser emitting and receiving end 121 is mostly absorbed by the protective film. After the optical path passes through the protective film and is reflected, the laser light received by the laser emitting and receiving end 121 is weak; the laser emitting and receiving The laser light emitted from the end 121 is partially absorbed by the reticle main body (quartz). After the optical path passes through the reticle main body and is reflected, the laser emitting and receiving end 121 can receive the laser light whose laser intensity is weakened; the laser emitting and receiving end 121 emits After the laser passes through the air and is reflected, the laser emission and receiving end 121 receive no change in intensity.

Based on the above principle, the thickness detecting sensor converts the received laser intensity into an electrical signal and amplifies it through an amplifier. Refer to Figure 4. Two thresholds, such as R1 and R2, are set for the strength of the electrical signal. When the intensity of the electrical signal corresponding to the laser light received by the laser receiving end 121 is greater than 0 and less than R1, it can be determined that the detecting object is a protective film; when the laser light is emitted, the electrical signal intensity corresponding to the laser received by the receiving end 121 is [ When the range of R1, R2] is within the range of R1, R2], it can be determined that the detection target is a reticle main body; when the laser signal has an electrical signal intensity corresponding to the laser light received by the receiving end 121 that is greater than R2, it can be determined that there is no detection object (ie, between adjacent reticle plates) Clearance).

In an embodiment, the thickness calculation unit detects the moving speed of the sensor according to the duration and the thickness of the electrical signal, and can calculate the moving distance of the thickness detecting sensor during the time, that is, the thickness of the mask body or the protective film, thereby obtaining The thickness of each reticle on the mask holder 101.

S140: Store the obtained thickness information of the reticle in the reticle information database, and adjust the actual moving distance of the thickness direction movement in real time according to the thickness information during the work of transferring the reticle in the thickness direction.

The obtained thickness information of the reticle is stored in the reticle information database, and during the vertical station transfer process, the actual moving distance of the vertical motion can be adjusted in real time according to the data information. For example, in the pick-and-place operation of the reticle, the vertical lifting or falling distance of the first reticle transport mechanism 16 is adjusted in real time to avoid collision of the reticle in the adjacent stencil; for example, in the second reticle transport mechanism 19 During the process of interfacing with the mask table, the vertical movement distance of the second reticle transport mechanism 19 is automatically adjusted to avoid collision between the reticle and the mask table.

In the reticle transmission method provided in this embodiment, by providing a thickness detecting sensor in an external world reticle storage mechanism, the absorption rate of the laser light is different by using the reticle main body and the protective film, and the received laser signal is processed to obtain a mask. The thickness of the reticle main body and the protective film on the reticle main body, and then adjust the actual moving distance of the vertical movement in real time according to the thickness information, thereby preventing the first reticle transport mechanism from vertically accommodating the reticle When lifting or lowering, the reticle in the adjacent plate groove collides; and the reticle is prevented from colliding with the mask table.

Example 7

This embodiment provides another reticle transmission method, which is based on the reticle transmission system described in Embodiment 5, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart of another reticle transmission method according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. The method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps.

S210: controlling a reticle transport mechanism (first reticle transport mechanism 16) to move to a station position in the external world

reticle storage mechanism

12 or 13 for detecting a reticle thickness, the station position being a first reticle transport mechanism The plate fork assembly of 16 is about to enter the position of the slot gap of the mask holder 101 such that the laser emitting and receiving ends of the front end of at least one of the first plate fork 301 and the second plate fork 302 face the side wall of the reticle The driving member drives the first platen fork 301 and the second platen fork 302 to move in the thickness direction of the reticle. Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 7, the thickness detecting sensor includes a laser emitting and receiving end 131 located at the front end of the first platen fork 301.

S220: The laser emitting and receiving end 131 controlling the thickness detecting sensor emits laser light in a horizontal direction of the reticle during the movement, and receives the laser light reflected by the reticle.

S230: Calculate thickness information of the reticle of each of the plurality of slots according to the laser signal received by the laser emitting and receiving end 131 during the relative motion and the moving position of the driving component.

Based on the above principle, the thickness detecting sensor converts the received laser intensity into an electrical signal and amplifies it through an amplifier. According to the duration of an electrical signal and the moving speed of the laser sensor, the moving distance of the thickness detecting sensor during the time, that is, the thickness of the reticle main body or the protective film can be calculated, thereby obtaining each reticle on the mask frame. thickness.

S240: Store the obtained thickness information of the reticle in the reticle information database, and adjust the actual moving distance of the vertical motion in real time according to the thickness information during the process of transferring the reticle in the thickness direction. For example, in the pick-and-place of the reticle, the vertical lifting or falling distance of the first reticle transport mechanism is adjusted in real time to avoid collision of the reticle in the adjacent stencil; for example, in the second reticle transport mechanism and the mask. During the transfer process, the vertical movement distance of the second reticle transport mechanism is automatically adjusted to avoid collision between the reticle and the mask table.

In the reticle transmission method provided in this embodiment, by providing a thickness detecting sensor on the first reticle transport mechanism, the reflectance of the laser light is different by using the reticle main body and the protective film, and the received laser signal is processed to obtain a mask. The thickness of the reticle main body and the protective film on the reticle main body, and then adjust the actual moving distance of the vertical movement in real time according to the thickness information, thereby preventing the first reticle transport mechanism from vertically accommodating the reticle When lifting or lowering, the reticle in the adjacent plate groove collides; and the reticle is prevented from colliding with the mask table.

This embodiment provides a lithography system comprising the reticle transmission system of the fourth embodiment and the fifth embodiment.

Claims

A reticle thickness detecting device comprising:

a thickness detecting sensor comprising a laser emitting and receiving end, the laser emitting and receiving end being located on a first side of the reticle, configured to emit a laser illuminating reticle in a horizontal direction of the reticle, and receiving the reflected back laser;

a driving member configured to drive the reticle or the thickness detecting sensor to move the reticle and the thickness detecting sensor relative to each other in a thickness direction of the reticle, wherein a level of the reticle The direction is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the reticle;

a thickness calculation unit connected to the thickness detecting sensor, configured to calculate thickness information of the reticle according to a laser signal received by the laser emitting and receiving end and a moving position of the reticle or the thickness detecting sensor .
The reticle thickness detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said thickness detecting sensor further comprises a laser reflecting plate, said laser emitting and receiving end being disposed opposite said laser reflecting plate on a first side of said reticle And the second side, the laser emitting and receiving end is further configured to emit laser light in a horizontal direction of the reticle and receive laser light that passes through the reticle and is reflected by the laser reflecting plate.
A reticle storage mechanism comprising the reticle thickness detecting device according to claim 1 or 2, the reticle storage mechanism further comprising a frame assembly and a mask holder, a mask case and a plate provided in the frame assembly a mask slot disposed in the mask holder for placing the reticle, the mask holder being located in the mask case, the mask case being placed on the platen table, A thickness detecting sensor is disposed on the frame assembly facing the mask case.
The reticle storage mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said driving member is coupled to said frame member and arranged to drive said frame member to move in a thickness direction of said reticle.
The reticle storage mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said driving member is coupled to said platen table and arranged to drive said platen table to move in a thickness direction of said reticle.
A reticle transport mechanism comprising the reticle thickness detecting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reticle transport mechanism further comprises a first plate fork and a second plate fork which are oppositely disposed, the reticle a laser emitting and receiving end of the thickness detecting sensor in the thickness detecting device is located at a front end of at least one of the first platen fork and the second plate fork;

In the case of detecting the thickness information of the reticle, the laser emitting and receiving end emits a side wall of the illuminating reticle in a horizontal direction of the reticle, and the driving part drives the first plate-fork and the second The plate fork moves in the thickness direction of the reticle.
A reticle transport system comprising a reticle storage mechanism according to any of claims 3-5, the reticle storage mechanism as an external world reticle storage mechanism, the reticle transport system further comprising an internal world reticle storage a mechanism, a first reticle transport mechanism, and an external console, the external world reticle storage mechanism being interfaced with the external console, configured to store a reticle-equipped mask cartridge fed by the external console, a first reticle transport mechanism configured to complete a flow of the reticle between the external world reticle storage mechanism and the internal world reticle storage mechanism; a reticle thickness in the external world reticle storage mechanism The detecting device is configured to detect thickness information of the reticle; the first reticle transport mechanism is further configured to adjust the thickness direction in real time according to the thickness information during the work of transferring the reticle in the thickness direction The actual distance of movement.
The reticle transport system of claim 7, wherein the reticle transport system further comprises a first reticle alignment mechanism configured to eliminate an initial positional deviation during reticle transmission of the outside world;

a second reticle transport mechanism configured to complete a reticle interface with the first reticle transport mechanism and to interface with a reticle of the mask table;

a second reticle alignment mechanism configured to correct a reticle position during the transfer of the second reticle transport mechanism and the mask table;

a reticle particle size detecting mechanism configured to: before the first reticle transport mechanism transfers the reticle from the external world reticle storage mechanism to the internal world reticle storage mechanism, to the reticle The surface is tested for particle size.
A reticle transport system comprising the reticle transport mechanism of claim 6, the reticle transport system further comprising an external world reticle storage mechanism and an internal world reticle storage mechanism; the reticle transport mechanism is configured to Performing a flow of the reticle between the external world reticle storage mechanism and the internal world reticle storage mechanism, and passing the reticle at least before taking a reticle from the external world reticle storage mechanism The reticle thickness detecting device on the transport mechanism detects the thickness information of the reticle, and adjusts the actual moving distance in the thickness direction in real time according to the thickness information during the thickness direction work transfer of the reticle.
The reticle transport system according to claim 9, wherein said reticle transport mechanism is a first reticle transport mechanism; said reticle transport system further comprising an external console, said external world reticle storage mechanism The external console is docked and configured to store a masked mask box fed by the external console;

a first reticle alignment mechanism configured to eliminate an initial positional deviation during transmission of the reticle of the outside world;

a second reticle transport mechanism configured to complete a reticle interface with the reticle transport mechanism and to interface with a reticle of the mask table;

a second reticle alignment mechanism configured to correct a reticle position during the transfer of the second reticle transport mechanism and the mask table;

a reticle granularity detecting mechanism configured to perform a surface of the reticle before the reticle transport mechanism transfers the reticle from the external world reticle storage mechanism to the internal world reticle storage mechanism Particle size detection.
A reticle transmission method based on the reticle transmission system of claim 7, comprising:

Controlling the driving member to drive the platen table or the frame assembly to move in a thickness direction of the reticle to cause the mask holder and the thickness detecting sensor to relatively move in a thickness direction of the reticle;

Controlling the laser emitting and receiving end of the thickness detecting sensor to emit laser light in a horizontal direction of the reticle during motion, and receiving the reflected laser light;

Calculating thickness information of a reticle of each of the plurality of groove grooves according to the laser signal received by the laser emitting and receiving end during the relative motion and the moving position of the driving component;

The obtained thickness information of the reticle is stored in the reticle information database, and the actual moving distance of the thickness direction movement is adjusted in real time according to the thickness information in the process of transferring the reticle in the thickness direction.
A reticle transmission method based on the reticle transmission system of claim 9, comprising:

Controlling movement of the reticle transport mechanism to a station position in the external world reticle storage mechanism configured to detect a thickness of the reticle, causing laser emission of the front end of at least one of the first plate-fork and the second plate-fork The receiving end faces the reticle sidewall, and the driving component drives the first plate fork and the second plate fork to move along a thickness direction of the reticle;

Controlling, by the laser emitting and receiving end of the thickness detecting sensor, emitting laser light in a horizontal direction of the reticle during motion, and receiving laser light reflected by the reticle;

Calculating thickness information of a reticle of each of the plurality of groove grooves according to the laser signal received by the laser emitting and receiving end during the relative motion and the moving position of the driving component;

The obtained thickness information of the reticle is stored in the reticle information database, and the actual moving distance in the thickness direction is adjusted in real time according to the thickness information in the process of transferring the reticle in the thickness direction.
A lithography system comprising the reticle transport system of any of claims 7-10.