Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company, ltd. (20240210842). METHOD OF CLEANING WAFER TABLE OF PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT simplified abstract
METHOD OF CLEANING WAFER TABLE OF PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT
Organization Name
taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company, ltd.
Inventor(s)
Shih-Yu Tu of Zhubei City (TW)
Shao-Hua Wang of Taoyuan City (TW)
Chueh-Chi Kuo of Kaohsiung City (TW)
Li-Jui Chen of Hsinchu City (TW)
Heng-Hsin Liu of New Taipei City (TW)
METHOD OF CLEANING WAFER TABLE OF PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - A simplified explanation of the abstract
This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240210842 titled 'METHOD OF CLEANING WAFER TABLE OF PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT
The patent application describes a method of cleaning a lithography system, specifically an EUV lithography system, during idle mode.
- Air is directed through a first opening into a chamber of a wafer table.
- The air stream extracts particles from surfaces of wafer chucks in the chamber.
- The air stream and the extracted particles are drawn out of the chamber through a second opening.
- Key Features and Innovation:**
- Utilizes a stream of air to clean surfaces of wafer chucks in a lithography system.
- Removes particles during idle mode to maintain system cleanliness.
- Efficiently extracts particles from hard-to-reach areas within the chamber.
- Potential Applications:**
- Semiconductor manufacturing processes.
- Cleanroom environments.
- Advanced lithography systems.
- Problems Solved:**
- Contamination of wafer surfaces.
- Maintenance of lithography system cleanliness.
- Ensuring high-quality semiconductor production.
- Benefits:**
- Improved system performance.
- Reduced downtime for cleaning.
- Enhanced semiconductor yield and quality.
- Commercial Applications:**
Potential commercial applications include semiconductor manufacturing facilities, cleanroom equipment suppliers, and lithography system manufacturers. This technology could improve production efficiency and product quality in the semiconductor industry.
- Questions about Lithography System Cleaning:**
1. How does the method of using air streams compare to traditional cleaning methods in lithography systems?
- The use of air streams offers a non-contact and efficient way to remove particles from surfaces, reducing the risk of damage to delicate components.
2. What are the long-term cost savings associated with implementing this cleaning method in lithography systems?
- By maintaining cleanliness and preventing contamination, this method can lead to reduced maintenance costs and increased system longevity.
Original Abstract Submitted
in a method of cleaning a lithography system, during idle mode, a stream of air is directed, through a first opening, into a chamber of a wafer table of an euv lithography system. one or more particles is extracted by the directed stream of air from surfaces of one or more wafer chucks in the chamber of the wafer table. the stream of air and the extracted one or more particle are drawn, through a second opening, out of the chamber of the wafer table.
