公开(公告)号：US20200350194A1

公开(公告)日：2020-11-05

申请号：US16926935

申请日：2020-07-13

Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Chueh-Chi KUO ,  Tsung-Yen LEE ,  Chia-Hsin CHOU ,  Tzung-Chi FU ,  Li-Jui CHEN ,  Po-Chung CHENG ,  Che-Chang HSU

IPC: H01L21/683 ,  G03F1/24 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: A reticle holding tool is provided. The reticle holding tool includes a housing, a reticle chuck, and a gas delivery assembly. The housing includes an opening, a top housing member, and a lateral housing member extending from the top housing member and terminating at a lower edge which is located on a predetermined plane. The reticle chuck is positioned in the housing and has an effective surface configured to secure a reticle. The effective surface is located between the predetermined plane and the top housing member. The reticle chuck is movable between two boundary lines that are perpendicular to the effective surface. A width of the opening is greater than a distance between the two boundary lines. The gas delivery assembly is positioned within the housing and configured to supply gas into the housing.

公开(公告)号：US20200103746A1

公开(公告)日：2020-04-02

申请号：US16568044

申请日：2019-09-11

Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.

Inventor： Yu-Chih HUANG ,  Chi YANG ,  Che-Chang HSU ,  Li-Jui CHEN ,  Po-Chung CHENG

IPC: G03F1/24 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: A method of controlling a feedback system with a data matching module of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source is disclosed. The method includes obtaining a slit integrated energy (SLIE) sensor data and diffractive optical elements (DOE) data. The method performs a data match, by the data matching module, of a time difference of the SLIE sensor data and the DOE data to identify a mismatched set of the SLIE sensor data and the DOE data. The method also determines whether the time difference of the SLIE sensor data and the DOE data of the mismatched set is within an acceptable range. Based on the determination, the method automatically validates a configurable data of the mismatched set such that the SLIE sensor data of the mismatched set is valid for a reflectivity calculation.

公开(公告)号：US20200058595A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-20

申请号：US16662970

申请日：2019-10-24

Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Long-Yi CHEN ,  Jia-Hong CHU ,  Chi-Wen LAI ,  Chia-Ching LIANG ,  Kai-Hsiung CHEN ,  Yu-Ching WANG ,  Po-Chung CHENG ,  Hsin-Chin LIN ,  Meng-Wei CHEN ,  Kuei-Shun CHEN

IPC: H01L23/544 ,  G03F9/00 ,  G03F7/20 ,  H01L21/033 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes forming a first overlay grating over a substrate. The method includes forming a layer over the first overlay grating. The method includes forming a second overlay grating over the layer. The second overlay grating has a third strip portion and a fourth strip portion, the third strip portion and the fourth strip portion are elongated in the first elongated axis and are spaced apart from each other, there is a second distance between a third sidewall of the third strip portion and a fourth sidewall of the fourth strip portion, the third sidewall faces away from the fourth strip portion, the fourth sidewall faces the third strip portion, the first distance is substantially equal to the second distance, and the first trench extends across the third strip portion and the fourth strip portion.

公开(公告)号：US20200057382A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-20

申请号：US16535003

申请日：2019-08-07

Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.

Inventor： Chieh HSIEH ,  Kuan-Hung CHEN ,  Chun-Chia HSU ,  Shang-Chieh CHIEN ,  Liu BO-TSUN ,  Li-Jui CHEN ,  Po-Chung CHENG

IPC: G03F7/20

Abstract: An apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation includes a droplet generator configured to generate target droplets. An excitation laser is configured to heat the target droplets using excitation pulses to convert the target droplets to plasma. An energy detector is configured to measure a variation in EUV energy generated when the target droplets are converted to plasma. A feedback controller is configured to adjust parameters of the droplet generator and/or the excitation laser based on the variation in EUV energy.

公开(公告)号：US20200033732A1

公开(公告)日：2020-01-30

申请号：US16124357

申请日：2018-09-07

Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Chieh HSIEH ,  Shang-Chieh CHIEN ,  Li-Jui CHEN ,  Po-Chung CHENG

IPC: G03F7/20

Abstract: A method for generating EUV radiation is provided. The method includes generating a target droplet with a target droplet generator. The method further includes recording an image of the target droplet on a first image plane to detect a first position of the target droplet. The method also includes recording an image of the target droplet on a second image plane to detect a second position of the target droplet. In addition, the method includes projecting a laser pulse onto the target droplet when the target droplet is located on a focus plane. The method further includes adjusting at least one parameter of the target droplet generator according to the first position and the second position.

公开(公告)号：US20190163046A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-30

申请号：US16151300

申请日：2018-10-03

Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.

Inventor： Hung-Wen CHO ,  Fu-Jye LIANG ,  Chun-Kuang CHEN ,  Chih-Tsung SHIH ,  Li-Jui CHEN ,  Po-Chung CHENG ,  Chin-Hsiang LIN

IPC: G03F1/24 ,  G03F1/36 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: A method of controlling reticle masking blade positioning to minimize the impact on critical dimension uniformity includes determining a target location of a reticle masking blade relative to a reflective reticle and positioning the reticle masking blade at the target location. A position of the reticle masking blade is monitored during an imaging operation. The position of the reticle masking blade is compared with the target location and the position of the reticle masking blade is adjusted if the position of the reticle masking blade is outside a tolerance of the target location.

公开(公告)号：US20190150265A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-16

申请号：US15868373

申请日：2018-01-11

Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Chieh HSIEH ,  Shang-Chieh CHIEN ,  Chun-Chia HSU ,  Bo-Tsun LIU ,  Tzung-CHI FU ,  Li-Jui CHEN ,  Po-Chung CHENG

IPC: H05G2/00 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: A method for generating light is provided. The method includes generating targets with a fuel target generator. The method further includes measuring a period of time during which one of the targets passes through two detection positions on a path along which the targets move. The method also includes exciting the targets with a laser generator so as to generate plasma that emits light. In addition, the method includes adjusting at least one parameter of the fuel target generator or the laser generator according to the measured period of time, when the measured period of time is different from a predetermined value.

公开(公告)号：US20190146349A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-16

申请号：US16019732

申请日：2018-06-27

Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Cheng-Kuan WU ,  Po-Chung CHENG ,  Li-Jui CHEN ,  Chih-Tsung SHIH

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G03F1/24

Abstract: A method for lithography in semiconductor fabrication is provided. The method includes placing a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of exposure fields over a wafer stage. The method further includes projecting an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light over the semiconductor wafer. The method also includes securing the semiconductor wafer to the wafer stage by applying a first adjusted voltage to an electrode of the wafer stage while the EUV light is projected to a first group of the exposure fields of the semiconductor wafer. The first adjusted voltage is in a range from about 1.6 kV to about 3.2 kV.

公开(公告)号：US20190137866A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-09

申请号：US15906586

申请日：2018-02-27

Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Hung-Wen CHO ,  Fu-Jye LIANG ,  Chun-Kuang CHEN ,  Chih-Tsung SHIH ,  Li-Jui CHEN ,  Po-Chung CHENG ,  Chin-Hsiang LIN

IPC: G03F1/64 ,  G03F7/22 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F1/22 ,  G06T7/00

Abstract: A reticle used for collecting information for image-error compensation is provided. The reticle includes a first black border structure and a second black border structure formed over a substrate. The first and second black borders are concentric with a center of the substrate. The reticle further includes a first image structure and a second image structure formed over the substrate. The first and second image structures each has patterns representing features to be patterned on a semiconductor wafer. In a direction away from the center of the substrate, the second image structure, the second black border structure, the first image structure and the first black border structure are arranged in order.

公开(公告)号：US20190102875A1

公开(公告)日：2019-04-04

申请号：US16115699

申请日：2018-08-29

Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.

Inventor： Zi-Wen CHEN ,  Po-Chung CHENG ,  Chih-Tsung SHIH ,  Li-Jui CHEN ,  Shih-Chang SHIH

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G06T7/521 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F1/84

Abstract: A method of inspecting a reticle includes obtaining a first image of a surface of the reticle at a first height by scanning the reticle surface with a light source at the first height of the reticle surface relative to a reference surface height of the reticle surface and obtaining a second image of the reticle surface at a second height by scanning the reticle surface with the light source at the second height of the reticle surface relative to the reference surface height of the reticle surface. The second height is different from the first height. The first and the second images are then combined to obtain a surface profile image of the reticle.