Lithography system and method for haze elimination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9418847-B2
Application number	US-201414163287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2014
Priority date	Jan 24, 2014
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus in semiconductor manufacturing. The apparatus includes a mask, a pellicle frame attached to the mask, and a pellicle joined to the pellicle frame thereby forming a sealed enclosure bounded by the pellicle, the pellicle frame, and the mask. The apparatus further includes photo-catalyst particles introduced into the sealed enclosure before the sealed enclosure is formed. The photo-catalyst particles prevent haze formation within the enclosure during lithography exposure processes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus in semiconductor manufacturing, comprising:
a mask;
a pellicle frame attached to the mask;
a pellicle joined to the pellicle frame; and
photo-catalyst particles,
wherein the apparatus provides an enclosure defined by the pellicle, the pellicle frame, and the mask, and the photo-catalyst particles are inside the enclosure, on a circuit pattern area of the mask, and configured to remove contaminants from the enclosure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photo-catalyst particles have a particle size distribution whose mean particle size plus three times of standard deviation is less than 50 nanometer (nm).

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photo-catalyst particles inside the enclosure have a concentration level in a range from 10 8 parts/m 3 to 10 9 parts/m 3 .

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photo-catalyst particles have a crystal form of: a mixture of anatase TiO and rutile TiO2, a mixture of rutile TiO 2 and ZnO, ZnO, or a combination thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mask is a transmissive mask.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photo-catalyst particles are attached onto:
a surface of the pellicle frame inside the enclosure;
a surface of the pellicle inside the enclosure; or
a combination thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photo-catalyst particles include: ZrO 2 , Ta 2 O 5 , SnO 2 , KTaO 3 , SrTiO 3 , Nb 2 O 5 , ZnO, BaTiO 3 , or TiO 2 .

8. A method, comprising the steps of:
receiving a mask having a surface patterned with an integrated circuit (IC) design layout;
attaching a pellicle on a pellicle frame to form a first assembly; and
joining the first assembly to the mask in an environment having photo-catalyst particles thereby forming a second assembly, wherein the photo-catalyst particles are filled to a first concentration level in an enclosure defined by the pellicle, the pellicle frame, and the mask, and wherein the photo-catalyst particles are attached to the surface of the mask.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
exposing wafers with the second assembly.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the photo-catalyst particles have a particle size that is non-printable during the exposing step.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first concentration level is about 10 times greater than an amine concentration level in an ambient where the exposing step is performed.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the photo-catalyst particles include TiO, TiO 2 , or ZnO.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the mask is a reflective mask.

14. A method, comprising:
receiving a mask, a pellicle frame, and a pellicle;
introducing non-printable photo-catalyst particles to at least a surface of: the mask, or the pellicle; and
joining the mask, the pellicle frame, and the pellicle thereby forming a mask assembly having an enclosure defined by the mask, the pellicle frame, and the pellicle, wherein the enclosure includes the non-printable photo-catalyst particles on at least one of its inside surfaces.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the introducing the non-printable photo-catalyst particles to the surface includes:
mixing the non-printable photo-catalyst particles with water (H 2 O) to form a solution;
applying the solution to the surface; and
drying out the surface.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the introducing the non-printable photo-catalyst particles to the surface includes, spraying the non-printable photo-catalyst particles onto the surface.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the surface is in a mask region having integrated circuit patterns.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the non-printable photo-catalyst particles have a particle size not greater than 30 nanometer (nm).

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the non-printable photo-catalyst particles inside the enclosure have a concentration level more than 10 8 parts/m 3 but less than 10 9 parts/m 3 .

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photo-catalyst particles are attached onto a patterned absorption layer of the mask.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shen Ching-Wei
• Lin Kuan-Wen
• Lu Chi-Lun
• Hsu Ting-Hao
• Chin Sheng-Chi
• Yen Anthony

Classifications

• H10P76/2041 Primary

  Photolithographic processes · CPC title

• G03F7/70916

  Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps · CPC title

• G03F1/62 Primary

  Pellicles, e.g. pellicle assemblies, e.g. having membrane on support frame; Preparation thereof · CPC title

• G03F1/48

  Protective coatings · CPC title

• G03F7/7095

  Materials, e.g. materials for housing, stage or other support having particular properties, e.g. weight, strength, conductivity, thermal expansion coefficient · CPC title