Abstract: An arrangement for transferring a pattern from a mask (100) onto a wafer is provided. A product area (110) of the mask (100) is at least partly surrounded by a frame (112) having an alignment mark area (114). In order to avoid the need to produce a specific mask set for different alignment styles, the mask (100) and the frame (112) are designed as being separate units. Further, methods for transferring a pattern from a mask to a wafer are provided that employ a frame separated from a product area.

Abstract: An arrangement for transferring a pattern from a mask (100) onto a wafer is provided. A product area (110) of the mask (100) is at least partly surrounded by a frame (112) having an alignment mark area (114). In order to avoid the need to produce a specific mask set for different alignment styles, the mask (100) and the frame (112) are designed as being separate units. Further, methods for transferring a pattern from a mask to a wafer are provided that employ a frame separated from a product area.

Abstract: A semiconductor device on a wafer is formed by lithography with the following steps of: coating (13) a lithography resist onto said wafer in a coating means (5), exposing (14) said wafer to an irradiation through a reticle in an exposure tool (4), stabilizing (15) said lithography resist for activating chemical reaction and developing said lithography resist in said predetermined areas in a developer means (6) so as to reveal a predetermined lithography resist pattern on the wafer surface, stabilizing (16) the lithography resist in a stabilization means (7) for strengthening said pattern on the wafer surface, performing (17) a metrology inspection of said lithography resist pattern on said wafer surface in a metrology tool (8), etching, wet processing or implanting ions (18) into said wafer in a processing cell (9), wherein said metrology inspection is performed by atomic force microscopy in a atomic force microscopy module (11) immediately after developing and baking said lithography resist adjacent to said

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for the manufacture of semiconductor devices by lithography, and in particular to an assembly of mask containers for use in such a system. The system comprises: a plurality of mask containers adapted to engage with one another such that two or more containers can be carried together as a stack; a plurality of lithography bays; a transport rail system for carrying the containers between different lithography bays. Each lithography bay has a transmitter/receiver unit for communicating lithography data with a tracking device located in each container, allowing for more efficient mask management. The transportation of the containers in stacks results in an improvement in efficiency.

Abstract: In a lithography method with the steps coating (13) a lithography resist onto a wafer, exposing (14) the wafer, stabilizing (16), performing (17) a metrology inspection of the resulting lithography resist pattern, etching, and wet processing or implanting ions (18), for exposing, a reticle is aligned with respect to the wafer by atomic force microscopy in an atomic force microscopy (AFM) module (11).

Abstract: A semiconductor device on a wafer is formed by lithography with the following steps of: coating (13) a lithography resist onto said wafer in a coating means (5), exposing (14) said wafer to an irradiation through a reticle in an exposure tool (4), stabilizing (15) said lithography resist for activating chemical reaction and developing said lithography resist in said predetermined areas in a developer means (6) so as to reveal a predetermined lithography resist pattern on the wafer surface, stabilizing (16) the lithography resist in a stabilization means (7) for strengthening said pattern on the wafer surface, performing (17) a metrology inspection of said lithography resist pattern on said wafer surface in a metrology tool (8), etching, wet processing or implanting ions (18) into said wafer in a processing cell (9), wherein said metrology inspection is performed by atomic force microscopy in a atomic force microscopy module (11) immediately after developing and baking said lithography resist adjacent to said

Abstract: A lithography method and apparatus is provided for forming at least one semiconductor device on a wafer (12). The method comprises the step, exposing (21) said wafer to an irradiation through a reticle in an exposure tool (4), wherein said exposing (21) includes: at least one mounting step for mounting a first reticle (15) by a mounting device, at least one first exposure step (201), in which said wafer (12) is exposed to said irradiation through said predetermined first reticle (15), at least one change-over step (203) for removing said first reticle (15) and mounting a second predetermined reticle (18) by a change-over device, at least one second exposure step (201), in which said wafer (12) is exposed to said irradiation through said predetermined second reticle (18).