Patents by Inventor Hung-Ming KUO

Hung-Ming KUO has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20260104652
    Abstract: In a method executed in an exposure apparatus, a focus control effective region and a focus control exclusion region are set based on an exposure map and a chip area layout within an exposure area. Focus-leveling data are measured over a wafer. A photo resist layer on the wafer is exposed with an exposure light. When a chip area of a plurality of chip areas of the exposure area is located within an effective region of a wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control effective region, and when a part of or all of a chip area of the plurality of chip areas is located on or outside a periphery of the effective region of the wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control exclusion region In the exposing, a focus-leveling is controlled by using the focus-leveling data measured at the focus control effective region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2025
    Publication date: April 16, 2026
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yung-Yao LEE, Heng-Hsin LIU, Hung-Ming KUO, Jui-Chun PENG
  • Patent number: 12523942
    Abstract: In a method executed in an exposure apparatus, a focus control effective region and a focus control exclusion region are set based on an exposure map and a chip area layout within an exposure area. Focus-leveling data are measured over a wafer. A photo resist layer on the wafer is exposed with an exposure light. When a chip area of a plurality of chip areas of the exposure area is located within an effective region of a wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control effective region, and when a part of or all of a chip area of the plurality of chip areas is located on or outside a periphery of the effective region of the wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control exclusion region In the exposing, a focus-leveling is controlled by using the focus-leveling data measured at the focus control effective region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2026
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yung-Yao Lee, Heng-Hsin Liu, Hung-Ming Kuo, Jui-Chun Peng
  • Publication number: 20240387163
    Abstract: A method for drying a wafer includes a cleaning step, a liquid replacing step, and a drying step. In the cleaning step, a workpiece located in a process chamber is cleaned with a cleaning solution. In the liquid replacing step, a drying agent in gas phase is compressed to convert into liquid phase, and the drying agent in liquid phase is introduced to the process chamber to replace the cleaning solution. In the drying step, the cleaning solution is discharged out of the process chamber, and then the drying agent is converted from liquid phase back to gas phase and is discharged out of the process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2023
    Publication date: November 21, 2024
    Inventors: TING-CHANG CHANG, CHUAN-WEI KUO, SHENG-YAO CHOU, SHIH-KAI LIN, HUNG-MING KUO, YU-BO WANG, PEI-JUN SUN
  • Publication number: 20230076566
    Abstract: In a method executed in an exposure apparatus, a focus control effective region and a focus control exclusion region are set based on an exposure map and a chip area layout within an exposure area. Focus-leveling data are measured over a wafer. A photo resist layer on the wafer is exposed with an exposure light. When a chip area of a plurality of chip areas of the exposure area is located within an effective region of a wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control effective region, and when a part of or all of a chip area of the plurality of chip areas is located on or outside a periphery of the effective region of the wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control exclusion region In the exposing, a focus-leveling is controlled by using the focus-leveling data measured at the focus control effective region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Yung-Yao LEE, Heng-Hsin LIU, Hung-Ming KUO, Jui-Chun PENG
  • Patent number: 11500299
    Abstract: In a method executed in an exposure apparatus, a focus control effective region and a focus control exclusion region are set based on an exposure map and a chip area layout within an exposure area. Focus-leveling data are measured over a wafer. A photo resist layer on the wafer is exposed with an exposure light. When a chip area of a plurality of chip areas of the exposure area is located within an effective region of a wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control effective region, and when a part of or all of a chip area of the plurality of chip areas is located on or outside a periphery of the effective region of the wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control exclusion region In the exposing, a focus-leveling is controlled by using the focus-leveling data measured at the focus control effective region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yung-Yao Lee, Heng-Hsin Liu, Hung-Ming Kuo, Jui-Chun Peng
  • Publication number: 20200379361
    Abstract: In a method executed in an exposure apparatus, a focus control effective region and a focus control exclusion region are set based on an exposure map and a chip area layout within an exposure area. Focus-leveling data are measured over a wafer. A photo resist layer on the wafer is exposed with an exposure light. When a chip area of a plurality of chip areas of the exposure area is located within an effective region of a wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control effective region, and when a part of or all of a chip area of the plurality of chip areas is located on or outside a periphery of the effective region of the wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control exclusion region In the exposing, a focus-leveling is controlled by using the focus-leveling data measured at the focus control effective region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Yung-Yao LEE, Heng-Hsin LIU, Hung-Ming KUO, Jui-Chun PENG
  • Patent number: 10747128
    Abstract: In a method executed in an exposure apparatus, a focus control effective region and a focus control exclusion region are set based on an exposure map and a chip area layout within an exposure area. Focus-leveling data are measured over a wafer. A photo resist layer on the wafer is exposed with an exposure light. When a chip area of a plurality of chip areas of the exposure area is located within an effective region of a wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control effective region, and when a part of or all of a chip area of the plurality of chip areas is located on or outside a periphery of the effective region of the wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control exclusion region In the exposing, a focus-leveling is controlled by using the focus-leveling data measured at the focus control effective region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yung-Yao Lee, Heng-Hsin Liu, Hung-Ming Kuo, Jui-Chun Peng
  • Publication number: 20190146351
    Abstract: In a method executed in an exposure apparatus, a focus control effective region and a focus control exclusion region are set based on an exposure map and a chip area layout within an exposure area. Focus-leveling data are measured over a wafer. A photo resist layer on the wafer is exposed with an exposure light. When a chip area of a plurality of chip areas of the exposure area is located within an effective region of a wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control effective region, and when a part of or all of a chip area of the plurality of chip areas is located on or outside a periphery of the effective region of the wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control exclusion region In the exposing, a focus-leveling is controlled by using the focus-leveling data measured at the focus control effective region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Yung-Yao LEE, Heng-Hsin LIU, Hung-Ming KUO, Jui-Chun PENG
  • Patent number: 9826615
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source having a collector mirror oriented to reduce contamination of fuel droplet debris. In some embodiments, the EUV radiation source has a fuel droplet generator that provides a plurality of fuel droplets to an EUV source vessel. A primary laser is configured to generate a primary laser beam directed towards the plurality of fuel droplets. The primary laser beam has a sufficient energy to ignite a plasma from the plurality of fuel droplets, which emits extreme ultraviolet radiation. A collector mirror, configured to focus the extreme ultraviolet radiation to an exit aperture of the EUV source vessel, which is oriented so that a normal vector extending outward from a vertex of the collector mirror intersects a direction of a gravitation force by an angle that is less than 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jian-Yuan Su, Hung-Ming Kuo, Kuo-Hung Chao, Jui-Chun Peng
  • Publication number: 20170086283
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source having a collector mirror oriented to reduce contamination of fuel droplet debris. In some embodiments, the EUV radiation source has a fuel droplet generator that provides a plurality of fuel droplets to an EUV source vessel. A primary laser is configured to generate a primary laser beam directed towards the plurality of fuel droplets. The primary laser beam has a sufficient energy to ignite a plasma from the plurality of fuel droplets, which emits extreme ultraviolet radiation. A collector mirror, configured to focus the extreme ultraviolet radiation to an exit aperture of the EUV source vessel, which is oriented so that a normal vector extending outward from a vertex of the collector mirror intersects a direction of a gravitation force by an angle that is less than 90°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Jian-Yuan Su, Hung-Ming Kuo, Kuo-Hung Chao, Jui-Chun Peng
  • Patent number: 9587929
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a focus metrology method and photolithography method and system. The focus metrology method includes recognizing at least one relevant region and at least one irrelevant region on a workpiece surface, measuring a height of the relevant region and determining a focal length for an exposure process based on the measured height of the relevant region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hung-Ming Kuo, Jui-Chun Peng, Heng-Hsin Liu, Yung-Yao Lee
  • Publication number: 20160018743
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a focus metrology method and photolithography method and system. The focus metrology method includes recognizing at least one relevant region and at least one irrelevant region on a workpiece surface, measuring a height of the relevant region and determining a focal length for an exposure process based on the measured height of the relevant region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Hung-Ming KUO, Jui-Chun PENG, Heng-Hsin LIU, Yung-Yao LEE