Abstract: A method includes irradiating debris deposited in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system with laser, controlling one or more of a wavelength of the laser or power of the laser to selectively vaporize the debris and limit damage to the EUV) lithography system, and removing the vaporized debris.

Abstract: An EUV lithographic apparatus includes a wafer stage and a particle removing assembly for cleaning a wafer for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic apparatus. The wafer stage includes a measurement side and an exposure side. The particle removing assembly includes particle removing electrodes, an exhaust device and turbomolecular pumps. The particle removing electrodes is configured to direct debris from the chamber by suppressing turbulence such that the debris can be exhausted from the wafer stage to the outside of the processing apparatus. In some embodiments, turbomolecular pumps are turned off in the measurement side of the wafer stage so that an exhaust flow can be guided to an exposure side of the wafer stage. In some embodiments, the speed of voltage rise to the electrodes of the wafer chuck is adjusted.

Abstract: A method includes: depositing a mask layer over a substrate; directing first radiation reflected from a central collector section of a sectional collector of a lithography system toward the mask layer according to a pattern; directing second radiation reflected from a peripheral collector section of the sectional collector toward the mask layer according to the pattern, wherein the peripheral collector section is vertically separated from the central collector section by a gap; forming openings in the mask layer by removing first regions of the mask layer exposed to the first radiation and second regions of the mask layer exposed to the second radiation; and removing material of a layer underlying the mask layer exposed by the openings.

Abstract: Cleaning equipment for an EUV wafer chuck or clamp, which removes particles that have accumulated between burls on the surface of the wafer chuck. The equipment includes a spinning bi-polar electrode placed in proximity to the surface, which can attract and adsorb the charged particle residue therefrom using its generated symmetric electric field when the wafer chuck is not in use.

Abstract: A method includes: positioning a wafer on an electrostatic chuck of an apparatus; and securing the wafer to the electrostatic chuck by: securing a first wafer region of the wafer to a first chuck region of the electrostatic chuck by applying a first voltage at a first time. The method further includes securing a second wafer region of the wafer to a second chuck region of the electrostatic chuck by applying a second voltage at a second time different from the first time; and processing the wafer by the apparatus while the wafer is secured to the electrostatic chuck.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a method of controlling an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation in lithography system is provided. The method includes generating a plurality of target droplets. The method also includes generating a pre-pulse and a main pulse from an excitation laser module to generate EUV light and reflecting the EUV light by a collector mirror. The method further includes measuring a separation between a pre-pulse and a main pulse. Moreover, the method includes determining whether the separation between the pre-pulse and the main pulse in the y-axis is changed, if not adjusting a configurable parameter of the excitation laser module to set the variation in the energy of the EUV light within an acceptable range.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method for operating a reticle inspection system includes training an analysis model of the reticle inspection system with a machine learning process, generating a difference threshold based on the machine learning process, storing a reference image, and generating a scan image of a reticle with the reticle inspection system. The method includes generating a relative difference value by comparing the scan image to the reference image. The method includes, if the relative difference value is less than the difference threshold, determining that the reticle is not defective. The method includes, if the relative difference value is greater than the difference threshold, determining that the reticle is defective.

Abstract: Some implementations described herein provide a reticle cleaning device and a method of use. The reticle cleaning device includes a support member configured for extension toward a reticle within an extreme ultraviolet lithography tool. The reticle cleaning device also includes a contact surface disposed at an end of the support member and configured to bond to particles contacted by the contact surface. The reticle cleaning device further includes a stress sensor configured to measure an amount of stress applied to the support member at the contact surface. During a cleaning operation in which the contact surface is moving toward the reticle, the stress sensor may provide an indication that the amount of stress applied to the support member satisfies a threshold. Based on satisfying the threshold, movement of the contact surface and/or the support member toward the reticle ceases to avoid damaging the reticle.

Abstract: An exposure tool is configured to remove contaminants and/or prevent contamination of mirrors and/or other optical components included in the exposure tool. In some implementations, the exposure tool is configured to flush and/or otherwise remove contaminants from an illuminator, a projection optics box, and/or one or more other subsystems of the exposure tool using a heated gas such as ozone (O3) or extra clean dry air (XCDA), among other examples. In some implementations, the exposure tool is configured to provide a gas curtain (or gas wall) that includes hydrogen (H2) or another type of gas to reduce the likelihood of contaminants reaching the mirrors included in the exposure tool. In this way, the mirrors and one or more other components of the exposure tool are cleaned and maintained in a clean environment in which radiation absorbing contaminants are controlled to increase the performance of the exposure tool.

Abstract: A method includes: forming a mask layer on a semiconductor wafer; generating light by a tin droplet by a lithography exposure system; exposing the mask layer by the light; cleaning tin debris accumulated in the lithography exposure system by hydrogen gas; pumping the hydrogen gas from the lithography exposure system to a fuel cell; and generating electric power by the fuel cell.

Abstract: A target droplet source for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source includes a droplet generator configured to generate target droplets of a given material. The droplet generator includes a nozzle configured to supply the target droplets in a space enclosed by a chamber. The target droplet source further includes a sleeve disposed in the chamber distal to the nozzle. The sleeve is configured to provide a path for the target droplets in the chamber.

Abstract: A reticle carrier described herein is configured to quickly discharge the residual charge on a reticle so as to reduce, minimize, and/or prevent particles in the reticle carrier from being attracted to and/or transferred to the reticle. In particular, the reticle carrier may be configured to provide reduced capacitance between an inner baseplate of the reticle carrier and the reticle. The reduction in capacitance may reduce the resistance-capacitance (RC) time constant for discharging the residual charge on the reticle, which may increase the discharge speed for discharging the residual charge through support pins of the reticle carrier. The increase in discharge speed may reduce the likelihood that an electrostatic force in the reticle carrier may attract particles in the reticle carrier to the reticle.

Abstract: In a method of generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation in a semiconductor manufacturing system one or more streams of a gas is directed, through one or more gas outlets mounted over a rim of a collector mirror of an EUV radiation source, to generate a flow of the gas over a surface of the collector mirror. The one or more flow rates of the one or more streams of the gas are adjusted to reduce an amount of metal debris deposited on the surface of the collector mirror.

Abstract: A method for performing a lithography process is provided. The method includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate, providing a plurality of target droplets to a source vessel, and providing a plurality of first laser pulses according to a control signal provided by a controller to irradiate the target droplets in the source vessel to generate plasma as an EUV radiation. The plasma is generated when the control signal indicates a temperature of the source vessel is within a temperature threshold value. The method further includes directing the EUV radiation from the source vessel to the photoresist layer to form a patterned photoresist layer and developing and etching the patterned photoresist layer to form a circuit layout.

Abstract: Impurities in a liquefied solid fuel utilized in a droplet generator of an extreme ultraviolet photolithography system are removed from vessels containing the liquefied solid fuel. Removal of the impurities increases the stability and predictability of droplet formation which positively impacts wafer yield and droplet generator lifetime.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically controlling a temperature of a thermostatic reticle. A thermostatic reticle assembly that includes a reticle, temperature sensors located in proximity to the reticle, and one or more heating elements. A thermostat component that is in communication with the temperature sensors and the heating element monitors the current temperature of the reticle relative to a steady-state temperature. In response to the current temperature of the reticle being lower than the steady-state temperature, the heating elements are activated to preheat the reticle to the steady-state temperature.

Abstract: A system for monitoring and controlling an EUV light source includes a first temperature sensor, a signal processor, and a process controller. The first temperature sensor includes a portion inserted into a space surrounded by a plurality of vanes through a vane of the plurality of vanes, and obtains an ambient temperature that decreases with time as a function of tin contamination coating on the inserted portion. The signal processor determines an excess tin debris deposition on the vane based on the obtained chamber ambient temperature. The process controller activates a vane cleaning action upon being informed of the excess tin debris deposition by the signal processor, thereby improving availability of the EUV light source tool and reducing risks of tin pollution on other tools such as a reticle.

Abstract: Some implementations described herein include operating components in a lithography system at variable speeds to reduce, minimize, and/or prevent particle generation due to rubbing of or collision between contact parts of the components. In some implementations, a component in a path of transfer of a semiconductor substrate in the lithography system is operated at a relatively high movement speed through a first portion of an actuation operation, and is operated at a reduced movement speed (e.g., a movement speed that is less than the high movement speed) through a second portion of the actuation operation in which contact parts of the component are to interact. The reduced movement speed reduces the likelihood of particle generation and/or release from the contact parts when the contact parts interact, while the high movement speed provides a high semiconductor substrate throughput in the lithography system.

Abstract: A method includes irradiating debris deposited in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system with laser, controlling one or more of a wavelength of the laser or power of the laser to selectively vaporize the debris and limit damage to the EUV) lithography system, and removing the vaporized debris.