Abstract: The present disclosure is generally related to 3D imaging capable OLED displays. A light field display comprises an array of 3D light field pixels, each of which comprises an array of corrugated OLED pixels, a metasurface layer disposed adjacent to the array of 3D light field pixels, and a plurality of median layers disposed between the metasurface layer and the corrugated OLED pixels. Each of the corrugated OLED pixels comprises primary or non-primary color subpixels, and produces a different view of an image through the median layers to the metasurface to form a 3D image. The corrugated OLED pixels combined with a cavity effect reduce a divergence of emitted light to enable effective beam direction manipulation by the metasurface. The metasurface having a higher refractive index and a smaller filling factor enables the deflection and direction of the emitted light from the corrugated OLED pixels to be well controlled.

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 radiation source apparatus includes a vessel, a laser source, a collector, a horizontal obscuration bar, and a reflective mirror. The vessel has an exit aperture. The laser source is configured to emit a laser beam to excite a target material to form a plasma. The collector is disposed in the vessel and configured to collect a radiation emitted by the plasma and to reflect the collected radiation to the exit aperture of the vessel. The horizontal obscuration bar extends from a sidewall of the vessel at least to a position between the laser source and the exit aperture of the vessel. The reflective mirror is in the vessel and connected to the horizontal obscuration bar.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system including a radiation source and an EUV control system integrated with the radiation source. The EUV control system includes a 3-dimensional diagnostic module (3DDM) designed to collect a laser beam profile of a laser beam from the radiation source in a 3-dimensional (3D) mode, an analysis module designed to analyze the laser beam profile, a database designed to store the laser beam profile, and an EUV control module designed to adjust the radiation source. The analysis module is coupled with the database and the EUV control module. The database is coupled with the 3DDM and the analysis module. The EUV control module is coupled with the analysis module and the radiation source.

Abstract: A method of controlling an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system is disclosed. The method includes irradiating a target droplet with EUV radiation, detecting EUV radiation reflected by the target droplet, determining aberration of the detected EUV radiation, determining a Zernike polynomial corresponding to the aberration, and performing a corrective action to reduce a shift in Zernike coefficients of the Zernike polynomial.

Abstract: Example implementations described herein include a laser source and associated methods of operation that can balance or reduce uneven beam profile problem and even improve plasma heating efficiency to enhance conversion efficiency and intensity for extreme ultraviolet radiation generation. The laser source described herein generates an auxiliary laser beam to augment a pre-pulse laser beam and/or a main-pulse laser beam, such that uneven beam profiles may be corrected and/or compensated. This may improve an intensity of the laser source and also improve an energy distribution from the laser source to a droplet of a target material, effective to increase an overall operating efficiency of the laser source.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning particles from a tool includes a nozzle structure having a spray opening to spray a cleaning liquid in a first direction to the tool, a cleaning pad disposed around the nozzle structure, and a support disposed around the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad exposes the spray opening and includes a front surface facing in the first direction to clean the tool. The support includes multiple gas openings to blow a pressurized gas in the first direction to the tool, and multiple vacuum openings to suck residual gas, liquid and particles around the tool. An air wall around the tool is thus generated by a combination of operations performed by the multiple gas openings and the multiple vacuum openings to reduce or prevent contamination that might be caused by the cleaning device in the chamber.

Abstract: A pellicle assembly is provided for an associated reticle of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) scanner. The pellicle assembly includes: a pellicle membrane; and a frame configured to mount the pellicle membrane to the associated reticle. Suitably, the pellicle membrane includes: a nanotube material layer; a first protective layer; a second protective layer; an infrared (IR) active layer arranged between the first protective layer and the second protective layer, the IR active layer filtering out IR wavelengths of light passing therethrough; and a deep ultraviolet (DUV) active layer arranged between the first protective layer and the second protective layer, the DUV active layer filtering out DUV wavelengths of light passing therethrough.

Abstract: A reticle is pre-heated prior to an exposure operation of a semiconductor substrate lot to reduce substrate to substrate temperature variations of the reticle in the exposure operation. The reticle may be pre-heated while being stored in a reticle storage slot, while being transferred from the reticle storage slot to a reticle stage of an exposure tool, and/or in another location prior to being secured to the reticle stage for the exposure operation. In this way, the reduction in temperature variation of the reticle in the exposure operation provided by pre-heating the reticle may reduce overlay deltas and misalignment for the semiconductor substrates that are processed in the exposure operation. This increases overlay performance, increases yield of the exposure tool, and increases semiconductor device quality.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for a lithography exposure process are described. The method includes irradiating a target droplet with a laser beam to create an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light. The methods utilized and the apparatuses include two or more collectors for collecting the generated EUV light and reflecting the collected EUV light to a focal point of one of the collectors. In some embodiments, one of the two collectors includes a ring-shaped collector.

Abstract: A load-lock chamber with reduced particle contamination is disclosed. At least one movable particle shield is placed between the gate valve and a wafer location. Particles which can be generated due to contact between the gate valve door and its seat are blocked or inhibited by the particle shield from landing in the wafer location, reducing particle contamination. Methods for operating the load-lock chamber are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of controlling an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system is disclosed. The method includes irradiating a target droplet with EUV radiation, detecting EUV radiation reflected by the target droplet, determining aberration of the detected EUV radiation, determining a Zernike polynomial corresponding to the aberration, and performing a corrective action to reduce a shift in Zernike coefficients of the Zernike polynomial.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system that includes a radiation source having a laser device configured with a mechanism to generate an EUV radiation. The method includes collecting a laser beam profile of a laser beam from the laser device in a 3-dimensional (3D) mode; collecting an EUV energy distribution of the EUV radiation generated by the laser beam in the 3D mode; performing an analysis to the laser beam profile and the EUV energy distribution, resulting in an analysis data; and adjusting the radiation source according to the analysis data to enhance the EUV radiation.

Abstract: A lithography system includes a table body, a wafer stage, a first sliding member, a second sliding member, a first cable, a first bracket, a rail guide, and a first protective film. The first sliding member is coupled to the wafer stage. The second sliding member is coupled to an edge of the table body, in which the first sliding member is coupled to a track of the second sliding member. The first bracket fixes the first cable, the first bracket being coupled to a roller structure, in which the roller structure includes a body and a wheel coupled to the body. The rail guide confines a movement of the wheel of the roller structure. The first protective film is adhered to a surface of the rail guide, in which the roller structure is moveable along the first protective film on the surface of the rail guide.

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: 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: A method includes transferring an inner pod of a carrier out from an outer pod of the carrier into a lithography exposure apparatus, the inner pod containing a reticle including a reflective multilayer and a pellicle underlying the reflective multilayer; detecting a condition of the pellicle using a metrology device positioned on a base plate of the inner pod during transferring the inner pod in the lithography exposure apparatus; determining whether the condition of the pellicle is acceptable; issuing a warning when the condition of the pellicle is not acceptable.

Abstract: Some implementations described herein provide an exposure tool and associated methods of operation in which a scanner control system generates a scanner route for an exposure recipe such that the distance traveled by a substrate stage of the exposure tool along the scanner route is reduced and/or optimized for non-exposure fields on a semiconductor substrate. In this way, the scanner control system increases the productivity of the exposure tool, reduces processing times of the exposure tool, and increases yield in a semiconductor fabrication facility in which the exposure tool is included.

Abstract: An extreme ultra violet (EUV) radiation source apparatus includes a collector, a target droplet generator for generating a tin (Sn) droplet, a rotatable debris collection device and a chamber enclosing at least the collector and the rotatable debris collection device. The rotatable debris collection device includes a first end support, a second end support and a plurality of vanes, ends of which are supported by the first end support and the second end support, respectively. A surface of at least one of the plurality of vanes is coated by a catalytic layer, which reduces a SnH4 to Sn.

Abstract: A lithography mask includes a substrate that contains a low thermal expansion material (LTEM). The lithography mask also includes a reflective structure disposed over the substrate. The reflective structure includes a first layer and a second layer disposed over the first layer. At least the second layer is porous. The mask is formed by forming a multilayer reflective structure over the LTEM substrate, including forming a plurality of repeating film pairs, where each film pair includes a first layer and a porous second layer. A capping layer is formed over the multilayer reflective structure. An absorber layer is formed over the capping layer.