Abstract: A buffer vessel and a vapor tube in a track tool are configured as a diffusion vaporizer to deliver a flow of photolithography chemical vapor to a chamber for coating a wafer. Pressure in the buffer vessel is equalized to eliminate negative pressure in the buffer vessel. The size of the buffer vessel is selected such that a volume of photolithography chemical vapor that is sufficient to coat an entire lot of wafers is provided to the chamber when there is no longer any photolithography chemical in a source bottle.

Abstract: The performance of photolithography chemical dispense apparatus is improved by placing the chemical filter before the dispense pump and providing a separate pressure control for the filter. This approach allows the system to utilize both an optimal dispense rate and an optimal filtration rate. A chemical source can have a first pressure source applied, and a second pressure source applied where necessary to control the filtration rate. The pressures can be optimized during calibration, and optimal pressures can be maintained using pressure sensors that monitor the pressures. A controller can model the behavior of at least the dispense pressure during a dispense cycle and can calculate an adjustment function to be applied to the dispense pump during a subsequent dispense cycle in order to optimize the dispense pressure (and hence flow rate) during each cycle.

Abstract: A method of dispensing a photolithography chemical onto a substrate in a track lithography tool includes determining the volume for each of a number of target volumes for a photolithography process. A pump control parameter is calculated for each target volume, as determined by a fitting a characteristic function to incremental volume-based characteristic factors as a function of the target volume, then determining the appropriate control parameter for a given target volume. In one embodiment, the control parameter is a number of drive pulses to be applied to a displacement pump motor to displace a selected volume of chemical and thus obtain the desired volume target. Control parameters also can be determined for each step of a multiple step dispense process. The method further includes providing a control signal to the dispense pump to control accurate delivery of the photolithography chemical to the substrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a dispense of a semiconductor process liquid are provided. A motor is driven to dispense the semiconductor process liquid in accordance with a liquid delivery plan. The delivery plan corresponds to a reference profile. A signal profile from a sensor is measured while the motor dispenses the process liquid in accordance with the plan. The measured profile is compared with a reference profile to characterize the dispense.

Abstract: An integrated photolithography chemical delivery system for a track lithography system. The integrated photolithography chemical delivery system includes a buffer vessel adapted to receive a photolithography chemical from a source volume. The integrated photolithography chemical delivery system also includes a photolithography chemical pump connected to the buffer vessel. The integrated photolithography chemical delivery system further includes a filter connected to the photolithography chemical pump.

Abstract: A method of dispensing a photolithography chemical onto a substrate positioned in a track lithography tool. The method includes determining a target volume of the photolithography chemical for a photolithography process and calculating a pump offset. The pump offset is a second order polynomial function of the target volume. The method also includes providing a dispense value dependent on the pump offset to a dispense pump adapted to deliver the photolithography chemical to the substrate. The method further includes providing a control signal to the dispense pump to initiate delivery of the photolithography chemical to the substrate.