Patent Grant
10018924
The present invention relates to a substrate holder, a lithographic apparatus, a device manufacturing method, and a method of manufacturing a substrate holder.
A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that instance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at one time, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the “scanning”-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
It has been proposed to immerse the substrate in the lithographic projection apparatus in a liquid having a relatively high refractive index, e.g. water, so as to fill a space between the final element of the projection system and the substrate. In an embodiment, the liquid is distilled water, although another liquid can be used. An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to liquid. However, another fluid may be suitable, particularly a wetting fluid, an incompressible fluid and/or a fluid with higher refractive index than air, desirably a higher refractive index than water. Fluids excluding gases are particularly desirable. The point of this is to enable imaging of smaller features since the exposure radiation will have a shorter wavelength in the liquid. (The effect of the liquid may also be regarded as increasing the effective numerical aperture (NA) of the system and also increasing the depth of focus.) Other immersion liquids have been proposed, including water with solid particles (e.g. quartz) suspended therein, or a liquid with a nano-particle suspension (e.g. particles with a maximum dimension of up to 10 nm). The suspended particles may or may not have a similar or the same refractive index as the liquid in which they are suspended. Other liquids which may be suitable include a hydrocarbon, such as an aromatic, a fluorohydrocarbon, and/or an aqueous solution.
In a conventional lithography apparatus, the substrate to be exposed may be supported by a substrate holder which in turn is supported by a substrate table. The substrate holder is often a flat rigid disc corresponding in size and shape to the substrate (although it may have a different size or shape). It has an array of projections, referred to as burls or pimples, projecting from at least one side. In an embodiment, the substrate holder has an array of projections on two opposite sides. In this case, when the substrate holder is placed on the substrate table, the main body of the substrate holder is held a small distance above the substrate table while the ends of the burls on one side of the substrate holder lie on the surface of the substrate table. Similarly, when the substrate rests on the top of the burls on the opposite side of the substrate holder, the substrate is spaced apart from the main body of the substrate holder. The purpose of this is to help prevent a particle (i.e. a contaminating particle such as a dust particle) which might be present on either the substrate table or substrate holder from distorting the substrate holder or substrate. Since the total surface area of the burls is only a small fraction of the total area of the substrate or substrate holder, it is highly probable that any particle will lie between burls and its presence will have no effect. Often, the substrate holder and substrate are accommodated within a recess in the substrate table so that the upper surface of the substrate is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the substrate table.
Due to the high accelerations experienced by the substrate in use of a high-throughput lithographic apparatus, it is not sufficient to allow the substrate simply to rest on the burls of the substrate holder. It is clamped in place. Two methods of clamping the substrate in place are known—vacuum clamping and electrostatic clamping. In vacuum clamping, the space between the substrate holder and substrate and optionally between the substrate table and substrate holder are partially evacuated so that the substrate is held in place by the higher pressure of gas or liquid above it. Vacuum clamping however may not be used where the beam path and/or the environment near the substrate or substrate holder is kept at a low or very low pressure, e.g. for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation lithography. In this case, it may not be possible to develop a sufficiently large pressure difference across the substrate (or substrate holder) to clamp it. Electrostatic clamping may therefore be used. In electrostatic clamping, a potential difference is established between the substrate, or an electrode plated on its lower surface, and an electrode provided on the substrate table and/or substrate holder. The two electrodes behave as a large capacitor and substantial clamping force can be generated with a reasonable potential difference. An electrostatic arrangement can be such that a single pair of electrodes, one on the substrate table and one on the substrate, clamps together the complete stack of substrate table, substrate holder and substrate. In an arrangement, one or more electrodes may be provided on the substrate holder so that the substrate holder is clamped to the substrate table and the substrate is separately clamped to the substrate holder.
Temperature control over the substrate surface is significant, in particular in immersion systems which are sensitive to temperature variations due to liquid (e.g. water) evaporation effects. Evaporation of liquid from a substrate may apply a heat load to the substrate, leading to the temperature variations. The temperature variations lead to thermal stress in the substrate which eventually may contribute to overlay error. To achieve improved accuracy in temperature control, real time local measurement of the temperature combined with active heating is desired. Such a measurement and heating system is integrated into the system, i.e. in the substrate holder (i.e. the object that directly supports a substrate) and/or substrate table (mirror block or stage, i.e. the object such as a table that supports the substrate holder and provides an upper surface surrounding the substrate holder). A thin film stack can be used to make a structure that can both measure and heat. Such a structure offers the opportunity for integration into the substrate table or both.
It is desirable, for example, to provide a substrate table or substrate holder on which one or more electronic components, such as one or more thin-film components, are formed.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus, the substrate holder comprising: a main body having a surface; a plurality of burls projecting from the surface and having end surfaces to support a substrate; a planarization layer provided on at least part of the main body surface; and a thin film stack provided on the planarization layer and forming an electric component.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a lithographic apparatus, comprising: a support structure configured to support a patterning device; a projection system arranged to project a beam patterned by the patterning device onto a substrate; and a substrate holder arranged to hold the substrate, the substrate holder comprising: a main body having a surface, a plurality of burls projecting from the surface and having end surfaces to support a substrate, a planarization layer provided on at least part of the main body surface, and a thin film stack provided on the planarization layer and forming an electric component.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a device manufacturing method using a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: projecting a beam patterned by a patterning device onto a substrate while holding the substrate in a substrate holder, wherein the substrate holder comprises: a main body having a surface; a plurality of burls projecting from the surface and having end surfaces to support a substrate; a planarization layer provided on at least part of the main body surface; and a thin film stack provided on the planarization layer and forming an electric component.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus, the substrate holder comprising: a main body having a surface; a plurality of burls projecting from the surface and having end surfaces to support a substrate; and a planarization layer provided on at least part of the main body surface, the planarization layer comprises a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer, the second sub-layer having a different composition than the first sub-layer.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: providing a main body having a surface and a plurality of burls projecting from the surface and having end surfaces to support a substrate; and forming a planarization layer on at least part of the main body surface, wherein forming the planarization layer comprises forming a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer on the first sub-layer, the second sub-layer having a different composition than the first sub-layer.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: providing a main body having a surface and a plurality of burls projecting from the surface and having end surfaces to support a substrate; and forming a planarization layer on at least part of the main body surface, wherein forming planarization layer comprises forming a first sub-layer, baking the first sub-layer to cure it, and forming a second sub-layer on the first sub-layer.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which corresponding reference symbols indicate corresponding parts, and in which:
The illumination system may include various types of optical components, such as refractive, reflective, magnetic, electromagnetic, electrostatic or other types of optical components, or any combination thereof, for directing, shaping, or controlling radiation.
The support structure MT holds the patterning device. The support structure MT holds the patterning device in a manner that depends on the orientation of the patterning device, the design of the lithographic apparatus, and other conditions, such as for example whether or not the patterning device is held in a vacuum environment. The support structure MT can use mechanical, vacuum, electrostatic or other clamping techniques to hold the patterning device. The support structure MT may be a frame or a table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required. The support structure MT may ensure that the patterning device is at a desired position, for example with respect to the projection system. Any use of the terms “reticle” or “mask” herein may be considered synonymous with the more general term “patterning device.”
The term “patterning device” used herein should be broadly interpreted as referring to any device that can be used to impart a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section such as to create a pattern in a target portion of the substrate. It should be noted that the pattern imparted to the radiation beam may not exactly correspond to the desired pattern in the target portion of the substrate, for example if the pattern includes phase-shifting features or so called assist features. Generally, the pattern imparted to the radiation beam will correspond to a particular functional layer in a device being created in the target portion, such as an integrated circuit.
The patterning device may be transmissive or reflective. Examples of patterning devices include masks, programmable mirror arrays, and programmable LCD panels. Masks are well known in lithography, and include mask types such as binary, alternating phase-shift, and attenuated phase-shift, as well as various hybrid mask types. An example of a programmable mirror array employs a matrix arrangement of small mirrors, each of which can be individually tilted so as to reflect an incoming radiation beam in different directions. The tilted mirrors impart a pattern in a radiation beam which is reflected by the mirror matrix.
The term “projection system” used herein, like the term “illumination system”, should be broadly interpreted as encompassing any type of projection system, including refractive, reflective, catadioptric, magnetic, electromagnetic and electrostatic optical systems or other types of optical components, or any combination thereof, as appropriate for the exposure radiation being used, or for other factors such as the use of an immersion liquid or the use of a vacuum. Any use of the term “projection lens” herein may be considered as synonymous with the more general term “projection system”. The projection system, like the illumination system, may include various types of optical components, such as refractive, reflective, magnetic, electromagnetic, electrostatic or other types of optical components, or any combination thereof, as appropriate for the exposure radiation being used, or for other factors such as the use of a vacuum. It may be desired to use a vacuum for EUV radiation since other gases may absorb too much radiation. A vacuum environment may therefore be provided to the whole beam path with the aid of a vacuum wall and vacuum pumps.
As depicted in
The lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two or more tables (or stages or supports) which may be referred to as dual stage, e.g., two or more substrate tables or a combination of one or more substrate tables and one or more sensor or measurement tables. In such “multiple stage” machines the additional tables may be used in parallel, or preparatory steps may be carried out on one or more tables while one or more other tables are being used for exposure. The lithographic apparatus may have two or more patterning device tables (or stages or supports) which may be used in parallel in a similar manner to substrate, sensor and/or measurement tables.
Referring to
Methods to produce EUV radiation include, but are not necessarily limited to, converting a material into a plasma state that has at least one element, e.g., xenon, lithium or tin, with one or more emission lines in the EUV range. In one such method, often termed laser produced plasma (“LPP”) the plasma can be produced by irradiating a fuel, such as a droplet, stream or cluster of material having the desired line-emitting element, with a laser beam. The source collector apparatus SO may be part of an EUV radiation system including a laser, not shown in
The illuminator IL may comprise an adjuster AD configured to adjust the angular intensity distribution of the radiation beam. Generally, at least the outer and/or inner radial extent (commonly referred to as σ-outer and σ-inner, respectively) of the intensity distribution in a pupil plane of the illuminator can be adjusted. In addition, the illuminator IL may comprise various other components, such as an integrator IN, a condenser CO, a facetted field mirror device and/or a pupil mirror device. The illuminator may be used to condition the radiation beam, to have a desired uniformity and intensity distribution in its cross-section. Similar to the source SO, the illuminator IL may or may not be considered to form part of the lithographic apparatus. For example, the illuminator IL may be an integral part of the lithographic apparatus or may be a separate entity from the lithographic apparatus. In the latter case, the lithographic apparatus may be configured to allow the illuminator IL to be mounted thereon. Optionally, the illuminator IL is detachable and may be separately provided (for example, by the lithographic apparatus manufacturer or another supplier).
The radiation beam B is incident on the patterning device (e.g., mask) MA, which is held on the support structure (e.g., mask table) MT, and is patterned by the patterning device. Having traversed the patterning device MA, the radiation beam B passes through the projection system PS, which focuses the beam onto a target portion C of the substrate W. With the aid of the second positioner PW and position sensor PS1 (e.g. an interferometric device, linear encoder or capacitive sensor), the substrate table WT can be moved accurately, e.g. so as to position different target portions C in the path of the radiation beam B. Similarly, the first positioner PM and another position sensor (which is not explicitly depicted in
The depicted apparatus could be used in at least one of the following modes:
1. In step mode, the support structure MT and the substrate table WT are kept essentially stationary, while an entire pattern imparted to the radiation beam is projected onto a target portion C at one time (i.e. a single static exposure). The substrate table WT is then shifted in the X and/or Y direction so that a different target portion C can be exposed. In step mode, the maximum size of the exposure field limits the size of the target portion C imaged in a single static exposure.
2. In scan mode, the support structure MT and the substrate table WT are scanned synchronously while a pattern imparted to the radiation beam is projected onto a target portion C (i.e. a single dynamic exposure). The velocity and direction of the substrate table WT relative to the support structure MT may be determined by the (de-) magnification and image reversal characteristics of the projection system PS. In scan mode, the maximum size of the exposure field limits the width (in the non-scanning direction) of the target portion in a single dynamic exposure, whereas the length of the scanning motion determines the height (in the scanning direction) of the target portion.
3. In another mode, the support structure MT is kept essentially stationary holding a programmable patterning device, and the substrate table WT is moved or scanned while a pattern imparted to the radiation beam is projected onto a target portion C. In this mode, generally a pulsed radiation source is employed and the programmable patterning device is updated as required after each movement of the substrate table WT or in between successive radiation pulses during a scan. This mode of operation can be readily applied to maskless lithography that utilizes programmable patterning device, such as a programmable mirror array of a type as referred to above.
Combinations and/or variations on the above described modes of use or entirely different modes of use may also be employed.
The radiation emitted by the hot plasma 4210 is passed from a source chamber 4211 into a collector chamber 4212 via an optional gas barrier or contaminant trap 4230 (in some cases also referred to as contaminant barrier or foil trap) which is positioned in or behind an opening in source chamber 4211. The contaminant trap 4230 may include a channel structure. Contaminant trap 4230 may include a gas barrier or a combination of a gas barrier and a channel structure. The contaminant trap or contaminant barrier 4230 further indicated herein at least includes a channel structure, as known in the art.
The collector chamber 4212 may include a radiation collector CO which may be a so-called grazing incidence collector. Radiation collector CO has an upstream radiation collector side 4251 and a downstream radiation collector side 4252. Radiation that traverses collector CO can be reflected off a grating spectral filter 4240 to be focused in a virtual source point IF. The virtual source point IF is commonly referred to as the intermediate focus, and the source collector apparatus is arranged such that the intermediate focus IF is located at or near an opening 4221 in the enclosing structure 4220. The virtual source point IF is an image of the radiation emitting plasma 4210.
Subsequently the radiation traverses the illumination system IL, which may include a facetted field mirror device 422 and a facetted pupil mirror device 424 arranged to provide a desired angular distribution of the radiation beam 421, at the patterning device MA, as well as a desired uniformity of radiation intensity at the patterning device MA. Upon reflection of the beam of radiation 421 at the patterning device MA, held by the support structure MT, a patterned beam 426 is formed and the patterned beam 426 is imaged by the projection system PS via reflective elements 428, 430 onto a substrate W held by the substrate table WT.
More elements than shown may generally be present in illumination optics unit IL and projection system PS. The grating spectral filter 4240 may optionally be present, depending upon the type of lithographic apparatus. There may be more mirrors present than those shown in the Figures, for example there may be 1-6 additional reflective elements present in the projection system PS than shown in
Collector optic CO, as illustrated in
Alternatively, the source collector apparatus SO may be part of an LPP radiation system as shown in
In many lithographic apparatus a fluid, in particular a liquid for example an immersion lithographic apparatus, is provided between the final element of the projection system using a liquid supply system IH to enable imaging of smaller features and/or increase the effective NA of the apparatus. An embodiment of the invention is described further below with reference to such an immersion apparatus, but may equally be embodied in a non-immersion apparatus. Arrangements to provide liquid between a final element of the projection system and the substrate can be classed into at least two general categories. These are the bath type arrangement and the so called localized immersion system. In the bath type arrangement substantially the whole of the substrate and optionally part of the substrate table is submersed in a bath of liquid. The localized immersion system uses a liquid supply system in which liquid is only provided to a localized area of the substrate. In the latter category, the space filled by liquid is smaller in plan than the top surface of the substrate and the area filled with liquid remains substantially stationary relative to the projection system while the substrate moves underneath that area. Anther arrangement, to which an embodiment of the invention is directed, is the all wet solution in which the liquid is unconfined. In this arrangement substantially the whole top surface of the substrate and all or part of the substrate table is covered in immersion liquid. The depth of the liquid covering at least the substrate is small. The liquid may be a film, such as a thin film, of liquid on the substrate.
Four different types of localized liquid supply systems are illustrated in
One of the arrangements proposed for a localized immersion system is for a liquid supply system to provide liquid on only a localized area of the substrate and in between the final element of the projection system and the substrate using a liquid confinement system (the substrate generally has a larger surface area than the final element of the projection system). One way which has been proposed to arrange for this is disclosed in PCT patent application publication no. WO 99/49504. As illustrated in
A further immersion lithography solution with a localized liquid supply system is shown in
Another arrangement which has been proposed is to provide the liquid supply system with a liquid confinement member which extends along at least a part of a boundary of the space between the final element of the projection system and the substrate table. Such an arrangement is illustrated in
The fluid handling structure 12 at least partly contains liquid in the space 11 between a final element of the projection system PS and the substrate W. A contactless seal 16 to the substrate W may be formed around the image field of the projection system so that liquid is confined within the space between the substrate W surface and the final element of the projection system PS. The space is at least partly formed by the fluid handling structure 12 positioned below and surrounding the final element of the projection system PS. Liquid is brought into the space below the projection system and within the fluid handling structure 12 by liquid inlet 13. The liquid may be removed by liquid outlet 13. The fluid handling structure 12 may extend a little above the final element of the projection system. The liquid level rises above the final element so that a buffer of liquid is provided. In an embodiment, the fluid handling structure 12 has an inner periphery that at the upper end closely conforms to the shape of the projection system or the final element thereof and may, e.g., be round. At the bottom, the inner periphery closely conforms to the shape of the image field, e.g., rectangular, though this need not be the case.
In an embodiment, the liquid is contained in the space 11 by a gas seal 16 which, during use, is formed between the bottom of the fluid handling structure 12 and the surface of the substrate W. The gas seal is formed by gas, e.g. air or synthetic air but, in an embodiment, N2 or another inert gas. The gas in the gas seal is provided under pressure via inlet 15 to the gap between fluid handling structure 12 and substrate W. The gas is extracted via outlet 14. The overpressure on the gas inlet 15, vacuum level on the outlet 14 and geometry of the gap are arranged so that there is a high-velocity gas flow 16 inwardly that confines the liquid. The force of the gas on the liquid between the fluid handling structure 12 and the substrate W contains the liquid in a space 11. The inlets/outlets may be annular grooves which surround the space 11. The annular grooves may be continuous or discontinuous. The flow of gas 16 is effective to contain the liquid in the space 11. Such a system is disclosed in United States patent application publication no. US 2004-0207824.
The example of
Another arrangement which is possible is one which works on a gas drag principle. The so-called gas drag principle has been described, for example, in United States patent application publication nos. US 2008-0212046, US 2009-0279060, and US 2009-0279062. In that system the extraction holes are arranged in a shape which desirably has a corner. The corner may be aligned with the stepping or scanning directions. This reduces the force on the meniscus between two openings in the surface of the fluid handing structure for a given speed in the step or scan direction compared to if the two outlets were aligned perpendicular to the direction of scan.
Also disclosed in US 2008-0212046 is a gas knife positioned radially outside the main liquid retrieval feature. The gas knife traps any liquid which gets past the main liquid retrieval feature. Such a gas knife may be present in a so called gas drag principle arrangement (as disclosed in US 2008-0212046), in a single or two phase extractor arrangement (such as disclosed in United States patent application publication no. US 2009-0262318) or any other arrangement.
Many other types of liquid supply system are possible. The present invention is neither limited to any particular type of liquid supply system, nor to immersion lithography. The invention may be applied equally in any lithography. In an EUV lithography apparatus, the beam path is substantially evacuated and immersion arrangements described above are not used.
A control system 500 shown in
In an embodiment of the invention, the substrate holder 100 is made of rigid material. Desirably the material has a high thermal conductivity or a low coefficient of thermal expansion. A suitable material includes SiC (silicon carbide), SiSiC (siliconised silicon carbide), Si3N4 (silicon nitrite), quartz, and/or various other ceramic and glass-ceramics, such as Zerodur™ glass ceramic. The substrate holder 100 can be manufactured by selectively removing material from a solid disc of the relevant material so as to leave the projecting burls. A suitable technique to remove material includes electrical discharge machining (EDM), etching, machining and/or laser ablation. Some of these techniques leave a rough surface, e.g. having a roughness value Ra of the order of several microns. The minimum roughness achievable with these removal techniques may derive from the material properties and burl manufacturing process. For example, in the case of a two-phase material such as SiSiC, the minimum roughness achievable is determined by the grain size of the two-phase material. The substrate holder can also be manufactured by growing burls through a mask. The burls are of the same material as the base and can be grown by a physical vapor deposition process or sputtering.
Such residual roughness causes difficulty in forming one or more electrical components, such as one or more thin film components, on the surface of the substrate and unreliability in such components. These problems may arise because the roughness causes gaps and cracks in thin layers coated or grown on the substrate holder to form an electronic component. A thin film component may have a layer thickness in the range of from about 2 nm to about 100 μm and may be formed by a process including chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition (e.g. sputtering), dip coating, spin coating and/or spray coating. In an embodiment, a component formed on the substrate holder comprises a thin film stack, i.e. including a plurality of thin film layers. Such components are described further below.
An electronic component to be formed on the substrate table can include, for example, an electrode, a resistive heater and/or a sensor, such as (in a non-limiting list) a strain sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, a capacitive sensor or a temperature sensor. A heater and sensor, for example when included in a electrical system or circuit, can be used to locally control and/or monitor the temperature of the substrate holder and/or substrate so as to reduce undesired or induced desired temperature variation and stress in the substrate holder or substrate. Desirably, the heater and sensor are located on, around and/over the same region as each other. It is desirable to control temperature and/or stress of the substrate in order to reduce or eliminate imaging errors such as overlay errors due to local expansion or contraction of the substrate. For example, in an immersion lithography apparatus, evaporation of residual immersion liquid (e.g., water) on the substrate may cause localized cooling, may apply a heat load to the surface on which the liquid is located and hence shrinkage of the substrate. Conversely, the energy delivered to the substrate by the projection beam during exposure can cause significant heating, apply a heat load to the substrate and therefore expansion of the substrate.
In an embodiment, the component to be formed is an electrode for an electrostatic clamp. In electrostatic clamping, a potential difference is established between the substrate, or an electrode plated on its lower surface, and an electrode provided on the substrate table and/or substrate holder. The two electrodes behave as a large capacitor and substantial clamping forces can be generated with a reasonable potential difference. An electrostatic arrangement can be such that a single pair of electrodes, one on the substrate table and one on the substrate, clamps together the complete stack of substrate table, substrate holder and substrate. In an arrangement, one or more electrodes may be provided on the substrate holder so that the substrate holder is clamped to the substrate table and the substrate separately clamped to the substrate holder.
In an embodiment, one or more localized heaters 101 are controlled by controller 103 to provide a desired amount of heat to the substrate holder 100 and substrate W to control the temperature of the substrate W. One or more temperature sensors 102 are connected to controller 104 which monitors the temperature of the substrate holder 100 and/or substrate W. Voltage source 105 generates a potential difference e.g. of the order of 10 to 5,000 volts, between the substrate W and the substrate holder 100 and between the substrate holder 100 and the substrate table WT so that an electrostatic force clamps the substrate W, substrate holder 100 and substrate table WT together. In an embodiment, the potential difference is provided between an electrode on the lower surface of the substrate W and an electrode on the bottom of the recess in the substrate table WT. Arrangements using one or more heaters and temperature sensors to locally control the temperature of a substrate are described in co-pending U.S. patent application publication nos. US 2011/0222033 and US 2011/0222032, which documents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The arrangements described therein can be modified to make use of a resistive heater and temperature sensor as described herein.
As shown in
In an embodiment, the planarization layer 108 is formed by applying a plurality, e.g. two, layers of coating material or precursor material. In an embodiment, the planarization layer 108 may be formed by applying a single layer of coating material or precursor material. Depending upon the material of the planarization layer it can be possible to determine from inspection of the formed coating that it has been applied by forming multiple sub-layers. In an embodiment, the multiple sub-layers of the planarization layer 108 are formed of the same material. In an embodiment, the multiple sub-layers of the planarization layer 108 are formed of different materials. Suitable materials are discussed below.
In an embodiment, the planarization layer 108 is formed of a silicon oxide or silicon nitride-based compound with a functional group attached to each Si atom. The functional groups can be selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, fluoro, vinyl and the like. In an embodiment, the planarization layer 108 is formed of Si(CH3)2Ox. In an embodiment the planarization layer is formed of SiOx, e.g. SiO2. In an embodiment the planarization layer is formed of benzocyclobutene (BCB). In an embodiment the planarization layer is formed of a polyimide coating material. A method of applying such a material is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,524,735, which document is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. In an embodiment the planarization layer is formed of polymer chains consisting of Si(CH3)2N and Si(CH3)2O backbones.
The planarization layer may have a thickness in the range of from about 0.2 μm to about 200 μm, desirably from about 2 μm to about 30 μm or desirably from about 10 μm to about 20 μm. The planarization layer is desirably sufficiently thick to fill-in most or all of the roughness of the surface of the substrate holder. If the planarization layer is too thick, it is more likely to crack during curing. Applying the planarization layer in a plurality of separate coats, as described below, can reduce the chance of such cracking and reduce the surface roughness of the final layer.
In an embodiment, the planarization layer 108 is applied by coating the substrate holder 100 with a polysilazane solution which is then cured to form the silicon-based planarization layer. The reaction involved is shown in
The planarization layer provides a surface that is sufficiently smooth for reliable formation of a metal or other layer to form a thin film component. In particular, glass bonding steps that may be required with some materials used to form a substrate holder may be unnecessary.
In both of the above methods, the planarization layer 108 can be applied in multiple coating steps in order to reduce the surface roughness.
Before a second layer was applied, the first layers were hydrophillised by exposing them to air plasma for approximately 1 minute. This step can be omitted if only a single layer is to be applied or if the material applied is not hydrophobic. The amounts of material applied to form the second layer were varied. Samples 1 and 2 had an amount of solution applied to form a coating of 2.4 μm while samples 3 and 4 had an amount of solution applied to form a coating of thickness 4 μm. After curing of the second coating, the roughness Ra values of samples 1 to 4 were measured respectively at 0.37 μm, 0.46 μm, 0.63 μm and 0.44 μm, as shown at C in
Layer thicknesses and measured roughness are shown in Table 1:
Roughness values given above where obtained using a Taylor Hobson stylus profiler having a diamond tip of radius 2 μm, which is scanned over the layer to measure its profile and Ra is estimated from the contour map. Other equivalent instruments and methods can be used instead.
As shown in
The planarization layer 108 is in general as described above but other forms of layer and methods of forming the layer can be used. The planarization layer in an embodiment has a thickness greater than 10 μm. A SiSiC substrate table has rough surface (with high Ra of approximately 4 μm and peak to valleys of approximately 43 μm) between the burls. Such roughness does not allow patterning of thin metal electrode lines (e.g., thickness of 20 to 200 nm). To reduce the roughness, polymer dissolved in a suitable solvent is sprayed on the rough SiSiC surface. The liquid layer fills up the valleys present on the EDM finished rough SiSiC between the burls. The liquid is cured to evaporate the solvent and form a smooth polymer layer or planarization layer. Metal electrode lines can be patterned on such a planarized surface. If the planarization layer is sufficiently thick and covers all the sharp SiSiC peaks, it may also provide electrical isolation between the SiSiC and the patterned metal electrode lines. The planarization layer can be sprayed all at once or built in a stack by repeating the cycle of spraying a thin layer, curing and spraying a next layer and so on until the desired layer thickness is achieved. A planarization layer may consist of sprayed layers of BCB (40% bis-benzocyclobutene dissolved in 1,3,5-trimethyl benzene) alone or in combination with sprayed layers of NN 120 (20% perhydropolysilazane in di-butyl ether). In an embodiment, a SiSiC surface has an about 10 micron BCB layer applied which provides an average Ra of about 0.8 microns and average peak-to-valleys of about 4.1 microns. In an embodiment, a SiSiC surface has an about 20 micron BCB layer applied which provides a average Ra of about 1.5 microns and average peak-to-valleys of about 8.5 microns.
The planarization layer is suitable for facilitating the metal electrode patterning, but may not cover all the SiSiC peaks. A thin layer (isolation layer) of PE CVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) SiOx can be deposited on top of the planarization layer to provide electrical isolation between the SiSiC peaks and metal electrode lines if necessary. If the electrical isolation provided by isolation layer is not sufficient, a planarization layer may be sandwiched between two isolation layers and the stack follows the sequence of first isolation layer (PE CVD SiOx), then planarization layer and second isolation layer (PE CVD SiOx). The isolation layer 201 desirably has a thickness greater than 0.1 μm. Desirably it has a thickness less than 10 μm. In an embodiment the isolation layer has a thickness of 5 μm.
On top of the isolation layer, metal conduction paths, e.g. lines 202 are deposited by photolithography or metal deposition and etching through a hard mask. Metal lines 202 desirably have a width greater than 20 μm. The maximum width of the metal lines is determined by their function and available space; it can be several 10s of millimeters. Other methods of forming the metal lines are usable. In the case of a heater and/or sensor, wide metal lines (e.g. about 1500 μm) can be used as heating elements and narrow metal lines (e.g. about 100 μm) can be used as sensor elements. For an electrostatic clamp, two halves of continuous metal film (but isolated from the burl tops) separated by approximately 500 μm from each other can be deposited to form positive and negative elements of the electrostatic clamp. Metal lines 202 desirably have a layer thickness greater than about 20 nm, desirably greater than about 40 nm. Metal lines 202 desirably have a layer thickness less than or equal to about 1 μm, desirably less than about 500 nm, desirably less than about 200 nm.
For heater and/or sensor development, patterned metal lines may consist of multiple metal layers of, for example, titanium (Ti) and platinum (Pt), Ti—Pt. In an embodiment, the line has one or more layers of titanium with a cumulative thickness of 10 nm for improved adhesion of approximately 250 nm thick platinum present in one or more thin film layers. Each metal line may have varying width. Patterning of the metals, e.g. Ti/Pt, may be achieved using a combination of one or more photo resist deposition steps, PVD for metal film deposition and a lift off process. For a heater alone, wide chromium (Cr) lines (˜1500 μm) can be deposited by Cr film deposition (PVD). The pattern of the heater may be formed by selective Cr etching from the burl tops using a hard mask. A metal electrode of an electrostatic clamp may include or consist of aluminum, or chromium or any other conductive material. The metal electrode may be formed by PVD or sputtering. Alloys of these metals in any suitable combination may be used.
It is desirable to electrically isolate deposited metal lines from above and protect them from particle depositions, scratches and oxidation. Hence, as mentioned above, a top or outermost (where the layer on which the metal lines are being formed is not upwardly facing) isolation layer may be formed, for example deposited, on the patterned electrodes. For a heater or a sensor, the isolation layer can be deposited by spray coating of BCB and/or NN 120 or SiOx as described previously or a combination of sprayed layers and SiOx. In the case of an electrostatic clamp, a top isolation layer also provides dielectric strength so that the clamping pressure and gap between the layer stack and substrate can be tuned to desired values. In an embodiment, the top isolation layer for an electrostatic clamp consists of spray coated polymer layers of BCB, NN 120 (or combination of these two sprayed materials) or SiOx alone or a combination of sprayed polymers layers and SiOx, or parylene (CVD) alone. The top isolation layer 203 desirably has a layer thickness greater than about 0.1 μm, desirably greater than about 1 μm. The top isolation layer 203 desirably has a layer thickness less than about 10 μm, desirably less than about 3 μm, for a heater or a sensor. For an electrostatic clamp, the top isolation layer desirably has a layer thickness less than about 100 μm, desirably less than about 20 μm. In an embodiment the thickness is in a range from about 10 to about 60 μm.
Table 2 shows examples of suitable materials for each constituent layer of a thin film stack. Each layer may be formed of one of the listed materials or a combination of two or more of the listed materials.
Table 3 shows examples of specific function and requirements per layer for the applications.
Thin film technology offers an overlay improvement and a cost effective solution for heater and/or sensor development. Metal pattern designs can be modified easily (by modifying mask designs). In an electrostatic clamp, the layer stack may avoid critical glass bonding steps used in the current substrate clamp manufacturing process. Because the clamp can be built up in between the burls it is possible to have SiSiC burls. This is beneficial for wear. If a platinum (Pt) metal layer is used, a titanium adherence layer can first be applied to improve adhesion of the Pt layer. For electrostatic clamps, any suitable metal having a low resistance can be used.
In an embodiment, the planarization layer and thin film stack are deposited on a flat base. Holes for burls are left or created by etching the planarization layer and thin film stack through a mask or photoresist. The burls are then grown in the holes.
Dielectric layers can be deposited by spray coating, spin coating and PE CVD techniques. Spray coating is particularly suitable for depositing a polymer based layer (dissolved in organic solvent) such as a BCB and/or NN 120 layer. Such a polymer layer can be used to planarize SiSiC surface between the burls by filling up valleys. But, first sprayed layers may suffer from surface defects such as pin-holes (because of local impurities) and cracks (most likely because of stresses induced in the layers) if too thick layers are deposited. It is possible to reduce the effect of these surface imperfections by combining different deposition processes. In an embodiment of the invention, layers can be applied using an inkjet or bubble-jet printing technique. This allows for local control of the layer thickness, which can be useful to correct for local variation in the surface contour or the surface roughness of the surface on which the thin film device is to be formed, e.g. the substrate holder. One or more of these techniques enable patterning of a conductive layer using a conductive ink. A combination of different materials and/or layer formation techniques may be desirable as a defect in one layer can be cured by another layer.
An embodiment of the invention is shown in
An embodiment of the invention is shown in
For process characterization, voltage breakdown tests with a 40 micron layer of BCB on Si substrate, built from two 20 μm thick BCB layers with intermediate baking step were performed. The measurement showed high voltage breakdown strength over 7 KV for such a stacked 40 μm BCB layer.
An embodiment of the invention is shown in
An embodiment of the invention is shown in
In the arrangement shown in
In an embodiment, depicted in
A “twist” or cross-over 306 may be provided to the sensor of
A reduction in noise can be achieved using a sensor comprising conductors disposed in two substantially parallel layers on the substrate holder. Examples are shown in
A further arrangement that is effective where the interfering field is substantially parallel to the plane of the substrate holder is depicted in
Cross-sections of the sensors described above in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the substrate holder are shown in
The cross-section through the two-layer sensor structure of
A further sensor usable in an embodiment of the invention is shown in
Within connector 301 one end of each of the conductors 317, 318 is connected to a respective contact pad 319, 321. A further conductor 320 loops around the contact pad 319 to connect together the other ends of conductors 319, 318. An additional loop conductor 322 is used to effect the connection between contact pad 321 and conductor 318. The arrangement of loop conductors 320 and 322 is such as to reduce or minimize induced noise within the connector and help ensure that conductors 317, 318 are connected in opposite senses. This means that a given field change will induce opposite currents in conductors 317 and 318. Since the areas 317a, 318a are substantially equal, close together and intertwined, noise currents induced in conductor 317, 318 will very nearly exactly cancel out.
Flexible connector 323 is illustrated as a flat cable with a straight conductor for each terminal of the sensor 300a. However, multiple tracks, shielding and/or twists can be applied to the flexible connector 323 to reduce or minimize pickup of electromagnetic noise. Depending upon the application, the length of the flexible connector 323 can be between 50 and 1500 mm. The flexible connector 323 is, in an embodiment, formed by printing conductive tracks on a flexible substrate.
A more detailed arrangement of an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in
The sensor structure 300 can be fine tuned to reduce or minimize pickup of electromagnetic noise. This is illustrated in
A measurement circuit usable in an embodiment of the invention is shown in
Output signals of a test structure are shown in
In an embodiment of the invention, the sensor circuit can be arranged for increased or maximum suppression of electromagnetic interference or for optimization of gain. Suitable circuits are shown respectively in
In
In
In the above described embodiments, the sensor conductors are laid out with substantially right-angled corners. In an embodiment, acute and obtuse angle corners can be used. The conductors can be laid out with curved arrangements. In the embodiments described above, signals from the two sensors are combined in the analog domain to reduce or minimize electromagnetic interference. It is possible to separately digitize signals from two sensor electrodes and remove the electromagnetic interference in software.
In an embodiment, there is provided a substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus, the substrate holder comprising: a main body having a surface; a plurality of burls projecting from the surface and having end surfaces to support a substrate; a planarization layer provided on at least part of the main body surface; and a thin film stack provided on the planarization layer and forming an electric component.
In an embodiment, the thin film stack includes a conductive layer. In an embodiment, the conductive layer is formed of a metal, such as a metal selected from the group consisting of: Cr, Al, Pt and alloys thereof. In an embodiment, the conductive layer has a thickness in the range of from about 20 nm to about 1 μm. In an embodiment, the thin film stack includes an isolation layer provided on the surface of the conductive layer furthest from the planarization layer. In an embodiment, the thin film stack includes an isolation layer between the conductive layer and the planarization layer. In an embodiment, the or an isolation layer is formed of a material or a combination of materials selected from the group consisting of: benzocyclobutene; perhydropolysilazane, SiOx, parylene and polyimide. In an embodiment, the or an isolation layer has a thickness in the range of from about 0.1 μm to about 100 μm. In an embodiment, the or an isolation layer has a thickness in the range of from about 0.1 μm to about 10 μm, desirably from about 1 μm to about 3 μm. In an embodiment, the or an isolation layer has a thickness in the range of from about 20 μm to about 100 μm, desirably from about 40 μm to about 60 μm. In an embodiment, the thin film stack forms a plurality of electric components. In an embodiment, a first electric component and a second electric component of the plurality of electric components are arranged in a single layer of the thin film stack. In an embodiment, a first electric component and a second electric component of the plurality of electric components are arranged in two separate layers of the thin film stack. In an embodiment, the electronic component is a component selected from the group consisting of: an electrode, a heater, a sensor, a transistor and a logic device. In an embodiment, the electrode is, in use, an electrode of an electrostatic clamp. In an embodiment, the sensor comprises a conductor arranged to reduce or minimize pickup of electromagnetic interference. In an embodiment, the conductor comprises a conductive loop formed by two substantially parallel branches, wherein the two branches have a maximum separation less than or equal to about 500 μm, less than or equal to about 200 μm, or less than or equal to about 100 μm. In an embodiment, the conductor includes a crossover. In an embodiment, the sensor comprises conductors provided in two substantially parallel layers on the substrate holder, the conductors being wound in opposite senses over at least two substantially overlapping areas. In an embodiment, the sensor includes two electrodes connected out of phase. In an embodiment, the two electrodes are disposed in convoluted and interleaved paths on the substrate holder.
In an embodiment, there is provided a lithographic apparatus, comprising: a support structure configured to support a patterning device; a projection system arranged to project a beam patterned by the patterning device onto a substrate; and a substrate holder arranged to hold the substrate, the substrate holder as described herein. In an embodiment, the lithographic apparatus further comprises a substrate table and wherein the substrate holder is integrated into the substrate table.
In an embodiment, there is provided a device manufacturing method using a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: projecting a beam patterned by a patterning device onto a substrate while holding the substrate in a substrate holder, wherein the substrate holder comprises: a main body having a surface; a plurality of burls projecting from the surface and having end surfaces to support a substrate; a planarization layer provided on at least part of the main body surface; and a thin film stack provided on the planarization layer and forming an electric component.
In an embodiment, there is provided a substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus, the substrate holder comprising: a main body having a surface; a plurality of burls projecting from the surface and having end surfaces to support a substrate; and a planarization layer provided on at least part of the main body surface, the planarization layer comprises a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer, the second sub-layer having a different composition than the first sub-layer.
In an embodiment, the planarization layer further comprises a third sub-layer. In an embodiment, the first sub-layer is formed of benzocyclobutene. In an embodiment, the second sub-layer is formed of SiOx.
In an embodiment, there is provided a method of manufacturing a substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: providing a main body having a surface and a plurality of burls projecting from the surface and having end surfaces to support a substrate; and forming a planarization layer on at least part of the main body surface, wherein forming the planarization layer comprises forming a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer on the first sub-layer, the second sub-layer having a different composition than the first sub-layer.
In an embodiment, forming the planarization layer further comprises forming a third sub-layer on the second sub-layer. In an embodiment, forming the first sub-layer, or forming the second sub-layer, or forming the first and second sub-layers comprises spraying a solution of a polymer or polymer-precursor. In an embodiment, forming the first sub-layer, or forming the second sub-layer, or forming the first and second sub-layers comprises a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, desirably a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE CVD) process.
In an embodiment, there is provided a method of manufacturing a substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: providing a main body having a surface and a plurality of burls projecting from the surface and having end surfaces to support a substrate; and forming a planarization layer on at least part of the main body surface, wherein forming planarization layer comprises forming a first sub-layer, baking the first sub-layer to cure it, and forming a second sub-layer on the first sub-layer.
In an embodiment, forming the first sub-layer comprises spraying a solution of a polymer or a polymer-precursor. In an embodiment, forming the second sub-layer comprises spraying a solution of a polymer or a polymer-precursor.
As will be appreciated, any of the above described features can be used with any other feature and it is not only those combinations explicitly described which are covered in this application.
Although specific reference may be made in this text to the use of lithographic apparatus in the manufacture of ICs, it should be understood that the lithographic apparatus described herein may have other applications in manufacturing components with microscale, or even nanoscale features, such as the manufacture of integrated optical systems, guidance and detection patterns for magnetic domain memories, flat-panel displays, liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), thin-film magnetic heads, etc. The skilled artisan will appreciate that, in the context of such alternative applications, any use of the terms “wafer” or “die” herein may be considered as synonymous with the more general terms “substrate” or “target portion”, respectively. The substrate referred to herein may be processed, before or after exposure, in for example a track (a tool that typically applies a layer of resist to a substrate and develops the exposed resist), a metrology tool and/or an inspection tool. Where applicable, the disclosure herein may be applied to such and other substrate processing tools. Further, the substrate may be processed more than once, for example in order to create a multi-layer IC, so that the term substrate used herein may also refer to a substrate that already contains multiple processed layers.
The terms “radiation” and “beam” used herein encompass all types of electromagnetic radiation, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (e.g. having a wavelength of or about 365, 248, 193, 157, 126, 13.5 or 6.5 nm).
The term “lens”, where the context allows, may refer to any one or combination of various types of optical components, including refractive and reflective optical components.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be appreciated that the invention, at least in the form a method of operation of an apparatus as herein described, may be practiced otherwise than as described. For example, the embodiments of the invention, at least in the form of a method of operation of an apparatus, may take the form of one or more computer programs containing one or more sequences of machine-readable instructions describing a method of operating an apparatus as disclosed above, or a data storage medium (e.g. semiconductor memory, magnetic or optical disk) having such a computer program stored therein. Further, the machine readable instruction may be embodied in two or more computer programs. The two or more computer programs may be stored on one or more different memories and/or data storage media.
Any controllers described herein may each or in combination be operable when the one or more computer programs are read by one or more computer processors located within at least one component of the lithographic apparatus. The controllers may each or in combination have any suitable configuration for receiving, processing, and sending signals. One or multiple processors are configured to communicate with at least one of the controllers. For example, each controller may include one or more processors for executing the computer programs that include machine-readable instructions for the methods of operating an apparatus described above. The controllers may include data storage media for storing such computer programs, and/or hardware to receive such media. So the controller(s) may operate according to the machine readable instructions of one or more computer programs.
An embodiment of the invention may be applied to substrates with a width (e.g., diameter) of 300 mm, 450 mm or any other size.
One or more embodiments of the invention may be applied to any immersion lithography apparatus, in particular, but not exclusively, those types mentioned above, whether the immersion liquid is provided in the form of a bath, only on a localized surface area of the substrate, or is unconfined on the substrate and/or substrate table. In an unconfined arrangement, the immersion liquid may flow over the surface of the substrate and/or substrate table so that substantially the entire uncovered surface of the substrate table and/or substrate is wetted. In such an unconfined immersion system, the liquid supply system may not confine the immersion liquid or it may provide a proportion of immersion liquid confinement, but not substantially complete confinement of the immersion liquid.
A liquid supply system as contemplated herein should be broadly construed. In certain embodiments, it may be a mechanism or combination of structures that provides a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate and/or substrate table. It may comprise a combination of one or more structures, one or more liquid inlets, one or more gas inlets, one or more gas outlets, and/or one or more liquid outlets that provide liquid to the space. In an embodiment, a surface of the space may be a portion of the substrate and/or substrate table, or a surface of the space may completely cover a surface of the substrate and/or substrate table, or the space may envelop the substrate and/or substrate table. The liquid supply system may optionally further include one or more elements to control the position, quantity, quality, shape, flow rate or any other features of the liquid.
The descriptions above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Thus, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention as described without departing from the scope of the claims set out below.
This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/398,582, filed Feb. 16, 2012, which claims priority and benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/576,627, filed on Dec. 16, 2011, to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/477,056, filed on Apr. 19, 2011, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/444,483, filed on Feb. 18, 2011. The contents of those applications are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
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| Child | 15014829 | US |
