Semiconductor processing tool and methods of operation
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.
1. A method, comprising:
generating, by a processor, a first scanner route for traversing over or across a plurality of fields, comprising one or more die exposure fields and one or more non-die exposure fields, on a substrate;
generating, by the processor and based on the first scanner route, a first exposure field map comprising the one or more die exposure fields and one or more non-exposure fields, of the substrate, that replace the one or more non-die exposure fields;
generating, by the processor and based on the first exposure field map, an exposure recipe including information identifying a second scanner route for traversing over or across a subset of the plurality of fields; and
causing, by the processor, a substrate stage of an exposure tool to move according to the exposure recipe.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more die exposure fields are associated with a scan-up scan-down (SUSD) configuration.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second scanner route is for traversing over or across the one or more non-exposure fields independent from the SUSD configuration.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-exposure fields comprises a first non-exposure field and a second non-exposure field, wherein the second scanner route includes the first non-exposure field and avoids the second non-exposure field.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first scanner route is associated with a second exposure field map comprising the one or more die exposure fields and the one or more non-die exposure fields.
6. A method, comprising:
generating, by a processor, a first exposure field map comprising a plurality of fields, of a semiconductor substrate, including a plurality of die exposure fields and a plurality of non-die exposure fields;
generating, by the processor and based on the first exposure field map, a second exposure field map including the plurality of die exposure fields and a plurality of non-exposure fields that replace the plurality of non-die exposure fields;
generating, by the processor and based on the first exposure field map and the second exposure field map, an exposure recipe that identifies a first scanner route for traversing across a subset of the plurality of fields; and
causing, by the processor, an exposure tool to move according to the exposure recipe.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of non-exposure fields are located at an edge of the semiconductor substrate.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein causing the exposure tool to move comprises:
causing the exposure tool to move directly from a starting point through one or more of the plurality of non-exposure fields, and to a first die exposure field of the plurality of die exposure fields.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein causing the exposure tool to move comprises:
causing the exposure tool to move directly from the starting point, through the plurality of non-exposure fields in an approximate straight line, and to the first die exposure field.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first die exposure field is associated with a scan up or scan down routing operation.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first die exposure field is to be exposed in an exposure operation of the exposure tool, and wherein the one or more of the plurality of non-exposure fields are to be skipped in the exposure operation.
12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first exposure field map is a line layer map, and the second exposure field map is a hole layer map.
13. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
generating a second scanner route for the first exposure field map; and
generating a third scanner route for the second exposure field map,
wherein the second scanner route includes, and the third scanning route avoids, a particular non-exposure field of the plurality of non-exposure fields.
14. A scanner control system, comprising:
one or more memories,
one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:
generate a first scanner route for traversing over or across a plurality of fields, comprising one or more die exposure fields and one or more non-die exposure fields, on a substrate;
generate, by the processor and based on the first scanner route, a first exposure field map comprising the one or more die exposure fields and one or more non-exposure fields, of the substrate, that replace the one or more non-die exposure fields;
generate, based on the first exposure field map, an exposure recipe including information identifying a second scanner route for traversing over or across a subset of the plurality of fields; and
cause a substrate stage of an exposure tool to move according to the exposure recipe.
15. The scanner control system of claim 14 , wherein the first exposure field map is a hole layer map.
16. The scanner control system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
generate a line layer map comprising the plurality of fields,
wherein the first scanner route is generated based on the line layer map.
17. The scanner control system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more die exposure fields are associated with a scan-up scan-down (SUSD) configuration.
18. The scanner control system of claim 17 , wherein the second scanner route is for traversing over or across the one or more non-exposure fields independent from the SUSD configuration.
19. The scanner control system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more non-exposure fields comprises a first non-exposure field and a second non-exposure field, and wherein the second scanner route includes the first non-exposure field and avoids the second non-exposure field.
20. The scanner control system of claim 14 , wherein the first scanner route is associated with a second exposure field map comprising the one or more die exposure fields and the one or more non-die exposure fields.